Local Craigslist has a complete '46 Dodge 1.5 ton frame with engine, 4 speed, complete suspension & steering... Asking scrap prices for the whole thing, wants to sell it complete... Is this thing gonna be too big and heavy as a basis for a HA/GR or SDRA build?
Depends on how fast you want to be and how much work you want to put into it. A lot of the weight in the frame can be removed with some cutting and assorted hole saws. Old6rodder started out with a 1919 Buick frame that probably weighed as much and has a great, fun race car in his "Brick II". The flathead Dodge sixes are fine hunks of iron, we're using a 1934 Dodge 218 in our car. Lots can be done to lighten the front axle and suspension and the rear axle can be replaced with one of many lighter units. A good deal of the frame can be cut off and the rear mounted solid. These aren't supposed to be high tech cars, if you are interested in building and racing on a small budget and having fun, I would say grab it and start putting it on a diet. If your idea is to build the fastest car in your area, get a 302 GMC, Mopar slant 6 or Ford flathead V8, buy a bunch of tubing and some axles and spend a lot of money. The choice is yours. I'd jump on that pile of Dodge and start cutting, Looks like a good start to me. But then again I started with a 1934 Dodge engine and trans, a Lincoln Zephyr front axle and a set of Model T Ford rails when everybody else was going for newer power, tube chassis builds. I'm not done yet, but closer than I've ever been and having a ball on a small investment. Hope to have the car running this year, but Life will tell me when it's ready.
That'd be far too heavy for a HAMBster unless you're up for some serious work at weight paring. Definitely too much work for most folks, though you'd certainly have a one-of-a-kind car when done.
All that needs to be said has been said except that i read on the inliners forum that the mopar guys seem to be looking for what they call the big block flathead six. It might be that what you have is a rare find. good luck on your decision, also 1.5 square tube is cheap.
If you can get it cheep/cheep the motor may be the biggest flat head 6 Dodge made in 46 as it was in a 1 1/2 ton truck. Keep the motor, scrap the trans and rest of the chassis, buy a few sticks of 3" x 1 1/2" rec tube and get started on your HA/GR or SDRA ride, you will have the enjoyment of building the car the way you want it.
I remember looking at a late 40's Dodge semi back in the mid-60's (just after we moved out of our cave). It had the big flat head six and a factory dual single barrel intake. I was very disappointed to find out that the manifold won't fit my '42 Plymouth business coupe because the large truck engine was several inches longer than the passenger car version. Today one of those big cube Mopar flatheads with two carbs would be priceless. I agree with the majority. It would be a lot easier to scratch together a tube frame than try to lighten up the old ton and a half.
And your proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!! You got to admit your future HA/GR build pile started out about 1000# less than that one ton.
Maybe so, but with some time, (I have plenty of that) and more space, (that I am lacking), I'm thinking that big Dodge could be a fun HA/GR project. Ya just need to remove some weight, like the cross-members, drill a lot of holes and use a hole saw on the rails. My goal has never been to have the fastest and quickest car, it's just to build a fast, quick car out of the oldest parts in the class and have a good time racing anybody who will stage next to me. One of the best races of my life was last October when I ran Old6rodder's Brick against an NE-1 car at Eagle Field. I knew that he would beat me, but I put a good hole shot on him and grinned like a crazy man when he blew by on the top end.
440 has it right. Most of the racing being done is bracket racing ,so it doesn`t matter how slow or fast you are. If you`re the slow one ,dial .4 slower than you can run, stay on the gas and use your brake, then off the brake at 1000 ft. If you`re fast get in his blind spot on the brake then off the brake at 1200 ft. That`s the fun of bracket racing
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