I took the frame to the NHRA Division5 inspector in Wichita tonight. He almost immediately stated that there was no way he could certify the chassis. Evidently current rules state that the bottom tube must be continuous all the way to the back. The dragmaster style chassis has a break with a couple of pieces of vertical tube where the axle slides in and mounts. There's no good way to resolve it to thier satisfaction without really screwing it up so that's that. I'll just be running at non NHRA tracks. Their loss. While towing it and looking at it in the rear view mirror I noticed that I has not welded the top two front dzus plates in symetrically (spelling?) :-( I'm not going to change it now. It kind of fits how things have been going. A recent storm with a bunch of wind shook the shop enough to knock a rocker****embly I had hanging on the wall off. You guessed it. It landed on the top body aluminum panel. Instant patina. :-/ It's not to bad but it bugs me. To top it off I got a call on the way home a good friend passed away. I worked for him years ago detailing cars. Heavy sigh. I was going to finish rebuilding the second rocker arm****embly tonight but I just didn't have it in me. Tomorrow is another day and I'm sure things will look better then. On the upside I ordered the piecrusts from Cody at Hurst this morning.
The good news is that even through the proverbial***** storm you can still see the light. Really what I mean is that you have a badass chassis you're gonna have a badass engine and best of all the first time you get to hop in it and make a run all these troubles will melt away! Keep on a truckin!!!
Man I hate to hear about your bud and the way things are going, i do got to admit though we are very fortunate to be able to run some of the stuff that gets run at the drags. You get NHRA invloved and alot of cars aint gonna pass, especially the old style dragsters Rusty
Kerry, sorry to hear about your buddy - never easy. Everything else sorta pales in comparison - puts things in perspective don't it. Keep on truckin' !!! It'll get better!
No Hot Rods Allowed Vern was definitely a car guy. His pride and Joy was a 53 Kaiser 2 door Club Coupe. I'm a christian and so was he so I know I'll see him again. Still hurts.
hang in there kerry, he was a car guy, and he would want you to keep plugging away. get that thing together.
Sorry about your bud Kerry. Nevermind NHRA. Keep on it man, your doing fine. You'll see, it will all work out. Prayers and well wishes from Lippy and family.
keep at it mate, life has it's ups and downs, but we all get 24 hours in a day, make yours count.... Like racing, keep your feet 'into-it', don't back off, you're doing good, keep that candle inside burning bright, you're headed the right direction, that's all you got to remember. From your brothers this side of the pond, Drewfus
Thanks for keeping us up to date on the digger project Kerry. This dovetails with the thread that was all a buzz last month about building a vintage dragster to meet NHRA safety specs nicely. First I question the inspectors statement about the main rail needing to be one continous piece of tubing. There are any number of dragsters currently running at NHRA national events, right up to and including Top Fuel, that have been either front halved or back halved. Some dragster designs have heavier tubes from the drivers capsule back and lighter tubing foward of that area. How do you do that with one piece of pipe? I would have felt better if he had made comments about head restraint tubes, kidney bars, protection under the seat, and the like. It seems to me he was blowing smoke so he wouldn't be the one with his name on the inspection form. I know there are special exceptions for vintage rails to make exhibition runs at the nostalgia events. Now I know thats not what you were planning, but I'm surprised he didn't offer that level of certification to you. Now to all those who have asked "why bother with NHRA at all", let me say this. I'm one of the most outspoken guys on the planet about how the Mr Compton and his gang of "suits" have screwed up NHRA over the last 15 years. BUT, for those of us who were there at the beginning and have stayed********** racers and fans, there's something special about NHRA and drag racing. I only wish I was a better wordsmith so I could say it in such a way that it would make sense to you younger guys. It's just not easy to turn my back on something that has been part of my life for over 50 years.
Very good points Rich. Welded together is ok. It's the gap I have where my rear axle slides up into that's the issue. I'll take a pic tonight. He did point out that the back part of the cage looked fine, kidney bars, helmet, etc... Any nibbles on Pinochio?
Press on my good man !! I'm really sorry to hear about your buddy !! Can't wait to make some noise >>>>.
Kerry, the magic words are "SHOW ME THE SPEC RULE!" If he didn't, he didn't do his job other than saying NO Way. Did he or you have a current NHRA rule book in your hands ? I never saw that rule in there. What e.t. did you say you were going to run ? Let the games begin.
There is plenty of drag racing that has little to do with NHRA if that's what it comes to. Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no. Seriously though. There is plenty of room for interpretation in the rule book. You'll get different answers from inspectors. That's not a dig on them. I'm sure they'd like the rules to be clear as well.
Kerry, first of all sorry for the loss of your friend. As to the dragster tech, The guy in Cali. with the gold dragmaster car, how does he do it? Maybe go back in you pics and see what he has done. I think his name is Tommy Osborne maybe you can google it and find pics if you dont have any. I my self have bad mouthed the NHRA on things, but the bottom line is safety. And me having a non legal car shure puts the hurt on my ability to go racing. I have a NHRA track 30 minutes from my house. But bothe of the Non-NHRA tracks I can run at are 2 1/2 hours away. 5 hrs of driving or 1 hr. Keep your head up and keep plugging away at it. You will figure it out. And also your right. If you dont get tagged for NHRA tracks, "their loss". Brian
It's really a downer to have the No Hot Rods Anymore tell you your chassis won't pass tech, been there. In my case the cage really was junk, but I think they are more for covering their****es than letting well built cars run reasonable speeds.
Well, our family just got back from our yearly Colorado camping trip. Good medicine. Some 4wd roads, some trout fishing, and some vegging with the family. I got back to find the pie crusts from Cody waiting for me. Better medicine yet!!! No, the inspector guy did not quote a spec but showed me a picture in his book. It was current. Somewhere I have a picture of the car Tommy drives. Quite a different setup. If I can find the pics I'll post them. No games for me Riceman. Screw 'em! Like I was sharing with a friend on a PM, this is rather freeing. I don't have to sweat what NHRA says now about meeting the letter of their law, not to say I'm not going to do my best to build her right and safe. I found out right before I left on our trip that I "get" to carry the pager this week. That means no KKOA this weekend. I'm trying to be a glass half full guy and am thinking of what I can get done this next weekend between pages.
Digger Dan Horan SR. spent near 10k upgrading his fed >>>they saved his life!!!...72 don long chassis
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