Projects Chassis Research style dragster/Comp Coupe build flathead powered

I figure it's time do do a build thread on my dragster, I've been in and out of drag racing most of my life,But I've been away from racing for 16 years, some one showed me add for a 1958 Chassis Resreach style dragster for sale on the net, it was just tacked together and a fair price, Always liked the look of these cars, So i call Mike Wagner at Cornfield Customs about the car, He says it was sold already, but he could put together another one if I wanted , THE ADDICTION COMES BACK, this is where this all starts, here's some pics from the build at mike's shop ,I'll add more pics later

 

Cool! I am glad that there are some of these cars being built! Scotty Fenn would dig what is going on!

 

With as many of these cars being buildt out there we could run a 50's style dragster circuit, I think Mike told me mine was No, 13 out of his shop

 

yeah i have put out a few of there lol number 14 is sitting on the table right now waiting on new home

 

While I was waiting for the car to get built, I spent the summer chaseing down parts to use on this car,, and getting to know some of the people on the HAMB ,man there's a ton of info on here all you have to do is ask, Mike and one of the guys who works for him were coming out this way to pick up a model A body, so they hauled my car and another car I bought outa NY to resale, out with them, when I saw them I thought they looked more like roadies for a rock band than chassis builders, But their work speaks for it's self, Plus who am I to talk I'm 54 and have long gray hair

 

some pics of parts for the car, My as Roseville Carl calls it slug motor to work the bugs out with,a 9 inch rearend, some wheels for it,what will become my good motor closely watched by one of the dogs, plus my watch dogs with an intruder well thats it for tonite got to sort through all the other pics

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=503186&highlight=old+dragster


Here's some incentive from an old post I did a couple of years ago.
This car is back in storage until we get some time to drag it out again.

 

Cool stuff we are building a 58 CR too!

 

Cool cars Glen thanks

 

i am looking into getting one of these from them too
mine will be banger powered though
tk

 

Love that chassis. Very sleek

 

looking great tim, i cant wait to see it done. might have to have a special race with the one in my show room lol

 

Damn it, I will have one of these things in my home or hanging up in my garage one day. I'm too scared to actually build one that runs.

 

Shit if I can build one anybody can,Plus with all the old time dragster people on the HAMB ,you can get it done, All you gotta do is jump on in, BUT have a good chassis buildt to start with,I can tell you driving an piece of shit chassis is a scary ride ,But fun at the same time

 

more pics Fitting the motor in the car started on the ground but switched to a rolling work bench,alittle higher up, building this thing on a budget I have to make most of the brakets ,motor mounts,plate myself, Hmm? budget and race car don't seem to go together

 

the race sounds good to me Mike but with the motor thats gonna be in the car at first I'm pretty sure you'll whip me , might have to wait till I get the blown flattie done for that race

 

more pics, Needed to make a jig to narrow a 9 inch ford one of the guys I work with did the machine work while I drilled the front axle

 

More pics of makeing the motor mount frame tabs, I know I could buy nicer looking tabs but I want to do this like it would have been done back in 58, buy the way I would have been 1 year old then, so this is all new to me, my only contact with this type carfor me was in pics

 

made a mount for the steering box, hopefully the welder can clean up my birdshit tack welds

 

i think you need a plate on the top of your steering bracket also
not sure...but i think i read that somewhere
tk

 

Dragsled,What do you plan on using to extend your sector shaft on the Crosley box?

 

A guset over the box would problly brace it better, now that you mention it, I'm always open to helpful ideas

 

If you seen how my brace for the steering box was mounted back in the day you would think this one is overkill.

 

I'll proablly have to make a shaft or find a splined shaft and weld it to it, I was also going to get a bearing plate to put on my bracket on the frame for a better guide for the shaft going to the pitman arm

 

more pics of the build ,nothing real exciting just the mounting plates for the rearend, 9 inch ford with spool haven't decided on the gear ratio yet

 

Needed a master cylinder, wanted an old style single line, I rememebered some old cars Along a creek I saw hunting last winter, so me and the dogs went for a walk, most were buried nose first ,found a early 60's nova half exposed, sent the dogs in on point patrol for skunks, unforturely I have 3 of the best skunk dogs west of the mississippi,I think they like the smell ,all clear this time tho , Jackpot! has just what I need

 

I tryed to unbolt it first no luck bolts just spun so i ended up cutting it off the fire wall with a chisel, plus had to lay on my side to get at it, finally got it lose and headed home to mock it up on the chassis, I know why go through the trouble when I could go buy one,Hey what fun is that? got a couple nice emblems too

 

okay one more set of pics for the night, I mock up my brackets in cardboard first, used a brake handle from another car for the mock up

 

Stuff looks good man. What are you running for tranny and how did you line it up with the rear? Still nailing ours down.

 

Funny you ask i've been going back and forth on what to run,first thought about useing a flat-o-matic shorty c4, but while saveing up for that, i came across a CAE in and out box for a flathead, BUT it has a longer chevy spline input, so I think no problem I'll just get a ford type input for it ,how hard can that be right? well if there's any out there I couldn't find one, even got ahold of Garlits his words were ( hard to find try nonexistence ) one of the guys on here said they used a mutidisk clutch with a spacer with this set up, so for now thats on the shelf, now it has a 36 toploader trans with newer guts in it, had to order new shift forks from vanpelts but aleast it has a trans for now, When I lined it all up I used the handy-dandy alinement bar, in other words a pipe ran through the engine mains to the third members pinion suport, I gave my self some working distance between the motor plate and thirdmember for any of my three choices ,they are all pretty close in lenght, I'll make up any diffrence with the trans coupler, lenco or mark williams will make what ever you need for a price , just put the trans in tonight ,now I have to see what I can do to protect my feet incase of clutch faliure, Oh yeah, with the toploader I have to change the steering mount now, but hey if it was easy everyone would do this