Looking for photos, plans, design ideas and/or suggestions for a early 60's style dragster push bar for mounting on the front of an otherwise stock '55 Chevrolet. Going for a particular look for show purposes, but if I can build it to be functional and not butcher the car in the process, I'd like that too. Thanks for the help!
Push bar, as in you are going to use your stock '55 Chevy to push start a dragster? Or a nerf bumper instead of the stock bumper?
To clarify, it's a '55 Nomad wagon. Back in the day, many A fuel cars were towed and pushed by wagons, so I know it's been done before, just having a hard time finding photos, etc. of this particular set up. I don't have a vintage rail/cackle car (at least not at this point) so it won't be put into actual service any time soon, but that's the set up I'm going for.
Ok, that's what it sounded like. Ticketey said it best, wood is good! Check out the Drag Cars in Motion thread. Tons of support vehicles in there. Often, the backgrounds in the pix are as interesting as the subject. Nomad, eh? Gotta throw a vintage cooler and toolbox in the back, just in case dragster team needs a hand!
It should be fairly easy to make a simple push bar using something more decorative than just a plank of wood, like the Surfer's car above. Maybe rounded corners with thick rubber matting applied to it. Instead of removing the bumper horns, fabricate aluminum brackets that could be used to just drop the push bar into place. It does't really sound like it has to be functional, so that would be the easiest thing to do. If that idea is't for you, then fab up some brackets that bolt to the existing frame/bumper brackets, drop down and back up I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
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