Could have the front engine dragster survived?, PT.1:

Gary Reynolds · Oct 30, 2013

You might as well ask "could the Model T have survived?".
Why should it have "survived" any more than 8 inch slicks and carbureted nailheads?
Nobody at the time was "nostalgic" for anything, times change, it's a basic fact of life.
You may as well ask could we eternally live in 1968?

CNC-Dude · Oct 30, 2013

I think that our forefathers realized that progress meant looking forward and not in reliving their past!

tfeverfred · Oct 30, 2013

CNC-Dude said: ↑

I think that our forefathers realized that progress meant looking forward and not in reliving their past!
Click to expand...

I wonder what they would think about all this traditional stuff going on? I guess some embrace the nostalgia, but do they also say progress is a good thing?

I think it's okay to look back and maybe hold on to a little of the good times, but dwelling on it seems kind of counter productive.

Gary Reynolds · Oct 30, 2013

"I think it's okay to look back and maybe hold on to a little of the good times, but dwelling on it seems kind of counter productive."

YES! I love looking back to the 50-60-70's! I've had a wonderful life, but hopefully, it ain't over yet. I just turned 60, I miss some aspects of youth, but I'm not cashing it in just yet! Those times had plenty of bad things too, things that are forgotten because times HAVE changed; like blatant racism, unsafe cars, pollution, diseases that are gone now, and the draft and a whole lot more.
It WAS great, but WAS is the key word.

hrm2k · Oct 30, 2013

Littleman said: ↑

My nod to them guys that went outside the box early on..............mine is teched to run today...I love the stuff that some built say from 55-64 ish ........Littleman

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Click to expand...

Damn Dave............that is simply bad ass.......another to add to your collection

mammyjammer · Oct 30, 2013

I have no firsthand knowledge of what went on in the transition period from FED to RED, but I have a theory and there is no better place to share a
fact less theory than the internet!!!!

Garlits kicked ass with his RED and soon after that other teams built their own REDs and started to win. R&D of the FED came to an abrupt halt.

If R&D would have continued on the FED, someone would have built something like Dale Armstrong's "Funny Car Without a Body" concept and maybe history would have been different.

tfeverfred · Oct 30, 2013

Here's a thought. With todays technology, is a RED REALLY quicker or are the present crews just stuck on RED as a design element? Has anyone put a winning RED engine and it's tech into a FED design? If so, what were the results?

31Vicky with a hemi · Oct 30, 2013

Where's part 2 ?

Speed Gems · Oct 30, 2013

V4F said: ↑

SAFETY , SAFETY , SAFETY ........ have you ever seen a flywheel blow up or had a clutch blow up !
Click to expand...

Don Garlits.

Speed Gems · Oct 30, 2013

Jim Nicoll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSAuf8mE_k4

Lytles Garage · Oct 31, 2013

tfeverfred said: ↑

Here's a thought. With todays technology, is a RED REALLY quicker or are the present crews just stuck on RED as a design element? Has anyone put a winning RED engine and it's tech into a FED design? If so, what were the results?
Click to expand...

EXACTLY the point of the original question !!!! Why do you guys all go back to a safety issue? don't you realize that John Force's car is FRONT ENGINED !! JEEZUS ! Chris

31Vicky with a hemi · Oct 31, 2013

Lytles Garage said: ↑

EXACTLY the point of the original question !!!! Why do you guys all go back to a safety issue? don't you realize that John Force's car is FRONT ENGINED !! JEEZUS ! Chris
Click to expand...

Well tell us how you really feel

Just the musings of a mad man

I've never got to crawl around either one,
But I'd imagine the FC (john force and others) drive train has a drive shaft of some sort and the dragsters FED or RED do not.
I'd also imagine that its easier to contain a drive shaft failure than a clutch failure.

Again I have no idea really

bobss396 · Oct 31, 2013

mammyjammer said: ↑

I have no firsthand knowledge of what went on in the transition period from FED to RED, but I have a theory and there is no better place to share a fact less theory than the internet!!!!

Garlits kicked ass with his RED and soon after that other teams built their own REDs and started to win. R&D of the FED came to an abrupt halt.

If R&D would have continued on the FED, someone would have built something like Dale Armstrong's "Funny Car Without a Body" concept and maybe history would have been different.
Click to expand...

It was the changing of the guard and few looked back on the FED. I imagine the FED could have gone a lot faster in time.

IIRC, the biggest problem with the FED was blower explosions. I saw a list somewhere online with a list of TF fatalities over the years and most of them were from blower explosions.

Bob

CNC-Dude · Oct 31, 2013

Lytles Garage said: ↑

EXACTLY the point of the original question !!!! Why do you guys all go back to a safety issue? don't you realize that John Force's car is FRONT ENGINED !! JEEZUS ! Chris
Click to expand...

Yeah but FC have a little more protection given to the driver because of the body's inner structure and inside body panels, a FED has zero protection to the driver, and he is totally exposed to the engine with only little more than the steering wheel between the engine and him. Sure there have been many spectacular FC blower explosions in recent times, but the flopper body absorbs most of the forces from that, in a FED the driver does.
If you asked any of the TF guys today if they would drive a FED at the current speeds with their current engines, I doubt you'd get any volunteers.

56 Royal Lancer · Oct 31, 2013

falcongeorge said: ↑

had to look it up, I dont really follow NHRA TF anymore, the MPH record in 1999 was 330.23 MPH, the current record is 327.90. I think that pretty much covers it.
Click to expand...

FWIW The current (and with 1000' racing likely forever) MPH record for TF is 336.15, set at National Trail Raceway by Tony Schumacher.

Gary Reynolds · Oct 31, 2013

Gary Reynolds · Oct 31, 2013

Just off the top of my head, IF the FED "survived", it might look ....something like this. Only it would have a huge wing, bigger tires, two mags , bigger blower etc.

dreracecar · Oct 31, 2013

If it did survive you would probably have sponsors like "KC Masterpeice" or "NEOSPORIN"

Its not the flames that get you, but the flash heat from the explosion that causes your sweat to boil you.

http://youtu.be/yocbl6pn728

and thats with a 20 gal pump and current cars run 100 gal

slammed · Oct 31, 2013

Say it slowly: Face full of fire........

dreracecar · Oct 31, 2013

Years ago at Pomona Cruz had a wicked blower explosion and one of the rotors escaped the bag and hit the rollcage and crushed the tube so bad that they had to replace the cage overnight. 2" more to the right and his head would have taken the hit.

Mike Britton · Oct 31, 2013

Gary Reynolds!
Post #76, the funniest I've seen in awhile! Made me laugh out loud!!

Gary Reynolds · Oct 31, 2013

Mike Britton said: ↑

Gary Reynolds!
Post #76, the funniest I've seen in awhile! Made me laugh out loud!!
Click to expand...

I try. There are a number of posts threads here that just seem pointless to me. this is one of them.

dreracecar · Oct 31, 2013

And they always are started by c10-simplex

Bad Bob · Oct 31, 2013

I'm sure you can have the same argument about the front engine Indycars. Of course,maybe it was more about the weight balance and handling with the Indycars...

tfeverfred · Oct 31, 2013

What if Garlet's would have gotten all better and came back out with a FED? Would FED's have continued to be run, well into the 80's? I think, yes. As a leading persona in drag racing, whatever Garlet's did was going to be copied.

What if Garlet's accident had never happened? There had been explosions and fires before. No one shyed from accepted standards because of them, but a major player gets a bad injury and all of a sudden the tech is too dangerous? Doesn't make good sense.

As far as FC's go, they may as well be rear engine. Those carbon fiber shells don't look near any car they're supposed to represent.

dreracecar · Oct 31, 2013

He did, Raced a slingshot at the 1970 Supernationals that November . Came out with the RE car in '71, and he built another Front engine car in case the RE didnt work.

something else to consider that the Front engine chassie as we know it was only around for 7 years and the rear engine 43 years. We have been racing these modern front engine cars longer (17 years) that when they first showed up.

Gary Reynolds · Oct 31, 2013

"Those carbon fiber shells don't look near any car they're supposed to represent"

I assume you are talking about the Big Show. Your right, they look like short wheelbase dragsters with streamlined body shells. That's what they are.

HOTRODPRIMER · Oct 31, 2013

Just a thought ,but at the speeds they travel now I would doubt they would still be running.

Kinda like Indy cars,there was a progression in technology and engineering became a big part of both worlds.

Personally,I love the FEDS and the front engine Indy cars,,both looked cooler.

The dragsters look like missiles and the Indy cars more like airplanes to me,,my 2 cents worth. HRP

31Vicky with a hemi · Nov 4, 2013

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=krQRJkXeU6g

Big daddy built!!!

Nitro burning FED with newer style hemi

Lytles Garage · Nov 4, 2013

"BIG DADDY", Our ONLY, national treasure !!! Chris

Log in or Sign up

Could have the front engine dragster survived?, PT.1:

Gary Reynolds

CNC-Dude
Member

from Ringgold,Ga.

tfeverfred
Member Emeritus

from Houston, Texas

Gary Reynolds

hrm2k
ALLIANCE MEMBER

from Baltimore County MD

mammyjammer
Member

from Area 51

tfeverfred
Member Emeritus

from Houston, Texas

31Vicky with a hemi
Member

from cleveland ohio

Speed Gems
Member

from St. cloud, Minnesota

Speed Gems
Member

from St. cloud, Minnesota

Lytles Garage
Member

from Rock Island, WA

31Vicky with a hemi
Member

from cleveland ohio

bobss396
Member

from Long Island, NY

H.A.M.B Ford Galaxie Owners

1952-59 Ford Social Group

New York H.A.M.B.ers

CNC-Dude
Member

from Ringgold,Ga.

56 Royal Lancer
Member

from Central Ohio

Attached Files:

record speed.jpg

Gary Reynolds

Gary Reynolds

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

slammed
Member

from Falcon Lair

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

Mike Britton
Member

from Highland Village (Dallas area)

Gary Reynolds

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

Bad Bob
Member

from O.C. Baby

Anti-donut HAMB Breakfast,every Sat.

HAMB Merc Club

EL MIRAGE HAMB CLUB

tfeverfred
Member Emeritus

from Houston, Texas

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

Gary Reynolds

HOTRODPRIMER
ALLIANCE MEMBER

from Anderson, S.C.

1952-59 Ford Social Group

HAMB Old Farts' Club

H.A.M.B. Chapel

31Vicky with a hemi
Member

from cleveland ohio

Lytles Garage
Member

from Rock Island, WA

Share This Page

Archive

Atomic Industry

Support

Subscribe

Could have the front engine dragster survived?, PT.1:

CNC-Dude Member from Ringgold,Ga.

tfeverfred Member Emeritus from Houston, Texas

hrm2k ALLIANCE MEMBER from Baltimore County MD

mammyjammer Member from Area 51

tfeverfred Member Emeritus from Houston, Texas

31Vicky with a hemi Member from cleveland ohio

Speed Gems Member from St. cloud, Minnesota

Speed Gems Member from St. cloud, Minnesota

Lytles Garage Member from Rock Island, WA

31Vicky with a hemi Member from cleveland ohio

bobss396 Member from Long Island, NY H.A.M.B Ford Galaxie Owners 1952-59 Ford Social Group New York H.A.M.B.ers

CNC-Dude Member from Ringgold,Ga.

56 Royal Lancer Member from Central Ohio

Attached Files:

dreracecar Member from so-cal

slammed Member from Falcon Lair

dreracecar Member from so-cal

Mike Britton Member from Highland Village (Dallas area)

dreracecar Member from so-cal

Bad Bob Member from O.C. Baby Anti-donut HAMB Breakfast,every Sat. HAMB Merc Club EL MIRAGE HAMB CLUB

tfeverfred Member Emeritus from Houston, Texas

dreracecar Member from so-cal

HOTRODPRIMER ALLIANCE MEMBER from Anderson, S.C. 1952-59 Ford Social Group HAMB Old Farts' Club H.A.M.B. Chapel

31Vicky with a hemi Member from cleveland ohio

Lytles Garage Member from Rock Island, WA

Share This Page

Useful Searches

Archive

Atomic Industry

Support

Subscribe

CNC-Dude
Member

from Ringgold,Ga.

tfeverfred
Member Emeritus

from Houston, Texas

hrm2k
ALLIANCE MEMBER

from Baltimore County MD

mammyjammer
Member

from Area 51

tfeverfred
Member Emeritus

from Houston, Texas

31Vicky with a hemi
Member

from cleveland ohio

Speed Gems
Member

from St. cloud, Minnesota

Speed Gems
Member

from St. cloud, Minnesota

Lytles Garage
Member

from Rock Island, WA

31Vicky with a hemi
Member

from cleveland ohio

bobss396
Member

from Long Island, NY

H.A.M.B Ford Galaxie Owners

1952-59 Ford Social Group

New York H.A.M.B.ers

CNC-Dude
Member

from Ringgold,Ga.

56 Royal Lancer
Member

from Central Ohio

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

slammed
Member

from Falcon Lair

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

Mike Britton
Member

from Highland Village (Dallas area)

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

Bad Bob
Member

from O.C. Baby

Anti-donut HAMB Breakfast,every Sat.

HAMB Merc Club

EL MIRAGE HAMB CLUB

tfeverfred
Member Emeritus

from Houston, Texas

dreracecar
Member

from so-cal

HOTRODPRIMER
ALLIANCE MEMBER

from Anderson, S.C.

1952-59 Ford Social Group

HAMB Old Farts' Club

H.A.M.B. Chapel

31Vicky with a hemi
Member

from cleveland ohio

Lytles Garage
Member

from Rock Island, WA