Hot Rods I'M GOING TO BUILD AN ALTERED.

There was a bantam roadster body in the swap meet at the Gear Jams Drags last week at Atlanta Dragway. Might be there again at the regular November swap meet. Your project sounds like a fun car. I'd also suggest a power glide if you're starting from scratch, even though I like shifting twice.

 

I just got in from work and appreciate all the input , suggestions, and compliments. Looks like a few of you are doing about the same thing I am thinking about.

I know the glide would be much better, but I already have the B and M TH350 sitting and it is almost new. This is going to be low buck racing so I am going to have to cut some corners. Plus, I can always put a glide in it down the road if I decide to change it out.

Glenn, I like the Bantam sedan body too, but the reason I always build roadsters is because I am claustrophobic ! I like being out in the fresh air when going 300 mph ( well, it COULD happen ! )

I will be on the phone with the guys up above Tampa tomorrow and will see what they have. The Topo body looks cool too, and that is cut up so much it is almost like a roadster.

Don

 

I know you want to build, but...
http://www.racingjunk.com/Altered/182276797/1939-Bantam-altered-gasser-hot-rod-race-car.html
$4500 in Florida. I think the price is a bit high for this one, but it is close to you.

 

I actually saw that ad a week or so ago, but the problem is, there is very little there that I could use. It is not current in the roll cage and all, and for the $4500 I could pretty much build everything new and be further ahead. It would need cut up and revamped to get it to pass current NHRA, so it would just be easier to start with fresh steel.

But thanks for posting it anyway, it looks like a cool old drag altered. The guy had that ad on our local Craigslist for a while.

Don

 

My favorite.

 

I always liked that one too.

Don

 

Bantams are cool.

 

IIRC, the Bantam body is wider, but not as long, compared to a T bucket.

 

Don,, I will be watching this build,, I too have the urge to build another altered. I had a Bantam in '66 w/ an injected 401 nailhead. then in '69 I built a '23 T with a Chevy "6" (most fun). I better get at it to stay up with you. Earl.

 

TR who did you buy that from? Look at the roll bar notching and cut out and the wheel wells and then look below! Looks awful familiar!
don

 

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Go with 2" x 3" rectangular tubing. 2" wide tubing is the NHRA minimum spec for an altered chassis. Unless you never- ever think you may want to certify the chassis.

 

You just saved me a lot of trouble. I didn't realize that about the minimum, guess I needed to look at the rule book. Thanks for that info. I usually use 2 x 3 because it is prettier, but I figured 1.5 would be lighter. I will use 2 inch this time too.

I spoke to Richard at Suncoast today and am picking up my new Bantam roadster body on the 25th of this month. They are out right now but will make me one. This will move me ahead on my schedule a little as I will have the body a month earlier than I planned on, if I got it at Turkey Run.

In the next week I will go to the steel shop and pick up some 2 x 3 tubing and some 1 and 3/4 round tubing for the cage and have that waiting for the body to arrive. I may make the frame slightly wider than the usual 24 inches I do for the t bucket type frames so that I can have a little wider cage to sit inside. I can borrow my Sons Kirkey aluminum seat temporarily to get the layout. Right now I am figuring 26 inches wide, but won't know for sure till I do all of that.

Thanks guys for all the comments and help. I will be picking some of your brains as this goes along.

Don

 

Building the car to NHRA specs and having it certified might help out down the road if you decide to sell.

 

Yeah, my Son has a current rule book because both of my Sons are building Fox cars for the drags. I will have to sit down and read it before I make some mistake.

Don

 

Sounds like a cool build, I'm signed up to watch !

 

Run 2 x 3 x 11ga. not 1/4". Brand new pickup trucks are only about 11ga. If it's strong enough for new pickups, it's good enough for a race car.

 

My friend Ed built a replica of the one he built/raced back in the late sixties....

 

Waaahooooo !!!!

 

Give any thought about a round tube chassis.

 

Either way is cool with me, but I have a few pics I have saved of a round tube one.

 

Here is the build thread on Ed's car.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/aa-fa-bantam-roadster-build.432875/

 

Get the SFI specs. Build to that.
http://www.sfifoundation.com/drag-racing-chassis/

 

Don,
I build my "wide" cars at 23" inside the shoulder hoop so the 24" spacing for the main rails should work. It you did want to make the shoulder hoop wider you can simply lean the uprights out a little to meet. Remember, most peoples butts are narrower than their shoulders (I have seen some exceptions at Wal Mart) so you don't need it to be wide down low. Also, if you are going to use a mid plate to mount the motor most off the off the shelf ones are 24" wide so it would sit neatly on top of the main rails.

Roo

 

Lots of good information and inspiration, thanks, guys. The reason I am using rectangular tubing for the rails is that I want it to be simple and I also don't want to tie Dan (who will be doing my welding) up for too long. He only gets a couple of days a week to work on his own Mustang project and I will be asking him to take time from that to help me with this one. We can knock out the rectangular tube frame quickly, but to fit and weld tubes would take forever.

Rooman, thanks for the dimension info. I will be using the 18 inch Kirkey seat, probably, so it makes sense that the 24 inch inside measurement would work. All the mid plates I am seeing are around 29 inches wide, where do you get the narrower ones ? I planned to just cut some off the ends, but if there are narrower ones I won't have to.

I gave Richard my deposit today, so the body will be started. We are going to meet at the Bradenton Drags on 10/25 where we will pick it up. Can't wait to get it home so I can start mocking things up.

Don

One good thing is that my Son Dan has gotten a lot of practice with tigging cages lately. This one should be simple, compared to his own cage.

 

How was there price on the body compared too speedway.

 

It was maybe slightly more than Speedways. Speedway gets $695.00 and Suncoast gets $850.00, but I will have no shipping costs, and I understand from Speedway (I called for a quote) it is about $ 220.00, so that makes it slightly more from Speedway. But the deal breaker for me was the 6-10 week lead time to get one. I can have this one in 3 weeks and just go to pick it up. I will also have to pay Florida sales tax that is about $60, but that is normal. I wouldn't have that from Speedway, though.

I've bought two Speedway bodies so far and both have been fine (my current 27 and my former 23). Richard tells me the mold for this traditional Bantam is relatively new, so the body should require very little to get it ready for paint. That part will be easy, and I will paint it on the driveway in front of my shop.

Don

 

Will be watching this build! Go Don! For what your doing,the th 350 should live for a while if properlly built.
Make it yours,and have a blast! Oh ya- sorry about the olds! ;-( that had to suck!

 

That's not so bad and close also.
Just put the harden intermediate overrun outer race in that TH-350 and you will be good.

 

Here is the B and M trans I have:

http://www.bmracing.com/products/11...on-gm-th-350-chevrolet/?mk=&yr=&md=&smd=&eng=

It should hold up in a light car with moderate HP pretty well, and it seems to have some of the parts you guys mentioned. I also have a brand new TH 350 from Jackson Racing Transmissions, but that one is going in my rpu project behind the Olds.

Don