New Project!! Pocket Rocket Funny Car

This turned up in my area last week, with the help of Mat that is on the board (has a build thread going on his wicked 34 Truck) was able to bring it home today.

It is the same body from Larry Nagel's Pocket Rocket Hydrogen Peroxide car that was popular back in the early 80's. The car went a best of 6.90 @ 199 MPH according to draglist.

I plan on restoring the body to how it was in it's glory days, building a new chassis with a T58 jet, as long as I can get it to fit.

I will keep this thread updated but I can see this as a couple year project?? (I usually run ahead of schedule on projects)

Below are some pics of my daughter sitting in it, she spent the whole afternoon sitting in it so I got out my Pro Tree and let her play









Wish me luck and if you have any info or pics on this car please share!!

 

Coolness!

 

It's a very cool piece or drag racing history and I know John will do this car justice. I'm glad I could help you get your hands on it.

I can't believe someone went 200 MPH in this thing!! It's so hard to realize how tiny this thing is until you see it in person.

I'll be watching this one!!

 

Way cool - never heard of it!

 

First and best junior dragster ever

 

I think Fred Goeske may have built that, or had a hand in it. I was at his shop last week. You should call him. He owns and runs : http://www.wheeladapter.com/
And that thing is AWESOME by the way...

 

Thanks guys, and Thanks Mat.

I beleive Fred was responsible for setting up the Hydrogen Peroxide system. I beleive either Sokora or The Race Car Factory did the chassis.

I have a call into Larry Nagel who owned/ did the car. He runs a shop in Florida now building some pretty wild Choppers with Radial engines & stuff.

 

If this is way to far O/T let me know and I will put this build thread somewere else, Hey it's not a 1955 Chevy Gasser

Anyhow, I have had it a few months now and it has taken me that long to figure out how to do it (motor, chassis ect..)

I started the front of the chassis tonight and made my first order for front rims & tires and the steering componets.

It will be running a Supercharged Williams WR17 Turbine motor, it spins about 63,000 RPM, and of course will have an afterburner to shoot flames & stuff. It should produce about 500 pounds of thrust.

I know there is no track in the world that would let this thing run, So I'm not putting $100,000 into it (which is about what it would take). I'm gonna do it all my self and have fun when it's done...

 

Good luck, and have fun!

 

I have been working on it pretty good the last few weeks. I did find the guy who painted the car in 1979 and said he would love to paint it again.

 

Very cool!!!!

 

That looks like big time fun! Great project.

 

That looks like a fun ride! I'm looking toward to how this is going to turn out.


iPhone - TJJ App

 

Awesome car! I remember seeing that magazine story, years ago. New chassis looks good. For what it's worth, I love the body as is and don't know if the car would be as cool (to me) with fresh paint. I understand the value of having the original painter re-do it though.

There are still a few outlaw tracks that might sneak you in for a run or two. With an older body (or none?) maybe you could run it at the HAMB Drags...

 

Way Cool!!!

That mockup looks great!

 

Thanks guys! It was in the March 1982 Super Stock & Illustrated, says they were planning on making a run driving it under the semi trailer from Smokey & the Bandit. I need to confirm that with Larry Nagel if it happened.

This has been alot of fun and my fabricating skills are getting much better.

I live within an hour of an Outlaw track and when it is done I'm gonna try. If not I have some good ares to play on.

HAMB drags? Sign me up!

 

I had been caught up on another project but I'm back working on the "Pocket Rocket", thought I would update some pics, hopefully some motor shots soon.

 

so cool!
Thanks for the update and Keep them coming. I can't wait to see the engine.

 

Subscribed , cool build.

 

Subscribed!
Looks like something we tried years ago.

 

Looks neat. Can you put some kind of slider on the steering column/shaft? (So it can't become a spear...)

 

Please describe the front suspension in very great detail; What kind of spindles etc.? Everything.

Also what scale is the body?

 

The body is 5/8 scale. I made the axle which is solid mounted, spindles & steering stuff is Jr. Dragster.

About the steering column, Not so worried about it, if I did have a frontal impact it will get pushed up away from me.

I got the car rolling this weekend, I made the spindles for the rear tires (since it will be thrust power no need for a driveline). Also did the rear brakes using a 4 wheeler disc brake kit. I don't claim to be a master fabricator but I'm having a ton of fun and learning.

All I need to do is hook up the brake lines and I can coast down the hill in front of my house.

 

I think I got the body sitting on there just right, the front will come up about1/2' once the latch is done:

Now & 1980:

 

That is bad ass.....You should have someone pull a mold off that body....I would buy one for sure....

 

I had a friend in jersey that had a cool peroxide powered go kart.. personally this thing would be the ultimate downhill car..

for this..

http://downhillmisfits.com/id12.html

 

Subscribed !!!!!!

 

now thats some cool stuff

 

Very cool !
If you need a hand playing with that , be sure to let me know