Yeah, we're pluggin away on it one night a week. The brackets for mounting the rear end to the frame rails are 90% done, the front suspension tube is welded into the rails, we found a Saginaw 3 speed w/OD from my '56 chevy that now has a 700r4. I think we're ready to locate the engine and make the mounts for that now, then on to building a cage.
The rear end is mounted and we're stoked that it turned out how we planned it! The front suspension tube is welded in, our next objectives are mounting the front axle and fabbing the engine/trans mounts. I keep meaning to post some pictures up, I do have them, I just have to get them from my camera to my computer.
Nice to see progress on your HA/GR. Looks like the rear end is going to be your rear crossmember. Keep the pics coming.
Please don't take this as a dirogitory remark. Because I'm very glad you are building your car.. BUT, Why is everyone building their cars so heavy,?? Most guys are building their cars like they are taking them down the Baja..These chassis need to be light, But strong enough to do the job, But thats it. Weight is your enemy in these cars. Low HP. plus HEAVY= slow car. Just like any other Drag racing vehicle. Again, This is not meant to be a sarcastic remark. Just an observation...Dick M
Dick, we're building the car with parts we have available and what we can afford. I had the 10 bolt posi rear axle sitting in the shop; for the front we couldn't find a car axle with all the parts that we could afford; Rocky gave us a deal on the truck axle, spindles and the extra parts, the frame rails can't be any thinner and still be strong enough. Yes, the rear axle is a crossmember as well as the rear anchor pad for the roll cage, the front suspension tube acts as a crossmember and the engine/trans mounts will provide additional bracing, albeit less substantial than the rear. Two guys can pretty easily pick our frame up right now as is. We did ditch the truck 4 speed in favor of the lighter Saginaw three speed (which I also had sitting in the shop). If I'm not mistaken, the point of this class is to have some good cheap fun, so we're building what we can afford. Cutting weight costs money and we are more than willing to accept parts/financial donations and sponsors to get our speed up a bit.
Your Saginaw 3 speed with OD is a desirable unit for the Hot Rod crowd and is weaker than a straight 3 speed. You should be able to trade and you both will feel like you made a good deal. I can't tell from the pictures if the rearend is welded to the frame but if not you have a real safety problem because the rearend could rotate and you would be singing soprano through the lights. Roy
I was figuring if racing the dragster was fun, then over time a person could add horsepower and lose weight. Building it and getting it on the strip is job 1. Dick is right that saving weight is as good as adding ponies. But there's that damn budget to pay attention to.
I am all about the budget ... I am into it almost $3000.00 and all I have to show for it is a Model A front end, 2 - 21" Model A wheels, and a leaky snowmobile gas tank !!! Oh and a big headache from the IRS !!!
Look, Like I know where you are coming from.. Iam in the same boat as all the rest of you are.. I'm a 74 yr old retired fabricator on social security. My car is just about built on my friends donations. My frame rails were made from, A mistake in the fabrication of a conveyor frame. My engine, A 194 cu in chev 6. given to me by my friend Joe. The engine has been in the corner of his garage for 15 yrs. The trans came all the way from Elm Center Kansas, Also from a friend. Oh and the carbs from the same guy.So you see, I'm right there with you.. My coment on the plate material is what I was talking about..The use of 1/4" plate and thicker..I just don't think that the steel has to be quite so heavy duty on these low horse power cars.. I also have a Fiat altered that I built back in 1999. There isn't one piece of 1/4" plate anywheres on it. This car runs in the 150s..Again, This was not meant to be head banging. just an observation that I made. Continue on, And we will se ya at the races.... Edit... Roy. That rear end couldn't rotate if it wanted to..That mount would hold a 800hp motor with no problem..Believe me... Dick M
That thought definitely went through our minds, that's why we overbuilt the crap out of the rear axle mounts. They are bolted but there's absolutely no way they're going to come apart with the power/traction we'll have available.
Good looking front end. Over built rear mounts? Perhaps, but a damn sight better'n underbuilt ones. Besides, if you should have to deal with NHRA (open bodied, dedicated design, removable, solid mount rear end, minimum; three 1/2" grade 8 bolts per side) their rules outweigh even common sense and you have'em covered.
At least if the front end doesn't work as good as it does in my mind, it'll still look good! Another part of the reasoning in overbuilding the rear mounts is an attempt to set tech inspectors at ease.
No, I can think of a few examples that are like this, mine included... When combined with a simple but effective trans mount, the whole chassis is light, and doing the front suspension like you are will be a big saving and effective. Keep going, great to see people still having a go with what they have. Cheers, Drewfus
Here it is after messing with it on Saturday, rolling chassis with the engine/trans mounted in place, just have to add a few bolts for the engine mounts and that'll be done. Next step is the cockpit/roll cage.
Rollin', rollin', rollin, get them dogies rollin, ................... Definitely a "feels good" stage, ain't it? Looking good, too. I rather like that second shot, with someone's feet exiting the camera's field of vision rapidly. No need to be nervous, we seldom get Fresno wanted posters this far south.
Your front end looks very sanitary. Trimming the spindles and the junk off the axle and drilling holes in the axle helps a lot. Using the torsion bar (what kind is it?) adds to the overall neatness of the front. Looking forward to your roll cage design.
Absolutely, if pushing it out the door was so much fun, I can't imagine what firing it up or letting the clutch out is gonna be like!! Thanks, it's a VW suspension tube; there's two tubes on the front end of a VW with a square stack of leaf springs inside the torsion tube. We cut the tubes, arms and springs all apart and welded it back together, it was pretty labor intensive to get that front end put together...funny how some simple looking things take just as much work as the complex stuff.
so are you planning to weld a steering arm onto what's left of the stub? I know you've just got the engine temporarily sitting there, you might want to slide it forward a bit as that i'm rather cramped into my my cage, which is a good thing, and you do get used to it, but in hindsight it would be just that much more comfortable if I had another 3" more.....(no puns intended...) Looking good, Drewfus