As we have discussed before, NHRA can be a giant pain in the ass. I really want to run a car with a roll bar only....the cage just doesn't look right to me on these cars. Anyway, after reading the NHRA rule chapter and verse (repeatedly, I might add) I finally saw what Altered Pilot was saying all along. Offset the driver, and suspend the rear end, and darned if you can't run up to 12.00 with only a roll bar!!! Okay, so NOW I am excited! I whip up a rough set of plans, and roust out our local head NHRA inspector. I run the whole thing past him, and he assures me I am correct at all points, and the rules WILL in fact allow me to do what I want. THEN, he drops the bomb.......Our local track managment will not allow ANY open wheel car to go down the track without a full cage. In addition, they require NHRA pro licencing a full second slower than NHRA requires. Also, various and sundry other drivel they thought up along the way. I guess the only option I now have is to roll over and submit, or tow 120 miles to an outlaw 1/8 mile track. I suppose it's time to expend my remaining creative energy designing a old timey looking full cage. Can anyone point me to any pics of cages with a more vintage look? I like Toymaker's cage the best, so far. I hate to copy anyones stuff, but maybe a Dragmaster style might look okay.....Man, this whole drag racing thing is getting brutal, LOL!
Easy way around that problem...Fenders!! Seriously, if we want to play our game we need to make some changes to the cage designs to be allowed to run. We would all like to be able to run an early style single hoop bar as the early altereds and rails ran, but than again we would all like to win the lotto and retire wealthy. Similar odds, so we make allowances in our plans and unfortunately the same goes for our cars and particularly with the lock that the N(o)H(ot)R(ods)A(llowed) has on most of the available tracks. We are stuck with making their tech happy. As we used to say about the FAA motto when I was working in light aviation, "They're not happy if you are happy". We can either play within the required tech parameters or find a piece of land and build our own drag strip and that seems to be outside of the boundaries of most of us. Build it in the image of what you want.....just accept the necessary changes needed to fit in their ballpark. It's not perfect, but sitting in the car making a pass you will notice the imperfection a lot less than you imagine.
Guys: Fenders may be a way around the problem for sure. But in trying to stay reasonably true to the spirit of "The Bug", I've been trying to come up with a chassis design that will pass tech at my local track and yet still look somewhat vintage. Before I pick up a wrench on the project, I plan to spend some time with the track's tech folks to be sure I'm on the right path to minimize any (or at least most) later surprises. One chassis thought. Perhaps the roll cage could be fashioned after the vintage Dragmaster cage. Like the [famous] MoonEyes rail, Dragmaster offered a double hoop cage as an option back around 1960 when the chassis was first being offered. Of course the main frame rails would need to be either 3" OD round tube or 2x3" box tube but you could also incorporate the vintage Dragmaster twin torsion bar front end as well. Should look the part and might actually tech. Just a thought. Russ
I've been struggling with this very thing for months now. Since there were some sprint car style cars in the 1950 at drag strips I have...
Sorry...fenders don't really work for my concept of an HA/GR...just had to throw that in there "tongue in cheek" to stir the pot a bit. Sort of one of those "hell, if it would solve the cage problems, let's add doors too" deals. As for the frame rails, don't forget that real frame rails from "T" & "A" Ford and many other early cars...(Old6rodder used 1919 Buick) work too. Love what you are doing there Butch...looking forward to seeing it painted.
Hi Butch, I hope your foot is healing well. Your car looks great with the new body parts. You are just a couple of panels away from a streamliner. Two streamliners in the same barn would look great.
By the way, Butch....that Sprinter tail is just cool as all hell!!!!! With that great flared cowl you have, it looks like someone welded a dragster front frame section on the front of a sprint car. And way back when, you just know SOMEONE probably did that! When it's painted to match the rest of the car, that will be just tits! Tits, I tell ya!!!!!
Butch are you out of the cast yet? That car is going to really attract a lot of attention. We are going to have 3 races in August so get that car up here. Surely you can drive it by then. Roy
Roy, Thanks for the inspiration. I am going to Bonneville in August. I've had the motel room rented for a year. As far as the foot goes...at the risk of being tedious...it wasn't just broke. It was crushed. Some how in the misadventure I got under the car and rolled around untill I got my left foot, on its side, run over by the Hambster which was on full choke and had a couple a pumps of gas to get it started cold. Nonetheless...After I order a brand new, correct shifter switch , cable and attachment plate... I will try to make it to a race. Alternately, If i can't drive it I will bring it up and get a volunteer driver. I understand these Hambsters are much safer if you are in them when they run. I'm walking with a boot now and progress is slow but steady. Thanks again.
THAT is a good idea! Those cars were cool as hell. If I could find a "friend" with the skills to hammer up an aluminum body, that would be awesome! I could probably do it in fiberglass myself.....Gonna have to sleep on this one, some....Thanks for the historical brain-stimulation there, Moparsled!
The cost to hammer one of these out of aluminum would run into the the several thousand dollar range. Mine is a Speedway Motors $250 fiberglass repop. They will tell you it takes six weeks lead time to build one but if you actually order it you will probably get it within 10 days.
That's what Joe Roseberry did on his. http://ginamibellipictures.shutterfly.com/1119 Nicely done in aluminum and makes a great looking car.
Butch, as Roy said we will have three races in Aug., -- PLUS -- , the 24th & 25th of Sept. will be the Nitro Nationals & Old Time Drags. Thats two races in one trip to Tulsa. We invite all to come and race with us. For more info check us out at tulsaracewaypark.com/nostalgia . A great track, great people and great fun. Come race with us. Jr Clark "CrkInsp"
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