Hot Rods How to Build a 250+ mph 1929 Model A Roadster

I’ve wanted to put together a thread on my ‘29 Roadster that I built for Bonneville for a while, but there is so much detail that it’s been something that seemed really daunting to me.

So rather than put together a build thread that goes into extreme detail, I thought I would instead put together this overview of the project… and use this thread as more of a place to answer questions about how to build a “modern” roadster to compete at Bonneville (or El Mirage).

This is my Roadster...the subject of this thread...and it competed this year in the Blown Fuel Roadster cl***, with a "D" engine...a 296 cubic inch Emery-Rodeck billet 392 Hemi. It runs on nitromethane, so it is in the "Fuel" category.

We just broke a 45 year old record in D/BFR, with an average of 247.845 mph. I made a video about our efforts at Bonneville Speedweek, and I just posted that to YouTube:



The Roadster cl***es are some of the oldest cl***es that race on the salt, and that means that the records have been continuously bumped up since they started keeping records. That makes the Roadster cl***es a**** the hardest of any land speed racing categories, and most racers share that opinion.

There’s a lot of tribal knowledge as to what works and what doesn’t. So I would like to show some of how I built my car, and answer questions for any of you that want to also build a Bonneville Roadster. There are lots of ways to build one of these, and I’m not under the delusion that my way is the only or “right” way. But I’m more than happy to share my opinions and methods on how to build a proper land speed racing Roadster.

If I can do it, so can you.

Step 1: Come up with a plan.

As part of your plan, you need to acquire a SCTA Rule book, and read it over and over until you understand it as much as possible.

Figure out exactly what cl*** you want to run in, and build to the specifications of that cl***. I’m a hot rodder and I knew I wanted to build a “Roadster”. Other cl***es like “street roadster” or “modified roadster” will be similar, but have their own sets of rules. So do that first.




I spent more than a dozen years crewing on my friend Ed Stuck’s ‘29 Roadster. Ed was instrumental in giving me the basics on what it took to run a roadster out on the salt. He is a 200 mph club member, and his car has held several records, so when he talks I listen.

That’s that “tribal knowledge” I was referring to.

Ed’s 299 Blown Fuel Roadster:

So if you don’t know where to start, I would strongly advocate for going out to Bonneville and introducing yourself to other people that are running in the cl*** you want to run in.

If you want to build a roadster, go meet the roadster guys. We love talking to new people about this stuff.

Step 2: Just get started.

I had a pretty detailed plan before I started, but it definitely came together more once I had an idea of how things fit together.

My ch***is is based on 2”x6” .250” wall rectangular tubing. I was originally going to use ‘32 rails, but another roadster guy Ron Jolliffe (RIP) gave me some pointers and talked to me about the advantages of heavy wall tubing.

I made the front and rear crossmembers, and used a spring-behind buggy spring with a Super Bell dropped axle in the front located by split '33-34 Ford wishbones.

The rear axle is solid-mounted. There are people who think this is a bad idea and that you must have rear suspension. We can talk about that further, but my car is rigid in the rear and uses a Winters Xtremeliner quick change with 2.0:1 ring and pinion.

I made the firewall/ motor plate from 1/2” 6061 aluminum, and there is a 1/4” steel plate that fits between the engine and bellhousing before it bolts to the firewall.

The firewall is extremely important for keeping you safe in the event of a fire, and you can’t have any unsealed holes in it.



My roll cage is 1.75” diameter .120” wall DOM steel. I bent it with a Mitler Brothers mandrel bender.

Before bending the shoulder hoop, you want to make sure you give yourself enough space. If you plan to ever run in a “fuel” cl*** make sure you can fit in the car with a -20 Fire suit, and a legal helmet and Hans device.



As you can see from the photos above, there is A LOT of fabrication required to build one of these cars right from the start. I’ve been building cars professionally for over 20 years now and have a lot of confidence in my abilities. If you aren’t comfortable with your welding skills, or aren’t familiar with good fabrication practices…PLEASE get help from someone that is.

Your life may depend on it.

 

I chose to use an original steel 1929 Model A Roadster body on my car. I'd collected pieces for it for years, because I knew I wanted to use an original body...but it's a race car and there is nothing wrong with using a steel or fibergl*** reproduction body. Using a '30-31 body would be similar, and American made production roadster bodies from '28 to '38 are legal. This thread focuses on '28-29 Ford, which is my favorite platform for the roadster cl*** for a number of reasons.

There are some very definite rules about what you can do to the body in the "Roadster" cl***, so make sure you double check the rules or ask the roadster committee chairman before you get carried away. The body can be no more than 143" from front to back under cl*** rules.

Mine is 142.625" from front to back.

In the photo below with half of the body panels removed, you can see that I have a rolling ch***is. From starting the project to this point took about 6 months of long days.

You can set the rear axle back in the roadster cl***, and this gives you another advantage besides a longer wheelbase for stability...it allows you to sit further back in the car. The further back you can get, the lower you can sit.

You must have a kill switch on the exterior of the car.

I used an original '32 grille shell and chopped it to fit. There are also strict rules on the size of the grille in the roadster cl***. It has to be a minimum of 530 square inches.

My hood is made from .063" 3003 aluminum.

Here's a look at what it looks like from the driver's seat over the tonneau cover. It's a good idea to try sitting in the car to make sure you have enough visibility. I sit really far down in my car to keep the roll cage out of the wind, so this was critical.

First mock-up with all the panels in place:

The roadster cl*** uses something like a NHRA "funny car" cage. There is a good photographic example in the SCTA rulebook. The most important thing is that you want it to be strong, and you want it to be gussetted.

I used the same 3003 aluminum in .063" to make the panels in the driver's compartment.

An overhead view of the cage...you can see some of the floor crossmembers on the side opposite the drivers compartment.

 

Step 3: Time to start making it pretty.

 

As you may have already noticed, one of the tricks I did to the body was to split it into pieces. Being able to pull just one side of the body rather than trying to lift it off over the ch***is has made it MUCH easier to work on the car. I can literally have the right side of the body off in about 5 minutes.

I painted this stuff outside under a big Oak tree. Yes, I'm serious.

At this point all the panels are painted, and it's starting to look like we've got a race car!



Step 4: Time to make it run.

I haven't talked about the engine yet. The original plan was to use a 4-cylinder Hemi built by my friend and partner on the car, Arizona drag racing legend Albert Eshenbaugh. Albert had run some of these parts in his lakester, and put together an engine based on a Donovan 417 block.

The engine is unique in that it only uses one bank of cylinders, and a custom Velasco billet 180 degree crankshaft. This engine fit in the "F" cl*** at only 178 cubic inches, and we were going to run it on nitro, so that put it in the F/FR cl***. The record in that cl*** had just been reset in 2021 at 204.074 mph by Bob Sirna from Michigan.

Once I started getting ready to fire the car, we stumbled upon a Emery - Rodeck billet block that would be better suited to running high percentages of nitro, and I went to work switching everything over to the "new" block.

I bought a new pair of Webster billet heads, so that we would have a spare. I used a set of ***an billet rockers. We use a dry sump set up for oiling.

This engine combo probably only makes sense if you are going to run nitro in the "fuel" category. However, the same ch***is could accept a number of different engines, or a different transmission, simply by changing the motor plate and clutch can (or bellhousing). You'll have to use your imagination, but if you wanted to run a SBC or even a Flathead Ford then the basic ch***is layout shown here will work for that.

I really don't expect anyone to follow this build plan to the letter. This thread is more about showing what is involved in building a "modern" roadster that still looks like it belongs in the hot rod SCTA "Roadster" cl***.

Anyway...I also made a Bob Herda style scoop out of stainless for the Hilborn 4-port injector.


I'm skipping over the mountains of hoses and fittings that are needed to build one of these cars. Just know that you are going to end up buying more of that stuff than you could possibly imagine.

We run a B&J 3-speed Transmission with a neutral where the reverser would be, and a Crowerglide clutch. A lot of guys swear that you need a pedal clutch at Bonneville, but I like the 'glide. It's worked flawlessly.



So now that we have a ready to run race car, it needs numbers and lettering.


Step 5: Race cars need numbers and letters.

The SCTA ***igns car numbers. The way it works is that there is an expired number list at the beginning of each calendar year. You can look at that list and pick three numbers, then the SCTA will tell you which one you can use.

I ended up with 199, which I thought was fitting since it has always been on a '29 Roadster. Dave Ratliffe was a 49er...he raced at the first meet in 1949...and ran his '29 Roadster with the number 199 until he p***ed. I feel honored that I get to continue that legacy.

I painted the lettering and numbers myself using gold leaf and One Shot. Noah Prikryl helped me with the layout, and gave me moral support when I wasn't sure if it was gonna look the way I wanted. It turned out great in the end.

 

Step 6: Let's go racing

Load the car, a bunch of tools, a drum of nitro, and your suitcase in the trailer. You're also going to need a crew. It takes 3 people to even start this car, so you definitely can't do it alone.

Once you get to Speedweek, you must submit your car to a rigorous technical inspection. This is where it will pay off that you did your due diligence, and hopefully you will sail through with no issues.

These two photos were taken at the first race that I attended with the car...the rainy 2023 Speedweek. This is right before the first tech inspection. The car made it through with no problems. I also p***ed my "bail-out" which tests to see if you can exit the car quickly and safely in the event of an emergency.


As you can see, I found a crew. These guys have been instumental in the success of the car. Not everyone can attend every race, but I have an excellent team that I'm super proud of.


Step 7: License up.

Once I got the car through inspection, I was able to start making p***es. The first p*** is your rookie p***, and you will most likely make mistakes. I didn't get far enough off the course on my rookie p***, and needed a push. That resulted in a stern talking to by an official.

You have to license up in stages. Again, the rule book is your friend...it lays all this out in detail.

By the end of the meet in 2023, I had a few p***es under my belt, a couple of licenses, and a good feeling about everything. The car had performed well, and I had an absolute blast with all my friends that were there to help me.

The next photo was taken at the beginning of Speedweek 2024. The car had been around 175 mph the previous year, and we felt pretty positive about our chances at a record.


Then we had a problem. One of the fuel hoses popped a ferrule, and sprayed fuel everywhere, causing a fire. I didn't know it was on fire until I got stopped, and fortunately there was a course worker that helped keep it under control until the fire fighters could get there.




This was a MAJOR bummer, because the car was on it's way to qualifying for a record when we had the fire.

Undaunted, I took it back home, repaired everything (including a broken piston), and had it back out a month later at the USFRA World of Speed to handle unfinished business.


On our first p*** we ran over the existing record to qualify, but almost lost the exhaust header from the right side of the engine, and that caused ANOTHER fire. Burnt the spark plug wires and ruined the paint on the hoodside.

 

Step 8: Set a record and join the 200 mph club.

Our next two p***es went almost perfectly. We ended up with an average of 212.301 mph, which broke the exiting record by 8 mph and earned me my red hat.

Here's me with Albert at the end of the run. It was emotional.


Step 9: Time to go faster.

With a record in F/FR under my belt, it was time to take the training wheels off and put a blown fuel V8 in the car. I spent several months of nights and weekends changing and upgrading the car.

It was way more work than I expected.

 

It was hard, hard work to get the car ready for Speedweek 2025. I barely got it ready in time. But I did, and here it is with it's new engine and new cl*** designation: D/BFR.

On the first p*** off the trailer, we qualified over the 1981 record of 241.848 mph set by Greg and Bill Temple in "Gotcha". I only ran the car to the 3 mile marker, but went 245 mph and ended up in impound.

We felt pretty good about our chances, but things went south from there.

A loose throttle arm on the injector kept us from starting the car on the starting line the next morning, and we had to take it back to the pits to try again. On my next p***, I spun the car at 176 mph near the 1 mile timer and earned my "spin pin."

Then we banged the blower on the next p***, and that was it for Speedweek 2025.


I was still feeling overly positive about the experience. I had gone faster than I ever had before, qualified off the trailer, spun the car and lived to tell about it, learned a lot about how to drive a car with 3000 hp on salt, and had even more fun with this great group of guys.


That brings us to Speedweek 2026. I didn't change much on the car, but I did add some weight to the front to bring the weight distribution closer to 50/50, front/rear.

And I also had a few new crew members this year who absolutely worked their tails off to get the car down the track. We worked so well together, and I hope these guys will come back next year.

On our first p*** of this meet, we were too lean on the tune-up and hurt the blower again. Fortunately we learned our lesson from the previous year, and brought a spare.

The team spent all day changing over to the spare blower, and we had the car ready for the next p*** the following morning.

That next p*** in the car was the scariest ride I've ever had in a car, but also one of the most satisfying. The race course was especially rough from the 2 mile marker through the 3 mile. The car was drifting to the left side of the course as I put the power down after crossing the 2, and got pretty out of shape. I got out of the throttle, and somehow missed the black 1/4 mile bags and narrowly missed hitting the 3 mile marker. Did I mention I was going over 200 mph when this was happening?

My original intention was to only go to the 4 mile marker and pull the 'chutes. But when it straightened out at the 3, I was able to get back on the throttle and the car was pulling HARD. So I made a split second gametime decision to run it through the 5. We didn't know if we had enough fuel on board to make it to the 5 mile timer, so this was a risky decision at best. But I figured it was either gonna qualify over the record or blow up.

I ran 252.340 mph to qualify over the record, and had a GPS indicated exit speed of 257.7 mph. The fastest p*** yet, and we were back in impound.


The next morning we had issues with the fuel shut-off before getting it fixed just in time, and then the back up run went smoothly. I didn't go as fast as I did the day before...because I was being a little more conservative after the previous day's wild ride, and the salt was pretty wet from the 4 to the 5... keeping me from getting the power all the way down. I still ran 242.351 mph (with a 250.005 mph exit) to bring our average to 247.345 mph and break a 45 year old record.

Step 10: Break another record, and have the fastest roadster on the salt at Speedweek.

I'm really proud of my team, and proud of the car that I built.



And maybe most importantly, I've been able to absorb so much knowledge from my friend Albert.

Nitro guys are getting pretty scarce out on the salt. It's a really tough way to run a car, but really rewarding. And when you get it right, boy...HANG ON!

You have to be a bit of a cowboy to drive a Blown Fuel Roadster, and I feel like it's an honor to even get the chance to do it. I owe the opportunity to Albert, but also to all the roadster guys that have given me help and advice along the way.

I want to pay some of that forward here, if I can.

 

I couldn't figure out how to embed this video, but here's a link to me talking about some of the details of the car:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Da_GSgETGr2/

If you've made it this far, thanks...and if you have questions, fire away!

 

Absolute Work of Art…freaking fantastic!

 

One of the most beautiful Bonneville roadsters. Stunning car, thanks for showing us the details!

 

Hey Brian , it was my first trip to the salt and I would have to say your car was the one I most enjoyed watching

 

Amazing build and congratulations on the record and thank you very much for sharing your story.

 

Thank you for sharing your build and your journey

 

Looking forward to watching the YouTube video and going back over these photos. I’ve really enjoyed watching this car come together online over the years and the sheer amount of fab work and creativity is always un believable!

 

Those old Varnado fans create a nice breeze quietly . I know that was random lol

 

Thank you for posting this!
Whats next?

 

Wow! What a journey, thanks for sharing. There's nothing easy or cheap about this type of venture. You bit off one of the most difficult records out there, and you succeeded. Congratulations!

 

Tell us about the offset driveline angle thing? Looks like the pinion is way offset. Can't see the driveshaft set up in pics.

 

Thank you. This thread is insane.

 

My pitiful words can't do it justice. All I can say is.....Incredible!!!!...@B***.

 

Thanks for the question. The rear axle layout is something I had to decide on early in the build, because the car is built around it. The centerline of the quick change is offset to the right of the car by 4.5”.

I knew I wanted to sit as far down into the car as possible to have the lowest roll cage that I could, and there were really only two options for that…either sit in the center of the car, straddle the driveshaft, and sit in an extremely reclined position (center steer)…or offset the centerline of the rear axle so that I could sit next to the driveshaft rather than over it. I chose the latter.

There are a few other cars that are set up this way, so it had already been proven to work more than fine. Probably most notably was the Wilson & Waters purple #369 roadster that is still running today and holds several records. It has a very similar rear axle layout.



The reason I chose the offset amount that I did was to keep the u-joint angle within what was recommended by Mark Williams. I run a Mark Williams driveshaft and U-joint…the strongest they offer of both. And the driveshaft enclosure is an integral part of the ch***is. It is made from thick 3/8” wall pipe/tube, and I split and flanged it so I could get the driveshaft in and out. You have to remove the driveshaft to remove the clutch and/or transmission.

If you think about the driveshaft in a normal car, it always runs at an angle, and that angle will increase (or decrease) as the suspension cycles. Having some angle built in is better for the u-joints because they don’t function properly if they are completely inline.

Almost all the angle in my driveshaft and u-joints is side to side, and with the fixed rear axle it doesn’t change angle when driving. A lot of nitro guys like to run a coupler rather than a driveshaft, but in a roadster the packaging you are faced with makes that a little tougher.

 

Wow. Thank you for this thread you make it look easy and congrats on your records.

 

I have parts to build different size early Hemi engines to run in a different cl***, and attack other records.

But for next year the plan is to keep the same engine combo and try to bump my own record. The car has a lot more in it, and I would like to get it up into the 260 range or higher now that we are starting to figure out what this engine likes.

If the salt is good next year, and I can drive the car a little better, then I think it could go considerably faster. It definitely has the power for that.

 

Wow.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share that with us !

 

Thanks for this! Seeing your car up close on the salt, it is truly a work of art!
Best of luck in the future

 

Awesome to see it run at the salt!

 

EDIT: beautiful craftsmanship! Cowboy is too mild a term for piloting this creation.

Two questions;
I would ***ume the engine size is to fit cl***, but also gives you an oversquare engine so it will lower piston speed at high RPM. How tight are you turning it?
You mention adding weight to the nose and 50/50. From what I have read and heard, you want the center of m*** ahead of the middle of the car (think dart with the heavy tip ahead) but obviously when the rear wheels are being turned by a BLOWN NITRO HEMI you need weight out back too. Aero plays into this at those speeds too. How close to optimum do you think you are with the 50/50 and do you have weights to add to change this? It boggles the mind that the big tank goes from full to empty on a run and the weight change thru this.

 

Thanks for a well written explanation of what it takes to go fast on the salt. I really enjoyed the story.

 

great job, one of the best descriptions of driving a roadster on the salt. this me at world of speed in 2012.