now back to the original question ... how do u run a car like the above. or do u just dont? are these types of dragster restored/built for display/cackle or are they being raced?
people run those type every weekend and have fun but if you go to the local strip with a new rail (vintage set up) they don't take kindly to slowing down the show (other racers)...meaning you better have your sh*t together (crew) . most if not all the rails running brackets today have radiators so they can drive back tot he pics with no chase car/crew and have auto trans to allow them to back up. this allows for an constant flow of cars down the stip. when I ran my rail I had a chase car/crew they had to hook me up to a battery to start me, I don't have reverse so it's one way "forward" they followed me down the track and hhad to tow me back. this was fine at a nostalgia event but if I tried that at a tuesday night test and tune they'd probibly stone me in the pits LOL! I think an old school style rail with a mild sbc, powerglide,8.75" or 9" rear ,vertex mag & hilborn injection. set it up for alky (runs cool + cheaper then race gas)fill the block with water and dump the block to refill back in the pits. run all day and have fun! you'll be honk'n and in the 9's easy my $ .02 paul
forgot to mention, I don't mind NHRA being so strick after all they make the rules + it's there insurance most of the time. they are looking out for your (and their) best interest and they know what works or didn't over the years. My family has lost a member to auto racing and because of that I always favor saftey first. Wing - yes 1995 was the year that everytime I pulled up to a nostalgia event that I had previously ran at they told me not to even take it off the trailer. in fact at one event I took the rail to to display it, I was told not to even fire the car in the pits because it's all old and could blow up and kill someone! thats when I parked the rail for 5-6 years and went door slammer racing with a NOS car. Paul
If it had 2 wheels you could ride it with a blown hemi and NO 6 or 8 point cage at all ???????????????????? WTF !!!
Ok, if you guys want to run these old type cars, you better put your own organization together and find a track that will let you run. Everyone talks the talk about the old cars then people say, I just want to smoke the tires and shut it off. Who wants to watch two cars smoke the tires for 50 ft then get off the throttle? I don't get it. Thats gonna get old fast. I'm not understanding what the majority wants here. Please explain. Everyone better get together and figure out among themselves what they are gonna do. At least for this to move forward. Lippy
paul sounds like you been looking at my car I run a s/b 355 bored .040 over a old 30/30 flat tappet cam,12 to 1 comp Hypereutectic pistons,Eagle crank and Rods and old hilborn inj with a powerglide and a ford 9 inch with 410 gears, I have a aluminum 5 gal tank an I run alka, I have a Moroso elect water pump to a trans cooler with a elect fan on it and it does just fine keeps the motor heads about 180 but I don't run it all the time only when it gets over 180 but I do run the motor real fat I will use up most of the fuel on a run, for ignition I do run msd 6al makes it alot easyer and all the box and stuff is hidden inside the cowling, I can run it all day with not much of a problem. my plan was to run 9.99 or 6.40 and the first test run was 9.96 at KCIR because I don't plan to pay cert fees on this car and anything quicker that a 9.99 must be certified and you haft to have a NHRA lic and in order to get your nhra lic you have got to subscribe to national Dragster magizne and plus the fact if your over 55 (me)you haft to have a EKG to renew your lic every 2 year so we are talking about min of $500 to just play a little, I already pay cert fees on my RMD car and I havent started it in over 2 year. Bud
I went through this back in the early 90's with GOOD GUYS .....in my opinion your safer in that old dragster.. than on a drag bike !!!!!!
But Bud, like us, your not running an OLD style chassis. I thought this was about the OLD style chassis. Lippy
Well there is an old group called ANRA but they are mostly on the west coast and nhra has coontrol of them now seem like they have a chock hold on those people out there, it just like the reunion at Bakerfield started out as a independent orgination and nhra got wind of how popular it was so the mucel in and took over and now they have control of the ANRA group Racing.
Yeah, thats Butch Hedricks group. I believe there is going to have to be enough interest and enough cars to do something with this. Like I said though, you gotta have a strip willing to let the cars run. It would be cool as hell I think. Lippy
I mainly show my rail now but being able to go out and lite the tires every now an again lets me and the fans know that it's not just a wall hanger. on the other hand I can't stand that NHRA only lets those great restored rails "crackle" them lined up in a row once or twice a year. they should let those guys lite 'em up and breath! It's all in good fun, In fact the engine in my rail is an all out "blown" race motor...not a stock one with a blower on it. It's a waste to see it not used the ay it should be thats why if I had the extra time & cash I's build another and put that engine in it with a glide and go run fast. but I need to win the lottery Paul
Lippy I think you misunderstand what a chassis is from a cage let me show you Below. Below is the chassis I use and have use from the first 1 I built in 1959. Below is a chassis with a cage on it. or in this case a role bar. Below forget the cage look at the chassis (Frame) this chassis is the same form my 1959 to now.
Man, you guys make it sound like I should give up or bury myself in the current NHRA safety stuff. I already have an SFI3.2a-20 fire suit but it does need recertification. I had no intention of running a diaper or a blower restraint.
I think period correct should be changed to period close, the period is history and you can't exactly duplicate it, because we are tainted by modern technology. Good luck!
Best description of "the Look " I've ever read is Whitepunks The classic slingshot shape has the engine, tires and rollcage as the three focol points of the rear of the car...this balances and contrasts with the long, spindly front end and wheels. The shape is very organic and actually very female in nature. Think of it as skinny ankles and long legs with an ample bust and a head above it all...where it all belongs. The low, tight bikini body that most cars wore back then amplified this shape. This is the form that made those cars beautiful to our subconcious. Todays cars have none of these elements in proper perportion, and the result is a machine that is literally uncomfortable to look at. Study pictures, and see what I mean. <!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->
No you right thats were the technology came from the Eskimo had the idea a long time before us and seem to work great for them and most all of the dragster are model after there sleds except for Dragmaster built a square boxie type of chassis.
From what I'm reading, I'm thinking what is desired is a group of owners organizing & getting together at nostagia events and other venues (that will allow it) to basically do exhibition runs. Sort of like simulated 60s drag racing ... to give spectators a little taste of tire burning off line side by side runs. Could be like match racing, but maybe with some restriction on speed (kinda like what they do in ... ummm ... bracket racing). What the drivers/owners get out of it is their jollies. Is this the concensus?
Mad: I know its not the type of FED your after but these guys look like they have a great time... wish they were closer....... http://www.southwestjrfuelers.com/
some of us already do many nostagia events with our hotrods and drag cars. hell its a 10 hour drive for me to make the hamb drags and ive been the last 4 years staight. built my altred just for it. maybe we need to do something like the hamb dragster ha/gr group is doing.
Bud: That is so cool that you have had that car for so long. Good for you and hope you have many more with it..
so what would u do to limit speed . im not looking to set records ... just have my jollies. it would be cool doing 5 seconds in a rail but doing 10 seconds in a T.E 440 with a 1/2 dozen carbs on a sbc/nailhead/flathead.....ummmmmmmmmmmm