Projects Plan II - 62 Chevy II Drag Car

Sounds awesome! Kinda gives you goosebumps dont it.

 

Yup! And I went for a little drive, about a mile...the car seems to work ok. I installed the mufflers, but no tail pipes yet. The fuel pump is loud, I don't have any flexible line at the pump output, I think I need to add some. It moves, stops, steers, gets all 3 forward gears and reverse. The switch pitch torque converter works. It starts right up every time. I got all the lights working (except for one low beam, I need to buy a new bulb). Turn signals, brake lights, head lights, park lights. The tag light doesn't work, it might need a new bulb. Speedo works...gas gauge works...GEN light works. The dash lights all work, including the tach. I wired them to the ignition switch so they'll always be on. No particular reason, aside from having fought old Chevy dash dimmer knobs for years.

I might head into town in the morning for the monthly breakfast get together. Should be a fun ride.

 

And it all hinges on that bitching distributor, right?

 

That distributor worked out great, thanks! I filed and adjusted the points, and added a new condensor...and when it was time to fire the motor, it lit off first try. The tach drive works fine too.

And it sure has the right look. I'll get a picture of it..

 

A few more pictures.

 

Is that a Home Built traction bar set up based on Cal-Tracs?, I like it. Can you put up a shot of the whole front portion of your set up?

 

It is just that. I haven't finished it yet...I need to drill the holes for the bolt that goes across the top of the spring. It's basically just like caltracs, but I made the front plates L shaped instead of triangles. The reason is that this way, they look kinda like Traction Masters or something more old fashioned. I made aluminum front spring bushings, and a tube that fits inside them that the plates pivot on. I'll see if I can get some more pics tomorrow..

 

I think the term in 1962 was "Bitchin!" A little too early for "Groovy Dude".

 

its come a long way =)

 

WOW, been following this since the beginning.......NICE !!!

 

Here is the front, both disassembled and assembled.

 

Squirrel that car looks good, headers turned out good! cool build you got going on!!

 

You hit the Nail on the Head! I've been putting off and putting off because of that. They work, but don't look right (Caltrac's) but most importantly. Back in the Day it was Make your own Set Up. I like that your bracket's off of the U Bolt plate are close together and not far apart with spacer's to fill in the gap.

 

You had me from the get go because, i had one of those little buggers and now you go and use a switch pitch ,i had one for my nail head that my tranny guy took it out , he said it wouldn't hold up, hope i didn't screw up by letting him do that

 

Thanks!
I've been running switch pitch converters for over 30 years. The one that's in the Chevy II was in my 55 for ten years, it has a lot of miles on it. Shown <--- running a low 11 pushing 3900 lbs down the track.

 

Working on making tail pipes. It's kinda loud in the car, this should help.

 

Been driving around a bit, put 100 miles on the car. It's getting to be a normal driver, almost. So, it's time to finish the paint job.

I put a piece of masking tape on the front of the fender, thinking of trimming it just below the tape. What do you think?

 

Don't trim the front fender, but do do something to the rear. I just can't get over that notch like it is right now. Can you please fill in the old opening a bit? I understand that you are trying to have a "fresh off the lot" look that got racerized. But if they had welded the new cut wheelwell edge they might have also welded a filler panel in the old opening too.

 

Go for it! Damn nice work so far.

 

I'm with alchemy on the front and the rear.

 

If you're going to run the front bumper, i'd put it on before deciding whether or not the fender needs trimmed. -rick

 

No front bumper. If I were going to use the bumper, I would not consider trimming the fenders straight across.

 

No bumper? Lose the fender piece..... less weight! LOL!

 

Every pound is a thousandth of a second...they add up

 

Do it !!!!!!

 

Car looks good I think you should go ahead and cut the front fender and on the rear I see why you did what you did but I do think you need to cut the rear of the wheel opening out to follow the current opening at the top anyways that way it looks uniform many of the afx cars just had stretched openings like that not all of them moved the entire opening forward like I did on my dart however if you are in for a bunch of metalwork then move the whole thing personally I wouldn't keep up the good work by the way are you bringing this to the hamb drags this year?


Chrome don't get ya home

 

Cut the fenders....looks cleaner. Car looks mean and fast !

 

I'm not going to fix the rear wheel wells, sorry.

I don't have plans to go to the HAMB drags this year. I can only swing one racing trip out east each year, and I'm already signed up for drag week.

 

Right on if the hamb drags wasn't three miles from my house I probly wouldn't be able to go either it seems bonneville has taken over my racing time but hey after you go out and set a record you get addicted maybe I can see it at drag week as some friends of mine are runnin it as well keep your eye out for that mad Irishman it's a real runner good luck


Chrome don't get ya home

 

Yep, cut it...