Projects Dragmaster Dragster Found Hanging On A Wall.

Uh huh...

 

Your wife is gonna make a great backup girl!

 

Not to mention imaginary!

 

Are you planning for rear end anti-rotation?

 

I am confused... Why would you spending time with old farts and not her?

 

Did you consider ujoint phasing?

 

This picture of the frame shows where the rear end bolts in place. The rear ends mounting plates are welded on. When in place the rear ends mounting plates fit tight between the frame tubes and are on the inside of the frames mounting plates using 6 bolts on each side to secure it to the frame. There's no chance of rotation once its bolted in place. You can see the rear end in this picture standing on end with it's mounting plates.

 

One of the coolest threads in recent memory. When I was in the Navy we used the laundromat that was across the street from the Dragmaster Co. It was a little too intimidating to approach, they were always busy, but we knew some cool shit was going on inside.

 

The driveshaft as pictured in an earlier post did not have the u-joints lined up as it was built to be. We had it off a number of times measuring and lining things up and had just slipped it back together. Both ends were marked when it was built and afterwards the difference between the front and rear u-joint when slipped together correctly was 0.2 degrees. The builder told me phasing specifications are it can be no more than plus or minus 3.0 degrees so ours was good to go just be sure when we assembled it that we lined up his marks if we weren't going to have him weld a tube over it when we were finished.

 

We had the complete rear brake assembly's off a 1960 Olds rear that bolted to our earlier rear end so we rebuild those to use. Here we have one mocked up in place to make certain everything would fit.
All was good so we finished and installed both the brakes and drums. We also had the axles checked for cracks and to be sure they were straight, installed new bearings and Mark Williams wheel studs. The brake lines are in place we just needed to design a few clips to secure them. The small black knob for the brake handle was on when we got the car it just had the wrong threads so we rethreaded it to use it, it just has the look.

 

My second trip to see Dode he wanted to go eat at the Greeks. It's a breakfast/lunch place that has good food. The owner is Greek, so Dode calls it the Greeks place. Dode explained how this place was a parts house/garage back in the day. He points to a group of tables over to the side and tells me that's where the car lift used to be, shows me where the parts counter once was. His first shop, no longer there was just to the edge of the parking lot of this place. When we we're leaving he ask me to follow him, we walked out to the street and he pointed at the curb that had his name written in the cement when it was poured back in the late 50's. He said when the curb was being poured one of the workers that knew him came in his shop and ask if he wanted to write his name in the wet cement, he told him he was busy and didn't have the time, so the worker put his name there for him.

 

You guys are doing a superb job restoring the dragster. Going to the US Nats. from 61to91 and some after that I had the chance to look at and examine many of the dragsters, altereds and roadsters ect that many of you guys never had the chance to, due to age and distance. If I could load a van full of you guys up and time travel back to the 1961 Nats you guys could prop me up somewhere and you go exploring. I assure you at the end of the day your ass would dragging in the gravel and you would be wanting more Trips over I gotta get you guys back to 2017. Dang I sure miss them days.

 

Thanks for the kind words. My first drag race to attend the 1971 World Finals was here in Amarillo I was 16. My parents were going out of town so they dropped me off 6:30am. I walked the distance to the entrance there were two rows of cars lined up waiting for the gates to open. The first car in the left row waiting to get in was a black 1970 Boss 429 with Alaska license plates. The race was a blast, seeing all the cars I had only seen in hot rod magazines. I'm sure it was the best going to the US Nationals from those early years up, seeing the growth and innovation and all those cool cars over those years.

 

Shortly after Dode had the blurry picture sent of our engine progress my son received this updated picture. Dodes friend was sending the pictures to my son's I-phone since I have an old flip phone. I called Dode after John got this picture and he told me the engine was going fine it just needed the belt tensioner and some other minor parts. I thought this picture was so cool.

 

Well you have to share with us how did he get all of that stuff under those Corvette Valve Covers?

 

I should have thought to send you the adaptor that I made when I was working on the latest cackle car build at my shop. It bolts to the front of the M/T third member and also has the same bolt pattern as a 9" Ford pinion support so that a standard line up bar can be used. Having a U jointed shaft will make alignment less critical in your case but it it here if you ever need it.

Roo

 

awesome thread , and awesome that Dode built the engine very cool , your work is first class that car is going to look like a master piece

 

John got this picture and a message to call just a few weeks after the last picture. Dode said the engine was ready, it had been test run several times, the final adjustments were checked and that it was a screamer. Dode ask what day and time I could be there, he wanted anyone that helped with the build to be able to be there if they could.

 

Wow, period looking engine, built by the guy who built em back then, this screamer screams cool!

 

This was the third trip to Dodes, John & I the first trip, my daughter Taylor the second, my son Tyler on this trip. Williams AZ. is about the half way point on our trip so we always stop there for two days. It's the gate way to the Grand Canyon and the last town on Route 66 bypassed by I-40. We take a day to see the Grand Canyon then visit the shops and eat at a 50's style diner on old 66, it's a nice break in the trip and a cool little town. We also take a few hours each trip so everybody gets to see the meteor crater in Winslow AZ. My son Stephan wanted to go to Williams, eat at the 50's diner, see the Grand Canyon and the Meteor crater, so between the trips to Dodes we took 4 days and went, we had a real nice time. This build set in motion some nice memorable experience's for our family, it's been the best part of the build for me. So Tyler and I have a nice time & drive and we arrive at Dodes.

 

Our first look at the engine in person, we walked around it for some time just taking it all in. The pictures Dode had sent of the engine were nice but nothing like seeing it in person. My son Tyler, Dode, Roy Miersch and Jimmy Scott as we prepare to start the engine. The last time we talked Dode said when we got there he wanted to run the engine, rip it a few times to see what we thought then go over some details and any questions I had.

 

Dode and Jimmy started the engine and immediately said it wasn't running right, they ran it off idle looking and listening then shut it down. They checked the distributor to make sure it was tight and hadn't moved checked the ignition connections then started it again and said it still didn't sound right. They thought it sounded like one or more cylinders weren't firing. They took the valve covers off rotated the engine to check and see that the rockers were opening and closing the valves correct. Jimmy looked at Dode and said, "This is crazy this thing was running perfect yesterday." Dode is rotating the engine while Roy and Jimmy check the rockers.

 

1947knuck : Just wanted to tell you this is one hang of a cool thread ,you've got going here! Thanks for the ride along.

 

Dode, Roy and Jimmy finished looking everything over, all looked good so they changed the timing and their standing back when Dode repeats what Jimmy said earlier, this thing was running perfect yesterday and nothing was changed when Jimmy say's "Oh Hell I Know What It Is". There's a Moon tank on the chair hooked up to the pump. He was just starting to attach the fuel lines when we pulled up and we got to talking, then when it was time to fire up the engine it slipped his mind the lines weren't tight so it was sucking air the whole time. They tightened the fuel lines installed the valve covers fired it up let it idle, ran it up to speed ripped it a few times. Here it is running fast and smooth.

 

We need video, So we can hear it.....

 

Jay Carpenter showed up to check how things were going so he and I and Roy were sitting around a table visiting. Jay tracked down the intake for our engine, set up the injector and helped tune the engine for it's first test runs. When Dode shut the engine down after the last run he looked over and ask Roy did you hear that, Roy said he thought the engine timing was a little light and Dode agreed. Jimmy reset the timing they fired it up, as soon as Dode ripped the throttle Roy snapped his fingers pointed at me and said "That's It, It's Ready". After running it over various speeds Dode shut it down looked at Roy and Jay and said the same thing That's It. They all agreed. Here's Dode with Jay giving the thumbs up after the last engine run, our engine is ready.

 

That is just too cool!!!


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

 

This is a great thread - all the history and "originals" participating. Plus the reference to the meteor crater! A sight not to be missed.

vic

 

dang, was hoping for a fire up video

 

The engine is running perfect and everybody's happy so we all sat down to visit. It was interesting sitting back listening to Dode, Roy, Jimmy and Jay reflecting on the loose fuel lines and it seemed each one had a story about something similar they experienced back in the day that led to even more interesting stories. Afterword's Dode suggested that before we load the engine we go eat, so we loaded up in Dodes truck and went to the Greeks. After lunch Dode drove us around town pointing out the different property's he's owned, a building he designed and had built for the city's vintage agricultural tools and machinery museum. Just down from Dodes home was another piece of property he sold and developed into a community center. He designed the man made lake, landscaping, drives, how everything was laid out and retained 1/2 ownership in the property for years. It was nice to drive around Fallbrook and see another side of Dode, he's a part of the community donates his time it's neat. Years ago the Fallbrook boys and girls clubs we're asking for old trophy donations they could change the plaques the tops and modify to hand out. Dode said combined that he and Jim Nelson had over 300 trophy's from the 50-60s so they donated them all to the clubs. That would have been some nice history today.