So i buy an old dragster chassis laying in a back yard.

So a few days after Christmas I was cruising through CL and saw that a "vintage" dragster chassis had just poped up for sale and decided it was worth checking out. So long story short I wind up buying this thing and am currently trying to find some history/knowledge on it. Guy claimed it to be a front engine dragster that was converted to a rear engine that was never completed some time ago, but I find that hard to believe. I do not see any evidence of motor or trans mount in either configuration of the build. However the chassis does have a steering box, butterfly wheel, wilwood master/pedal assembly, moon hydrolic gas pedal and miscilanious brackets up front for what looks to be a moon tank. Along with the chassis I got a bitchin old chrome front end with wire wheels and a narrowed and chromed ford 9 inch. I am mainly looking for any identification of this chassis, year make class anything like that and if it has the ability to every be raced again.

 

Nice find. Not sure about the condition of the actual chasis but its got lots of real good parts. might be fun with a rather stock big block. Looking forward to more pics

 

Looks homemade and the square body looks to be a later deal.

 

Judging from the sheetmatal work it is just a backyard or home grown job. If there is no marking on it is any kind and especially of you don't find a certification tag on it anywhere it is probably just that a project for someone who thought they wanted one and eithet ran out of steam or money.

 

All I recognize is a 71 Vega tail light lenses laying in the cockpit and what I thought a first was the exclusive 57 283 with chartreuse paint. But it looks like it has side mounts .

 

Almost anything can be raced, it simply depends on how fast you want to go with it. I echo the issues identified previously. I would be concerned about rust on / in the tubes as well as the design. I see no K/X support on the side rails and if you want to go reasonably fast then you will definitely need to add bars to the chassis.

Check the rulebook. Lots of info there.

But like I said, if you don't mind going slow, you can race just about anything.

 

I think the components you scored could be reused but not the frame. Not only have the rules changed a lot in recent years but the frame has not lived a sheltered life, from the looks of it. Personally, I would be afraid to use it.

But the front end, rear end, steering, and a few other parts are probably worth what you paid, so it wouldn't be a complete loss.

Don

 

X-2 The chassis appears to be mig welded (from here) and I'd say the tubing would best be used to make a welding table or something around the shop. The good news is that the chassis itself is cheaper than all the parts that go on it. One can whack together an old school chassis (chromemoly) in a couple of weeks, for not too much expense.

 

Well after another look maybe partly welded with Mig, partly Tig but either way ready for new tubes......

 

I think it will be fine. Give it a good cleaning to see what you've got. If nothing else, you can piece it together with a stock engine with zoomies, and a little nicer looking body, and use it for show and tell.

 

No offense, but I wouldn't strap myself into a frame that has been sitting outside for god knows how long and rusting from the inside out, even if it was only set up to run in the 12s. A frame failure at even 100 MPH is not likely to have a happy ending. Like many of the others, I agree- take off the usable components and build some new pipe.

 

Use it as "WALL ART" because as what others have said, I would not trust it being put into a bind at all.. Can you say "SNAP"....... I do like it though.....as "WALL ART".

 

Well, irregardless if the tubes are rusting from the inside (likely) and how the frame was put together---is it structurally sound, will it hold up in a crash?

It probably wouldn't pass sonic testing anyways; The tubes are likely either the wrong size and/or thickness and/or missing in spots to pass nhra/ihra certification to run quicker than 10.99 e.t.

You could completely redo the frame. OR find an independent track and race as is, but that is likely playing russian roulette safety-wise.


Anyways, i find the rear of the frame interesting---how it narrows down. i think i know why it was done. But how was it done? Where the tubes already in place and then bent. Or were the tubes bent, then welded in using a rosette type weld?

 

Actually, if you ordered a 2bbl v-8 with a 3-speed you got a 265 in 1957 and for the first couple of months of production they were painted chartruse - no 283s were painted that color - if you ordered a v-8 2bbl automatic or any 4bbl you got a 283.....we now return to you regularly scheduled program - sorry for the hijack

 

Just looking at how odd and LONG that rear section is, I'm thinking it was built as a jet car. That cute little rear wing kinda says so too. I'm pretty sure it was never an FED...none of the cage or frame tubes is set up correctly for that. Good luck getting it through tech... None of those mid rails that the cage attaches to look like the right size tubing. Pretty cool oddball find though.

 

Let's see the rest of the stuff you got with it, especially the front and rear axle assemblies.

Don

 

I tried to get him to sell and ship me the frontend...he never did send me a pic of the rearend he had..........He claimed to have a bunch of parts...and a funny car roller...or maybe that was someone else......Littleman

 

How was the rear part of the frame done?

 

Yep Ur right. I knew that once upon a time. Been a bunch o threads around on the chartreuse 265's being left over 56's etc. Whole different thread. I stand corrected.

 

flat power if you want to go racing pm me, i will help you fine a safe car. if you want to race this car take it to a chassis shop for updates. i work at a track in south jersey.

 

Would have been a better deal if the guy gave you $50 to haul it away because its garbage and I could have sold you a new MQQN peddle for $38

 

Pm me your address I need a few more pedals ass hole.

 

it really doesnt look safe at all. Put it on the roof of your garage mocked up!

 

OK, now that has been established--

I have been doing this stuff for 30 years and you need a dose of reality so dont get mad at me, get mad at yourself for buying it without knowing what you are looking at,Get mad at others also without clue egging you on on how bitchen it is, get mad at the guy who sold it to you. Hell, I am trying to save you some money here and to treat this as one of lifes lessons.

The frame does not conform TO ANY LEGAL STANDARDS---PERIOD
The guy LIED to you about being coverted from a FM car
Sitting out in the east coast weather for so long has made any part on there unusable and/or unsafe.
SO you got a housing and a front axle (and those pieces could also be in question) unless you posess the skills needed to install them you are going to have to have the work done for you ,and I dont think any respected shop with the know how is going to even touch it.

 

Apparently you don't know who you are talking to, or who his father is, or what type of shop they have, or what they have built.

 

Bruce may be a little lacking in tact but he is correct. The frame layout on this thing does not come close to complying with any chassis standards that it would need to meet to be raceable and the back half is very suspect with those unsupported bends where it narrows down. If the front and rear axles are good build some new tubing around them but please don't waste any time on this thing.

Roo

 

Have you ever looked at some of Garlits early chassis? would you guys tell him he was a Fuckin idiot for getting in one? The NHRA rules have made you guys into a bunch of what if this and what if that happened scared to death pussy's. Hot rods are meant to be a little bit dangerous, if they weren't why bother? I think Flat power, (and his Dad) know a little about building cars,He never said he was going to run it the way it is, but as usual on here, you guys are all experts on everything and open your mouths without even knowing who you are talking to! so lets hear how much of an idiot I am, and I don't know a Fuckin thing about anything! I'm 61 years old, and i've probably backed up in a Hotrod farther, than most on here have driven forward! NHRA really means, No Hotrods allowed!! I matched my AA/G Blown alcohol 33 Willys for 2 years , all over the west coast passed every tech. everywhere, then some Fuckface tech. "official" didn't like the way I built my roll bar, in effect it's just his opinion against mine,He would have fit in here real good !THANKS Chris

 

I like the k-car hood emblem! Cool garage art. Paint it up and hang it from the rafters!

 

I don't think there is any reason to jump all over the guy, he hasn't said he is committed to putting it back on the track, and was only looking for input. At the right price I would have probably bought it too, especially if it has some other usable parts.

He probably has the same questions about it being legal to run these days as we all have, but he is in a better position to know it's true conditon because he has it right in front of him, whereas all we have are pictures.

Don

 

Likewise on you knowing who I am and what I have been doing for the last 30 years.
I said nothing about their lack of skills or shop or of things they have built. One can build anything for themselves anyway they want to without repercusions to a second or third party. But at mine or any other shop where we take in outside work, We have a responcabilty to ourselves and to our customers. So the guy brings me this car or a car thats all rusted up and I know it will never be safe or legal to run but I do the work anyway,get paid and send him on his way. When the guy trys to get the car certed and NHRA says NO-WAY, does the racer blame himself for not understanding the rules or does he blame me for not informing him of the problems with the chassie. The court system puts the blame solely on me because " I am the expert".
If a potential car comes to the shop and does not have a SFI sticker on it, there is very good reason to beleive that it is too old and will not pass cert. My instructoions are for the customer to have it inspected by NHRA with a pass or fail and from that point evaluate what if anything can be done. Sometimes its a hard lesson to learn, but money is very hard to come by these days and see no reason to waste it.