Projects Austin Somerset Gasser Build (DragNasty)

The videographer has my accent...
"Pull da wheelz offda groun in secon gear!"

 

Yep Dad goes a bit Cajon when ever he gets excited! LOL

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"NewNasty" (as we have been calling her lately) will make her drag strip debut this weekend at Ozark Raceway Park. Friday June 30th we will be out for a few test and tune runs (weather permitting) and then Saturday:

 

You going to be at Mo-Kan Friday night?

 

Nope...Rogersville. I figure it is a good idea since we are racing there the next day.

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Weather not looking good for test n tune tomorrow...looks like we head to the race Saturday untested.

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Don't feel bad if I make it down Saturday it will be the first time the car has ran since the hambs.

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Hey Randell congrats on your day at Ozark, I heard about the little gremlin pulling the fan relay out "that's a bumber" but still you should be proud

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Well the "NEWnasty" finally made it to the drag strip this weekend. As advertised we hit the Ozark's Drag Racer Reunion at Ozark Raceway Park Saturday afternoon. We had planned to test n tune Friday so we could show up Saturday and put a on a good show for the fans etc. But it was poring rain when I left for work that morning so I couldn't take the car with me. Then I ended up having to work late and by the time I got off had no energy to go all the way home, load the car and then all the way back to the strip etc. So we just didn't go.

I hated it because we really needed a couple of drag strip launches and a pass or two. While Elm and Hines Streets here in town were fun and felt really good, they are no replacement for a sticky starting line etc. It was driving me nuts all morning as we nut and bolt checked the whole car etc. We made it to the track about 2 p.m., found ourselves a lucky spot in the shade and unloaded the Austin. The new digs were an immediate hit as we spent the next hour or so visiting with fans (the real reason we go).

After hearing gas coupes and sedans being called to the staging lanes I got strapped in and we headed that way. There appeared to be about 12 cars in the class and I was excited to find myself one car behind the Okie Twister (which was about to make the first pass of the day). As we rolled forward out of the lanes and to the start line, I made a decision. There is not a more experienced gasser driver out there than "Hoolie", so I decide to watch what he does off the start. If he comes off wheels up and flying I will try and do the same. The tree counts down for him and from my vantage point it appears to be a very soft launch but straight run. Dad turns to me and shows me 6 - 9 on his hands.

The next set of cars are staging as I roll through the water box. My hand slipped off the line lock in the burnout but I had enough wheels speed in second to basically just sit there and heat the tires a bit. I rolled to the line and decided to stick with the plan, just pop the clutch and go (no hard launch). The lights count down, I release the clutch on the last yellow and the Austin responds as expected.



It pulled very hard and straight but the second gear change was crazy. It had already proved on the street that it really likes second gear. Multiply that by about 10. When I grabbed second it put itself on the bars again and held them there a bit! "holy f@#king sh*t!" it was an awesome ride! Sorry for the language there but thats what it felt like from the seat of my pants. The wheels were only up for a couple seconds but it felt like half the track. I must have said that little phrase about 4 times before they touched again. I grabbed third and pulled them about 6" again.





It was wrapping out in 3rd and as I started to reach for 4th gear, I could see it would be dead nuts on the 1/8 mile marker so I didn't shift. Time slip read 6.51 @ 112 mph. The car did really well, it got up to 220 degrees at the end of the run but immediately dropped back to 200 on the trip back to the pits.

Time for the second pass, I was really excited because I was lined up against the Okie Twister (what a killer photo op). However one the cars ahead of us allowed a car to change lanes in front of them (probably to set up a little grudge match between buddies). No problem except that moved us up one car and I wound up beside the same pick up as the first run....Oh Well!



Went a little harder on the launch, grabbed another hard second etc. Ran 6.44 at 115 mph.




We got a little hot on that run. I killed the computer after crossing the 1/8 mile mark (this kills the engine but keeps the fans and water pump running. I coasted down to the last turn out and sat for a bit watching the temp gauge. It only took a few seconds and we were back close to the 200 mark. I fired it up and made a blast back to the pits. When I got there I did the same thing, left the water pump and fans running. After getting out, I notice only one of the radiator fans is working (that would explain it). So knowing we have at least an hour we decide to let it cool down a bit before getting in there to see what is going on.

With about 30 minutes or so before first round call we started to try and diagnose our issue. I double checked the ground and it was still hooked up (in fact both fans are ground together). Some how we managed to get away from the shop with out an electric tester box so I am sort of blind. Just to make sure the fan motor wasn't burned up etc., I cut the wires and switched them. We flipped on the switch and it worked. So it was obviously wiring. I start crawling under the dash to check the relay when they call Gas Coupe and Sedan to the staging lanes for round one. Wow...that was fast!

I ran back around, wired the fan back up that was working with a quick twist and tape job. I unplugged the head lights and jumped the hot wire over to the fan that was not working (with the same cut, twist and tape job). Dad pulls the head light switch but nothing happens. I said get in and hit the dimmer switch. He jumps in but still nothing. I am like what the hell? So I decide to try and run both fans off the one relay etc. I jump the hot wire over to it. Dad flips the switch and neither fan comes on. I am like what is going on? I said is the power switch on...I can tell by the look on Dad's face that he had flipped it off! He flips it on and both fans are running. I jump in and fire the car. I have already heard at least two passes. I am buckling up when I see Dad giving me an exaggerated cut throat motion. I kill the car and he comes around to say the fans are not running. So we give in. I walk up to tell them we are not making the call.

It was a shame but we were not too disappointed as it had to be considered a very successful first outing. So still grinning from the earlier success we loaded up and headed for a steak house! LOL

 

NO MORE BUNNY HOP. That is a success right there.

 

Yes, before we loaded it up I crawled under the dash to finish the investigation I had started and sure enough one of the relays had come unplugged. The harder second launch must have shook it loose. I am going to zip tie all of them in place this week so no more of that nonsense! We are going to try really hard to get to MOKAN this weekend and make a full 1/4 mile pass before heading to the Meltdowns. But we are very happy with it at the moment.

 

6.44 would be right around 10.00 for the quarter.

 

Yep...that is what the math says. I am looking forward to testing it with my combination. We have a really high rear gear (3.50). As it stands we will be 115 mph plus at half track and ready to shift into 4th gear. That is my favorite gear as it pulls crazy hard there as well. No matter what the ET, we are going to be hauling the mail out the back gate!

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....and one more gear waiting if we need it!

 

Looking forward to seeing this car in person in Byron.

 

I'll be at Byron all day Saturday and Sunday morning, looking forward to it !

 

I will be se up in the swap meet selling 50s 60s and early 70s car magazines

 

So there we stand yesterday with the Austin up on the rack, 5 days till we load and leave for the Meltdowns, staring at the wheelie bars. If you watched the video from last weekend our test passes were straight and fast. However the launch is fairly violent. It appears the Austin has the wheels up on every shift but that is not exactly what is going on. I only made two gear changes and blasted through the 1/8 mile marker in 3rd. The second wheels up in that video the car is still in 1st gear. The car hit the wheelie bars so hard that it slammed the front end back down. It recovered alright but I would sure like to launch the car with out this turbulent disruption.

Obviously my rigid mounted wheelie bars are the issue. They need some movement back there, some way to absorb that launch shock instead of simply slamming it back through the car. Over the past week I have been thinking about the situation and have had several theories bouncing around my head. Everything from adding shock absorbers or coil springs or a combination of both or even somehow working a quarter elliptic leaf spring system to it etc. etc. etc.

Saturday we are staring at it in person ready to actually lay hands on the situation. After quite a bit of contemplation we decided the last thing we need to do is start from scratch 5 days out. What we came up with I think is pretty innovative and extremely non-invasive to current system. Take a look:


1. Current system attach above and below the rear axle housing with heims ends. It is a rigid wheelie bar with the wheels approximately 6" off the ground. It would be nice if it had some kind of rotation as indicated by the arrow, but there is none.
2. With the top bars unhooked at wheel mount, the bottom with will rotate. This was the original idea, strengthening the lower bar and hooking some sort of shock absorber to it. After quite a bit experimentation rotating the lower assembly looking at possible mount points etc. I had another idea.
3. If we added an extension to the upper mount we could achieve rotation without changing any of the mounting points on the housing or lengths of the bars etc.
4. With the mount in place, its lower hole in the original heims end point and the original heims end on the upper bar in the bracket's upper hole we are ready to test the rotation.
5. Now when we try to lift the wheelie bars (imitating contact with the racing surface upon launch etc.) the lower bars and wheels rotate up and attached to the new bracket the top bar now allows that rotation as it pushes forward.
6. With the movement theory now proved, all we have to do is figure out how to slow the rotation. I am thinking some kind of heavy spring attached to the lower bar and stretching up to the top of the rotating mounts. So we were off to the tractor supply store to see what might be available.

The beauty of this little plan is if it works things are awesome. If we are not happy with it absolutely nothing has been changed. Simply remove the bracket and put the rigid system right back in place as it was before, an operation that wouldn't even take 2 minutes...

 

I dont think its a wheelie bar problem. Its a instant center problem. The wheelie are for fine tuning. Check out a few sites on rear suspension tuning. With only five days left i would start there.

 

That is a very good thought Brian. But we have been there. Don't forget this is an old school ladder bar car and its instant center is right where we put it. It hits the rear tires like a banshee! It is performing exactly as planned, hang the wheels and go straight. However with the rigid bars with wheels 6" off the ground I think it simply hitting them too late and too hard. What I am hoping to do is (outside of removing them and risking something really stupid) is slow this process down a bit and while at the same time giving it a few more inches of movement. Without doing a bunch of math I feel like as much weight as we have up front, it is not going to take too much extra time up there for gravity to do its job. I may be wrong, we shall see. If I am, and you are correct, it will take a center adjustment either to the ride height of the ladder bars not TOO bad or more drastically, their length etc.

AND...our goals are probably not those of a serious drag racer, we are not trying to go any faster with these changes, I like the wheels up stuff, its all about the show. I wouldn't mind seeing it carry them past 60' something it would already be doing if it was not bouncing off the bars on the launch. Cause as soon as it recovers, they are right back up there but not hard enough to bounce off the bars etc.

 

I'm no suspension expert, but looking at your video, it looked to me like you were starting to lift the rear wheels as the whole car rotated on to the wheelie bars. Maybe lowering the wheels so they hit sooner, reducing the momentum of the rotation, or adding some weight to the front, to slow down the front end lift would help?


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Ladder bar cars are violent by nature. Short bars make it worse. Às dave said you can hang some weight up front like 50 lbs to start. If you have adjustable front shocks you can tighten them up to slow the lift. Ussually raising the front of the ladder bar increases lift. Dropping it down reduces lift. If you are out of holes in your brackets new brackets might be needed. I like wheelies to but not in second or third gear. By that time the car is getting some speed going. That makes for a dangerous situation compounded by a short wheelbase. Its a recepie for disaster. I would strongly think about moving the front mounting location. Looks like you are getting there.

 

Although it doesn't look to have much front suspension travel you could also try a limiter there.

 

David, that is exactly what it is doing. However it is not killing itself, you know. Even with the disrupted launch, it still has good 60' times. It just hits the bars initially and bounces the nose back down and then the torque lifts it up again but not hard or high enough to bounce a second time. It settles down just past the 60 foot mark and then in second, it pulls the wheels again for just a bit. In my opinion, it has plenty of weight up front, I just think it needs a bit more time to finish its initial launch rotation.

It is just a gut feeling on my part but I think the changes we made today are going to allow it to finish the launch. We have lowered the wheels almost 4 inches so they will hit much earlier but then under load from the springs they will travel to about 9" which is 3" deeper than the rigid set up before hitting the stop blocks. I am telling you, from the driver's seat the car is very close. It pulls hard and goes crazy straight with no effort.

 

Here is the new rotation we designed into the current wheelie bar system. The pieces are just roughed in to initially check alignment and etc.

 

So after I fabricated the two rotating brackets which included bump stops etc. We could see everything was going to move as predicted but it was all worthless with out springs (one on each side). They have to be pretty heavy and the way this system is designed they had to be a pull style. So off to the local tractor supply store. I figured there has to be some big spring they stock for some kind of implement etc.

I walked back to the parts counter and said I need a big ass spring. The guy asked what does it go on. Without missing a beat I said wheelie bars for a 1953 Austin Somerset. He didn't even flinch, which cracked me up. He said what style of spring? I said it needs to be a pull style. He said do you have any idea what kind of rate in needs to be. I said honestly I have no idea. He went to the back and returned with a pretty big, red spring. I said do you have anything a little larger and maybe in black. He said sure, which cracked me up again. Then he came back with these. I said perfect. He rang them up $10 each and we walked right back out. LOL


They are pretty strong, it took the "Come-along" carefully set up to pull them just enough to hook them in place.


Of course there is one spring on both sides and pull against the rotating bracket via a solid steel 9/16" bar that runs all the way across from leg to the other.

 

I am with Dave on this one. I would just put the bars closer to the ground and cut down on the rotation at the hit. As it is now the car gets a run at the bars, they hit and drive the front down, the front springs and the ladder bars both lift the front again and the cycle starts over. Watching the video I see that the tires spin pretty hard when the car rotates onto the bars and that may be because when the wheelie wheels hit the ground it sends a shock through the whole car. I would also put limiters on the front end so that the stored energy in the front springs does not contribute to the rotation. My mate Walt Herr's drag week 69 Camaro had a real wheelie problem until we tied the front end down with travel limiters. It still carries the front end at the launch but not 2-3' in the air. I would also "slip stripe" the rear tires with shoe polish so that you can get a better read of how hard and how long it spins at the hit.

Roo

 

May I suggest a length of 1/8th or so cable rooted through the springs and around mounting points with ends cable clamped together leaving enough slack for spring movement but containing spring should it break..I had a garage door spring let go once that was not contained almost bopping me in the head; you wouldn't want spring pieces hitting other cars or even spectators/track workers......

 

Good ideas and I agree. We have actually kept quite a bit of air in the slicks from the beginning hoping to make them slip a bit more (sort of emulating the conditions our old school chassis was trying to over come back in the day: crappy tires and slick tracks). Here is what the car does on a sticky track with normal "slick" air pressure:


The old Austin can sure plant the rear tires...LOL That was 14 pounds.

Just to clarify, we do not have a wheelie problem. At least not yet... We built the car to do exactly what it is doing. The only issue I am really trying to address is it hitting the rigid bars and disrupting the launch. We may have to resort to some of the excellent advice here like more weight up front, shorter ladder bars or lower front ladder bar mounts if it becomes too extreme. But for now it is pretty much doing exactly what we want it to do. However to be honest, at the track before we really started any engineering moves I would probably just launch it in second gear and likely solve all our problems.

 

I think that is a very good idea. Plus we can weave it around one of the bars as well so if it did happen to break it would stay with the car and not litter the track. Nice call.