Projects Wheelie machine?

I have always enjoyed watching organgrinder's coupe and the Suicide King do wheelies at the hamb drags.

I used to be a hard care drag racer but a new career kind of killed that due to a strange work schedule- I was getting a bit burnt out on it anyway.

I recently acquired a stroker 385 inch Cleveland Ford- 12:1 forged crank, scat h beam rods, closed chamber 4v heads, tunnel ram and dual 450 holleys.

I am in the process of freshening the engine- it had a cracked cyl wall and needed sleeved. I don't have anything to put it in and it's not streetable because of the compression so I was thinking I'd find an old car to throw it in for the hamb drags and have some laid back fun once a year. That's when the wheelie thought popped into my brain- see first paragraph.

So now I'm thinking I should find a straight old Econoline van and put the engine as far back as I can and make a wheelie machine. I am not looking to keep the wheels off the ground for the entire 1/4 mile but a nice long wheelie off the line and a 12 second pass would be cool.

I was thinking that I could use a 9" and build a "cradle" welded to the front of the rear end that the engine would mount in and be solidly attached and aligned to the rear. At some point forward of the engine it would attach at two pivot points to the frame of the van. It would be like a giant hinge and be sprung in the rear over the rear end. This would keep the drivetrain solidly aligned as a unit and still have a rear suspension and act as a long ladder bar setup. Obviously the floor of the van would have to be cut out of the van from behind the driver to the rear end and a firewall between driver and rear of the van. I could use the original front straight axle with an extra leaf or 2 for the hard landings. I'm thinking 3 spd automatic with a loose converter. C4?

So far I have the engine, a nice aluminum radiator, a 9 inch and 4.11 gears.

So what do you think? Best trans? Will it even work? Stupid idea so just find a car and be normal? I'm all ears.

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There is a thread here a fella is building a wheel stander in the truck version of your van. Its pretty detailed, may give you some ideas.

Might do a search for wheel stander or something along those lines.

 

Thanks CG! I found the thread and you are right. Lots of help there. Even though my vision is less power and less radical-popping a big wheelie versus holding one the length of the track- it looks like I had basic idea right with the hinged subframe holding the drivetrain.

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Everyone loves wheelstanders. I get a kick outa the trucks, like the Little Red Wagon, but the backward done ones are even cooler. I wish you luck with your project.

 

i had a 65 wheel stander. my rear axel was solid mounted. but i had a 455 olds. it was a blast to drive

 

My t-bucket will stand up, but it's ultra-light and the motor has been pushed back 16". Body sits with seat directly over the rear axel, fuel tank and battery hanging off the rear of frame inside the pick-up box. Little skinny wire wheels upfront with aircraft discs help too. It's fairly easy to get itup....setting it back down with grace can be tricky.