Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

They may walk among us but they breathe different air than we do!

 

I went to a Fun Ford Weekend at Atlanta dragway a few years ago, a guy showed up with a drag Vega! After some discussion, they let him run since it had a 500 BBF engine in it. I think the next year they limited it to Ford bodies and engines.

 

We took Dad's '32 Ford coupe to a local all Ford show at a dealership a couple of years back. Of course it is running a small block Chevy. There were no other shows in the area that weekend and so we decided to give it a shot. Just to be funny we took an old distributor cap, painted it Ford blue and duct taped it to the top of the water pump. We rolled in and they thought it was so funny they said we could stay but we have to leave the cap in place...LOL! But I know some of those folks get pretty particular when it comes to Brand loyal events.

 

I actually really enjoy the mouth breathing car experts...LOL. At least to a point. I usually really mess with them when I get a chance. Dad and I were sitting with the Austin two years ago at the Hotel Cruise In the night before the HAMB Drags. A guy looked at the plates and asked if I really drove it on the street? I said yes, it is actually fairly highway friendly. Very seriously he asked what kind of fuel mileage we got? With out missing a beat I said believe it or not I can average over 40 miles per gallon. He said no way. I said have you ever seen one of those John Deere Hit & Miss engines? He said yes. I said well we had this MSD box programmed to custom fire one cylinder in order after every full revolution. We are making about 140 horse per cylinder so easily enough power to maintain a highway speed. After we get up to 70 or 80 mph we flip the switch and she starts firing. With the supercharger on there it sounds like someone firing a gun every few seconds but it sure saves on gas!

Not long after that he was back with a whole crowd of folks around him explaining the Dragnasty Hit & Miss fuel saving system. LMAO!

 

Now, really, don't you feel ashamed of yourself?

 

Well we did not even uncover the Cobra this weekend. After several straight weekends of thrashing and actually making it to the Meltdowns, we just sat around and watched television all weekend long! It felt good. But to be honest I think I am as sore and tired this morning as I would have been if we had actually worked all weekend....LOL

 

Yes we are alive! I have had several PMs and texts from folks just making sure nothing goofy has happened to us as we have been noticeably absent from posting. Thank you very much for your concern but we are simply lazy. After we got back from the Meltdowns we took a look and basically the next step was blow it all back apart for final touches to the chassis and cage, final prep on the body for paint and assembling the engine for real etc.

After considering how close the HAMB Drags were looming we decided there would be no way to get it back together in time so we decided to just let it sit as is until afterwards. Besides we needed the rest anyway. So we will be at the Drags still in "all show and no go mode" but at least we will be there. Then we will get serious again about finishing her up.

 

Can’t wait to check it out!

 

Looks great...Please post detailed install from the intake/injection if possible, I'm going to order one of those for my 50 Ford Tudor along with a Holley HP to run it.

 

Well I guess we are back on the horse (sort of). I picked up an MSD 6AL box and Blaster Coil for the Cobra yesterday after work. So scratch another couple of parts off a very short remaining list. I was looking it over last night and we are down to just a handful of missing pieces:
1. Push Rods
2. Radiator
3. Cooling Fan
4. Hoses/Belts
5. Steering Rod ONLY
(to connect the rack with the column)
6. Oil Filter
7. Fuel Line

NOTE: That list had 106 things on it last November! LOL

 

ooops and:
8. Driveshaft! LOL

I was over talking to my friend Carl from Powertrain Industries here in Springfield. I have forgotten how many driveshafts he has built for me. Anyway I walked in there and said so how do these custom driveshafts work. I am thinking you price them by the foot right? He laughed and said I suppose you need one 12" long? I said close....11.5" LMAO!

 

Well I just pulled the trigger on these things....Is that crazy or what....the stupid car has not even moved on its own power yet and already has a second set of slicks....LOL! Of course if you have been following this thread you know they were coming. As an alter ego look to the pie crusts on the FIA rims etc. Actually Dad and I were sitting around looking at his three window at a cruise in Saturday night thinking about the next little change. I said I thought a set of black steel rims with poverty caps would look really cool. So no time like the present...These little jewels will bounce around between the rear of the coupe and the rear of the Cobra! I wished I had done it this last week because I would have liked to have tried them on for size for the HAMB DRAGS this weekend. (size 29.5" tall by 8" wide)

 

Sort of comical but hard to laugh at with all the time we spent on the theory of hinging the crazy roof for an easy entrance and exit. But last night I climbed in the car for the first time since we put the floor pans in it. I know that is hard to believe but we were so goal oriented to make it to the Meltdowns that I just didn't have the time to try it out. The real reason for the effort is the roll cage or lack there of in the cockpit. Dad and I have been talking since getting back from the Meltdowns about finishing the cage.

So last night with the top on and down, I got DOWN with actually getting into the car. There are a couple of factors that have played my way in this endeavor. First off, the doors swing crazy wide open, I never expected them to actually go that far but they go as close to 90 degrees off the body line as you can get. Also when I was experimenting early on with getting in there, the floor was not in place nor was the down roll cage bar etc. Plus I was spurred on by how easily Jackson (@wrenchbender) slid in there at Byron.


Now I know what you are going to say, I am basically twice the man as Jackson but what I really want to talk about is my size! LMAO! Sorry Jackson, couldn't resist it. But seriously I pulled the wheel and basically slid right in there. It was sort of an odd contortion getting out. I had to stick my left leg out and then kind of turn and back out. I was concerned how that might look but then later last night I caught some NHRA recaps on the tube and that is exactly how the Pro-Stock boys exit their rides. So I figure we are good to go! LOL.

So why the effort with the roof in place? Well the other thing I decided while sitting with the car in Byron was I am not going to take the roof off. That was always sort of in my thought with a bunch of roll cage bars running everywhere (what will it look like with the roof off). But if we are down with leaving it in place, then we can go ahead and complete the full cage. We spent some time this week looking at it and really because of the inside height of the roof about the only thing you are going to see is what I would call the "A" pillar down bars, the rest will all be tucked up inside the roof.

I know this will make a lot of folks happy that have been worried about my current roll bar design. It is also just the right thing to do. So we are now planning bars on either side that run from the current roll bar up into the roof, over the window openings and then down just inside the windshield posts. They will have a cross bar between them across the windshield header area but tucked up into the roof and then an angled cross bar from the front driver's side corner to the rear passenger side corner etc.

One of the other reasons we were originally on the removable roll bar path was so the body could be removed easily. But after thinking about it, who cares. We are not going to remove this body anymore than someone with a Mustang or Chevelle etc. So after the HAMB DRAGS we are going to weld it all solid and finish the rest of the cage. This will make a 10 point affair.

 

So basically what you were saying is after seeing Jackson in there you wanted to make sure someone "Mansized" would fit.
I know where you are coming from

 

OH...and check this out...Just got the tracking number from Coker....the M&H Slicks and Steel Wheels are going to be here Thursday....Don't be surprised if she is wearing them Friday Night at the HAMB Drags Hotel Cruise!

 

Hey Randal, after reading your post,you answered my questions already. Hope to see you at the HAMB Drags. Can you post a pic of those proverty hub caps you need? I picked up a 65 proverty hub cap this year at a swap meet in Tennessee. If it’s what you need I’d be proud to see it on your car, sorry only have one.

Bones

Went out and found it, not quite as nice as I remembered, but it’s yours if you want it.

Bones

 

Randall I thought there was plenty of room even with the top on it reminded me of how I get in and out of my dads T touring but once in there was way more legroom lol


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That is awesome Bones, thanks for the offer. I will probably just run the steelies with no caps etc. on the rear, besides we plan to spin those babies so hard we might hurt someone in the crowd if it let go....LMAO. Hang that one on the wall and enjoy it.

 

Oh I see where that came from Bones....sorry that post about poverty caps was confusing. I will be running these rims on my Dad's 32 Ford Three Window with poverty caps but no caps when I put them on the Cobra.

 

This could only happen to me. Monday I ordered a set of steel wheels and tires for Dad's street rod from Coker...(ie the whole poverty cap comments from above etc.) After I placed the order I got to thinking about the Cobra and having a set of steelies for the rear with some different slicks (M&H). I decided what the heck I am going to go ahead and do it. So I did. That night I am thinking I wished I had ordered them last week, I could have had them for the HAMB Drags!

So first thing Tuesday morning I call Coker to see if they had already shipped etc. The answer was "no" they were ready to go and would ship out that afternoon. No shot at them being here today of course so I asked about second day air on the M&H and Wheels etc. I figured I really didn't want to know but in the end it would just be an extra $100 to have them here today. Totally driven by ego, I opted to go for it. So about an hour ago the shipping department reports they have several things for me from FedEx.

However when I get back there I find Dad's wheels and tires instead. So you guessed it, Coker sent the wrong shipment 2nd day air. I am fairly bummed out about it if not completely pissed off. I call them up to complain and at the very least get my $100 back! They were very nice and went about checking on how this could happen. What they found with the Tracking was in reality, the 2nd day air is still on the truck for delivery somewhere. Dad's stuff, that is sitting in my office as I type, came regular ground and has now officially beat the 2nd day air packages by an hour. Who knows when the air packages will arrive today! LMAO!

 

Well they finally showed just before lunch! 3 hours after the standard ground shipped pieces arrived...LOL
Got them painted and over to the tire shop for mount and balance. Hopefully I will get home in time tonight to try them on...

 

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Well they are on. I am digging the look but I think I need about an inch spacer behind them to push them out just a bit further.

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They look like they are just inside the well.
I like them just like that!


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Nah. They look great just how they are.

 

Only thing that would make them look better, is if they had some smoke rollin off them.

 

Soon James...very soon. Lol

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Your coming down for the HAMB DRAGS right?

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Yes, I wasn't going and Chris said we are, so we will be there.

 

See you there we are still all show and no go but we will be there hanging with the Cobra. You coming down tomorrow night or just for the race?

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