Hot Rods ANTIQUE Engine Class @ Nostalgic Drags???

OK, here goes "another Great idea"......in my mind, at least.

I run a Flathead Ford V8 engines at these "Nostaglia" Drag Races that are being held and am looking for more "like minded folks" to run thier old obsolete Flatheads....and now, Antique Overhead Engines....(Hey, I would love to just have a "bunch" of ol Flatheads to play with, but that isn't happening.)

Now how does a person generate interest for some of us that run these outdated designed engines .....to actually get them to take them down the track????

Facts are Facts.....the Small Block Chevy changed the world in 1955....instant obsolescence for the old Flatheads, Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, Chryslers(ok,this one is is another argument?) and such stuff a Packard V8's.....Go look at most of the cars that are running at these "Nostalgia" events....85% of them are small/big block Chevy engines(hey, I even have some). But, I don't want to run a "Sea of sbc's"......and have to make 20 passes in the process with my Flathead(shoot fire, don't know if I could keep one going that many times in a day!!!). I have talked to several other early engine folks and feel that there "might" be a chance of some of these folks actually going out and having some fun if they don't have to run against the "belly button" engine crowd.....hey, Facts are Facts, the sbc is a superior designed powerplant for drag racing!(did I really say that in public?)

Soooo, here's my idea of how to make this work better than what is being done now.

"ANTIQUE ENGINE HOT RODS AND RACE CARS"with Engines "designed" before 1954(ie: no sbc's, .....but all that "other weird stuff....)
Flatheads, Inline 6/8's, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Dodge/Desoto/Chrysler wedge and hemi's, Y Block Fords and other "oddball" stuff, like Packards would qualify.
One class for 13 seconds and slower and another for 12.99 and faster(pick the numbers?) must make at least one time trial run and that would be your dial in number(trying to get rid of sandbagging and professional bracket guys this way??)....you can dial in "faster" but not slower.
This would also keep a really fast car from running against a 20 second stocker that would be more consistant than the faster one?

So far a couple of the groups around here have shown interest to start such a setup at the races and it wouldn't be that hard to pull off time wise and class wise....Now would be a good time to speak up if you like the idea......
So, what do you say Kathy(Kisam) lets get Tuffy back out and run 'er against other oldie engines. Kerry, would love to see ya bring another Hemi on down, Danny/Rusty, ya'll still have an ol Caddy?....etc, etc.....(and to "not let Hot Rod Bill out of this post".....NOOO, you can't come play.....hahaha)

 

So you want to eliminate 265's but allow far superior 303 olds's, 291 desotos, and 331 hemi's??

 

Where is this race? I've got vintage power

Tony

 

How bout if your car runs in the 30 to 35 sec range lol

 

Yes, as a matter of fact....it is a part of the 85% group that "already is" representated....

Lets see now, the last time I looked for sbc parts, I even found them on my local Craigs list.....but Desoto parts????...gimme a break.

Just trying to get "Nostalgia" engines back to having some fun.....and I personally really like 265's.....

And the playing field is already set up for big vs small antique engines in this senario

 

Son of a gun, that really does look like "siamesed" center ports on the heads!.....cool ride!!!

 

Cale,
Thats why the two tier set up....So I don't have to run "your" Model A engine anymore.....hahaha

 

NHRA used to lump flathead V-8, inline/opposed 6, inline/opposed 4, staight 8 in one class. Could be interesting now days. You'd probably have to weed out anything newer than ???? and VW's.

Maybe a different class for pre 1955 style OHV V-8s.
Larry T

 

get ahold of Dimitri he's trying to get the UFRA going again on the left coast and maybe into the ionisphere................. but sounds good to me anything that gets us out and smelling rubber again is OK...........

 

the Antique Nationals have always had a flathead class. serious gofast flatties heads up and a bracket class for the poorer and slower ones. like me

 

Alright now Tony thats just not fair...

 

Ryan,
I have been a proponent of Heads Up for years!....Kept working on the 3w coupe to keep making it faster and faster(what I always thought old timey Drag Racing was about).....THEN the blower on the little 296 Flathead put me into the sbc/bbc chevy class running against 454 big blocks.....gee whiz, talk about not working?

And now, with my goal of "going faster with a Flathead", I build the Flathead FED....again, where does this fit???....still got an obsolete engine that I really don't want to run as hard as I would a sbc(sure a lot more time building a one off Flathead than "any" sbc that I've ever owned....no, I'm not whining...."just the facts M'am")

I just think that something like this would bring some folks out that usually wouldn't even think about running some 20 other cars in the "normal 85%" category.....(like Kathy in Tuffy with the hemi)

I go to the trouble "to spend 4 times the time and 4 times the money" to "go slower than a sb chevy".....never said common sense was my top priority....haha. Just think it may prove to be an interesting field of "other" cars that might like to come out and play.

Index isn't one of my favorite words, either.....it begs for sandbagging!....
.....and then to the cu in breakdowns.....how do you know the guy with the 265 isn't really a 383?.....now we are gonna have to really see what size that engine is....ackkkkk
I'm thinking that my proposed idea is the simple one???

Soooo, here you could bring the little Flathead A Coupe to DOTD and run some other like cars(yes, I would prefer a Flathead only class)

There ya go.....another assho.......ummm, I mean opinion(talk to ya soon on the "other thingie")

 

Now, this is what I like to hear.....positive attitude towards this subject....
never said my idea is the correct one, but I think it is leaning the right direction.....
Thanks Carl

 

Son of a gun.....more thoughts that aren't in the 85 percentile

 

I wonder what Casey would have said....

 

Love it.....just trying to see if something would work everywhere....it seems real hard to get folks around here to bring out thier Flatheads to make some runs with them....and it's a long drive to go to the West coast.....and again as to the "bracket class".....that's why I say, run your "fastest" time trial time......keep out the gamers(I know, I know, some will just run a slower time trial to cheat here.....but ya have to start somewhere)

Heading home now.....Thanks for the input, thus far.....I'll check this again tomorrow for "hate mail"....hahaha

 

Now don't go putting words in my mouth, you'll never hear me badmouthing Bowties. But I do realize that they're not the only thing out there.

 

Ackkkkkk, that was always the constant bantering between Casey and I.....he liked brackets and I was always heads up.....ackkkkk, what has happened to me????

By the way, for folks that knew Casey, "his valves" are the ones in the Flathead FED.....keeping part of him with us going down the track(albiet, a bit faster than him.....miss ya C)

Now, I'm going home!

 

What???

 

Want to dust off those old Flatheads, Inlines, etc. and go to a Nostalgic Drags then come join us at the Niftee50ees, Second Ever, Nostalgic Drags and Rod Run which will be held at the Lonestar Motorsports Park which is located 5 miles west of Sealy, TX on I-10 this Saturday, March 3rd starts at 8:00AM. For complete details go to; www.niftee50ees.com. click on Car Shows and then scroll down to the 9 fliers with details. We will be running dragsters with flatheads, all flatheads, inliners in their own seperate groups

 

Now here ya go.....and yes, I'm coming down your way Friday....whoo hooooo

 

This made me laugh - the argument continues - brackets forever! He thought Little River was a circle track with an occasional pit stop for beer!

"I go to the trouble "to spend 4 times the time and 4 times the money" to "go slower than a sb chevy".....never said common sense was my top priority....haha."

So very true Skotz! I was shocked at the money I put in that Hemi, but I still love it! You can't put a price on "cool" and I'll hammer it when I get all the bugs out. I'm really good at breaking stuff!


That being said, I like the way you think. I would like to see the more obsolete engines, "in a league of their own." Cause Hot Rod Bill will spank us all!

I'm curious, how many serious flatheads are being put together in Texas right now? I think we need a bunch of Flatty powered FED's.
I'm still gathering parts and plan to start in April on the build as soon as the OT stops at work.

 

Ahaaaa, my "Favorite Girl Hero" chimes in.....and yes folks she just announced to the HAMB world that she will be building a Flathead FED.....Whooo Hooooo

Soooo, who else out there in the Texas Area gonna build a Flathead Race Car so we can just have our own class.....MARC.....ya out there???(secret to y'all....Marc is building a Flathead FED, and gonna park his sbc racer truck......hahahaha.....the "sickness" continues.

Now as to that Hot Rod Bill "comment".....don't be letting him read it....his head is swollen way outta shape already...haha

 

I'm with Ryan here, or almost. Why not 2 flathead classes, one blown and one normally aspirated, and two for anything but a SBC (which i normally run) again one blown and one normally aspirated, under 400 cu. in. with casting dates 1964 or earlier (allowing the 389 Pontiac, 394 olds, 390 ford, Caddy, etc). Limit wheelbase to (whatever). Rules definitely need to be developed and implemented, THEN ENGRAVED IN A LARGE STONE! Oh, and by the way, if you don't like being out run by a belly button, you probably won't like being outrun by the hemi's either so outlaw them too.

 

Man, I didn't know about the Sealy drags or I'd be in with my twin flathead fiat coupe! I gotta stay tuned up for these old time drags. Count me in on this flat head deal.

 

Oh and by the way, bracket racing ain't f....n racing. Whoever thinks it is must have never been to a Race. Or maybe they're just stupid!

 

It's a drive from Texas to Illinois, but we have the 3rd annual Meltdown Drags on July 21-22 in Byron, IL at Byron Dragway. The track is open only to Meltdown Participants that weekend and cars must meet our criteria.

Last year we had 140 cars from 11 states show up in the rain. The rain cleared, the track dried, and we raced until dark. We realistically expect double that this year.

The rules are
1- Only vintage equipment (specifically hood scoops, wheels, graphics)
* this means no snorkel hoods, big cowls, pro stars, draglites, centerlines, and no modern steel wheels. If you have these components you are put in the car show. Reproductions of vintage wheels and new wheels with a vintage appearance are allowed

2- bodied cars must be 1966 or older.

3- No whining.


I think this event is really up your guys' alley. The track promotors and owners did not put this together. A group of really great guys and the Fugitives Drag Race Club put this event together. It IS the vintage drag meet put together BY vintage drag racers.

It's only heads-up match racing. You find your opponent. So if you have a flathead dragster and see another guy with a flathead dragster... go race him. And yes there are flatheads, Y-blocks, Wedges, Hemis, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, 6 cylinders, SB Chevies, and BB Chevies at the event. If you don't want to run against a Chevy... don't. However, you will find a lot of 283, 301, and 327 Chevies that you may make an exception for.

There are cars running anything from pump gas to nitro.

This is what the staging lanes looked like.



2011 Meltdown Drags. Hartman's Hand Grenade (301- 4 speed) vs the madman

Plus, Kinnamon and his Flying Flathead need some more dragsters to beat. He built this stroker flathead that runs on 10% nitro. Any takers?

(this pic is from a test and tune day)

 

You are missing the point(for instance, my blown 3w is street driven, lumping it in with the FED that is 1/4 mile only doesn't fit either, .....if you are running heads up)....I'm not saying that I don't like being outrun by a belly button....I'm saying that there are a lot of older designed engines that come with thier own set of "antiquated" problems that don't really fit well up against "the belly button".

As to the Hemi's, I sure as hell "DON'T" want to outlaw them!!!.....read it again.....I want to run them.....DIAL IN TO YOUR "FASTEST" TEST TIME.....no hitting the danged brakes to win at the top end(never has been my style.....run a car as fast as it will go....this just "may" equalize the playing field amongst the oldie engine crowd).

Shoot fire, I would love it if something like the UFRA(United Flathead Racing Association) could gain some ground....then this whole post would be a moot point, as far as I am concerned.

I'm just joining up with "some other antiquated old engines" to see if we can have some fun together, in our own way. It would be much easier for me to put one of the sbc's, that "are" in my shop, in my car and go racing.....THAT is not the point here. I wish there were more classes and everything "WAS" heads up.....But, it just doesn't work with a handful of classes that is the common situation now.....just trying to find middle ground.....and getting folks to discuss it hopefully will get all of us there.....

Thanks for your input

 

Don,
"pm" me your email and phone #....I'll do my best to keep ya informed.....heard that you made the THAW