I've got a bug to find and restore a slingshot with a flathead. I'm semi retired and only work three days a week, so I have a four day weekend all the time. I got the opportunity to work on a couple of flatheads recently at work and it just brought back when working on cars as a kid was just FUN. This is probably going to be one of those "Barn find " projects and I am looking forward to get it going.
Do you want to race one? Or will you be content to own one? I ask because if you want to own an original flathead FED and be the caretaker of it for a while then I wish you good luck in your quest finding a vintage dragster. It should be fun and I hope you keep us up to date. But... if you want to drive and / or race one then my advice is get a new professionally built FED frame built to recent safety specs. Add all the nostalgic bits around the chassis you can find to have a SAFE car to run.
I was pretty sure they wouldn't pass tech anymore. I was thinking fun project and car shows. I never drove a race car in my life.. A slingshot is probably not a good place for an old man to start.
Perfect place to start if there’s any vintage drags close or even within a few hundred miles. Flathead, 10-1 compression 3-2’s or injection, zoomies, C-4 with adapter, maybe alcohol instead of gas for cooling especially with injection. Stay away from NHRA and find what the local track needs. Hold it on the hand brake and run in the 10’s…. Good cranks are available along with rods/pistons. Everything is off the shelf. Yes it won’t be too cheap but if you have some disposable income like you say… do it before you are too old. I got into the 200 mph club at 59 and still driving the same roadster at 77 with lower hp engine in the 150’s. Don’t get discouraged there are rolling chassis’s out there to buy. Good luck.
everybody wants you to build what you can't afford or can't race fast for your age. just rebuild a flatty and put a cam and stock intake and have fun. it won't be fast but it will be fun.
I have plans for a couple of vintage chassis, including Scotty Fenns 1958 frame, if you have a fabricator or some skills. Hit me up if you could use a copy. Some guys around here run them at the vintage drags that seem to be popping up lately. Not NHRA compliant however. Mine runs straight and true with a SBC.
Its always in your best interest to start fresh and new instead of dealing with 60ry old pipe. hard part is finding a builder familiar in the old style ways. First stop is your local track to find out what they need or will let you get away with. If you only desire is a static piece for shows and BBQ's, it makes life so much simpler. But in any build, the cost is no where near nostalgic prices.
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