I understand that, Brad. Especially if we run the cars at events like ANRA. Might have to schedule the HAMbsters early in the morning, before the crew lays the goo on the surface. Or run after the N/TF cars oil the track. They always oil the track. The Cokers aren't the only tires to hook up on a prepped track. It'll pull off slip on shoes if you try to run on it. I've seen crew guys lose Simpson Crew Shoes when the NHRA big show cars are on the track. But we're a creative bunch. We'll solve it. Even if we have to race on the return road. ha ha ha
Would it be sacrilegious to use a Ferd Ranger frame? There's an abandoned one I'm thinking about getting, if not for use, at least for a little s**** cash and community cleanup. Thanks, Kurt
The model A frame I could scrounge up, but I only have one of those 65 Fairlane 200 6 popper engines with the origional C4 I got for free. Damned newfangled ****. Around here a pre 62 6 popper, ****** and closed driveline/rear would be pretty damned hard to find and probably cost a grand or more if I could find one. And it would be rusted up solid from sitting in the field out back for 30 years. The days of picking up a running 53 pickup or 52 Chevy for a hundred bucks to scavenge the running gear are long gone I'm afraid. Those leaky smokers with no floorboards, rockers and fenderwells start at around 5 grand and go up from there fast
Phil, you've obviously never driven the return road at MOKAN You have to keep your belts on or it will throw you out of a car with no suspension. Ha Ha We tried for 2 years to launch our car the old time way of spinning the tires off the line to keep the rpms up. It just won't work on modern tracks and the limited HP we have- even with the 6" tires. We finally gave in, let the air out of the tires and rode the clutch outa the hole. Got our first good 60 ft times and best et. Last year at the Dallas Goodguys the Ramrods and Hornets raced on the pit road at the NASCAR track with a flag starter. They had a blast spinning the tires. *****in............. Your idea of a large team is perfect for these cars. Spread the cost around, share donated parts and take turns driving. Good times. Brad
The way I understand it, most of the early race cars, in any venue, were team efforts. That's the traditional way. Brad and I didn't know each other before this thing came up on the HAMB. It's worked out pretty good sharing the cost and expertise. I couldn't have done it any other way. My flathead's still sitting on the shop floor for lack of funds. He didn't really have time to build a ch***is. I've learned a lot and had a lot of fun.
IMO, a spec tire would be a bad idea. Because you can change final drive ratios on the cheap by using tires with different roll out. The question of prepped tracks is a bit of a hard one. We need to kick it around some more. There is some smart fellers on the HAMB. We'll get it figured out. Another question to work on is, how can we match car against each other? Obviously some teams will be better funded than others. Should there be minimum weights? It goes with out saying that we must have heads up racing. But if some cars will never break 15 seconds, how can they race similar cars. I know some guys will sand bag their times 'til race day to whip up on the other guy. But if you're going to run a straight eight, you know that the flathead V8 will spool up quicker, so how can we match the racers. Displacement? Chicago style eliminations? It sure is fun to brainstorm here, in the biggest garage in the world, huh?
Right now the "unofficial spec tire" is the G-78-15 or L-78-15 Coker Cl***ic. That's what most of the teams I know-of are running.
Ditto, that's what we're reccommending as the 'tyre of choice' down here, I think 11 of the 14 are using them..... Coker supports us, and we support them... Cheers, Drewfus
From some of the comments here it seems like the concept of the cl*** is lost on some people. We have a tire spec, 6" wide treaded bias ply. We have engine limitations, flathead V8 or inline manufactured before '62. Creativity and personal "engineering" as done in the old days in the shops, garages and back yards is allowed and encouraged. You can make it as complicated as you want, but that is not what it is about. Lets keep it simple and fun. If the track has too much traction to leave the line in second gear, launch in first and shift one more time. That's what the transmission was designed for. This ain't rocket science, it's hot rodding like it was in the beginning. If you have a problem, solve it like they did before computers. Guess my trouble is I'm living in a points and condenser world and the damn cars don't even have distributors any more.
My understanding of the HAMB drags is that you can run anyone you want...as many times as you want...you just have to get in the staging lanes and wait your turn. There are no eliminations...winners or loosers...the goal is for everyone to just have fun and run their car. That is about as simple as it can get. Once you start trying to really race these cars things will have to get complicated. Winning and loosing will be really important...and the goal of the whole deal will change. Let the drag racers have the SDRA thing and the compe***ion that goes with it. The HA/GR cl*** can keep its focus on being a fun deal for guys/clubs to do on the cheap. No pressure to win or go faster than the next guy/team. It will keep the cars simple to build and open the cl*** up to an independant guy who wants to join in the fun.
The first part of the day is open test n tune and grudges..........there are actual ELIMINATIONS towards the end.
Yeah, well I DON'T understand it that way. If my car runs 15 seconds, I want to RACE against a 15 second car. When and if I get it to go to 14 seconds I want to race those guys. If some guys are running 12s great. After we do some Test & Tune, I'll know who I can choose off. The deal with drag racing is that you can flub your launch or something and the other guy wins. TDR (That's Drag Racing). Also, if there are a lot of people on your team, you will be competing against each others times. That sure doesn't kill the fun. And if you lose a lot, you're still way ahead of the guys who don't get on the strip. See, here's how I see it. If there are only a few 12 second cars and lots of 14 or 15 second cars, the slower cars get to race more different people. More run, more track time, more fun per hour and more for per dollar. Your mileage may vary
Phil I understand what you are saying, but the only way that we can run is heads up and the fastest one that does not make a mistake wins. Any other way and we might as well bracket race them. I can tell you right now, unless someone else is running in the 14's, I'll be the slowest HA/GR there this year. My motor is stock and the fastest I have run so far is 14.41 at 96mph. I'm still pulling it to the drags and plan on having a blast. Sure, I would like to outrun everyone, but I know that some of the guys have spent a whole lot more money on the cars than I have. I will be building a motor that should run in the low 13's, maybe high 12's, but money is tight right now and this year it will be a stock motor for me. Build the car and you'll see how much fun it is! No one down here in Florida is building one that I know of, but I'm still having fun running mine at the local tracks on test and tune nights. On test and tune night, they run heads up, and it is fun outrunning small blocks in street cars with my HA/GR!
REJ, you have it figured out. The whole idea is to get out there and enjoy what you build. Just because your car isn't the quickest doesn't mean you can't win races, and even if you don't win, you give it your best shot and try and run better each time you race. This isn't about setting world records, it's about getting the most out of what you have and the fun per p*** factor. Even if you get beat, if you improve you time or speed you win, and if you can figure out how to get that extra mile per hour on the top end or cut a tenth off the time, you add to the fun in the next bench racing session. You may be running a box stock motor, but can be the fastest and quickest box stock motor out there, and have the pride of knowing that you built the car the way you wanted it and that in itself is winning.
As I understand it, anyone can choose to line up against the cars that accept the challenge from them. Sort like grudge racing. If, on T&T day, we see others running close to our times, I'd want to pick them to run against. Of course I understand that we run against the track and try to better our p***es. But heads up, side by side racing is *****en. Not even close to brackets. We'll be running it out the back door for sure. I guess what I'm trying to say is, the purpose of the T&T is to see what the others run and try to line up against similar cars. That is contingent on a pretty good turn out of HAMBsters, of course. As the cl*** grows, we'll face whoever shows up, of course. But I see this as having great potential. Eventually there will be enough to run some close races. And doing it for the sake of doing it is a good thing. I'm sure not saying it's not. But I see and hear of a lot of folks wanting to build these things. We will arrive at good heads up contests by pure Darwinian natural selection. I can see a situation where Sam I Am's junkyard motored rail runs about the same as the Anti-Donut rail. So, we wait in line 'til we can run each other. We're still going to race the track and the lane, but the cars that run close will come down to the launch, the shifts and the driving. And it'll be good ol' traditional drag racers, sharing knowledge and helping each other get on the track. I'm really excited about this. IMO, the key thing is to KEEP it fun and inexpensive. No cash prizes. You might win a trophy made by a car club made out of burned pistons and junk, at most.
You can run me at mo-kan, my best run so far out of two total has been 90 mph in 16 sec ?? I will still have the biggest grin....... Then you can brag about beating a GMC......
Bubba, I have no doubts that you will have all the bugs worked out of the Jimmy by the time you get to Mokan. I will still be glad to line up side of you and get my *** handed to me at the end of the track!! And as far as the biggest grin, we'll have to see about that.
in 59 i was building my 32 tub with a 50 merc x member,37 hudson steering, 56 chevy 265, packard trans, and 58 ford rear end / 36 ford wishbones. not many sbc chevys in those days.
Let me bump this back up to the front page. It needs to be seen some more. I know theres a section for the HA/GR's.....but I'd love to hear more about them as well as have this thread continue. Anyone???
The Jalopy Journal
