Old 28, I'm going to make hair pins figuring they will weigh less. Will be bringing the dragster into the front garage soon as the rodding/racing season is rapidly giving way to a cold, windy Fall season. Although next week is supposed to be nice. Started assembing the new engine yesterday and finally, the crankshaft fits properly. By now, you must have a lot of that welding done.
bobw-- If I had not found the nice set of hairpins I would have loved putting on a set of split bones with a bunch of holes in them. I like that old school hot rod look. I am sure the hairpins are half the weight of a set bones even with the holes. With this De-fibulator in my chest I have to stay away from mags, electric welder generators as much as I can, so I have a good race friend of many years that comes by and finish welds the stuff I tack up. He has a nice portable Miller unit on his truck that he can do both Mig & Tig welding. We should have most of it done Mon or Tue. We have the last ANRA race of the season next weekend, but it looks like the HA/GR will be at Eagle Field as both races are on the same weekend this year. Good luck with your motor build and stay worm this winter, here it is Oct-1 and today was the first time in 3 months that it has been below 90 deg in the valley (86deg today) and I hope we are done with summer for this year. Took the RPU for a cruise today and it likes the cooler weather also.
Well I got the welding done on the front end and 90% on the steering on Monday, Sprayed the front end parts and front 1/3 of the frame with Lowe's best rattle can dark bronze, packed the front wheel bearings, need to complete steering shaft support, make the aluminum pitman arm and weld up a steering drag link, pickup the rear tires and we will have a complete roller. Ya it is not a lot of production for a real fabricator, but for this old timer a little each day keeps the build on schedule. I like the drilled axle more each time I look at it, brings out the "old school hot rodder" in me.
Dick (old6rodder) and Tom (64 DODGE 440) Thanks for the good word on the build. Have a great time at Eagle Field this Saturday and be safe. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sure it will be a little brighter when it is a roller.
Hey Tom, I just stumbled across this thread last night and finished it this morning. I had no idea you'd be building something like this, but I kind of figured you couldn't stray too far from racing. Hahaa. It looks great. I was just telling my wife the other night that I should build a little dragster with the extra parts I have accumulated with for my crazy piece-by-piece project. That way we'd actually be able to race something---especially her. She wants to drive something that would actually have a chance at winning a race against something since all she's ever really driven are four cylinder cars. The truck looks really nice in the pictures. Too bad you're selling it. Maybe I could stop by soon to see all you've done since I was last over. And BobW, that was a great thread about the 25 Dodge coupe build over on the other site. I bought one myself when an acquaintance got into a bind and needed a little cash. I ended up with the body, a 9" and a ford 3 speed tranny in the deal. Too bad I don't have a Dodge frame though.
Dave -- Your right about me and racing and this is going to be a fun ride when it is done. This would be a great car for your wife to start in. They run in the area of 11.50 - 15.00 sec ET. I dropped you a PM with my cell # stop by and check it out. The RPU was all about the build and now that it a runner I will be moving on to something else. Its a cool ride.
Well I got to work on the pitman arm today and have it mounted. The front steering arm on the spindle measures 6 1/2" from the mount to the center of the steering drag link hole, so in the pitman arm I drilled 3 holes that are 5 1/2" / 6 1/2" / 7 1/2" down from the shaft center line. I think I will be able to set the steering at the middle hole for a "neutral" setting and can move it up or down to slow or speed it up. Lot of hand work, filing and sanding. Don't need a stink-en mill, OK I wish I could afford one. In testing it I still think I need to install a shaft support at the frame for the steering tube that comes from the box. I have more play in this area than I like. I think a Teflon block will work fine, so I will work on that later this week. Next on the list is the steering drag link and with that we should have a steerable car. Got to make a trip to Dick (ThingyM) shop tomorrow to scrounge some more parts & pieces he is offering me,I "never" say no to parts.
It's looking really good Tom. You are a good "hand miller". I got a pair of close up specs just like the ones in your first pic. Would be lost without 'em.
bobw -- Ya, I need them most all the time for close up work and I lose them now and then, so I buy 3 or 4 at a time at the local drug store. Picked up a chevy 230 long block from Dick (ThingyM) today and want it because it has same crank as a 194 @ 3.25" and the block is the same bore as the 250 @ 3.85". I am still working on a finial motor built and I would like to have some spare blocks and cranks. I think I have ruled out a 292 build because of the RPM safe limits. I now have two 194 62cc heads. I still would like to build a 250 bored .125 to 4" (pour fill the block if I need to), run 327 sbc pistons. I think this motor can run 6500-7000 RPM with some good reconditioned rods (ARP bolts/shotpin/resize big end) and not have to go to a set of Crower ($650). Theirs a lot to be said for "hand milling", a lot slower, but very rewarding in the long run and I have lots of time.
Bobw -- Ya I hope it will be a solid healthy motor ether way I go. The head will be the same, 194 Sm cc with sbc 194/160 valves. If I go with the 230 motor I can use Chevy 307 FT pistons, it is a little more work and cost to bore the 250 block to 4" so I can run Chevy 327 FT pistons. You know use racers, "there's no substitution for Cu In". I still have some time to figure it out. Another point to remember is that I want to be able to drive the car up to the lanes, run it, then drive it back to the pits. If I pore fill the 250 block I may not be able to do that. I picked up an aluminum radiator from Dick (ThingyM) and will run it, and use an electric fan if I need to. This week it's all about selling some stuff at the California Hot Rod Reunion, got a swap meet space, setup on thur, they qualify & race F/S/S. Hope I make a few bucks to put back in the car.
64 DODGE 440 -- "Ban Saw" is considered pretty high tec machine shop in my tool collection but I do wish I had one. No room in my garage shop for one anyway. Hand tools rule
Before I got the band saw, (for free as it had a broken part I had to repair) I made lots of stuff with a hack saw and a thirty plus year old 2 speed Black and Decker saber saw that I bought for $16.00. Still have it and it still works.
Well guys & gals I have been away from my thread for couple of weeks and sold my 29 RPU at the CHRR (CA Hot Rod Reunion) at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield last weekend. I can use some of the funds to work on the SDRA dragster. It was a great swap meet with about anything you could want for old hot rods and race cars. A lot of fun if you like a really "BIG" crowd. It has to be NHRA's biggest fund raiser of the year with what they charge. I did get a little more done on the steering arm pitman brace and got the drag link built and installed. I welded up a bracket that is welded to the frame and took a piece of Teflon stock, bored it to 1", cut it in half, and banded it with a water hose clamp. It took all the play out of the arm and the shaft turns nice in the Teflon. Got the drag like shaft welded up and installed and we now have a steerable front end. Next comes a rear end gear change and new brakes for the Mustang rear end.
Hoping to get out there for the March Meet or the Reunion some year soon, before I get too old. Work is progressing nicely on your rig. I'm liking everything you are doing.
bobw -- Well if you want to see full time every day nostalgia drag racing the March Meet is the best show around. The CHRR is more about the "Party" and show and tell. Lots of dead time on the track. If you ever make it out this way we have a room open any time. Thanks for the nice words, it means a lot coming from a true craftman like yourself. Gears should be here on Wed and I can start putting rear end back togeather, out with the 2.70 road gears and in with 3.90 race gears. I picked up a new set of Cooper 235/75-R15 Radials that are right at 6" tread and 28 1/2" tall, they meet the SDRA Rules, I do wish they were 29" tall but I think they will work fine. They will be mounted on a set of Ford 6" wide x 15" factory steel rims. The guys in Tulsa area use Hancock tires but the size is a little hard to find out this way for a reasonable price. Maybe I will finally be able to get a picture to (old6rodder) for the HA/GR - SDRA thread in a week or so, I wanted it to be a full roller first.
Just to set the records straight, The Coker tire is what most of the Tulsa Guys use. It is the one that the Hamb started with and we will most likely vote on as the Spec. tire at our next meeting. They are hard and one team (Bob Hindman) has run his for five years (approx. 500 passes), and they still show very little wear. CrkInsp Jr. Clark
CrkInsp -- I was just going by what information (Mudflap) had passed on my way. Are you saying that all the SDRA cars racing at Tulsa will be using the L78-15 Bias ply tire next year? So what is with your Radial tire rule? As there is no other SDRA car racing on the West Coast for now I will run the Coopers I have and see what you guys sort out. What's the problem with the Radial Tire, hooking to good and ET pushing the track limit for these cars? Are you guys trying to see how few tires you have to buy over a 5 year period or are you wanting to get the best tire for the class? If I have to buy a set of tires every few years so be it. Still a lot cheaper than a new set of Goodyear for an altered roadster.
Old28 There was a car that used a pair of drag radials this year. Yes they worked great, but they were pushing the rules a little. A couple of different radials have been tried. Most of them (radials) have a more aggressive thread, less rubber on the ground, along with a slightly softer compound. Radials do have a better side wall (softer) than the bias ply tire. If a slick with a 6 in. thread that was just softer than concrete was out there I think that would make a good tire for the period look. That would also make alot of smoke and equalize the big engine and small engine controversy. Just my thoughts. We already have a couple of cars that are bumping the self imposed index, so a better tire isn't something that is needed. Plus these cars are on the bias Cokers. CrkInsp Jr. Clark
CrkInsp -- The Cooper 235/75-R15 are a street tire and not drag radials. As I read your current rules they are fine. I have no interest in drag radials or slicks for this car and as I said before the Coopers are 6" tread wide mounted on 6" wide rims. My question would be why not leave the tire rule at L78-15 Bias or 6" wide "street" tire as it is now? Put in an addition that "NO DRAG RADIALS" or "CHEATER SLICKS" can be run.
That rule is and has been part of the SDRA rules, No drag radials or Cheater slicks allowed. 4 years ago when I was putting my car together I was going to run M and H DOT tires which are bias ply but soft rubber and little tread primarily for drag racing. I was ttold that for drag racing tires were not allowed. The reason that radials were allowed is that some felt they were a safer tire than a bias ply. I think your tires reflects the rules as they are now written. The one cvar that ran the drag radial is capiable of 142.5 mph so what he was doing is pulling out ahead of you and then easing off the run and run beside you until the end. When he was made to run bias ply tires and run against me I squirted out ahead because he ran the engine up against the convertor and went up in a ball of amoke and I beat him with a 11.40 against 11.78 but my speed was 116 against his 133. The bias ply or street radial is the great equalizer.
Old Jimmy Six -- That sounds great. That is one quick car you run. As I read the rules I thought that you could run eather L-78 Bias 6" wide or a street radial 6" wide. We may have two other car out this way run as SDRA cars and they are going to run the same street radial type tire I am next season. Both cars are old school roadsters with rectangler tube bottom rails. Hope we have 3 SDRA type cars to go with the 5 or 6 HA/GR cars at our ANRA Opener in 2012. Great group of HAMBster style race cars. Yea those 6" tread tire are a good equalizer. What size Jimmy are you running? Est HP? Are you guys running on a self imposed 11.25 limit?
mudflap261 -- Thanks for the clarification, 11.35 is cooking. What is the resoning for it not being 11.25 or 11.00? Is it the NHRA 135mph rule for additional safety equipment? If I was to ever run an 11.35 with the motor I am going to build it would be a day of celebration & a big pit party. You guys have a few years under your belts and your times show it. I am only a "newbie" to this 6" tire game, but I know it will be fun.
11.35 was set last year because no one was going faster than 11.41. This year my car went 11.29 and I don't know why other than the air was good and the jetting was good at that point. As it cooled off that night I dropped back to 11.40s, probably if I had put 62s in for jets it would have picked up but I didn't. The GMC is 320 cu. in. with Hudson rods and I would say it puts out about 340 hp.
I will try. we had 2 cars that ran 11:50s consistently and if condtions where right could run 11:40s every body else was high 11s to 13s . if we set it at 11:50 they would be breaking out ,if we went to 11 even we felt new guys would think they were going to have to spend to much to keep up. Then we have our Big Dog/Porch Dog elimination thats where everybody runs every round, winners run winners ,losers run losers . At this time us senile old men have lastplace sewed up .at thime there 3 new cars built. it remains to seen when they will be finished.i hope ianswerd your question
Old Jimmy Six - Thanks for the numbers and that is one well built and tuned 320" motor, 340 HP is a ton. You must have a well proven 60' system, all of witch I hope to learn in time. I am only looking to build a Chevy 266" 4" bore motor and will be happy if it put out 270-275 HP. Only time will tell. mudflap261 - I do agree with what you are saying about an 11.00 limit and the money that will be needed to run there consistently. Anything to help the guys just starting out is a good deal. It is nice that you guys have a race system for these cars and it looks like it works for your races. We are still in the growing stages and just try to pair up with other HAMBster's (HA/GR with HA/GR and this year SDRA with SDRA) during Saturdays qualifying in our OPEN WHEEL CLASS and then on Sunday for elimination you are bracketed with another Open Wheel Car based on Saturdays best reaction time. It is a bracket race (dial your ET) and you might have a HAMBster style car racing an injected SBC front motor dragster. It's a fun group and good racing. The bottom line is we are making passes.
The Jalopy Journal
