I got this Idea the other day sitting on the crapper at work. I've been wanting to take part in the hamb drags for a while and since alot of carshows lately have started adding drag racing to their line up I came up with an idea. I don't have a lot of cash to buy something and build it for racing But I do already own a couple of 64-66 bodystyle chevy pickups sitting next to my house. Sooooo after seeing a post about a 60's ford truck that was built up like a gasserish racing truck I thought why not try something similar with one of my trucks. They both have 12 bolt rearends in them and decent rear suspension setups for racing and one of the rears has 3.73 gears already. I also have a swb stepside bed that someone has started radiusing the wheel wells for some reason, so I could use it since I was going to junk it anyway. Then I have the stuff for a fairly stout 350 chevy. The engine I have has already been rebuilt it just needs a few more goody's. I've got a pair of camel hump heads that have been ported, polished, hardend seats installed, machined for screw in studs/guide plates. I also have a couple of hydraulic cams that worked really well in my previous street/strip vehicles so I could use that. Or buy a solid lift stick for it. I'm pretty sure I've got a couple of intakes also that I used when I was racing years ago. Next I'd just need to do something about a trans. Thats the only thing I don't think I have. What I'd do to the truck is leave it sitting up high for right now maybe lower the back of the truck just a little. Remove the front bumper and make some kind of small nerf bars for it, or make some kind of different frame horns with a spreader bar. On the rear I'd probably run some kind of rear bumper to help with weight transfer on the cheap. The bed already has the floor gone most of the way so I would probably just brace it up some so it wont flop to pieces while racing. I think I have an aluminum fuel cell that I could bolt in the bed somewhere after I make the bracing. I'm not sure about running a hood or not. My first Idea would be to not run a hood but I don't know about track rules involving hoods or not. I'm not sure on a cage or not because I don't know how fast this Junkyard OUTHOUSE would be so thats something I'd have to consider also. I've got some skinny 15" steel wheels that I could use as front runners then I would just have to try and come up with some wider rear wheels to mount a set of slicks too, that the local tire shop sells. I've got a set of headers that worked well on my last truck I raced so I could use them. I've also got a bunch of other parts stashed away that would help get the truck going. For starting I'll leave the factory independent front suspension but later on I'd change it out to a straight axle setup. I'd also add Lightening holes to the insides of the cab to make it lighter like racers did years ago. I have lots of other Ideas for it also just more than I want to type here. I don't know would this be a bad idea or what. I'd love to have my model A setup where I could race it but thats going to take alot more money and parts that I don't have. I may just be daydreaming what do you all think? I will try and find a picture of the truck that gave me this Idea so you can visualize it.
sounds sweet....was going that way with my 55' and kinda got lost in the process just so i could drive it, though was thinking about cutting out my front subframe and putting a straight axle Lets see what you come up with
there was a build on stacey davids gears of a 60s dodge truck that made me rethink my build big cammed big block zoomies white walled slicks aged cherry bomb signage thought that would lock good using 64-66 chevpu
hey that pic is dirty thirtys truck!! so badass sounds like a plan.....and i thought i was the only one who liked fast trucks
this is what i want my 55' to look like....minus the shiny stuff(im more of the old dirty flat look tyep of person)
that gmc is what started me on the "fast truck" idea.....that an DirtyThirtys damn i need to get rid of my IFS and get a straight axle back under her
Fast trucks are cool! Cheap platform. Easy to access, easy to fit almost any engine... Fairly simple/cheap construction. Usually come with heavy duty rears and gears...at least a decent housing. Poor weight distribution, (which you can correct, of course, to a point, unless you wanna get REALLY weird, and go AWB...) Oh, yeah, and by the way, AWB IS cool! Your seating/pedal setup might be less than optimal, but, mine is acceptable...its not TOO bad, a little tight w/ the roll bar, and a column going through the floor, but, it works. AND, I'm fairly certain that come next year, we will be two things: 1. The quickest '58 f-100 in the world. 2. The ONLY one in the staging lanes. Try THAT with a Willy's! Better have some $$$$!!! Have fun...BUILD it! We have a winter of paint, and a few other improvments, but, preliminary testing looks good!
DirtyThirty, I hope you can bring that truck to the drags next year. I so want to see it run. Funny this should come up now. I just finished replacing my 235 with a stout 350 in my '54 Chevy truck. After some tuning (still needs more), I have realized that it may be faster than my roadster at the track. I'll find out for sure next week, if it doesn't rain... r
Cool! keep us posted on times! I'm not sure how much we'll be out next year, it really depends on how much R&D we have to do to get it right! So far, though, we have not made a full 1/4 mile pass, BUT, leaving easy, footbraking, we ran a 7.50 in the eighth @ Atco w/ a 1.53 60 ft. Lots more in there, so: YAY! Drag trucks!!!
Yeah! Its ashame the trans case fell off the pump somewhere btwn. 2nd gear and high! Well...back to the drawing board...errr, uhh...trans table!
speaking of awb . . . A chevy stepside could (relatively) have its wheelbase altered with minimal body work, just remove the step, and push the rear fenders forward. just cut the same ammount out of the frame. plus you already have a straight axle front end!
Thanks man! When I started this, I just figured I had it, I liked the way they looked and, oh...did I mention that originally it was to be painted white, lowered, and Y-block powered... But, then....I had this old 460 laying around, and....well.... I REALLY never expected anyone to actually like it. Hell, when I bought the body, these things were nearly worthless... The "Ugly trucks"... I think a mid-sixties Chevy would be GREAT, to get back on topic. Just like I reasoned with mine, you seem to have the means for something economical, fast, and unusual. Why not!? And keep us posted!
Totally do it. Trucks are great drag platforms except the cabs can be small, and they have a lot of frontal area. Cheap, easy to work on, easy to modify. See, even 8th G/G above, defending the Willys honor has the pickup version!
I took it to the high scool drags at kcir last year knowing there tech crew was going to be overwhelmed by 200 cars they had never seen. 9.72 promptly got me a trip to the tower and no more running there with out a cage. It was worth the trip I was just looking for the 9 second slip, the truck is driven on the street in the same trim.