i had some really good details stuff but they were on the old computer that died awhile back, i can get some pics of it for you at the march meet next month. not the same car but here's rick ackermans rail that was built in 67 but had the bars added to p*** current tech
Kerry, no progress yet. Same stages that you are in. It's my homie Prop Strike that is collecting...... So what s the deal on those front wheels? Justin, any idea what the wheelbase is on that later dragmaster?
Hey Kerry, I have about a 7 page article from Car Life 1962 about the Dart, if you pm me your address I will copy and send it to you. Skip
I've been thinking outside the box in a number of areas, the front wheels are one of them. I watched and lost out on some very pricy ebay auctions for the "right" spoked wheels so I won a couple of these 2000 and newer Harley 16x3 rear wheels pretty cheap. I've got one about halfway done, cutting off the excess and modifying for the spindles I've got. Not sure what the spindles are from but they'll need to be turned down some too. I think this setup will be quite strong and fit the early period look to boot.
You are going to get bored by the end of the track running 10s, and you are going to have to pull off plug wires on that 354 to run that slow. Build it legal, its not hard and if you design it right it will look good. I've had a life long love affair with the dragmaster dart, its one of the finest cars ever built. Most the motor tricks pioneered on that car are still used today, namely swapping an RB crank into a B motor for more cubes. Those disc brakes are totally boss. David
Nice batch of parts there Kerry, but I'm not sure if that Coleman lantern will p*** for a tail light.
Have that one plus the Old master article featuring a Don long Ch***is and Ed Pink hemi...This is quite detailed but my copy is rerally ywllow and falling to peices. PM me if you want me to email you a scan of it all 9 around 10-15 pages)
What he said. Screw the NHRA. Build these dragsters as per period as you can. This is the H.A.M.B. If you ****ed up a Model a or something you would have tons of purists kicking you in the nuts. Nothing ****s more than a digger done "wrong" . To nail the look spend LOTS AND LOTS of time researching old photos. If a dragster has a battery box, it doesnt belong here on the H.A.M.B. If the cage is as square as a shoe box it doesnt belong here on the H.A.M.B. Go to some bracket race forum. And they will love it. Dont mix and match ch***is companys either. Would you put Chevy paralle leafs on the front of your 34 ford? Then why would you change a certin ch***is design to someone elses front suspension? Dont start saying well that is hot rodding, changing things. Well nobody knows some cat from so and so land that built some ****ty dragsters back in the day. EVERYBODY knows Kent Fuller, Don Long, Woody, Dragmaster, Logge, Ch***is Reaserach, Garlits, I can go on and on. Those cars were style. And those cars are the ones that are being saved today. Some crossbred piece is what you are buying parts off of on E-Bay. Build something that is correct. Find a photo of your favorite and copy it. Dont let your wallet direct you to using ****ty stuff. If you cant afford the right piece, work till you can. Even though you think your digger "has" to be out this summer, it don't ! Cut corners on daily bull ****. Know one will notice at the race track that you have been buying Mc Donalds coffee for a year instead of Starbucks. But they will notice that you skimped out and put a set of weld wheels on the rear of your nice digger instead of the right thing. Or worse something that is welded on and takes major construction to "fix" and not just 10 lug nuts to change. These front engine dragsters are a major p***ion of mine. I have spent countless hours researching and collecting everything about them I can. If you are serious about building one and have any questions feel free to p.m. me. And hopefuly I can save you some time and money. Long live the front engine dragster!!!!
So tell us how you really feel Brian. ;-) OK, point taken on mixing ch***is design. Actually lots of points taken. Where can I find the 1/2 rod spring material for the front torsion setup? I'd much rather do that but have struck out looking for the spring steel. Thanks Mercmaid for the article offer but I've got that one already. Infact I found a scanned copy online. Dave, using the carbs I won't have a challange slowing her down. A few years later when she gets the 671 I will though.
GET DOWN. I'm a big fan of everybody here that's built or building, if I can help let me know...Satan's about ready to fire! I ain't no "millionaire", but my ****'s NHRA legal and a combination of Ogden, Woody AND Fuller. (Ogden worked for both of 'em in the '60s). That cage is stout, but pretty soon she'll be under a tail... Lots of guys ran carburated Dragmasters back then and had a BALL, then as they learned ran faster and faster until they were Fuel legends...That's a HELL of a LOT smarter than getting a bunch of people together and building some balls out rail with thousands of horsepower, and then jumping in it with no experience! Now THAT'S !@#$in' NUTS.....
Looking good Tim. Been following your build for awhile. Can't wait to see the armageddon duo in action.
I love the twins! Maybe you have something to add to this thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236979&highlight=side+by
I'm only building one of 'em man. I just got sick of walking past the parts everyday for the last few years! I don't know what's going to happen with my ATF monster...all I know is, we're building a dragster. GREAT project Kerry. I'm not trying to hijack anything, it's just great to hang out with like minded crazy !@#$ers! Good luck!
Not a problem Tim. The more everybody shares, the more we all can learn. I wish I could build a full on dragster like you and Brian. You guys have convinced me away from several things I had settled on. OK... I'm going to say it. NO RADIATOR, no matter how bad I may want to run laps with her. That was going to be one of my big concessions.
BTW, I did some asking around on a heavily NHRA forum and mild steel is good to 7.50 if it's built right according to the NHRA. Faster than I plan on going. I really like the Osborne Dart but I'm not wild about the sheetmetal on the back. I'd rather have the metal inside of the cage leaving it exposed.
Mine is gonna be Chrome moly. Once you have been tig welding Chrome moly is just another metal. It is real easy to do. Get yourself a Tig and get after it. Talk with any dragster builder and they will shy you away from mild steel. No flex like the moly, heavier and yady yadyy. I fully agree on the old style set up for sure. I would not skimp on anything which is the exact reason I have not started on mine. Halibrand and hilbourn has just went out of my touch rite now and with the customers backed up it just really would not be a great business decision for me. Good luck Rusty
Kerry- I did a lot of research on the "We did it for Love" website to figure out the body on my car. I got the ch***is at the Lawrence Ks, swap meet about 18 years ago. I put "kidney bars" in mine, but I refuse to double hoop it. Exibition runs is about all you can do with it though. VERY VERY fun to drive! I let my son make a p*** in it, and he had a silly grin for a week. -Mike
The chromoly car we ran a few years ago flexed like crazy. You could lean on it and it would flex. We kept carpet covered blocks under it in the trailer. Eventually it did break. It was good Saturday night after a couple of p***es,and it was broke the next morning when we started to jack it up and get ready for the day. It was an old ****era car.
Chromoly is much lighter than steel, so you can use less of it and have the same strength. It has great "memory" which makes it flex well and snap back better than mild steel. Chromoly ch***is' that are run hard for a few seasons will start to work harden and crack. That's usually why guys quit running them seriously after a while and build a new car. Mild steel is way more forgiving and doesn't work harden as quickly. Unlike later Woody style cars, Dragmaster frames were never about flex. They're super rigid and strong frames. If you're not worried about weight, building this frame out of good mild steel would be cheaper. I know it's a hell of a lot easier to get than chromoly too. These days it's pretty easy to build enough power to overcome weight issues. Art Chrisman said something like..."I like heavy ch***is. I've never had a serious crash in my cars, and it's because they're HEAVY." Pretty cool.
From what I'd been reading in the new NHRA rulebook and what you've said Tim, I'd be nuts not to go with ms. I asked this earlier in this thread, where do I get the 1/2 bar stock for the front torsion bars? Spring steel?
How are these torsion bars mounted? Are they inside of tubing? If so, couldn't VW torsion bars/spring packs work??? These FED threads are always full of good stuff........
Nope there are a pair of bars, one for each side, mounted parallel with the front axle. The VW setup is more of the Fuller style setup. I did pickup a VW spring pack just in case.
Price the Cro-moly before you decide. You'll be shocked. Besides, Jim Nelson told me that the first dragmasters were made out of exhaust tubing. That's why the original wheelbase was 96", 8 foot sticks.
Kerry- Very cool. Just don't count on finding any more of those nifty old speed parts to be for sale by the pound! I got some work done on my altered roadster project before winter (and will be getting back to it when the weather breaks - in my new 20' x 40' shop, BTW!!), and spent quite a bit of time reviewing the NHRA rulebook and planning my ch***is, with the same goal as you in mind. Being about twice your age, I don't have any desire to go faster than ten seconds, so I went ahead and bought mild steel tubing. Like you, I'm still undecided on the final configuration of the roll cage, as I believe the cage really sets the "look" of just about any would-be period car from the early days. I have most of my running gear already (narrowed 9" Ford, 'glide, etc., a 383 SBC stroker motor, a 'gl*** '32 Bantam body, rear wheels and slicks, a chute - and even a wing to mount above the cage. This will be my third year of trying to get the thing together for the HAMB drags. If I can (finally!) pull that off, I'll look forward to an old-style match race with you. BTW - Don't feel embar***ed. I considered a radiator on my car too (and got the same ration of s--t from all my friends - LOL). Good luck and keep us informed.
Also remember that when you cross the 9.99 barrier, you need a compe***ion drivers license, a cl*** 3 physical, better fire suits and more safety stuff. Just thinking out loud.
Yes, the coupe frame is 2" x 3" MS. The only flex in that car is in the tires. It's pretty old too. I was refering to the dragster we used to run. It was built in '68. The cage certified with just a few updates even being 30+ years old. All the bars were the same size and diameter as the current spec. Everything forward of the engine plate was very thin CM, but the certification only covers the area from the motor back.
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