Event Coverage What are YOU doing to get ready for the 2015 Meltdown Drags?

my dad picked one up from the swap meet section last year for 85 bucks.... no linkage or anything. but that stuff is easy to make.

 

This was the "B" car which HAD to weight 3600 #'s. This car had a thick steel piece of diamond plate for a trunk floor, and I was told so much lead in the rear frame rails rear bumper etc., that when the engine was pulled for service, they had to anchor the front axle to keep the car from see sawing onto the back bumper.

 

Quick question, I'm getting ready to do a fuel pump check. RIC was saying 2.17 gal of fuel in 1 min... I should check it by running gas line after fuel regulator to gas can or disconnect line by frame before regulator & run line to gas can??? I'm thinking I want to do it after regulator but want to be sure... Thanks Jim...


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Jim, Definitely check it AFTER the regulator. That way the pump volume is tested with the pump pumping against the regulator pressure. Additionally, it checks how much flows THROUGH the regulator (some Holley regulators are quite restrictive). Feel free to call me if you have any questions, I have lots of Holley parts & experience.

 

AJ, thanks for the info! Yeah if I have any trouble or questions I'll give YA a call! Thanks again Jim...


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AJ rules.Just sayin.

Scott


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Check it with & without, then you'll know how much GPH the regulator is killing

 

If the flow turns out to be on the low side, then certainly check it with a different type of regulator. Keep in mind that the flow rate these pumps push is affected by the pressure they pump against.

 

Well I tested it twice before regulator & after... Before regulator it came out almost perfect at RIC's 2.17 Gallon number... After regulator was just shy of 1.75 Gal both times... So I'm guessing try another regulator? It states in Jegs paperwork they don't recommend using that regulator for 2 carbs... So I'm guessing the regulator is my problem... Jim


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1.75 GPM = 105 GPH

I have gone low 12's with a 110 GPH pump and it always maintained good fuel pressure at the big end of the track. I think there is a different problem in your fuel system. I'll call you tonight to discuss your system in detail.

 

I've run a 9 with a holley blue pump and single regulator, feeding two carbs. Surprising how much fuel they can move.

 

Fuel pump is a Jegs 15915 rated at 130gph free flow & reg is 15912 Jegs... Jim...


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The regulator is gonna restrict some flow, the 130GPH rating of the pump is "free flow", so looks like its ok. A better regulator may be less restrictive, but 105gph after the regulator, is probably enough to feed your little engine. You need the regulator to keep the line pressure at 4-5 psi for the small side hung floats in you 4160 carbs. They don't have the surface area/leverage, of the 4150 style center hung floats, and can't handle 6-10psi that is common to 130gph Holley type pumps. I would agree with 30dodgeboy, that you have adequate fuel to the carbs for what you are currently doing. Make sure you adjust the floats properly, and if there is adequate fuel volume, any jetting changes made, should make a difference, good, or bad in performance.

 

I had the hidden tech stuff on my last car this time it's all 1960's old school.

Mid sixties engine, dual points, dual quad, carbs, mags... the only things new will be the speedo and tires!

 

After looking at pics of RIC's car, Yesterday's Child in an online Hot Rod article from 2012. I made my own shock brackets to push shock up & better shock travel. Seems to of done the trick!!! Jim...


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The countdown for the 2015 Meltdown Drags has officially started.

One major change is where you will send you email. It will need to be sent here:

preregister@meltdowndrags.com



The 2014 Meltdown Drags was a huge success thanks to people like you. If you will be returning or thinking about making your first appearance, this is the event “where the guys go that get it”! You will not find a better vintage drag racing event in the country…come be part of history in Byron, IL from Friday, July 17th through Sunday, July 19th.

Before we share details on the registration process, we wanted to re-emphasize the guiding principles of this event:

The purpose of the Meltdown Drags is to recreate what drag racing was like in the 60’s
The event is not about who is the fastest, but a place where like minded people can come to match race and have fun
All vehicles must be 1966 or earlier (with the exception of 1967 vehicles in which the body style did not change such as Novas, Fairlanes, Mopars, etc.)
All vehicles must have period correct looking exteriors including wheels, scoops, etc.
In regards to pre-registering, here are the details:

At 12:00 am CST on January 2, 2015 we will begin to accept pre-registrations for the 2015 Meltdown Drags. We will NOT accept any registrations prior to this date.

This year we will have a registration cut off and car count. The final day to register will be when June 2, 2015 or sooner if we reach a maximum car count.

Pre-registering does not cost you anything, it just allows us to plan the best event possible.

To pre-register, please send an e-mail to preregister@meltdowndrags.com with the following information:

Name
Address (street, city, state, zip)
Phone Number
Year/Make/Model
Picture of the vehicle you are bringing (with the correct wheels on it)
Car group or organization you are a part of
Mode of transportation to the track (driving the car in, truck and open trailer, camper and open trailer, enclosed trailer, etc.)
Length of the rig you are bringing

We will provide regular updates during the year via our website, www.meltdowndrags.com, the HAMB message board at www.jalopyjournal.com, and via our Facebook page. Please follow us to stay up to date.

Enjoy the New Year and we look forward to seeing you at the 2015 Meltdown Drags!

 

Make youself some adjustable front end travel limiters while your at it. Restricting front end lift on a good hooking track can pick up the 60' time/ET a lot. Years ago, my roommate and I spent a day @ LACR doing 60' testing on our '72 Chevelle wagon, and picked up a whopping 12 hundreths (THATS A TENTH & 2 HUNDRETHS!) just by limiting the front end travel. It didn't look, or feel as cool leaving the starting line, but that much gain you can't ignore. If you look at this shot at the Meltdowns last year, the front end is completely extended, and the spring shackles are parallel to the front axle. If we'd had more time, (or even known what was going on at the time) I'd have rigged up some limiters. Got them made now. We ran low 1.4 60' times like that, and I'm very confident, with the 4.88's installed, the limiters dialed in, and a little more shock/wheelie bar tuning, touch more air in the slicks, and a little less base pressure, we will be well into the 1.3 60' times. Plus, the front wheels will be higher in the air. PS. Kip had asked about tires on this thread, or the Border Bandit Builds thread. I noted that we had run 16 psi @ The Meltdowns, and someone said the Hoosier rep said 11 psi was the hot ticket. Look at the rear tires in this pic, and tell me you would take 5 psi, out of them. On the contrary, we could have added 2-4 psi in my humble opinion. We do have tubes in ours, where many run without, maybe that's the difference. Like anything else on a race car, read the tires, and they'll tell ya what they need

 

One last note on the front end limiters. Quain, and most his guys use chain, or a cable lanyard for their limiters. This is fine, and maybe a little more era correct, but their cars (except Donovans Anglia) are parallel leaf setups. On our car there was no "clean" place to do the chain/lanyard deal, without chance of them catching/hanging up on something. So after looking at it awhile, these adjustable aluminum plates are what Marc & I came up with. In the pic, the plates are in the 3'' travel location ( without anything, we have 4'' of travel).

 

speaking of reading tires....looks like I might want to play with mine a little. 18 psi, a dozen or so runs on them. 3.70 gears, 3000 stall, it's pulled the front wheels just off the track a couple times. 9 x 15 M&H "vintage" tires, 7" wide tread.

 

Squirrel, You can see that you got alot more heat and some graining on the outside of the tread lines than there is in the middle of the tire. If that is at 18lbs, I'd drop it to 14 or 15lbs and do a short dry hop on a clean, light colored surface and adjust up/down from there. Even if the skidmark shows contact all across the width, a needed pressure change will show up as uneven coloring on the pavement. Love your car! -rick

 

I am staged and against the limiter waiting on the tree to countdown and ready for launch.

 

Saving to hopefully make it back...recovery from a motorcycle accident.... Hoping to not have an X275 race to crew at that weekend... and lastly the possible install of an 8-71 on the BBC

 

Ugh....Hope you're feeling better soon Man.Nothing like an unplanned get-off to wreck your day riding.

On a lighter note: Was the coupe not mean enough with "Just" a BBC in it....?A big ol aluminum lung on top oughtta take care of any flat spots in the power curve for you!

Seriously,hope your healed up quick,and hope to see you at the Meltdown

Scott


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Ric,I'm really liking the simplicity of that limiter you guys brewed up for the Child....Adjustable for tuning to track conditions,but not over complicated.

Guess all that sun hasn't baked your brains yet,huh?Just another one of the hazards you California guys are cursed with....Along with no rust to force you to hone your bodywork skills,no double digit sub zero winters to limit garage time from cutting into time spent watching dancing with the stars,no snow to allow you to perfect your "donut" and "Rockford" skills in an empty parking lot someplace.

Scott


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Had a guy ask a question if he can still register a vehicle for the Meltdown, but is still in middle of build... He was worried about a pic to send? Doesn't have wheels/rims yet... I thought he should still register to get his name in the hat??? Jim...


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The Meltdown Drags has grown to the point that we are no longer accepting pre-registrations of projects.

It wouldn't be right to turn cars away because we reserved spots for projects that might not be done in time. We are racers and we understand that racecars are never "finished". We do know of several projects that were completed just in time to race at past Meltdown Drags events. However most projects preregistered in the past did not show.

Additionally, the pre-registration process requires submitting pictures of the car exactly as it will be racing.

Jim - just tell him to get back out there wrenchin on it (before winter really arrives), and then get himself pregistered. Thanks.

 

AJ, thanks for the clarification! I'll let him no! Jim...


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This may not be period correct but I am hopping to have 500cid ready for the Meltdown!

 

RIC, Thanks for all the info! Before I made lower bracket, my shock at full extension was the limiter, (1" of travel) with the lower bracket now I've got about 3.5" of travel. But I think I can figure something out with a chain or cable lanyard... But I do like that limiter bracket you made! Jim...


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