Chassis question

[Cajuninjector]

Hey Roo, my name is Brian and I admire your work.  I was wondering, what's your preference on wall thickness and diameter for your chassis in front of the motor for a blown sbc. Do you use different sizes/thicknesses for different chassis lengths or styles?  Thinking about building one myself but want to gather as much info as possible before ordering pipe. I'm pretty ok at tig but welding one of these rails seems like a nightmare. Sorry for all the questions and thanks for any info you can share.
Brian

[Magic Mike Denton]

Let a professional chassis builder do it. Remember your life is worth every penny spent. Just ask your friends and family.

[wideopen231]

Decide what class you want o run and which spec it will need to meet. Call SFI and order spec.It will tell you what you need for each tube.

  There is alot to building one but IMO its as much fun as driving one. But  you do not have to have pro chassis shop build it.If your decent fabricator and can weld you can build one.
  Im building one right now.It takes time and lots of tubing. Oh yea if you have money to buy all the tubing at once it will help and save time and money. If you don't get any help with how to proceed email me at wydopn2312@yahoo.com I'll do my best to help.

                                                                                                   Chris McBride

[rooman]

Brian,
        as Chris recommends, get the SFI spec if you are going to build it yourself, although it only calls out the cockpit area. From the motor forward my frames use a 1.25 x .058 top rail and 1.125 x .058 for the lower. Uprights range from 1" at the front of the motor down to .75 at the sharp end of the chassis.

Roo

[Cajuninjector]

Thanks for the info Chris and Roo.  Thanks for your concern Mike but I have built 2 Art Morrison super car kits that i would cut, cope and tack the tube chassis together and had a friend tig it. Both of these cars preformed great. I would like to be the one to do everything and just needed a little info on the pipe from the motor plate forward. I do have SFI specs on the cockpit but from what I understand, "anything goes" up front. Pipe diameter and thickness were my biggest questions. Some use .049 and that kinda worries me. I like the idea of .058
Anyway, thanks again.

[wideopen231]

Brian,

  While its not the norm nowdays. The guys who do most everything them selves get extra points on the respect scale from me. Nothing against guys who don't I just have more incommon with the do it all guys.Kind of takes you back to the guys who drove these things way back.

 One of the old fuel guys here local was ALan Starr(Starr Liner dragster mi 60's to late 70's). I learned alot from the old man in short time. He died working on our funnycar. We later feilded a fairly successful Alky funny team and the car was named Starr Rider after him.

 Hey be told you can't or shouldn't do it yourself will probably make you more determined to do so ,if your anything like me.

[janjon]

Mark Williams Ent. offers kits and blueprints. I'd bet that what they specify, from one end to the other, would be appropriate and legal.

[wideopen231]

One more point winning with car you built and having someone asked whos chassis and being able to say mine IS JUST FREAKING FUN AND COOL. IMO winning with car I built is just the feeling of winning times 10.

[Cajuninjector]

Winning with your own creation would be special.