Projects Building an early offset sprint roadster. 8-8-24

I eliminated the under loops by designing the lower rail to run 2-3" off the track. I eliminated the bend in the top rail going down in front of the engine. Instead of this upper rail butting into the torsion bar tubes it passes over them. Good place to install the bumper. Different than my drawing I used the Edmunds type truss. I eliminated the bend at the rear of the lower rail by making that section removable. I like the #5 paint job. I like the Hyder Hawk generation one tail. I like the Greg Weld early 60's sprint car.

 

Awesome work as usual Dennis.

 

Forgot to mention that's an X-Shift 3 speed transmission. Will have a hand clutch. The 350 engine is ready. I have 6 Ken's Equipment Hawthorne, CA aluminum wheels.

 

Ed Hyder built some beautiful cars..and was local to me...

 

Dennis, were you friends with Pogo…back in Wisconsin.

 

I considered Tom a good friend. He was a great car builder. The Etchie Corvette bodied modifide is my all time favorite Pogo car. I branched off into building late model stocks when the modifieds [ M S C ] lost Cedarburg and Hales Corners to the late models but I didn't build any cars for that circuit either because the promoter barred my coil/over cars. 1974 Larry Ninneman in the Pogo sprint car and Gary Schlafer [My chassis ] traded fast time until Fast Eddie said 'There is no way Gary is going to beat Larry's time." Gary went out and set the World Record for modifieds on the 1/4 mile. 11.76. My late models set the 1/4 mile World Record. 1978 Pat Schauer 11.92. Mark Martin 1984. 11.59.

 

Installed uprights [ 3/4" X 1.5" X .083". ] for the front torque plate and the radius rod mounts. I wanted to make the lower shock mount and front radius rod mount. Did not want to jig saw out a template for my flame cutting machine so I stapled 2 pieces of template cardboard together. Worked just fine.

 

Offset supermodified roadster I built in 1971. Wedge body. Had a USAC legal cage at first. Changed it to an I R A legal 1.750" OD cage when I sold the car to 6' 4" Gene Coleman. Coleman Machine Race Products.

 

Finished welding the right side. 29 lbs. Lots of angle irons clamped to the board to duplicate the left side.

 

I set 2 tubes in place just to see if I can match the dimensions of my drawing. Checks out perfect. The 1/4" thick magnesium engine plates are something I used years ago in my super late model dirt cars. I think I will try to purchase a 1/2 sheet of 3/16" thick magnesium to do the full engine mounting plates.

 

Coming together nicely. Since my early teens supermodifieds have been my favorite circle track cars. The first ones I remember were the early offset cars similar to what you are making. Then up here in the northeast things changed in '76 when Jim Shampine built his radical offset car. I still love watching them. Will be watching your build.

 

Checking fuel injection pump clearance. Will fit inside body side panels. Figuring out Ross steering mount. Eliminating left tube. Mounting box it self to the torque plate. Finished left frame rail. Will move the rails to the frame jig now to install the cross members.

 

Punch marks in the upper rails to measure crisscross to square up the rails. Installing the torsion bar tube cross members next.

 

No jig. Lots of vise grips and lots of measuring and re-measuring. All the notching for the torsion bar tubes was done before hand with a Port-O- Band. Left outer rail notch needs a little grinding. Ready to install torsion bar cross members.

 

Shortened the steering side shaft. Will mount box to the torque plate. Built front bumper. Fabricated right rear bolt in tube section. Left side tomorrow.

 

Welding on frame complete. Decided to build rear bumper while still on the jig. Short 90 degree bends I had in stock. They were for building my road race upper control arms. Just like the old days. Use what you have laying around.

 

9-8-24. Hand clutch/hydrallic throw out bearing. Battery box. Cross member for seat and seat belt brackets.

 

Built headers. A sprint car header kit but required LOTS of time to fit perfectly. Header plates have oval holes and tubes go in at a pretty good angle. Sanded with 320 grit to get rid of imperfections. WANTED; One Kens Equipment 6pin 15 X 8 aluminum wheel.

 

Made a new mount for the injection pump. Made the front torque plate, 3/16" thick 5052 aluminum.

 

do you beef up the curved edge of the cutout for the pump?

 

No. This front engine mounting plate is about 10 times stronger than the front engine mounting plates on WOO sprint cars today.

 

Made the rear torque plate. Shortened the steering shaft. Lengthened Pittman arm to 5" & 6". I built 2 offset supermodifieds in 1972. #67 built for owner/driver Ron Marish with a S B C. I asked Ron if he had to take any chances winning races. He said " Anyone could win driving that car" Independent front suspension! 1973 I installed a B B C engine. I had to rotate the engine to the left to make room for the drivers feet. Right side headers now horizontal. This was way before the radical Oswego supers of today. 1974 Ron sold car to Bill Klien pictured here.

 

Having trouble finding one 5 degree K P inclination F 150 spindle to finish the offset sprint car roadster roller so I thought I would throw a vintage dirt supermodifid chassis together while waiting for an F 150 spindle to show up. I had all the major components in stock for the supermodified.

 

Another picture of the offset sprint roadster and another picture of the supermodified. Have you ever seen a wide 5 wheel like the left rear?

 

Thanks Dennis.
Fun seeing your ideas an great work.
I been retired for over 20 years,so no new race car builds for me.
Just messing around with my old high school hotrod from the late 50s n early 60s,plus a small bit of work helping with some buddy's rods now days.
South Florida has lost all its weekend ovals,other then one small sandpit oval in https://hendryracing.com/ ,, I get to go to every few months.
Your new stuff looks awesome too..

 

Thanks for showing these.

 

Old Safety Racing magnesium wide 5?

 

Obtained another early small tube Hilborn for the offset sprint roadster. Better visability for low seated driver. Installed the big bell stacked Hilborn on the supermodified.