Hot Rods The Belly Button Bucket Build Thread

Quick search found this, a spreadsheet of cars with the power to weight calculated.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p-jge5s6bpDC6OgjUU69sSgiat9_nnaM_HzHuDkL03I/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Caterham (#6) is probably the closest. Figure your car weighs ~2000 pounds, probably less. Guess the power is 400 plus, maybe 350 at 5K RPM, depending on the curve. I don't know how high you are revving it.

The math is pretty simple! It should scare you for a while. Might even be a permanent condition.
Just Walter Mitty yourself as taking it thru the gears like a wild man.

 

If it doesn't scare ya a little..........it needs more engine!

 

So, you say that the pucker factor kicks in…

 

Pure benching here- not a lot of data to support this. That cam, head, cubic inch, and compression combo has made 425hp in magazine builds with a Performer RPM air gap and 750 Holley. I did EVERYTHING I could think of to max out the tri power, short of cutting the throttle shafts, boring Venturi size, machining boosters… you know- the stuff that would keep me from getting the car on the road to infinity. But I’m guessing the tri power is down 25hp from the Air Gap, and I think that’s a safe assumption. I scaled the car awhile back- 1600lbs. So let’s say 1800lbs with me in it, 4.5lbs/hp. The other element of fear factor is EIGHTY EIGHT INCH WHEELBASE and open air, which is quite a visceral experience LOL.

 

Wild Willy, Terrible Tim! I’m just saying…

 

Seems like that table is off by a factor of 100, unless I’m not understanding something. Power/Weight for any of those cars in the table is actually Power/Weight * 100 to match what the table shows. So for that math, the T is 22.22. I think being in an open wheel roadster with an 88” wheelbase plays just as much of a factor as the power to weight, though!

 

I usually use pounds to HP also.
Say a 4000# Charger with 400 HP hemi = 10 pounds per HP.
Caterham is 1200 with 310. See K column = 3.87.
Column H is used to set order, but is very closely related to K (decimal point stuff).
Yours as you say is 4.5. Very close to a Bugatti, but more than the Ferrari.

The wheelbase is a factor, along with probably 4 inch total front suspension movement!

 

Either way, that puts you and the car solidly in the Platinum category.
Top Fuel Drag Car
Koenigsegg One:1
Yamaha R1
Yamaha R6
Bugatti Veyron SS
Caterham Seven 620R
Bugatti Veyron
Tim's Belly Button
Ferari 458 Speciale
Dodge Viper
Lexus LFA
Shelby Mustang GT500
Porsche 911 S Turbo

I'd imagine a tri power Nitrous system is far down the list for now.

 

6-71 GMC roots blower, Hilborn injection and nitro with a touch of hydrazine. Ok, maybe the hydrazine is just a little too much…

 

I was told there would be no math today!

 

Just mayhem

 

Made it to a local tech school car show this afternoon- showed up fashionably late and left early but it was a good time! Car did great! I have no way of accurately measuring fuel consumption, but it seems to be doing really well in that category as I haven’t had to fill up yet, and I’ve got about 1/2 tank now.

 

Tim, how do you like the height of the windshield?

 

Windshield is pretty decent. Close up I look through it, far away I look over top. Sunglasses help the eyes from watering above about 55mph, which is about the speed my eyes would water downhill skateboarding lol. Gf has long hair, and didn’t like going faster than about 45 because her hair would whip around everywhere. Mom has shorter hair and didn’t seem to mind the wind. I think visibility with a top on will be compromised, but aesthetically I like the shorter windshields.

 

There’s a T with a top I see running around here now and then that has a clear panel above the windshield. No doubt to see the stop lights and etc.

glad you’re having fun with it!

 

I was thinking about this exact thing today. If you ever get a picture of it, I’d like to see it!

 

Tim
You need to buy your girlfriend a scarf rated for over 45 mph, time to remove the egg from under the gas pedal.

 

Hooded top works for me. The old archive videos showed many ladies wearing them, more than scarfs.
Sadly, they were taken down.

 

Pony tail tucked into your jacket works too. I have a lot of motorcycle riding friends with very long beards and they’ve found if you don’t tuck it away that it will actually get “wind burnt” and break off the hair. Never mind that having all that hair in your face doesn’t help you see lol

 

True, but you still need a ball cap, hat, scarf or something on top to keep strands from working loose. Just cruisin' the grounds.

 

Cold weather welders caps. The ones that have ear flaps and snap under your chin. Plus they can be had with crazy patterns…

 

I'm betting it's not Tims' hair that is the concern!
A bit of a story (told before I'm sure).........
In the late 70's a friend of mine had his T-bucket about 90% done, around Christmas he calls and says put a coat on I'll be there in five minutes, shows up, no windshield, open headers on a hot 327/4 speed and a pair of milk crates to sit on and NO SEAT BELTS.
We had hair then but it was the least of our worries.

 

Man this thing rules! Congratulations on getting it on the road and thanks for the videos!

 

Ah, the carazy things that we did in our youth! Seatbelts? We don’ need no steenkin seatbelts! H3// we don’ got no steenkin seats!

 

1977 milk crates?
@DDDenny I'd guess they were the all plastic ones that would slip very easily upside down. I'd hope they were the old metal wire ones for your safety, but since you lived to tell the story, either way!

 

Hay bales work too. Don’t ask…

 

Ha!
Can't remember what I ate last night.