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Projects Almost Funny - AWB Barracuda Funny Car Build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by squirrel, Nov 27, 2017.

  1. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 4,040

    gene-koning
    Member

    Actually, the only thing out of wack here is the perspective.
    There were 4 parts to the puzzle. Actually many more.
    1) You built a car from a standard issue street car into an altered wheel base drag car in 9 months.
    2) Then you drove it nearly 11oo miles in 5 days.
    3)Then one of the passes you made down the strip was in the mid 10s, even with it not running right, which is probably faster then most here will ever do, in a car that was untested a few days before.
    4) You did it all on almost 70 year old technology.

    The disappointment you have over maybe not going down the strip as fast as maybe you thought you should have does not in any way belittle the accomplishments you have made. Anyone that thinks differently needs to step up to the plate and show us how well they can do it.
    Those good passes down the strip are not far away, and we will all be cheering when we see the results.
    You are my HERO. Gene
     
  2. luckythirteenagogo
    Joined: Dec 28, 2012
    Posts: 1,269

    luckythirteenagogo
    Member
    from Selma, NC

    I'm right there with you on that.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  3. Harv
    Joined: Jan 16, 2008
    Posts: 974

    Harv
    Member
    from Sydney

    Higher compression does need a higher voltage. However, the main reason for spinning up a motor before unearthing the maggie is related to timing, not voltage. On fixed timing mags, there is a significant amount of advance present. At low crank speeds, the mag can fire waaaaay before the cylinder is ready for it. On a bad day, this can drive the piston down the bore... backwards. Not good on a car... even worse on an old tractor with a hand crank.

    At higher crank speeds the engine is much more tolerant of the advance. Not as much an issue on maggies with mech advance.

    Cheers,
    Harv
     
  4. khead47
    Joined: Mar 29, 2010
    Posts: 1,789

    khead47
    Member

    I once tried starting a 1969 XLCH Sporty with a mag ----------- barefoot. Bad Idea.
     
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  5. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    Jim,
    You most likely have already seen this, but I just came across it and thought I would share it with you.

    41853888_900845180106742_9167632677136760832_n.jpg
     
  6. + 10.52 !!!

    Jim, I don't follow much racing, but you definitely seem to qualify for a real, old school, vintage (gentleman) racer if I ever heard of one. :cool:
     
  7. dogwalkin
    Joined: Jan 17, 2013
    Posts: 135

    dogwalkin
    Member
    from tn

    I wish I could hit the like button twice on this.

    Sent from my VS996 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  8. upspirate
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 2,299

    upspirate
    Member

    I respect Jim's wishes, but I find it very ironic given Jim's background from his fabulous web page !:)
     
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  9. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Jim you are doing great! Have followed along when I can my brother had a stroke and been busy. One thing about a mag, all you need is a wire and a kill switch.:D You can get 6 amps out of an old vertex with rare earth magnets, external capacitor and coil and big cap. 6 amps will almost light dirty dish water.;) I had a real nice Cirello off Leland Kolbs T/F car for a 426, sold it thinking I will never use it. I wonder if the guy still has it? I will see. Lippy

    http://fuelinjectionent.com/
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2018
  10. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Ho ho! Kill switch wiring stories, I bet there are some good ones out there!
     
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  11. greybeard360
    Joined: Feb 28, 2008
    Posts: 2,074

    greybeard360
    Member

    Jim... you have the part you need for your ignition.... Capacative Discharge ignition.

    It is within the guidelines of the HAMB since they have been around in some form or another since the early 1900's. Even Henry Ford messed around with them. They were options on a lot of cars in the early 60's. And the ones you have are vintage !!!

    Geeeeeez.... do I have to think of everything?
     
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  12. That Cuda with a brand spanking new magneto... Running in 2019 Drag Week..Makes for great advertising opportunity....

    Is anyone from Vertex or Joe Hunt reading this?
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2018
    chryslerfan55 and enloe like this.
  13. I'm betting if squirrel just had another few days of driving before leaving for drag week that ignition problem would have been sorted before departing. A big thrash has 47,000 things going on at the same time
    Throwing in some thing like getting the wrong crank and delay the engine going together and there's a few days of shakedown that were forfeited or any of the other stuffthat delays a project. Like anything else we do the biggest problem shows up first- correct it and on to the next. I'm also betting its something stupid

    This has been an amazing and inspirational thread.
    Thanks for sharing it Jim!
     
  14. glrbird
    Joined: Dec 20, 2010
    Posts: 601

    glrbird
    Member

  15. Hey Jim, I know you're tired, but,
    Eagle Field Drags is just a few weeks away......... :)

    BigMike
     
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  16. 4tford
    Joined: Aug 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,824

    4tford
    Member

    Nothing wrong with points they served us well. But when you come to performance they can be an issue at higher rpms. Most vintage performance distributors had dual points to get a better burn at higher rpms. The auto companies went to electronic for mileage and emissions reasons. Squirrel is going for vintage so the mag ideal is good.
     
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  17. classiccarjack
    Joined: Jun 30, 2009
    Posts: 1,465

    classiccarjack
    Member

    I agree, but to retrofit a modern ignition into a vintage distributor, converting to modern fuel injection, and placing sensors on a vintage engine is not practical to make 7500 RPM's or greater.

    With my older performance goodies, I have achieved 7000 RPM's easily utilizing dual points and a supercoil on a 340. It's all about application using quality parts. Sadly, the modern points are Chinese crap, giving the point ignition systems a bad reputation.

    I have had issues with Mopar Performance ECU's failing, I have had issues with Pertronix failing, and the HEI systems are bullet proof, but not effective beyond 5500 RPM's. Now these are my experiences, based upon from my being stranded on the road side, pulling the good old faithful points distributor out of the trunk, putting it in, and then driving back home. No matter what anyone is willing to tell me, my experience says that points, if good points(not Chinese) are found and used, will get you good reliable spark.

    Fully raced or stock LS GM & Gen 3 Hemi's and etc, the coil packs are AMAZING and work very well. I get it... Point taken. But a good Magneto or Dual Points got Dragster"s down the track just fine back in the day. I don't see why they can't be utilized today. My 1¢ worth, if your not buying it, it's okay. I don't expect anybody to care what I think. I am just here to share my experiences, the good and the bad.

    Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  18. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    That's kind of my experience, although I have experienced several HEI failures, as well.

    But this car is trying to be as period correct as it can, and the modern electronic stuff just has no place in it. And drag racers generally weren't using CD ignitions, even though there were a lot of them available in the 60s. If a guy got a new Vette with TI, first thing he did was take out that electronic crap and put in something that he understood, usually a dual point.

    I don't know for sure why the car isn't work well right now when racing, but I'm also not concerned about that...I intend to step it up, and the way I see it, that means probably a bug catcher injector, and a mag. For racing. The street driving end of it works well enough, as is.
     
  19. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,132

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Same deal with Rochester F.I. to Holley carb changeovers back in the day.
    Funny how things come back around, only reversed.
     
  20. 4tford
    Joined: Aug 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,824

    4tford
    Member

    You make valid points I was around back then and did a lot of distributor work on both points and electronic. I'm not pushing either type. My point was performance at the top end. Jim is after period parts to run that's fine as you say they worked somewhat back then and if you can find the good quality parts no reason they won't work now.
     
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  21. Blues4U
    Joined: Oct 1, 2015
    Posts: 7,589

    Blues4U
    Member
    from So Cal

    Haha, no, some of us lived through the era where points ignition was the state of the art, and the bad reputations are well earned. With that said, they certainly can be made to work at higher RPM's for racing as they were back in the day, and I'm confident Jim can and will sort out the bugs. Maybe we all could stop hashing it out and trying to give him help, I think he's got it under control....
     
  22. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,600

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    I wondered why the sudden change in loyalty. :)
    [​IMG]
     
  23. kursplat
    Joined: Apr 22, 2013
    Posts: 296

    kursplat
    Member

    had (good) family stuff going on and missed the whole race trip :(, but dang it was fun catching up. looks like people were hanging on the the edge of their seats every day. you look at that car and what got accomplished in 9 months...wow :cool:
     
  24. Hmmmm, I know of this Hampton unit for sale Screenshot_20180917-195600_Facebook.jpg
     
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  25. It needs a bug. A bird is too big for the correct look. A mag Hampton is a rare cool piece.
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2018
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  26. wrenchbender
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,337

    wrenchbender
    Member

    I agree brian I was thinking a ribbed bugcatcher would be correct for this car plus you can buy a new one just as cheap as a old one you would have to fix I just want to see how Jim drives a mechanical injector on the street I know it can be done but I want to see Jim's approach to it


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  27. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    My approach would be quite different.... :)
     
  28. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  29. It'll be interesting to see how you go about getting mechanical injection without an idle circuit to live on the street.
     
  30. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    From what I can tell, it's impossible. So I have other ideas how to make it work on the street. Keep in mind, it worked fine on the street this year...
     

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