Not quite happy with the looks of my little rail I spent sometime checking different things. I came to the conclusion that the body hugging the rails all the way down was unkool. To confirm this I made a cardboard (bristolboard replacement and taped it up. My sheet metal pal came over and offered to make the new panel to change the cars side profile. Today I picked it up and marked it for shearing. He returned it tonite. I still have a bunch of hand fitting to get it where I want it but the look is right. More traditional. Pics of the new panel will be here by morning. Don
Thanks ,Here we are so far. Spent a hour this morning cutting & fitting. When I came in from the shop the two rear Deuzs where drilled and holding the panel in place on the original clips. I will add the side ones later today . I like to stop and think before I get too far down the wrong road. I believe the look will be a bit more traditional. Here is also the before pic. Not a big improvement just a bit more traditional Don
Don , I LOVE IT ! That is really looking great ! That has to be one hell of ride going down the track ! So how great does it feel going down the track ? I have considered many time about build one to have some fun with . Personally the FED is my favorite ! On the other hand I also love the g***ers . SO since I have a 1950 Ford , I decided to build a g***er when I finish my 55 Ford to drive on the street . The g***er will be a toy when my right foot gets a twitch in it ! Retro Jim
Thanks Everyone. Even my wife gave it a big thumbs-up. Took a while to figure out what was wrong. I always thought it was the big roll bar but due to a large burger intake in my mispent youth I am kinda stuck with the size thing. This gave me the look I want. I got most of it done today. More then I expected. I may even get it painted tomorrow. We will see. Here it is with side panel fasteners drilled and temporarily in place. Got the new upper firewall painted and installed. It fits pretty good. I have some minor t******* yet and I have to install the windscreen from the old panel. Don
The Jeep is a whole different car. It is built as an altered. (Driver sits above and ahead of the diff. It is also a 100 inch wheelbase while this is only a 96 incher.) The Jeep was bought by a track manager from Calgary and is currently stored at my friend Mike's memorabilia room. I really liked it too which is why I built it. However I was offered a fair price for the car and $$ to help finish it so I complied. How is this to drive? I was asked. It drives very well . It goes very straight (like it was on rails.) When bite is real good it will stand the wheels up to the point the back frame bangs on the ground but I learned to keep the slicks up around 9.5 pounds and that keeps it from hitting even if the wheels lift high. I really enjoy running this car. I built it originally to have an inexpensive ch***is to play with my Snowmobile carb intake on a slant six. I completed my experiments with that and am now for the last two seasons getting a bit more serious about ET. Have a test and tune Friday to check all over before the next Airport race (My favourite type of racing. ) total cost including a spare set of new slicks is still less then $4000 Don
Too shiny for me however I think I will run Friday night with the new panel even if I dont get to paint today. Don
I really like the idea of senior dragster why do kids get to have all the fun along with the concept of HA/GR cars I would love to see a heads up how cheap can you build it while being safe race cl*** I really like the tire rule for ha/gr cars forcing the use of bias ply tires limiting the traction making it a how good can ya drive it rather than how much can ya spend on it
Steel for the ch***is no matter which car you build (DOM .120". 1 5/8 (this car) or 1 1/2 (new car or the altered with a combo of both rect tubing and DOM 1 1/2 for roll bar cage etc.) will set you back $500 or did a year ago anyway. All cars I built cost within $20 of each otheor ch***is. Body metal approx $200 . Used diff $125. Narrowed in house and $200 for axle resplining. (With HA GR not required. Front axle will cost about $200 no matter how you wiggle. Steering boxes have been costing us $50 . Heim joints (4 on this car ) cost me right around $100. Everyhing else was found or made. But tires fronts were $170 and Rears $710 Extras $500 (roll bar bending (approx $20 per bend) Paint wiring hardware. So without engine it would cost now 2500 to 2600. A used engine and trans of your choice, running would cost about $300 for a old running six with trans. After that it is up to you. I got a lot of this stuff free. I dont usually but my cost is a lot less. So realisitically you could be mobile between 3000 and 4000 . After that you can pull the ening and trans and go nuts over the next winter if you want. Build it will rule book in hand. Take no chances on being sent home or worse getting hurt. A good scrounger could cut this cost in half I would think. Work on it a bit easch day. never go to the shop without putting in at least one bolt or screw. Do it all yourself. I do all my motor work so my actual cost is mostly time and a few parts . But starting with a good runnig used one may be a good alternative to get you in the game without breaking the bank. Think of it as an old school crate motor. Anyway. I painted the new panel about 10 minutes ago and it is curing overnite. I will install it tomorrow afternoon before the nite race. Got a slight run when the gun farted but it will have to wait til winter for repaint. Don
Colour blindness is not fun. I matched the open can against the car when I brought it home a few weeks back. . Seemed perfect to me. Obviously I goofed. This looks darker to me. Wife says it looks racier. MMMM . Not sure. might run it tomorrow then paint the other two panels from the same can. Don
I have no problem with the HA/GR concept. I came up with this one before I knew anything about HA/GRs or Hamb. I prefer running an auto trans as I think it is safer and for me easier but I dont mind the HA/GR concept. There is something pure and enjoyable in either venu. Setting restrictions that keep the cost down and then working within those bounderies to see how well you can personally do. I get a lot of satisfaction from that. Currently any old school FEd has my attention. Don
Went to the Shannonville Mix and Match tonite. Wanted to check out brakes and torque converter before next airfield race. This is a good place to test. Brakes and Converter are ok. Jetting changes were in the wrong direction. Ran with the new body part on. But that aside there were a pair for fellows showed up with Vintage style drag Bikes. Very well done. They ran against each other. They have perfectly captured the old school deal. I stayed late to watch them run side by side. It was a tuf nite to run. Air temp was 97F and you could cut the humidity with a knife. It was too uncomfortable to really enjoy it. I found out what I wanted to know in one p*** then and loaded it up then watched for awhile. Don
I took the rest of the panels off today. Using a hairdryer I took off al the stickers and lettering. Fixed a few things I had from before. With good fortune tomorrow evening they will all be the same deep blue. Don
Painted. ran out part way through second coat. Was able to get to town and back and shoot before it dryed so job is all done. First pic is with blackboard taped up. Second is with tape removed. I used blackboard paint for the black for a long time and use sidwalk chalk from Michales to write my ET on . Easier to clean off, clearly visable and not hard on the paint. For the blue I use Dupli-color for one time painters premixed laquer. This color is called Deep Blue. Not an exotic paint but I can spray it with my $37 gun with no premixing.and no runs. Coverage is great And shine is decent. Ideal for a non-painter person like me. Not show quality but not **** either. I highly recommend it. I set gun to 30 PSI on the regulator. Fill the cup. Screw it on tight, check pattern and GIVE ER! Also is a rare pic of the little rail with its pants off. Don
It works pretty well. With a rail there is often no good way to put the et on. I have a permanet car # on the carb scoop, (I checked with the local track to be sure they were happy with that first.) Then I have used the blackboard now for about 5 years. I believe it was a krylon blackboad spray I used. Still have the can in the shop but it has never needed a touch up. Sidewalk chalk is thick enuf to make clearly visable numbers. I have never even used up on piece yet in 5 years. I leave the chalk in the ashtray of my truck so I always have it. Should have it all back together in a hour or so. Don
Here it is all finished and istalled. I need to make a new metal windshield but that is a job for another day. I always quit when I am ahead. (The Cabbage Rule "Quit while you're a head") For those who dont know or remember the body (ie hood) used to follow the top frame rail exactly. I raised it up with a firewall extension and a new hood. I believe it looks a bit more traditional. Paint turned out better then I thought possible. Thank you Dupli-color premixed laquer. Don
Here is a better photo. I worked on the metal windshield this afternoon. I have it rough cut and fitted. Have a busy day tomorrow but perhaps if I get quiet before 3 PM I will get that done too. I have really enjoyed this whole deal and am happy with how it is to this point. Don
Done! Finished. Windscreen deflector installed. Would rather not have used it but it is in the rule book. Anyway I am liking the new look. Don
with todays weather in the hi ninties I decided to "oven bake" the new paint. I also installed a set of black panels for the car number to be scribed on with the white shoe polish type markers used at the track. I had asked and recieved permssion previously to run a permanent number SRD1 and had put it on the scoop sides but the number of times it got missed was frustrating . The final straw was a week ago last fri when I went to the test and tune. I had the new panel on and had shot it with one coat but the colour was darker. I ran it anyway. As i pulled up into the staging lanes the official walked over and wrote the number 050 ON MY NEW FRESHLY PAINTED PANEL!!!!!!!!. He then noticed the proper number on the hood scoop and just shrugged and grinned. I made these panels up and painted them for using whatever number they give me. I am checking now to see where on the car I can carry a baseball bat ;>) I do not plan to put any names or decals on the new body. Don
The Jalopy Journal
