Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

Way better than having them point at the ground.

Roo

 

I guess I am in the minority as I think it makes it look too much like a current NHRA pro mod and not like a vintage 60s Dragonsnake.

 

Huh!
A pro mod with pie crusts?

 

I am not sure I can go as far as 36 Cab did but I felt Randall was recreating a car that could go back in time in appearance at least. I am not sure that the side exhaust is at home in a vintage car as it may be on Street Outlaws. Guess I wanted to be the devil's advocate and we all know how we look at the devil. Sorry I am in the minority I guess.

 

My point exactly. The overall design is great and screams 60s Cobra drag racing. But add the pro mod (or street outlaw) style fender exhaust with the pie crusts and it seems to be mixing up two different eras. I understand the reasoning because it would be easier, but to me it takes away from that vintage 60s look and appeal that the car had up until page 27.

 

I’m not a big fan of the headers going out through the fender, but there was some precedent set in the 60’s for ya in the gas class...not sure on the sports or MSP classes though.

 

My "Huh" reply was, it sounded like you were basing your statement purely on the Cobra having that tin exhaust flange kinda sorta like the pro mod cars.
NOTHING else on Randals' car even remotely resembles those cars, now one of the defining components of the era on the Cobra are the pie crust slicks.
Wonder how long those would last on a car putting out nearly 4000 h.p.
Peace

 

I believe what Randal is doing is great and have approved of course with everything he has done to date with the exception of the exit of the exhaust. It may be a character flaw of mine that I want the car to be truly representative of the era, at least in overall appearance. I really appreciate guys that pick an era and then stay true to the appearance of that era. I guess I try to split hairs between nostalgia and vintage and if a nostalgia car has a wing then I can appreciate the craftsmanship but figure it does not take me back to the 60s. That is where I may need some couch time in that I am trying to relive the 60s and the closer the cars are to the 60s in appearance then the happier I am. It is Randal’s dime and his car and if he chooses the exhaust as is then that is his decision. I am being selfish in a sort in that I want his Cobra to take me back and I believe his Cobra is one of the rare cars that can do it. There may have been cars with exhaust that exit the fenders back then and if someone can show me a picture of a Cobra done that way then I will get a pom pom and wave it with vigor.

 

These are big block ones though...


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I am not bothered by the side exhaust, but I would definitely use a non heat conducting gasket or spacer where it mounts to the body

 

Actually, I was talking with another HAMBer earlier. Originally I had called Dynomax looking for really tight mandrel bent 3" elbows. They told me no such animal, 6" inside radius was the tightest. That seemed to ring true everywhere else I looked and certainly not enough room in there to make those huge bends work etc. But this morning I got an email from them correcting that situation with a part number for a 3" inside radius. That is crazy tight. So should be plenty of room to cut back the 3" collector a bit and put a couple of elbows to it and exit where we planned in the first place.

 

There you go, that will be perfect!

 

Just another pic for side exhaust. I am not a fan of the big single pipe out the side. Glad you found a way around it.

 

Well I guess I am back on my own with the exhaust. I came to a decision this week to just ship the modified headers back and go with the original plan of having a local guy fab a set of headers. I mean I already had the the stainless steel flanges for him anyway. So I took the headers off and boxed them up. Yesterday I called my guy to say it would be a very good time to come over take a look at it and start formulating the tube paths for inventory etc. .....and he flaked out on me! He said you know I just don't think I want to build them. Oh well.

 

Did you already send back the other headers?

 

No they are still here so I am taking them back home etc. I know I can make them work, JUST MORE WORK....LOL

 

Do they make a chassis header kit that may work better for you.

 

= DICKHEAD! Your better off on your own. Your doing just fine!

 

I snagged some 3" exhaust elbows this week. Tonight after I got home we sneaked out to the shop for a few minutes to hold them up and gander at the possibilities. Before I knew it, the header was off, the collector was cut short (about 2" down from the "Collection" point) and I had officially ruined a good pair of jeans...LOL. I loose more jeans that way!

Anyway as you can imagine the cut off shortened collector was much closer to square than a 3" circle. So we took the plasma cutter and cut about a 1" slit between the joined pipes. Then we placed a piece of heavy 3" pipe in there and beat the collector into submission around the pipe. This allowed the 3" 45 degree elbow to fit nicely just tightly sliding in. Before tacking it together we put the header back on the head to double check we had the 45 degree collector pointing straight down and square with the world. With it still on the head and positioned the piece perfect and put a few tacs on it to hold it place.

Then we took the whole unit off again, and welded the daylights out of it.


The great part about these headers (installed upside down) is they totally clear the way for the steering and brakes etc. on that side. When the time comes, we will drop off the 45 elbow above straight down. Then a tight 90 to exit under the body just aft of the front wheel well and then a second 45 elbow to aim it down the side etc.


Now all we have to do is duplicate it on the other side....LOL!

 

I feel like the Jefferson's this morning..."cause we're moving on up!" We finally got off the flat chassis and we are now building upward! LOL. But to be honest we still have plenty of things to burn on the grill. But it is quite a journey we are on. I swear the first person that says this is a "kit" car is going to get punch right in the mouth. LOL!

You know the issue with this crazy thing is simply no real reference points or at least not as many as you would normally have. Really the only we have is knowing there are four initial body mounts, 2 aft of the front wheels and 2 just in front of the rear wheels as the body rolls under. That is pretty much it. It is like trying to line up 30 lines of dominoes all at same time but starting at the end and hoping they all fall in place. ....It is fairly frustrating. I will give you just one example. The seats. Sounds pretty straight forward right. But not so much. That has been the hold up for a while trying to make them fit create a proper cockpit.

From our original shot at it we found several issues (as reported earlier). But not only was it too tight left to right but front to back as well. The seats were going to have to be position at least 6" further back. That meant basically between the rear tires. AND my seats are two inches wider than stock so there goes the neighborhood. After sitting the seats in by themselves we basically positioned them on 2x4s getting them squeezed in left to right and up down etc. Not much room left there. We took some good measurements and then broke out my favorite tool!


The "bird-mouth-maker-roll-bar-athon"! After making a few bends as well this was our initial output for the day.


After getting these tunnel tubes in place I decide it would be much easier to mount the seats if they had their own heavy duty pedestals. It would also take care of the seat height without raising the floor or building goofy legs. Plus they will be crazy sturdy and will ad rigidity to the outriggers etc.


Note the Watt's Link center section is in place as well. We did that yesterday as well while I was thinking about how to finish the cockpit. I think better when I am fabricating. LOL


Now to get me some cross bars and heims ends and play with the rotation. I may have to call Jackson in to fine tune this crazy boat propeller apparatus!


Like a glove. AND...moving the seats inboard will allow me to do some roll cage runners down the sides, something the original cars did not have!

 

Man, these kit cars are tougher to put together than one would think. LOL

I see little difference between what you are doing and what they did to build the original car, well except AC built the platform. I like how you work through the issues that arise, one decision here has an effect (affect?) on something else. Your workmanship is first rate and I wish you continued success and hopefully enjoyment putting this together.

Well done.

 

I got home a bit early today. We finished up the out riggers in preparation to mount the body.


Also I took one of the roughed in engine mounts off and finished it. Pretty.



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Ready to weld it in place.

 

So, the front mounts are solid, what about the rear?

 

Trans has a factory Neoprene mount. I have a heavy piece of rubber from an implement belt that will go between the engine mount and the motor. They are made from stupid heavy duty stuff (I would call them barely rubber) and about 3/16" thick. I used them on the Austin as well.

 

I've used that cord reinforced rubber for a handful of applications, doesnt need to be torqued tight just loctite some studs in the block, snug up the sandwiched mount/ rubber pads to the engine block with Nyloc nuts.

 

Finished up the last of the suspension duties this morning. Made lower mount brackets for the rear shocks...

...and mounted them for real just before installing the body today.