Zorbas ghost dragster goes 145mph @ hamb drags

Finally after years of messin with this car. It finally went more than 500 ft down the strip. I am trying to replicate a 1964 dragster pass. And it has been harder for me than I would have ever thought. As it is a little touchy. And has made for some exciting first 300 feet or first 100 feet sometimes. But with that came some good photo ops. Ha,ha. see avitar

This year the excitement for me finally happend. And it was in the last 660 feet.
This car is a direct drive, hi gear only. Just a clutch. So to get this thing moving I have to rev the hell out of it, dump the clutch and spin the tires. So if it dont spin the tires it just goes up in a wheelie. No wheelie bar on this period car.

I need more seat time in the car. I know it has been 5 years. But it is a little hard for me to get to the track real often. And part of the seat time is learning to pedal it better. With it being direct drive. If I am out of the throttle just a little to long; the motor looses it momentium. Just think of your 4 speed hot rod going up a hill. You got good speed then you get someone going slow infront of you. You go to pass , well 4th gear dont work any more. You drop it in 3 to go around. And at the same time think of starting off at the stop light in 4th and get moving. Same thing. The reason my car is hi gear only. Is that is the way that they did it back in the 60s.

With this car being a hi gear only TIRE SMOKER with a dual disc locked up clutch. It will never ET. Because it is spinning the first half of the pass. This car has always had a problem, it would spin the tires for the first 300 feet about. Then pull for about 100 feet then quit running. Just falls on its face. Well finally got that fixed with some fuel tunning. I think I can get the et down a bit with a new set of tires as mine are 8 years old and pretty glazed over. After they quit smoking their still just like free spinning. I try to pedal it to try to get it to start hooking a little. Some times I jam on the hand brake to bring the motor down. Just alot of fine lines there to get right. To keep it from reving too high, or boggin the motor.

But this time, I finally removed my HAMB Drags curse. And made a damn pass. YEEEE HAAA!!!! You can almost walk past the car while it is smoking the tires. But damn it, after the 1/8th mile this bitch sets you in the seat and is gone. My goal is to go 160MPH in this car. And I know it is in it.

I just wanted to explain this to everyone. As I spend alot of time tellin people when they are lookin at the car and askin about it. So I thought I would explain it to everyone. Since it seems like there is alot of interest.

ANOTHER CURSE THIS CAR HAS, IS CAMERAS. WE MOUNT CAMERAS ON IT ALOT. AND THEY NEVER WORK. OR PEOPLE FILMING IT DONT GET THE ACTION. SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY VIDEO OF IT. OR GOOD PHOTOS PLEASE POST IT ON THIS THREAD. SO WE CAN USE IT AS A LEARNING TOOL.
Brian "cone killer" Fox

 

Told Ya,,, It was the most kickass pass . Finally full-on.

 

Always fun to watch you run it man.

 

Major props man. Lots of sorting out to get a tire burner safely down the track.

 

Hey "cone killer" I totally get what your trying to do.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh98/MalcolmIsNick/2011/HAMB Drags/IMG_3266.jpg

The wheels up and tire smoke take me back to Detroit Dragway in the
early 60's when I was not even 10 years old.

Thank you, Blind Elwood

 

Man that's awesome!!! I want to see some photos and vids too! Keep on it KC!

 

Brian did ya get that E-mail I sent of the Go-pro vid?? my youtube account no worky

 

Brian, you are one of a few that "get it". It was a pleasure talking REAL drag racing this weekend, and not your sticky as glue bracket studder box automatic tranny bullshit wheelie bar not traditional or anywhere close bullshit that the "nostalgia" movement has grown into these days.
There is a core group of guys that wished tracks were as bare as a parking lot and we could run smoking the tires and not care about our et, just our top speed. Where oil spray and taping a rag to the back of your glove to wipe your goggles was the norm. You are one of them as well as i am. Keep goin man, we will be right behind you.

High gear and non slipper clutches forever.

TH

 

Comin from someone who was 'there in the day', believe me Brian; We understand what you're doin! No need to explain to the guys who lived it.
Keep at it Sir. And Thanks for keepin the vibe alive.

 

Hey mate you have got the looking real good part right...

 

Sweet!!!

 

No Paul. I will look in junk mail. Wish it was on there for the good pass.

 

Just found it Paul. But no link. Your about as smart as I am on a computer. Ha,ha.

 

Bttt......& living the dream outta' a 2 car garage & a "bird house".

 

Ya done good son. Lippy

 

I loved seeing your rail man. It was incredible!!! This is the only video I caught though....

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sRXuZoCZWNo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Also there are some images of it on my HAMB Drags thread...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=619343

 

i love this car,its the real deal.i want one so bad,keep at it youll get it,looks killer too!

 

Man, we always have too much fun with Zorba's Ghost Brian! I love every bit of it. Even digging oil pan bolts out of the gravel!!!!

 

Beautiful digger !

 

Good job Brian. Hopefully you and I can pair off next year. In my head that's the game plan for the new car. Glad to see that you are finally able to make it work. Todd

 

That is absolutely awesome. Sure a bunch of HAMBers would kick in some cash for a new set of rear shoes. Super nice. motor sounds stout !

 

Damn! That's the best ever. I wish somebody had a video off the line. Can't wait to see more.

 

Cool JefferyJames!!!!!! Thanks alot. See that is what I was talkin bout learning from the video. Horriable pedal job. Damn near fell out of power band on the last pedal and it came back up this time. I cant wait to see how much mph it will get if I dont pedal it so much. All lack of seat time.

Damn , wish the cage mounted camera worked.

 

Thanks alot for your and your brother Leon's help on Saturday. I had a great time. You old flat landers shure know a thing or two about diggers. Ha,ha.

While Im saying thanks. I would like to say thanks to Biggen, Corey and JJ for always helping me at the track. Can always count on you guys to take good care of me. Also thanks to Jason who couldnt be there this year. But did buy me a drum of fuel instead. Great guys all these hoodlums are Im tellin ya.

 

really neat man , that's what was intended when the NDRA first got together. "All dragsters must smoke the tires the entire 1/4 mile" or something to that effect. Then things got serious, 'glide clutches vs the pedal. Yeah ET's dropped, speeds increased, shit broke and some got hurt. What I would give to watch Wap-Wap Gerry Steiner ,aka "Panzer Man" do his thing again. KISS the way it was. My 2 cents.

 

I would kill to see you and the Hiltons go at it with your Comp Coupes. And you and I with your new car. History right there folks.

See ChassisResearchKids new car here.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=580892

 

OH YES,,,,,,,, thats the nuts, more vids please!

 

WOW! Thanks Ryan for those kind words and for throwing a event I can play with it at. All of us "crazy bastards from St. Louis" would never miss a HAMB Drags fo sho.