Dragster frames........picture thread.

Getting back to the Woody front end. When I had my dragster shop with the late Pete Ogden. He told me he was the one that started the trick double shear front radius rod brackets. Dose that sound correct Riceman? He worked at Woody's the same time as Paul. Paul worked for me at my motorcycle shop. He did some welding for me for a coulpe of months. But I lost track of him after that. Keep up the good work as a historian of these early front engine dragsters. Somebody has to make sure the rich history of these race cars is passed down to future generations!!!

 

One under construction...



















J Shaw

 

Daddy Donnies ...D.Long inspired digger....KILLER!!





T.H.

 

Help for model frames to,Thanks

 

You are correct. Paul talked to Pete to come to work at Woodys. Another Pete Ogden idea was the 1/2 cresent bellcrank up front . First version was a link going to the right steering arm with a one piece tie rod. Then next was the 2 piece tie rod from then on. Have a nice holiday and don't let Pete Jensen blow up Condor's motor ! LOL

 

BITCHIN ! Here is mine when I first rolled it out. One of those moments you never forget.

 

porknbeaner, I left that all way behind and moved way beyond it, I'm enjoying this thread seeing the old blueprints, the old found, and the new old under construction cars, I'd like to build a legal car like Kerry built but maybe a little shorter.

 

In response to MARK GRANTS unidentified chassis, the late John Shoemaker built chassis starting in '65 or so...many of which had the double downtube and laid back style roll cage such as this (if it is the original tubing around the roll cage)...he built chassis for Gary Ormsby, Frank Martinez (the worlds fastest mexican), etc.... Just a thought as you embark on your journey for identification....search the tubes around the cage for any SEMA tags or stamps....




T.H.

 

thats a nice frame

 

This is true...Northrop Aircraft Company pioneered heli-arc to fabricate the unsuccessful XP-56 "Black Bullet" fighter plane, a radical pusher-driven plane, built out of magnesium, which powered with regular arc welding...Northrop abandoned the plane after several hair-raising flights, but heliarc welding survived it to become the standard for alloy and specialty metals.

 

Not a Shoemaker Chassis, sorry, more of a "Yardstick Mystery Eng." home built. If that chassis was built after the SEMA rules came out in 1966, a split tube roll bar was not allowed along with the mounting plates for the rearend housing. If you buy a chassis without history of somekind, you have welded tubing and that is it.

 

I belong to more than few forums, and by far this has been the best thread I have ever read. It's rare that I'll read more than a page or three but I read every page of this sucker and enjoyed every minute of it. It took me most of the day because of other things (it being Christmas eve) but I was determined to see it through. What an educational trip through the past.

I actually remember some the articles and cars from my misguided youth.

To all that contributed - THANK YOU !!

Doodah

 

It would be cool to see more of the body work on the cars also, I love what the guys did with the tin work, I really dig the full bodied cars! Awesome post!

 

Didnt say it was a Shoemaker rail...just throwin out the idea...

When you say a split tube roll bar wasnt allowed after 66, do you mean the downtubes in the back? OR are you reffering to the continuation of the main rollbar hoop down to the bottom rail? I dont have any sema rulebooks layin around the shop... Cars like Schultz and Glenn's last Tuttle built chassis had double downtubes and that was in '71?






T.H.

 

Sorry for not being clear. I was talking about the Front Main Roll Cage Hoop as one continuous bent tube. Jim Davis cars also had twin rear upright helmet hoops. As for the Mystery dragster chassis, the front axle is shaped like a Fuller Magicar type or a SPE.

 

Here is a copy I have of the 1966 SEMA Chassis Specs

 

The 2 piece or split front main hoop.

 

This is how my new chassis looks at the moment. I took these in late November and had hoped to have the body done by Christmas but I just got back from 3 weeks in Australia sorting out some family stuff.
Motor is Dan Horan's 417 Donovan (along with his Ti can and clutch assy) so once the body is done I need to do a dry sump tank as well as the fuel tank. Still hoping to debut at the March Meet if I can get it done in time to license before the event.

Roo

 

lookin killer rooman....that was a comfortable proper fitting chassis when i sat in it...cant wait to see this finished....




T.Hilton

 

It may be in a post here, but. How and what are the critcal areas of measurement ? I'm 6'3'' 230# so I know I cannot fit in a lot of chassis's.

 

Although you would not fit the average frame you are not so large that you would need to change much in the way of dimensions. I am 6'1" and 200# and have plenty of room in my car which is 19.5" wide inside the shoulder hoop. If the lower rails on my car were dropped a couple of inches the car could be built at the same overall height and still fit you. I only raised the back up on mine to be able to see past the blower and hat. The next car up on my jig is for a guy who is 6'5" and 250# and although he is big across the shoulders and needs a 23" inside hoop we should still be able to make the car look good. Due to the fact that he will be running a carbureted motor we will be able to keep the height within reasonable limits too.

Roo

 

I am just over 28 inches at the shoulder and just around 300#. I also have a severley broken left ribcage so I have absolutley no hope of getting into a 23 or 24 inch wide car. I wanted to feel the wind one more time and play with my old time favourite engine the slant six so I built this car to fit ME.
I get a few comments from people (third hand) about how big the roll bar and seat are but when I am sitting in it they understand. This picture by the way was moments before the car's very first run. I still grin when I think about it.
When I built the Jeep altered I redsigned the rolbar style to a bit more modern approach. I can still get in and out although it is a bit harder. I may build another rail with that exact style bar just so I dont get the comments but then, maybe not. I am having fun, it works , is safe. No one else drives it anyway. Make sure your car fits YOU. I have two friends who can not get into their cars now comfortably and know another racer who probably doesnt need seat belts once she is in. They almost need a crane to get her out.

 

KOOL thread!

 

Nice work Rooman. I was over at Brendan's and I took a look at what you did with his chassis. I would be knocking at your door if I was going N/TF racing. I have a few questions 1) Is there a 9'' Ford rearend in the car above (2.25'' Pinion height)? 2) How far is the motor out, 36'' ? 3) In comparision, my 1964 Woody car has the motor out 21'', 6 degrees down to a 8 3/4 (1.75'' Pinion height), Beebe & Mulligan 1968 Woody is 30'' out, 3.5 degrees down to a 8 3/4 rearend, is the motor location level in your chassis ? 4) if the motor had some down angle, aka Tampa Dump, wouldn't tend to "Load" the motor more ?

 

Damn Riceman, I could look at your car all day long. Very nice.

 

No Drooling and driving ! Here how my chassis started.

 

awesome stuff! Thanks for the pics guys

 

Some more. The complete 8 3/4'' Mopar rearend as seen is from the last Front Engine Top Fuel Dragster that Don Long built for owner Dan Horan. Dan Horan updated his Don Long Fueler with a 9'' Ford rearend. This is the same car he crashed at Bakersfield last year. I had to make angle bracket adapters to make it fit on to my Woody Chassis since I didn't want to cut the ones off this historic piece. Woody Chassis taper in 11 degrees top to bottom tubes at the motorplate. The 7 1/2'' deep Donovan Aluminum Bellhousing is from Rich Guasco. Rich ran this on his Pure Hell AA/Fuel Altered when he switched to a 392 Hemi instead of the SBC. I have a 4130 Heat Treated .090'' liner in it from Mike Kuhl. I fudged some on the rearend on my car, which should have an early 50-54 small Olds rearend with a M/T mag third member and airheart brakes. Trying to find and paying BIG bucks for a M/T Mag 8 3/4 third member was a search that lasted for months. I almost had one for $2000.00. My wife said I was Nuts, so I made a adapter ring for the cast iron third member out of a 6'' diameter x 1'' thick piece of aluminum. Cutting and grinding to make it fit over the front of the Mopar third member. There are 2 set screw pins that locate the ring at the top and a locking 3/8-24 set screw at the bottom that threads into a tapped hole. I then drilled and tapped the ring for 6, 3/8-24 bolts for the pinion support mounting plate. I painted it a dark cast color and done deal. Pete Eastwood was checking out my car at the CHRR and asked where I found the M/T third member. I told him to take a closer look. "Nice work Riceman" said Pete. Too Cool !

 

More Holiday Treats ! All parts of the puzzle. I used a hack saw, belt sander and a 1/2 round bastard file to fit the tubing with the thankfull teachings from Kent Fuller, Paul Sutherland and Pat Foster. The tubing was positioned with plastic zip ties with the centerlines marked with a Sharpe pin. The whole chassis was on the Fixture Jig this way and then tacked together.

 

Thanks Roger.
The motor in my car is 36" out (same as Curley's Long) and half a degree down. The rear end is a Strange fab housing 9", the same as the one in Brendan's car. I have found with most cars that raising the motor loads the tire harder as the CG is higher. Brendan's is 43" out and it seems to work OK like that. I may have to add some ballast if we start to get after it tune-up wise once I learn how to drive again. It has been a few years since I made a lap in a front motor car (Vaught only lets me ride around the pits in his) so we are going to start out soft. I will have the added weight of the dry sump tank up front and may end up with both fire bottles ahead of the motor as well so that should help.

Roo