Getting ahold of Doug Dutra

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RogerCox

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Location
Visalia Ca
I am also in Ca and wanted to reach out to Doug to talk to him about rebuilding my 225 slant 6.

Can someone let me know how to get ahold of him.
Thanks!
 
Send him a message on slantsix.org . I kind of doubt he is building motors at the moment though, he lost his shop in the fires last year.
 
He lost his home to a fire last fall from what I understand. Hope he is getting back on his feet.
 
Doug is around over there. He he very recently replied to a thread I posted regarding a slant six cylinder head, so he is around.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Seriously.
Doug is a great guy, big name and influence in the obscure / community. I see no need though.
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I posted over there because I wanted information about that head. He had one and knew all about it. Factory prototype. It's now at the sheen shop.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I posted over there because I wanted information about that head. He had one and knew all about it. Factory prototype. It's now at the sheen shop.
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Yes. I get that part...i should have said he is a historian of /'s.. just the building part ,it receives no benefit from his involvement.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Yes. I get that part...i should have said he is a historian of /'s.. just the building part ,it receives no benefit from his involvement.
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I get what you're saying. He's had some failures for sure, but then, he's tried some stuff no one else has, too. I actually like the engine he built called "zing". I thought that was a good thought process. He used a cast crank in a forged crank block. Modified one or the other or both to make it work in the name of a really light weight rotating assembly. I would have just built a cast crank engine, but I guess he just used what he had. I don't remember reading a specific reason he did it that way and I don't know what ultimately became of "zing" but I thought the theory was a good one. The slant six needs all the help it can get and lightening the rotating mass would certainly help. The one he built from the aluminum block that he tried to make the deck for didn't turn out so well. He's trying though. You gotta give him credit for that. He's probably had a good time doing it too. I know I'm havin a blast with my stuff and I've just scratched the surface in comparison.
 
RogerCox said:
I’m not after a super performance slant 6, want streetable, and ultra reliable but with more get up than I have now and a reasonable cost (otherwise just put 360 in)
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I get it. I don't know if Doug's doing any of that or not. Throw a thread up over there or send him a message and see.
 
I think that he does some of that on purpose, the blowing up of engines, for experiment sake, he has actually done alot of what you guys ask "could I do........"? I think that he knows all of his trials won't work. That's how people find out what will or won't work.
 
I got this response from Doug


"Sad to say that I lost all my tools, parts and shop to the Glass wildfire so it will be a while before I can do any engine work."
Doug
 
Charrlie_S said:
I got this response from Doug


"Sad to say that I lost all my tools, parts and shop to the Glass wildfire so it will be a while before I can do any engine work."
Doug
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I sure do hate that. Hopefully he had good insurance.
 
ChrisRomello said:
I’d be impressed if someone could make a slant blow up..
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It takes some doing, but I managed to accomplish that once upon a time. I had a 73 Duster, slant and 904. I was dirt-dog broke so no money for repairs. It had an oil leak and a coolant leak. I ran it dry in both arenas about 20 times and drove it to the next gas station in a choking cloud of fumes each time to fill it up. I ran it that way for several years until the last time I ran it dry, and it thanked me by sending the #5 rod out the side of the block. Entirely my fault of course but I wear the Hat of Ignoramus as a result...
 
Like halfafish,I have seen Slants throw a rod.
As he said mainly because of abuse.
Doug is a great guy. Failure due to experimentation.Someone gotta try it.
 
All advances & knowledge are preceded by failures, some predictable, some surprising/perplexing, some expensive, some spectacular. All serve as lessons of what to do, what not to do, & what may be possible in the future. As a late former neighbor/mentor said of My frustration after redlighting in the next to last round b4 the final"if You don't light the red once in a while, You're not tryin'!" ....We need to light Our reds in Our own ways, I'm good w/that....
 
ChrisRomello said:
Lol, yeah!
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Blasted the cam right out the back of the block.
Bent the back 3 push rods, cam came out in 4 pieces and blasted a hole through the back of the block.
It's not like I beat it or neglected it, it just came apart on me.

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1cam4.JPG


1cam5.JPG
 
Just a word about insurance.
If you have common stuff in your attached garage you are pretty much covered insurance wise.
However...
If you have large amounts of tools...
If you have rare valuable car parts...
If you have signs, collectibles, etc ...
You are not covered unless you have a special rider attached to your policy.
Ask me how I know.

Doug pretty much lost all his stuff, gone.
 
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