first Bonneville car

I've gathered enough parts and funds. It's time to start building a car to take the flats. I'm starting with a very nice '31 A sedan, a new scratch built deuce frame, and an early hemi. I've talked to a local who's gone several times (primered '34 coupe with a BIG hemi) and I'm trying to gather all the advice I can. If any of you salty-dogs (punn intended) have some advice for a newby, I would love to hear it!

 

Get a current rule book and read it very very carefully. Read it cover to cover atleast 4 times. You dont want to build the thing and not be able to race it because you missed some little detail.

 

You may want to narrow done what class you plan to run and then visit a couple of speed trials and look the cars over that run your class. Even after reading the rule book 4 times. I think in the end you may save your self alot of time, money and frustration of changing things after you see what really falls in line with the rules.
I think they call it R & D (rob and duplicate)

That is what i have found works pretty good in other forms of racing.
thats what i planned to do anyway

 

Even though you read the rule book from front to back, you should try and get an scta inspector to look it over before you go to far. We didn't do this and found a problem after getting to Bonneville. It wasn't spelled out in the rules but they still called us down on inspection. We were able to get by it this time, but when we run again it must be corrected.--TV

 

If you're located close enough, El Mirage is this Sunday. I hope to learn a little.

Thanks,
Kurt

 

I don't know how fast you plan to go,but it's always good to overdo the safety with the SCTA,build the car for the fastest speed in that class or classes and when it comes to tech inspection there shouldn't be any issues.
Make sure your car is definately in a specific class and meets the requirements for that body class (listed in the rulebook) ,otherwise your car will run for time only.
Pay close attention to the chopping and channeling rules for each specific class.
Read the rulebook ,then re-read it over and over till you know exactly what it means,buy four copies ,1 for the shitter ,one for the living room,one for your place of work and a sacrafice copy for the workshop for when the hands are all greasy.