Event Coverage Official 2016 Meltdown Drags Thread - What are you doing to get ready?

Well Norb Jinxed me, he said I was the only Ford that didn't break... As luck would have it, Murphy didn't strike till Sunday on my first pass... Aim was to get into 13's, so I figured what the heck & got aggressive on burnout, launch & shifting... Slammed 3 gear & pegged the tach... Coasted across finish line & got her off the track. Motor still ran, but had nothing when I tried to put in gear... Thought I broke trans or blew clutch... Took it apart after work Monday & broke the center of clutch disk out of her!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

So Jim was the 60 foot time better?

 

Sorry about the Jinx Job Jim

You must be making a lot more power.

Are you running a stock bell or a safety bell housing?

 

Have Lakewood shatter shield... Wonder if that was hindering me off the line or binding? Or not clamping out of hole? Just having fun with ya on jinx... I just found the next weak link...


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Guess you didn't get your time slip.
Did it bog on the line?

 

There is a way to check housing center with a dial indicator. If it is off center, they make off set pins to
correct.

 

That is a must.

 

Well Jim like I told Scott earlier, sometimes our Ford stuff have Chevy moments. Thank goodness that's all that happen. I had one come apart years ago and dam near took the scatter shield with it. Would not run a stick without one. Larry

 

I hope that when I grow up I can brake some stuff.

 

Great job, Meltdown guys. Thanks to the Great Lakes Gassers for letting me race with them again. See you all next year!

 

Pulled the rear end out this morning, and it looks really good inside. The P case is undamaged. Except for some burrs and a couple of very slightly elongated bolt holes, the Posi unit looks OK, including the pinion gears inside of it. Even the ring and pinion teeth look good.

What happened is that all of the ring gear bolts sheared off. I haven't disassembled the center section yet, so the condition of the mounting surfaces of the ring gear, spacer, and Posi unit are unknown. However, besides the broken bolts and lock washers, there was only a very small amount of metal shavings in the gear lube.

One thing that didn't look right was the ring gear bolts, themselves. They were not shouldered bolts. If I remember right the original Chevy ring gear bolts were. They were Grade 8, though.

 

My hats off to the MDA and the good folks at Byron race way for another fantastic show. Popped my back out on Thursday before I left and it is still giving me greaf. The wife was NOT happy to hear that I broke my trans on my second run Friday night. I got the Furious in the shop on Monday and have been doing honey do list to try and keep her happy { fat chance that will ever happen as long as I have my cars } Hope all have made it home with no problems on the road .

Salty coming out next year bigger and badder I will not loose by .25 of a second Waite I didn't loose, you were the one to red light

 

Bob you better get busy I still have a bunch of used parts to throw at the ol bel air.

 

James,
14.23-14.17-14.19-17.10 coasting... 98-99mph... I'm pretty happy...! Have hurst pie crust tires. I put em at 25 psi. I've got to find the sweet spot for rpm at launch. Started at 3K & it would lug down. The 14.19 was 4500 & spun the tires. That's fastest & quickest the cars ever went...
Tell ya what, we couldn't of gotten any better weather for the Meltdown Drags! We really got blessed... Everyone got to make runs, well most of us got to make runs... Sorry Scott... LOL... People came out in droves, I thought the car quality was thru the roof this year! And the vintage drag race fans got to see some great racing action!
I had one guy tell me "he hasn't been to Byron Dragway in 30 years & he was having the time of his life" & his wife said "were coming back next year"! I told him thanks for coming out, they both had big old grins on there face! Plus countless people saying thanks for doing what you do... Pretty cool stuff...
Jimbo...


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sounds you are working in the right direction Jimbo.
Keep at it you will have the front wheels hanging in the air before you know it.

 

Big Thanks to every one that stopped by to say hi.

 

Thanks to every member of the Meltdown crew, this was our third year in a row to race at the Meltdown and it just keeps getting better and better. We couldn't have had any better weather! See you next year!

 

And all the kings men...

 

Man they are on you hard but in all fairness it is a lame horse and usually they are put down.
Just kidding it is an awesome car and I hope to get to see it as well as all the other Killer cars in person next year

 

Dog meat?

 

Not my dog I think more of her.

 

I remember sitting in the stands with my brother watching Friday night racing when Scott came up. When the unfortunate implosion happened we immediately got to our feet, jumped the fence and helped him get his car back to the staging lanes...that is what racing and friendship is all apart.

I really wish we all would have seen his Mustang make a full pass...I have a feeling we all would have been impressed.

 

that's the drag in drag racing

 

I am sure we would Jeff
But if we let up on him he would wonder what happen to us.

 

I was impressed seeing you leap over the fence from the stands. If I tried that, even when I was a young guy, I'd be on my face in the dirt.

 

I have dozens of cool racer stories. Total strangers offering expensive parts. Competitors helping their next round of competition get to the line (only to lose to the guy they helped). Funny how events like this can make friends and eliminate barriers... very cool

 

We have formulated a plan. I think its solid. The only hook is you MeltDown guys/gals have to keep this event going for a while yet. Ill break it down this way. This year we staged in lane one. i.e. stock class. Next year lane two hot rod/superstock, the year after lane 3 no clue what was in that lane but shit was fast and cool. The following years you get the idea. All the way to lane 17. And holy shit I'll be an old retired guy and Wyatt will be well on his way as a welder/fabricator. Perfect. He will be making more money than I ever did, and I will love the feeling of sitting in "our nitro burning front engine digger". And him lining me up to do a pass at over a 180mph!!! It will be amazing!!!! Ok well thats my plan. I'm sure he will be driving the digger and I'll be just dad that towed his junk to the Meltdown.

 

You got to have a plan.
Sounds like a good one to me.
I made it to lane 9

 

the only way to go living is up!!!!

 

I'am callin the left front off the ground.