Projects Bad Banana Resurrection - 55 Chevy Gasser

Sorry to be so picky but they don't say what the rules are, what payout it is, if they are paying money. Are transbrakes OK or is it footbrake only.

Everytime I show up for a vague race like this I am usually disappointed. If it follows their normal weekly rules, then post them on the website for out of towners to know what they are.

 

Still not able to get much info on the Thompson race. However, I have talked to enough folks that have been there for this race that I think I have a decent idea of what to expect. I am expecting a decent amount of friends and relatives to turn out on Saturday since that track is located well for us geographically.

Made a few changes to the car for this race. Put the Super Tricks back on the front (lighter and larger diameter). Also made a few tuning changes. If the weather is right and no headwind, we are hoping to maybe break into the 9s for at least one pass. We'll see how it goes. The wheel and tire difference is just about all we need to get there.

Also, yesterday I was giving it one last look over and found the right side traction bar was beginning to bend. Not that suprising actually since we are putting a couple hundred more ponies to it now then back in the day. Couple that with sticky tires and tracks and there is a lot of load going thru those bars. Spent yesterday afternoon straighting and reinforcing both bars. I think they will be fine now but we will have to keep a closer eye on them.

Any HAMBers are there next week, stop by and say HI!

 

A few people say that it's a good track to make power, cool track anyhow, the way it is set down into the ground. I think when they built it they were trying to get closer to sea level...lol Good luck with your quest into the 9's !

 

That downhill shutdown really surprised me first time down the strip!!!

 

They repaved the track sine last year. It's way smooth and nice and sticky. I went yesterday and a new 1/8 mile track record in their quick 8 was set at a 3.67. Door cars went 4.05 to 4.15 in the final so for the Gassers it's going to be a blast. It's 1/4 mile for everything but AA/GS whic is 1/8 as usual.

You'll have a good time, don't worry .

 

Hey great day, never got a chance to get over and talk to you with almost non stop racing but enjoyed watchin you thrash. Had a great day saturday and got some good shots. trying to get them all resized to post on the H.A.M.B.. Here is one of over 700 shots i took.

 

Thanks for the pic.

Humidity was high both days and that killed the power. I had a clue when we fired it up on Friday and it was fat rich at idle. I had to lean out the barrel valve and raise the idle a tad. Time slips showed it was just a tick slower the whole way down the track. Best 1/4 mile pass we could muster was 10.12 at over 130 mph. My previous experience found that when the humidity is up, the power suffers.

To run Nostalgia Gas we weren't allowed to use the trans brake. So I foot braked the car and for the most part left at a dead idle. That rule killed any shot of any fun wheel stands. Saturday for some reason they only ran us 1/8 mile ? We ended up getting lucky enough to get to the final round Saturday afternoon but got beat in a close race. Runner-up is not as good as a win but we'll take it.

 

Congrats man, so the trip there was worth it ?

 

Fun car to watch! I was surprised they got the race in.

 

Rusty, it was great to finally get to line up next to you...the best part of nostalgia racing for me is to line up next to kick ass cars...knowing that I was going to get my ass handed to me, but the best part is I had the best seat in the house! I am starting not to mind the no trans brake rule...my car is a little more predictable with the foot brake. Friday the track surface was too hot and I wasn't getting any big wheel stands either, then when the shade from the bridge hit the starting line, wheels up! Saturday was much better till I turned on the red light in the first round! Congrats on the finals round....who beat you?

 

It was the red 54 Chevy "Mister Twister" and I believe he is a member on here. I think this link below is his member page and has a pic of the car as his avatar..

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/member.php?u=8501

Very good sport and a tough racer. I regret not getting his name afterwards. Hopefully, I will see him again somewhere so we can get to know each other more and chat a bit. We were both in a hurry to get loaded up before the rain hit. It was just starting to come down as we were rolling out the gate to head home.

 

heard the track was weeping water up through after the eigth mile mark.
Saw a guy with a rag/towel doing some wiping in the morning hours.

 

Scott Benson! Great kid!

 

Rusty and I made a complete pass (he didnt want me to catch him i think) and the track was fine...there was water on the return road though...

 

How has the quest for the 9s gone? Sorry i never got a chance to introduce myself at the Detroit Drag reunion, i was plagued with problems all day and didnt get much chance to be social. Finally got my problems sorted out and have made some passes tho.

 

The weather has been one of the problems. We are currently on our way home from Milan and it rained out AGAIN

It was extremely humid prior to the rain. When you are sitting in the shade taking it easy and the sweat is dripping off your nose and your shirt is wet enough to wring out, it's not good air for naturally aspirated power....

I am still playing with some various combos and seeing what it likes and doesn't like. Come fall we hope to find the right day at the right track and cut it loose...

 

Well i hope im there for it! Followed your car for a while now, and have really enjoyed watching it progress. Will you be at Union Grove for the 6th and 7th of July? If so it might be fun to run them side by side, I got to make some passes with mine at Wednesday night test and tune and she went 10.28 @123 i got on the brakes early due to a vibration, which turned out to be my front tires coming apart =/

 

I won't be at Union Grove as the wife has other plans for me that week. However, the way it looks we should be good to go for the Meltdown at Byron the weekend of July 19-21.

You going there? I am looking for someone to match up with for some heads up runs!!

Any other takers?

 

Yep i will be at the Meltdown, lets race!!!!!

 

Here are some photos that I took that you might like.











This photo was pulled off my dads video.

 

Awesome pics!! We forgot the cameras yesterday so we don't have any footage. I would like to watch the video as well. It wants to launch left on occassion and then it will launch straight the next run. I need to try to figure out why it is so inconsistant on the launch. I think the rear suspension may be binding at times and other times not. It is still the crude homemade deal from the 60s and there aren't any heim joints in it..LOL I plan on looking it over pretty hard before we head to Byron.

 

Leaf springs and ladder bars?

 

Yea... you'll have to look it over to see how it works. Some secret homemade stuff under there...

 

Same, i am interested in seeing what ya got, wonder if its similar?

 

Here are the links to the videos that my dad took.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4f7IwgP9CM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3qsTO60BTU

 

This is the second run of the day. I was real late on the tree as I thought they were going to stagger the start since the other car was 11.00 and I was 10.00 index. I was not expecting a heads up start. The video is cool as it looks like an old 4 speed car shifting 1-2 and 2-3 ...LOL Maybe I just need to run it that way all the time..

Watching it and looking at you still pics, It looks like the rear suspension is in a bind. I need to get it into the shop and check it out. It will be fixed before the Meltdown.. I promise..



This is the first time run and it really jumped left and even crossed the center line. I took it back and made some minor changes but honestly they scraped the track right after this run and I somewhat blamed that at first. After the second run above, I am sure there is something going on.

 

Figured I would make a quick update on here. Inspected the rear suspension closely last week and found several issues. As I suspected, there was some binding and also I was running out of travel and bottoming out in two locations. Made some changes and eliminated the binding and hopefully we will be good to go now. I would like to make a couple check out passes locally this coming weekend before heading to the Meltdown. But if I don't get a chance, I feel pretty good that it is fixed. What I found made sense as to how it was reacting.

 

Thanks for the update Rusty. I have enjoyed this build thread and even more, I enjoyed watching you run at Milan.

 

Made 4 passes at the local track (7 miles from my driveway) today. Very few cars there and they didn't really put much glue down. Consequently, we never really hooked it ... but I was able to tell the rear suspension is working again. Even trying to spin it launched straight every time in both lanes so we loaded it up and came home.

We are starting to pack for the Meltdown. Hope to leave here sometime Friday and get there before dark Friday night.

 

Great to meet you the other night in Davison Rusty, always good to put faces with names. -Joe