As SamIam said, "Can anyone out there show guys how it is done on the cheap?" Wild Hare Racing is going to do our best to do that very thing with the Rapid Rabbit car. So far we have invested a grand total of $110.00 into the project and scrounged or had donated ***orted bits and pieces of stuff to make the dream come together. On the few times I have mentioned to the wife/crew chief, partner person who has followed me through many insane projects for over 40 years, that I could buy this or that piece rather than make or adapt something for the car, she has reminded me that the purpose of this is to build it like we did stuff "back when we started out" and didn't have extra cash or places that made the kind of off the wall parts we needed. The whole spirit should encomp*** the idea of racing cars built in our back yards and garages, not built in high tech shops with all of the latest equipment. It may take more effort to cut out a bracket with a saw or torch and grind it to fit, than to call up the local ch***is shop and say send me your latest widget, but at the end of the day there is more fun to be had knowing that it was homebuilt and there is the added satisfaction of knowing that the guy in the next pit won't have the same parts that you do. Besides that, it's going to be fun racing a car based on model T rails and a '34 Dodge flathead 6 and seeing what potential can be wrung out of old low tech stuff, and frankly I don't give a damn if the local kid with his rice burner with the fart can tailpipe is faster, as he will never understand what real hot rods are about. We have the chance here to live the dream, and we are going for it full tilt boogie.
Hey Sam, the "Nightmare" is a $2100.00 car and almost $1000.00 is in the safety equipment. I was fortunate enough to have some good friends who donated parts ot the cause. If they did not donate, they sold it to me for less than what they had in it. The motor is stock and had 68,000 miles on it when pulled from the donor vehicle. I'm having a blast with it and I'm not done yet. 14.41 at 96 mph and it spun all the way through second gear. I have made some adjustments to hopefully take care of that and in another week I head to the track to see if I can get in the 13's. As far as a fan base, take it to your local track and see which car everyone comes over to look at. You can park side of a pro car and most of the peole are looking at your car and asking questions about it. We have an antique tractor show down here in November and I have been approached about putting my HA/GR in this show as it looks like one of the early dragsters. As far as I know, I'm the only one in Florida that has one built, but once everyone realizes how much fun they are, I think I will begin to see several more(hopefully). I used to race motorcycles and the fastes I ever went was 8.55 at 168mph. This thing is actually more fun as I have time to look and see where the other car is and actually do not have to concentrate on keeping the car under control. I too have to thank Ryan and Kevin for coming up with this idea, it has made me get off my *** and build a car that I am having a ball with. See all of you at Mokan, look for the slowest HA/GR there and that will be me, but I'll be having more fun than you, if you are not driving one!!
I suppose that's track dependent. There sure wasn't anyone at Indy Good Guys having traction issues. If anything, they had too much dope on the track and there wasn't a HA/GR or SDRA car that had enough power to be spinning the tires. But, absolutely they are the equalizer for sure.
I went back and re-read what I wrote. Instead of using the word "fan base", I should have said "interest". Because that's what we have been trying to do since day one...generate interest so that more guys/gals would get as excited as we are about this and build a car. Sam said something about pumping new blood into this series...that's what I'm talking about...lately it just seems like interest is waning. When Kevin/Ryan/Sam started this deal 3 years ago, everyone was gung-ho, as were we...but only 3 cars showed up at Mokan. We need more cars to race against. And more than one race a year. That's why the SDRA was started. We now have 5 local races plus Goodguys Indy, and the Hamb drags. 7 cars showed up for our 2nd race here! That was a helluva lotta fun. It wouldn't have been as much fun if it was only the Ramrods and the Hornets racing each other again.... It was great seeing the Speed Merchants beat the snot out of the Hornets!
If you want to see growth in the number of cars...keep it simple...keep the rules broad...make it as inclusive as possible. Let a guy build a car that is within his budget...what ever that budget is. The narrower you make this cl*** the fewer people you will have that want to stay within those lines. There will always be guys that will say...I would have built a car except (insert bull **** reason here). This cl*** will be built by guys who DO get it done. They will have a vision of how they want their car...and it very likely will not be anything like the next guys car. Encourage this...and this will make the number of cars grow.
Keeping it simple is good. The thing that really shows in this cl*** is the p***ion the builders have for their cars, and thats what makes it work. The rules are broad enough to let people be creative, but don't let the cl*** turn into another "econo dragster" fiasco of $50,000.00 "budget" cars and crews with enclosed shop trailers and such. The focus needs to be on keeping the true, run whatcha brung fun racing of the past alive, and not turning it into another NHRA circus.
I don't particularly agree that the more cars the better. Yes more cars would be good but I think quality of cars is important and by quality I mean cars built by guys who "get it" . I'd hate the cl*** to get saturated and lose sight of the original spark- "A tribute to those who paved the way" I'd rather have 15 quality HAMB teams than 100 drag racers looking for a new cl*** to dominate with dollars. Just my humble opinion.... Brad
Sam, My post on our car the "Waffle House Special" shows just what you said. The car was built by a group of friends on wed night, the parts came out of the dirt, were wire brushed and installed, and best of all all parts fuel pump,engine,carbs,fuel lines rear end, front end etc ALL are pre 1962. It was fun and we would like to help someone else build a car as well. Any Indy guys want to build one i have some stuff to donate........??
"No one should have more than a $1000 in their car." That is an interesting concept. It will keep the technology out for sure....I like it!!! Its easy to do...just make the HAMB drags a claimer race for say $2000. I wonder how many cars will show...I'll need to know so I'll know how big a trailer to bring.
When Sam and Company were hashing out the rules on here, I was watching. It was an exciting time, but I had no idea of the impact it would have, down the road. Gives me the warm fuzzies now. This is an amazing place. And yes, I still want to build a HA/GR myself. Some day soon.....Thanks Ryan, for all of this.
Wtf, Larry, i guess i cant speak for everyone, only myself, but more than 1 race? thats all fine and dandy when your retired and have money to blow on travelling, but im lucky if i can make 2 events that are 4+ hours away a year. Ive never been to tha Hamb Drags. Club members of mine have, and i will eventually, but it aint in the cards this year. People WOrk, people dont have large budgets, The whole point of this cl*** was to keep costs down, do it on the cheap. and it has gotten away from that in my opinion. i have a NOS 302 jimmy shortblock sitting in the original Crate on my shop floor thats destined to be in a rail of some sort. I still want to build a car like these, but a FED is getting to look alot better, and i dont care if i have noone else to race against, ill race it for MY enjoyment, screw anyone else.
There aren't going to be any changes in the cl***. Either it's for you or it's not... And judging from the folks I've talked to, things are going pretty damn well. I mentioned stopping by a shop where two cars were going together. They were both REALLY neat cars, but the flathead car is going to be something special... VERY special... Total budget? $4k.
It'll be my turn to drive at the next SDRA race in Tulsa, July 28th. I'll see if I can match Recycler's performance. We won with a pure HAMB rail. So far, the outlaw cars don't have an advantage. It's still a driver's game. That's important to me.
Dakota, do not take this as a slam. I'm not retired, I have to work to make ends meet. It took me a year and and 6 months to build mine. I scrounged and had parts donated to the cause. I will pull to the HAMB drags this year and I will have to short myself on other things to do this. I do not know how far away you are, but I will be pulling a trailer 1300 miles one way to attend the drags. This is what this car was built for. If I had never attended the drags the first year the HA/GR's ran, I would never had built one. I have found that you can do what you want to do. If the p***ion is not there, it will never happen. Robert
[QUOTE So far, the outlaw cars don't have an advantage.[/QUOTE] Randy, I have to disagree with you on that one. If there wasn't an advantage they wouldn't exist. Doesn't mean they can't be beat, just means there's an advantage to overcome to beat them. I've always preferred being the underdog anyway.......... I'm used to it. Brad
You guys have built a gem of a racing cl***! It does matter if any fans show up so long as the cars don't die. Its a part of history we need to p*** on to the next generation. Now a days the kids have to plug there car into a computer to tell them what's wrong, they've lost the basics of troubleshooting engines by touch, feel, listening. Cl***es like this show the kids that cars aren't that complicated nor do you have to spend alot to have fun in racing. You can drop a ton of money in NHRA sportsman racing with nothing to show for it. The cost of a HA/GR is pretty cheap plus a whole lot fun. As to fans, I'm one and I'm bringing wife and son. I couldn't get them out to the NHRA nationals at Topeka, but when I mentioned the HAMB drags they were both eager to see the "Old School" cars. As to more cars, they'll come the longer you keep the race going. I'm planning a father/son HA/GR for 2008. This year we'll try to some ideas from you Veterans then head down to OK to show the Tulsa Boys a thing or two before going to MOKAN for the HAMB Drags.
I have similar thoughts, and started a thread. That old Bean Bandits car is cool, but I believe it's not legal to run at SCTA meets. Thanks, Kurt
Looks like things are alive and well from what I'm reading on this post... I like to hear about the enthusiasm, and about guys building new cars. This stuff ROCKS! Sam.
I agree Sam. I think what got this going again was Ryan posting about them. Then you and Kevin joining in. The 3 wise men rekindled the juices, so to speak. So how come none of the 3 wise men own one? C'mon Ryan...I'll kick in some $$$ and parts. I'm sure others would want to get involved in a Hamb HA/GR build too...
Larry if you sell your coupe you could build about 30 of them and have your own series. I don't think you have any trouble finding drivers.
Larry, maybe this canshed some light on the number of cars actually built. Many of us on the HAMB are now well into our 30s. We are working our ***es off building house,families,careers. In my particular case there are other projects deemed more important than an HA/GR. I took 2 solid years to build my touring and then the last two years building our dreamshop/house. In that time I also changed my career focus from being "the guy with the cool jobs and minimal money" to the guy that "plans on not working so damn hard at 45 or 50"! I also have the cosmetics on my 54 and the Altered dragcar that I REALLY want to do first. I know others are in the same boat. We dig the cars well enough, they just aren't top priority to build
I'd like too, but my time is rediculous right now... I literally haven't spent more than an hour in my shop in the last three months.
Don't worry, Ryan. You are there in many of the cars running and being built. Without the original ideas, there would be no HA/GR cars. Thanks for having the vision.
Maybe Ryan Kevin and I should get together and build one... it could be called the Cochran, Lee & Strube HA/GR... We could then rule the world. Sam.
Get stuffed Sam, you guys already rule the world as far as we're concerned... I'm sure we can help you guys out with a rolling ch***is if you can get it across the pond.... Cheers, Drewfus
If you had some sort of "claiming" system, guys building on a budget could pick up a few bucks if their car was "claimed" and the "claimee" would add new blood to the mix. If, indeed, you can build a a car for $1100 or $1200 and there was a $2000 claiming price, it could be a win-win. Might be a problem for guys that scrounged parts the first time around to duplicate the effort for short bucks. Just a thought.
This is a good thread. The car that's forming, in my mind right now, will have a large crew. That way it stays really cheap. Might even be called the Anti-Donut Rollers. You won't be able to enforce a max $ rule, drag racers WILL lie about what they do. Talk about a tradition.. hahaha Also, the way to keep the 6" bias tire the equalizer will mean that the track must have 1953 track prep. As in NONE. Just bare asphalt. Maybe with a layer of rubber, but that's all.
Don't think that a "claiming" system would be a good idea. These cars have too much personality in them and it's not in the "run whatcha brung" design to do that. Besides, we aren't running for money like the "Corporate Racers" of the NHRA, it's for fun and bragging rights at the BBQ after.
Phil, That would be cool but in most cases not practical as we usually run at a track with other types of cars who need/want track prep You need an old runway, flag starter and a finish line. No timeslips, ETs or speeds- just winners and losers Personally I am amazed at how well the Coker 6" tires hook up on a modern prepped track. 1.7-1.9 60ft times that I have seen. There have probably been some even better ones that I haven't seen. Brad
The Jalopy Journal
