And Class 5 gloves and leather shoes at a minimum. I tell ya, I fell pretty silly wearing all that and going slower than my push car can go.
I agree with bobw gloves & leather shoes (or driving shoes), but you only need SFI spec 3.3/1 gloves with a SFI spec 3.2A/5 suit. I really think the track decided to use the 11.99 or quicker rule that calls for SFI/1 gloves & if you are using those gloves you need a SFI/5 jacket/pants. Next thing will be exceeding 135 mph or any where close and we will have to run chutes. Does it never end.
yes , gloves and arm restraints. i still have my hans. talk about feeling funny. my 20 suit needs to be recerted and besides the money aspect,it`s like wearing a sleeping bag when you`re stuck in the staging lanes at sac or famoso at 105 degrees. just trying to get some use out of my bracket racing jacket. can`t make flames anymore, wish i had treated my body a little better when i was younger. hindsight is a bitch. thanks
I just got my SFI 3.2a/suit,gloves shoes plus i think you need a head sock this year plus the collar unless you have the special helmet
Personally, I'm a fan of manual cog-boxes. I've been running my 138cu.in +40thou inline Holden Grey six with three-speed manual 'box and having an absolute ball-tearer of a time.The missus reckons after 18mths I still can't wipe the smile off my face after each run. Because our Drags could be at a country airstrip, therefore 1/8th mile,you could be running against a late model turbo or injected V8 complete with slushbox. I like nothing better than winding the old girl up to 4500rpm, stepping off the clutch and most times being 3/4 track before they realised what's happened. The look on their face when they realised I'm shifting gears is priceless. Best to date have been 9.1 @1/8th and 14.3 @90mph for the 1/4. Keep it simple I say.
I think most tracks would treat the cars as "dune Buggy" (please don't flame me!) if they are running 12-12.50 or slower, with that a full face helmet ,3.2a-1 jacket and gloves and arm restarints would suffice but!! I can see where having a 3.2a5 suit and at least 3.2a1 gloves and good driving shoes for the slower cars or those faster than that is a good thing.You only have to wear a head sock if you use a Hans or similar type neck restraint without the horse collar.If you just wear the horse collar then you dont need the head sock.Then again it is up to each person ( as to how more or little over the rules they wear) and the tracks enterpretation of the rules as to what they want you to have on.
Look, I know American tracks and regulations are different to Australia, but most drivers here wear the 2 layer suits, boots and gloves to at least appear to be a bit professional on the outside. On the inside we are just big kids at heart and bend the rules to suit. As for those 1/4 mile times being slow, it's only wanna-bee types who seem to worry.My HAMBster owes me about $2000 and so far in 18months and 100 plus runs has cost me fuel and spark plugs and entry fees. I've had top fueler teams come up to me at Test n' tune days and congratulate me for having a go without the aid of electronics,data-loggers and trans brakes, some secretly wishing they could go back to simpler days. As I say, whatever floats ya' boat.
spanners, I agree with you on all three points. I have run 10-12 FM dragsters and altereds over the last 40+ years so wearing the required safety gear in my HAMBster is no big deal. Anyone that thinks 90 miles an hour in an open dragster ain't fast has never been in one, not a big difference in 100 mph as to 180 except the funs over a lot quicker. These HAMBster rides (ha/gr & sdra) are all about having fun with good friends and making passes. As a guy said to me last week "It ain't about speed, its about the need". People that don't race will never get it.
please be aware that i am not trying to create a bitch session about the required safety equiptment. just asking a question. i may ( am )be way to blunt, it is a problem i`m still working on my car and will not put anyone down who has one running , their having fun and i`m still working on the house. makes me jealouse
I was wanting to know if tappering ends of 2"x3" tubing to meet fr&rear cross tubes of frame considered with in rules? Can i use aVW trans be hind my V8 flathead? Thinking ala speed sport special.
Don't see a problem with tapering the rails, sort of matches original chassis styles. Don't have a problem with the VW transmission, but I think it might have a problem with the torque of a flathead V8.
An alternative way instead of the v-dub transaxle http://www.flickr.com/photos/9255485@N04/sets/72157600488919503/
no problem with frame rails . a little history ,in 05 when this started two of the three teams were flatheads and they destroyed a number of ford trannys. the teams were the Ramrods and the Ozark Mountain Special both had stout flatheads
thanks for the feed back now my heads spinning. that shorten trans humm. ill keep building it in my head for now ,cheeper that way. thx
Dang, I was afraid you would say that. Another project. I was thinking Bonneville when I got it but it's too big for the vintage engine classes and I don't have the money to run it in 300 mph lakester class. Tires alone would be $3,000.
Heavier? Yep! My '53 pickup didn't like it and neither did my cherry picker. I'd easily lose 300+ pounds by changing the bell housing, timing cover, and manifolds. I didn't see the weight as a big deal with a vintage class Bonneville car but drag racing would be a different matter. There is another one not far from here. Maybe a twin engine car is the way to go. 826 inches of stump pulling snort. 6" tires? They ran duels in the day.
Start a build thread, this one should be good. Thinking get a strong clutch and rear axle and run it high gear only, smoker passes!
Six Ball, I would go ahead and use that nose piece,kinda goes hand in hand with that monster flathead
It's from an Honest John, our first nuke missile. Are automatic trannys still out? With no one making scatter shields or flywheels for this thing adapting an auto might be a way to go. I have the truck trans and it has an overdrive but it is heavy.
If you want to run a stick you can weld up an old school scattershield out of 1/4" plate. It's really not that hard to fabricate. Probably could even make an adapter plate to mount a late model can from a V8 if you wanted. With all of the torque that thing should make you may not need a bunch of gears.
I'll have an extra turbo 400 when I do the engine swap on my '68 flatbed. I have a scatter shield for that. That could simplify things.
Howdy all, just thought I'd copy these to a newer posting in the thread, for newer folks. Rules 1. Stock or modified stock frame rails, rectangular tube or round tube 3" diameter or larger. 2. Stock width front axles and rear ends only. 3. All cars must be equipped with a minimum four point roll bar of 1 3/4" tubing with a main hoop higher than the drivers head and 2 support bars down to the frame towards the firewall. Tubing must meet NHRA minimum wall thickness for application. 4. Cars with keyed axles must use hub safety retainers. 5. Closed drivelines are encouraged. If open driveline is used driveshaft must have a 1 1/2" x 1/4" driveshaft loop within 6 1/2" of front and rear universal joints and be totally covered/sealed off from driver with steel or aluminum floor pan. 6. Cars must have cowl or body and proper floor boards/belly pan to prevent drivers legs from exiting vehicle in event of a crash. firewall mandatory. 7. No slingshot chassis. Driver and engine must be positioned between the front and rear axles. 8. Cars must be equipped with an engine mounted starter and be self starting. 9. Batteries must be securely mounted and fully enclosed. 10. All cars must have a master battery cutoff switch accessible from outside the car. 11. All cars must have at least one red rear running light for night racing. 12. Flathead v8 or inlines, pre-1962 inline engines with stock cylinder blocks only. No exotic aftermarket inline six overhead valve heads (Wayne). No OHV V8s or V6s. (If you are looking to run a straight 6 with exotic heads or a flathead with an o/h conversion, contact Ryan for some good news.) 13. Engines must be naturally aspirated. No superchargers, turbos, nitrous oxide or fuel injection. 14. No electronic ignition boxes that mount outside the distributor or coil in cap HEIs. Conversions such as ignitor or stinger that fit within a stock dist cap are allowed. Aftermarket magnetos not allowed. 15. Pump gas/racing gas only. No Methanol, nitromethane, or alcohol. 16. Era specific carbs only, stock appearing- no modern Holley, Edelbrock, or other aftermarket carbs. 17. Fuel lines can have no single rubber piece longer than 24", and must be fastened by hose clamps, and must not be hard or cracked. 18. Cars equipped with a cooling system or water tank must use a radiator cap and overflow/catch can system. 19. Automatic transmissions are not allowed. All cars with clutches must run a stamped steel bell housing or a 1/4" scatter shield. 20. Cars must have rims no wider than 6", and only bias ply street treaded tires allowed. No radials, slicks, or cheater slicks allowed. Tire tread width must measure no more than 6". 21. Drivers must wear full face helmet, single layer (or more) fire retardant jacket or suit, gloves, jeans (or fire retardant pants), and leather shoes. 22. Five point NHRA approved safety harness required. 23. All cars must be of general soundness and safety. Must have all lug nuts, sound steering, cotter pins in place, and heim ends captured etc. Must pass all tracks general safety rules. 24. No electronic/pneumatic drivers aids such as rev limiters, two steps, shift lights or electric shifters. Tachometers are allowed if they dont have a rev limiter or a shift light. 25. Cars must be built in the spirit of the Bug and other early rail jobs. If ya arent familiar, ya better ask 26. All HA/GR cars are required to run a H.A.M.B. Logo in a visible location.
The Jalopy Journal
