It's an 8' bed with the Ford script in the back of the frame. That was one of the reasons I wanted to keep it stock. It has a few holes drilled in the back rail though. For now I just want to get it running and leave it patina. But I'm thinking later I might strip it down and do a restomod from the frame up. My wife is not much of a car person but she likes the truck. She wants it painted though. One step at a time I guess.
If I wanted to get a divorce at this stage of my life I would build a replica of this, for one thing you could hide the cage under the body and I loved the old Speed Sport. Even though it was a roadster body they made them run in A dragster. One of the coolest looking cars ever built and if you never heard it run you missed a unique sound. Roy
Building one of these has crossed my mind more than once!!! Cool as hell! I havn't started mine yet maybe this would be the way to go??? Dusty P.S. Hope the eye gets sorted out
I'm going to have to break down and get a 2009 NHRA rule book. If it's possible to construct the chassis out of some lighter weight materials, I may just do this. I'd need to figure out some stylish way of making it NOT look too much like an ordinary Altered. I like being different.....
Toymaker. Your picture was one of my thoughts, using a ford van rear end. Some of them are offset way to the right. Joe
I'm looking at the "sidewinder" idea. The old boat idea is cool too. What year Ford van had an offset rear end? Thanks, Kurt
That ford rear end was most likely an early 70's. It is not as far off of to the side as that drawing. Those early flat nose vans had the engine off to the right so that the driver had foot room. But after looking at the pictures of that lotus I think you could set the motor over a little more than the rear end. Then have room beside it to sit. By the seat off to the left it could be lower. If you run a falcon, the exhaust will be away from the driver. And the shifter would be in the right place.
Wow! I've died and gone to heaven! Seriously, you guys are kindred spirits to me.....it's so good to see others thinking outside the ordinary. Every time I get down about things, a string of great ideas from others serves to cheer me up again. It's too bad we're not all in the same area....we could raise some very serious hell with the NHRA "Cookie Cutters" !!! Toymaker, that contraption of yours looks like a cross between Smokey Yunicks "Sidecar", and a Hyder SuperModified. I LOVE it! I'll bet NHRA tech would have an absolute HEMORAGE over that!!LOL!
I drew them up with no idea of what drive train parts a builder would use. A field trip to a large (going extinct) wrecking yard might answer some questions. Joe's right about finding an offset rearend, maybe an early Jeep 44 would do the trick. The only way I can see doing a side winder is a modified front wheel drive unit. Any other ideas?
I think Don Garlits ran a sidewinder in TOP FUEL or at least tried it at one time? In the 70s I think? Why not use a chain drive with a straight cut keyed shaft. The weight transfer would be about the best anyone could ask for? Basic power transfer stuff... Just a thought Dusty
Hey rocky, if you are looking for an offset rear that's stronger than an early Jeep unit, the early Toyota Landcruisers, Land Rovers and military Dodge 3/4 tons had a major offset, both the WWII versions and the M37s that were built up til '68, and the later Jeep military M715 series had an offset rear that I believe was a Dana 60 series. the other potential would be to use a front axle from a late model 4X4 and just turn it around. Most of the 4X4 front axles are offset to the right so it might take a bit to turn around and rig the way you want, but Fords had the pumpkin offset left and either way it wouldn't be hard to lock down the spindles to convert it to rear end use. If you wanted to go to the trouble of flipping the pumpkin in an 8" Ford rear you could get some offset rather easy, though not as much as the Jeep unit There are lots of potential directions in those ideas for screwin' with the concept.
I didn't know of Garlits ever ran a sidewinder rail but Jack Chrisman drove for Reath and Maillard and did quite well. The only problem is that it is high gear only with a solid tube axle for the rear drive. Clutch engaged a small sprocket on the engine which drove a large sproket on the axle. With a front wheel drive set up in the back it could be done with a transmission today. I wonder if there is anything out there that is strong enough to take the abuse. Roy
Roy.. I know where that car is right now...Also, Do you remember the "B&B lumber" car.??. A side by. Powered by a little model B ford 4 banger.. I loved that car...Always wanted to build one just like it. But was always to busy with my "Blow up" motors to do it...Someday...
I would think they're tough enough. Would it break the 'stock width rear end' rule if the steering was taken off and rear end flanges welded on? And, I erased my earlier question about the front ends after I called a guy and he mentioned the steering- doh. If a front was put in back, would the wheels rotate forward? Thanks, Kurt
Oh yeah,I've had one one the drawing board since before we sold the Ramrod car.Yep,900 lb rear engine car using a four cyl.Oh Yeah! Someday
If I were to do it I would just run the straight shaft with the sprocket on it. Slide the clutch some and see what happens. I've seen a couple of sandcars like that. They seem to go like hell!! One of them had a shorty glide wedged in there I think. Also I can't find anything in the 09 NHRA book about chain drive? Good or bad/ Dusty
That's because the NHRA doesn't have any concept of innovation anymore, so they don't have any classes allowing for it. If you build something different that they can't find in their book, they just tell you you can't run and that way they don't have to deal with it.
Is there some sort of chain drive within the old Olds Toranado front wheel drive transaxle? And some of the all wheel drive trans, like a dodge stealth could be used for a rear engine transaxle, maybe. Maybe you could use a pontiac, about 63 had the trans in the rear, I think that they had a 326 cu. in front. If you really look around there are some possibilitys for a short rear engine hookup. But it will take someone with more skill than I have. If you wanted to go with an automatic, you could look at a Chrysler LHS with frontwheel drive and the engine setting front to back, that one would hook up short and have rear springs, for good weight transfer. Joe
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