0 to 200 mph in 1.5 years.... Step 1 - ummmm, metalshapes?

If the car is legal for a specific class,it will be much easier to sell when the time comes.


Some classes specify where the floor is to be mounted,etc.
I think the Tardell roadster used a big piece of 1/4" plate to create a super belly pan/floor.

 

Your time line is entirely do-able. In fact it is roughly where we started out, a two year build. your experience level is similar too.
We found the anticipation to be too great though and shortened the build to 10 months.
I've got a bunch of pictures of our roadster pick-up being constructed in the history section of the North of 49 site. The sites a bit messy right now 'cause I've been re-building it. Most of the history is complete though.
You'll find the site at;
http://www.fsra.org/n49
I've only had opertunity to make two licensing runs so far, and have only gone 169 in the pick-up. It's the best darn view of mile markers I've ever seen though! I heartily recommend it.

Mike

 

Cword: how much HP are you guys making ?

I'm guessing a Coupe will need a few more HP to go the same speed.

 

The car should be heavy not light like a drag car........things tend to get airborne if they are too light.

 

My brother ran 168+MPH this year at Bonneville in a '65 Buick Skylark 2 dr. Only got 4 runs due to weather, and 2 runs were for driver/car licensing. As the others have said, he wore out the rule book in getting ready.

What he found in preparing the car, is that it must meet all equipment and safety requirements for the record-speed in the class he selected...even though he knew he wouldn't go that fast. That meant full roll cage, fuel cell, parachute, shielded gas line from the rear mounted cell, special fuel pressure regulator in the engine bay to isolate gas from the fuel pressure gauge in the cabin, fire supression bottles/valves, speed rated tires, etc.

The other thing he found was that it's expensive to run. I believe he said the "hi test" gas was $120 to fill the 6 gal cell. He accidentally fired one of his 3 Halon bottles (Halon won't be legal after this year) when he pulled a safety pin, and it was $500 to replace it there. He needed a fire suit, and got a "deal" at $900 by not having his team name embrodered on it. It was another $100 for fire proof underwear and $100 for shoes. Probably a lot of this stuff may be available as loaners my HAMBers.

In spite of the cost, he is already planning improvements and more speed in 2005. Incidentally, his car (number 6565) is pictured on page 62 of the Hot Rod issue that covers Speed Week (not sure the month, I can't find it now.)

 

If you do a streamlined top on an A coupe like Drewfus's Drawing- Id like to be the one who did THAT ROOF!

 

Man this is the kind of stuff thats gets us old
grey beards goin.
Give me the grinder!
If ya need some extra space for stuff.. I'll follow
ya guys to Bonneville in the 4D. big trunk..........


Were down to help do whatever/.
------------------------------------------------------------
Vagabonds C.C.
Central Mo. Chapter

 

Any steel you need is yours! We'll figure a way to get it to you?

 

let me know if you need anything fabricated, or machine work for the motor..... LUKESTER!!!!!

 

Ryan... what if you had a belly pan... but with with a diffuser tunnel or two running down the middle that way you could get some downforce on the rear for traaaaction. non-trad, but it would look that far out of place. Or maybe someones already tried it and it doesn't work. just tossing out dumb ideas...

 

Got a friend building a Bonneville Car (27 Roadster with a turbo'd 2.3 Liter Ford 4 cyl). May see the salt next year. One of the things that surprised me is that they do not want you to grind any of the welds on the frame. The rules are for a race car, and not a sano street car. The tech guys want to see the welds and want to see that they are done well with good penetration. It'd suck to get all the way out there and not get through tech. Follow the rule book exactly for your class, and the guys on the landspeed website are a great resource for any questions you may have.

 

A buddy of mine is building a 30/31 Coupe ( goldenboy on the HAMB), and I'm sure he will lend it to me to take measurements off.
The contours of a 30/31 and a deuce should be close enough that the same basic frame will fit both.
So I am now thinking about building a buck to make the frames in.
For my Coupe I am not going to start with reproduction rails since its is going to be channeled anyway.
If the current rules will not let you lay back the windshield like they used to, can you still run the car as a Lakester if you lay it back anyway?
How Traditional does this car have to be under the skin?

I am not a Bonneville expert.
I only worked on 2 LSR cars ( one owner ) and after that I needed a break from it.
But I am looking forward to this one... It should be a lot of fun...

 

Sounds like a great project guys.
As everyone has said get a rule book. You will obviously pick a class that will suit the car you want to build. But don't just read the rules of that class. Read the rule book from cover to cover. Because reading only sections of it, you will come across stuff that doesn't necessarily make sense. But other sections of the book help to make unclear stuff clearer.
I am the Rea , in the Rea Weir Mumford #24 GMR T roadster here in Australia. That car is semi retired now.
Ryan if you want a 4 spoke Bell style wheel for your project, put me down to make one for you guys. Just tell me the diameter and it will be done. Made a few of these now.
This could be a good excuse to get back to the states, to see you guys run! Geoff aka Whodaky
PS I like Drewfus' concept of using the Weesner design.!

 

Copy the pic of the Weezner coupe.

Build a perimeter frame out of either 2 x 6 or 2 x 4" .250 wall tubing.

Or...

Have a piece of 1/4" steel plate custom bent (rolled) on the sides to form a belly pan... full length... so you sit down in the car. Run 2 x 3 tubing as a perimeter frame, welded to the plate belly pan... Then build the roll structure off of the 2x3.

When it comes time to designing a cage... let me know and I can draw something up that will be sturdy, safe, pass tech... and fit underneath the chopped top.

I think if you model it after the Chrisman brother's coupe, you'll have a winner... but put the motor where it should be.

Start hunting for a 70's Ford 9" rear out of a Granada... they had 2.47:1 gears in them.

And find someone who can bend 1 5/8" tubing in your area... or invest in a tubing bender. Buy a "Joint Jigger" tubing notcher... and make sure your MIG welder runs on 220.

A powerglide or TH350 tranny is easier... but I think a 4 speed will run faster (a wee bit).

Don't buy any of your safety gear that is dated until you have reservations at the Rainbow... buy an outdated tranny shield(scatter), seat belts from local drag racers so you can mock everything up.

If you want to put the radiator in the trunk... I have ALL the stuff to do it... cheap. (We had put a radiator in the pickup bed... but took it out when we went to Alky)
Sam.

 

It won't make it go any faster, but I know a guy that'll donate some lettering/number painting.

 

i can help with the mopar double dip axle...

question; do they do the "replace 'em at 2 years" thing with the seat belts like nhra does?

 

Do you want to end up with something like this ?

 

Don't ya have to belong to one of the timimg associations timing clubs to run for time?
Do you already?
Or is that just a "I want to join your club this morning so I can run this afternoon" and the club honchos say "OK, pay $xx dues and you're in the club!"?



(What happened to the Ryan/Tardel coupe?)

 

[ QUOTE ]
Cword: how much HP are you guys making ?

I'm guessing a Coupe will need a few more HP to go the same speed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Our "post mortem" dyno, showed us running about 620 hp, peak torque about 500ft-lbs, the engine had 3 weak cylinders (leak down test).

mike

 

Coool.
Glad the dream hasn't been woke-up from... (Is that what I said?)
If it takes a year and a half the rules WILL change so get the next seasons rule book when it comes out too and change away!

 

When you ordered your Rule Book, did you let them know that you'd like to get a 2004 copy right away, to get started?

The reason I ask is that you may end up waiting on the 2005 to be printed. There was quite a delay in getting the books out in 2004, and alot of fellows (especially the bike guys) were sweating while awaiting late books in May/June.
Car rules tend not to change as much or as fast as the bike rules, if you can get your hads on a 2003 or 2004 book you'll get onto the learning curve faster.

mike

 

I PM you with some information on the Maine Barons Too bad Halon is not going to be used in 06 I have two bottles I was going to list for $150 I was going to build my 34 5 W coupe for the Salt Flats but decided it would never make it. The mid 70's Cads have a 208 rear gear. Good Luck!

 

Like this one?

http://donshotrodpage.net/Bonneville/pages/XP8140106_JPG.htm

 

I have a 9" Ford with a 2.47 gear. If we can relay it out there it's yours.

 

[ QUOTE ]
More chop, definitely lower, and with front sheet metal that's more aero. Wether that comes from a couple of '40 hoods or a slightly lowered grille shell and a sort of removable chin fairing is still being decided. The '40 hoods would look rad and cut the wind...but we'd still have to deal with cooling on the way out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Like this you mean?

Sorry, couldn't help myself....

 

The "sit down in the car" is important in a closed/chopped car.

My Brother's coupe ('65 Buick Skylark) is not chopped, and he is 6'2" tall. The racing seat is mounted to the lower roll cage tubes that are nearly on the floor.

With his helmet on, his head was almost touching the roof. The Tech Inspector let him run this year, but entered a requirement in the log book that the seat has to be lowered for next year to get more headroom. He offered a good suggestion on how to do it, and was generally very reasonable per my Brother.

Looking at pictures of the closed/chopped coupes that ran this year, I wonder how some of them passed the headroom test.