I really want to build one off these bad! But I want to be informed. How short can these cars be before they get really dangerous? I want a short one but I have kids! Want to run a blown 327 and powerglide( have them) want to run mid 9s to start. Tell me what you think pros and cons. Thanks
They are all dangerous..History has shown that the short ones were difficult to drive,and crashed a lot.My opinion is the wheelbase should not be shorter than 160 inches,with the engine well forward. There is a lot you need to know about running in the 9's.Try to find some one that can supply constuction drawings for a modern chassis.
I don't know much but on this I'm an authority......you can't build one for what you can buy one for.......ask me how I know after twelve years. Dragsters have slipped in popularity compared to nostalgia funny cars lately. Check out RacingJunk.com and you'll find rollers and complete operations for sale. A lot of cars have been posted in the last few weeks. If you build one, you must build it to SFI spec 2.6A , buy the book, it's $35. If you don't you can't run it hardly anywhere and you probably won't be able to sell it later. If you buy a "done" car make sure the chassis certification is up to date. An expired sticker means a re-inspection and that is when you get red flagged. (You want a safe car anyway, right?) Also, just like the law, different chassis inspectors have differing interpretations and beliefs...especially between the different NHRA divisions. (Ask me how I know that). If you buy an old, original car make sure that sucker is certified and up to date. If the roll cage needs modifying it can be darn near impossible to back-half without "stepping tubing" all the way to the front axle. ALSO, sit in the car.....the drivers in the 60's were kinda like jockeys.......young and skinny, I think. There are many hidden costs in a dragster...certified everything (blower straps, parachute, heck, a spec-20 suit, boots, gloves, helmet etc runs about $1500. It's all in the name of safety and I suppose that's great. SO, you can buy whole operations with suits, parts, etc., cheaper and way faster than you can build and scrounge it on your own. NOT TRYING TO RAIN ON your parade friend. I would just feel pretty bad if a fella started in with stars in his eyes and ran into constant frustration. I learned all this the hard way. PM me if I can help in any way. Here's an option that I considered a couple years back: Most T-buckets are wicked fast. They are built on straight, rectangular-tube frames that would be easy to plant a roll cage down on. In the back of the NHRA rulebook (section 4.11) is a diagram for a simple rollcage that doesn't require chrome-moly or TIG welding. That cage is legal for 10 seconds flat and it does not require certification either. It does have to be built with enough care and craftsmanship to pass local track tech, of course. At swap meets I see nasty, outdated T-buckets go for pretty cheap money. They usually have a 350, a 9-inch and good brakes. Since the car has a floor you don't need a spec-20 suit. I'm thinking strip it down some and add the cage...... Now don't scoff at 10seconds....remember your head is out in the wind, it's loud, you can see the front tires skimming along. I think it would make a great "budget altered"....you'd have an "open car". Just my humble opinions. PM me if you think can help in any way, and good luck.
I ran a 150 inch fed a few years ago with a blown injected NASCAR blocked Cleveland, ok on good flat and prepared tracks, a real handful on ordinary tracks, as the above post mentioned, go as long a wheel base as you can, it is a steep learning curve. I started with a mild carb combo to start learning with, get a feel for the car, 8-9 sec et's are real quick for a novice and these race cars can bite you real quick. Thommo Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
We re-did a 67 Jim Davis car about 10 years ago. Did JUST enough to make it certify to 7.50, that included sleeving all the butt welds, a 6 point cage, kidney bars, etc. I don't recall the exact wheel base anymore, but I think it was somewhere around 170. With a mild, injected small block on meth, it would easily break into the 8's. We ran a powerglide with a brake, and if we didn't limit the RPM's on the launch it would wheel stand and head towards the centerline or wall. With a rev limiter it would go nice and straight. To run in the 9's with one of these cars is SIMPLE! They don't weigh anything, and a blown small block should easily put you in the low 8's, if not quicker. Back when we did this one, you could buy a roller for about $3,000, and have yourself a running car that looks right for less than 10g's. Now it's a different story. I seen one on ebay the other day, was set up exactly like it was run in the 60's, all the chrome was shot but it had a blown hemi in it that hasn't ran in 30 plus years. Needed a TOTAL restoration, buy it now was $25000. I started collecting parts to build my own, I'm 6'4 200lbs so an original will never fit me. It'll nickel and dime you to death, every little thing costs. It's definitely more economical to get a deal on a roller, and if you can do your own work you can do it pretty cheap. Here's a pic of that Davis car, the car had that paint on it when we got it, and never did change it.
I have a 1968 Jim Davis car, blown small block and it runs 7.06 in the 1/4, and they are a handful to drive. a stock small block unblown will get you in the 11s real easy and would be a lot safer if your unexperianced. Like the above post, find a nice certified car ready to roll, you'll be way ahead of the game
have friends all are in the 160" range na/sbc powerglide full length with a coupler all handle well on flat tracks run mid 8s to high 7s but on small airport runways and impromptu drag strips the are a handfull. like stated above older cars have really small cages
A whole bunch of mis information here. Wheelbase is of no concern if the car is built and set up properly. I ran 138" with a blown sbc and NEVER had the car come around. I have customer cars that are 100" Fiat altereds with blown Donovan 417 that drive one handed.In the beginning of Nostalgia drag racing if you were a fuel car you were limited to 150" and there were plenty of cars that went 6's @200mph. Two rules of thumb when building a dragster 1) shorter the wheelbase--the wider the front axle 2) shorter the wheelbase--the narrower the rear tire
I have a 135" FED with an injected 327 SBC and a Powerglide that pretty consistantly runs in the 10's. Like an earlier post said the early cars (mine was built in '63) were built for skinny people. Mine is 17" at the shoulders. It likes a "hard" launch and will run very straight with little steering input. It was originally built at 120" but lengthened years ago to 135" to accomodate the Powerglide. I don't run it often and not in competition, only singles.
One has to remember at the time this was all new, GI's were coming home and were really thin, McDonalds was a farm that your kids sang about on long driving trips, and your firesuit was no more than tin foil on a baked potato
Thanks so much for the replies its all great advice. feel like it would be more fun to build than buy but I think your right its cheaper to buy. hate not putting in the hours and earning the thing. How do you guys feel about updated cars? They are are a little easier to find. Got my heart set on a digger and just can't hang with the 220 inch high chair thing even though I know it's probably safer. What about 160? had another idea how bout I pay you chassis guys 2 grand drag my camper behind your shop pay for all material coffe donuts and bear and do all the shit work and you can teach me I do the work bobs your uncle off to the races! Thanks again for the replies nice to be part of a good community
i don't know current rules up to 150" you had to use suspension on the frt end 151"axle could be attached directly to the frame.
Like DRE Racecars said. A 150-160" chassis properly set up will handle all you have to throw at it with a 327. Running in the 9s should be very easy. My car with a pump gas ZZ-4 crate engine, with zoomies, on pump gas has run 5.90 @ 117 in the eighth (everything here in Alabama is 1/8 mile) that supposedly equates to low 9s in the 1/4 and I swear you could eat a cheeseburger while making a pass, if the helmet wasn't in the way. Admittedly I'm used to going faster but I was really surprised at how quick this thing is (weighing in at a hefty 1,250 lbs wet). Here in the south at non-sanctioned races hardly anyone has a certified car. I won't strap myself into an unsafe car however. Good luck and have fun.
Just my opinion, but I won't even look at a newer style front motored car. You can take an original 60's chassis, and update it properly. You have to pay extra attention to the cage area, you want a single tight radius on the hoops, you want the right lay back. A lot of times all that's needed is a set of kidney bars and a 5 or 6 point cage and it'll certify. Although, on the 2 that I did (an SPE and the Davis car) the shoulder hoops and lower rails came together at the rear center, and were only butt welded. I split the cars into quarters, and sleeved them to make them legal. I will also say that when they were certified the inspector never even looked at it though. As these guys have mentioned, a properly set up car will drive well with any length chassis.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Othe...2?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3ccebfa4e2#v4-48 Here's the one on ebay for 26000.
That area only has to be sleeved if it does not have a supporting uprite or the cage welded on it. A current funny car chassie using a 6 point cage has the uprights 3" on either side of the split ,hense a sleeve is required, But if the rear cage upright and/or the back bar is welded to the center of the split then it becomes supported and a sleeve is not required. Older style round back cars are difficult to install sleeves because of the radious, Later versions that squared the shoulder hoop have a flat section that allows for an alignment tube.
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