Why I run an HA/GR

Some of you know that I work parttime for Gary Sellin who builds injectors and dynos engines. He machines things for me and welds things so I don't build a death trap. He dynoed a Big Block Chev. engine 2 days ago. Now there was nothing made by GM on the engine, you know aluminum block, heads, custom dry sump, sheetmetal intake. This engine was 655 cubes, Jessel shaft rocker arms the works. He had more money in the sheetmetal intake than I have in my whole engine. The cam is 1100 lift with 430 lbs seat pressure and over 800 lbs open pressure. Anyway when the valves were being set one of the rocker stands wouldn't hold torque, took it apart and the ARP bolt was to short. Went to the hardware store and bought grade 8 bolts and helicoiled the hole. The engine has two Holleys and runs on race gas. First pull it made 1223 hp. Second pull after changing jets it made 1247 hp at 6400 rpm. Third pull it made 1258hp and at 7000 rpm it blew gas out of the carbs. After shut down it seems one of the grade 8 bolts seperated at the head on an exhaust valve which loaded the cylinder which ruined a piston and so he was done for the day. He said he would be back in 2 weeks. I asked how much it would cost to fix and he said the engine would be torn down completely and cleaned and about $3000 dollars should fix it. He said he had $26,000 in the engine so that wasn't much. I came home and run my hand lovingly over OLD # 6. Roy

 

Roy,

Much like you I work (?) at K&M Machine Shop here in Raytown and dyno and tune all the engines they build, and some built by other shops. It shocks me what some people spend on engines. $20,000-$30,000 isn't unusual.

I talked to my partners on our HA/GR car and said the engine can't be abused just to complete a run. That's why the redline is 5500 rpm. If there's any question.....shut it down. I have a lot of time in this engine and can't (read that as WON'T) build another one.

I agree...pat your engine on it's head and treat it nice.

See you at KCIR.

Ron

 

I have to chime in on this topic ! Why I run an HA/GR car is truly because it is a " blast from the past ,I didn't get to be a part of " My family has been drag racing since I was born ! I took one look at Jim Linders HA/GR car ,and said I have to build one !!!! That was when I was finishing up our Land speed car !!! I'm only 37 , so I now get to live the thrill of being a part of something that my pops and grand pops did back in the day !!!!! For me it really is "NOSTALGIA"

 

For me it's quite simple. I ran a stocker back in "the day" as it's been called. It was fun, and locally in our lowly class it was all about what you could do with the stuff you had rather than how much you had to spend. When we tweaked the rules (OK, downright twisted'em at times ) we did it with creativity, not money, but mostly we just had fun both wrenching'em and running'em.
Hell, I still fondly recall a tall Coors can my buddy'd utilized as a carb stack. It netted good extra tach by keeping the standing wave from #s 3&4 cyls in the system rather than fogging gas out the mouth of the carb (an inherent problem with stock 235 manifolds). Don't know what the Coors'd cost (hadn't thought to ask and I didn't drink then either) but it took me about half a second to decide to copy the idea and less than a minute to snag another empty from him.

As drag racing "grew" it got more and more and more "bucks up" 'til eventually the stockers weren't even run at advertised meets, we WERE graciously allowed to buy a ticket to watch, and they THOUGHTFULY didn't charge us any more than the general public.
When they were run again they'd become as bucks-up as the rest of it. We'd lost our sport.
I dropped out and took up puttin', I really like the mountains and the coast roads.

One day HA/GR came to my attention. Well, you know the idea ......... garage builds, home hammered equipment, the driver actually facilitates the race rather than just riding along to monitor the electronics, in short the same points I'd enjoyed originally. I was hooked.

I just rather wish I'd had something personally to do with the origination of it, (that'd have been really cool), but my deep thanks to you who did.

 

Well.......I guess it applies to why I'm building one as well.

I was Old6rodder's buddy with the beer can, running a gutted '50 Chevy coupe after a couple of other guys and I got started with a '53 Ford gasser that used the same technology of weight removal, although it had a pretty seriously built flathead. The name of the game has always been pounds per horsepower and we learned early that weight removed translated to lower ETs and more miles per hour through the lights.

I basically ran most everything I drove on the street back in the '60s and early '70s and then dropped out as the sport turned into cubic dollars and sponsorships.

Old6 brought the class to my attention and when he started building the Barn Job and I casually mentioned that I thought it would be a fun build, but I thought I would use a Mopar flathead if I was to build a car as I had previous experience with the motor in a Military Dodge M37B1 restoration I had done in the late '90s and liked the older stuff.

Big mistake, as a few months later he called and said he had a core engine for me....... and so the journey began.

Drawing from my roots and in an effort to equalize the meager output expected from our '34 Dodge 218 flattie, we are putting every effort into making the car as light as possible, and keeping with the spirit of the bug, using as many serious vintage parts and pieces as possible. Our goal is to be the fastest and quickest collection of old parts out there.

This car will be my first "purpose built" drag car since 1962 when I got started and hooked on drag racing with the '53 Ford gasser.

There's a line in song on a Chris Le Doux CD that sums it all up......."I'd gladly take ten seconds in the saddle, for a lifetime a watchin' from the stands."

The dream lives for those who are willing to take the step and begin the journey. It's gonna be a great ride!!

 

I wish I had found the forum earlier.
I built a nostalgia dragster but wasnt aware of the HAGR til I was about 1/2 done. Not that i dont love my SR/D rail but just that i wasnt aware of the movement and would have been perfectly happy to build one (although I would have to be soaked in battery acid for awhile to make me want to install a clutch, flywheel and standard but that is ok.) I applaud the movement and have only repsect for some of the fine designs I have seen. There is a nostalgia day coming up Oct 11 at Shannonville Motorsprts Park. (test and tune the friday night before) I plan to be there among the Fiats , old coupes, short wheelbase altereds, Feds and Willys . It would be wonderful to see a couple of HAGR s there as well.
Don