Drag Racing Discussions > Front Engine Dragsters

How did they build those early jnr fuel cars so light?

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BK:
You would think with bicycle wheels, aluminum can, .035 tubing. The Kahunas you needed to drive the thing would counter all of the weight savings.

Mark Midler:
They didn't have the regulations we do. The tubing was thinner, the differential housings weren't reinforced, they race prepped the entire car, you get the picture.

Keven:
In the early 1980s I drove then later owned an a/fuel dragster that was very well known under the original team. We were changing the rear end in the car and were astonished when we saw the housing was drilled with countless 1" to 2" holes and then covered in fiberglass. No wonder the car was originally around 900 lbs.

BCOWANWHEELS:
MAIN REASON IS ALUMINUM CLUTCH CAN, HI-GEAR ONLY PLUS CARS FOR SBC WAS VERY NARROW. WE DIDNT EVEN RUN GEAR LUBE IN DIFF, JUST DRILLED A HOLE TO SQUIRT SOME LUBE ON RING GEAR FOR 1 PASS. CHASSIS WAS VERY THIN MATERIAL, 100% UNSAFE. ALSO WE RUN 8 3/4 MOPAR REARS.

JrFuel Hayden:
Yes, my 1963 Hi-gear, alum bellhousing/ firewall, drilled early Ford rear-end, alum brake rotors,  push start 115" WB, 301 ci Nitro iron SBC weighed under 900 lb wet.
We could have made it lighter by removing the Tony Nancy interior, rear wrap-around body, run the motor dry, lighten the iron block, used a single caliper brake, and make a lighter chassis out of 1" dia top tube and 3/4" bottom tube, and of course gone to Schwinn front wheels. Crazy when you think we were running low 8's at 191 mph.

I drove this car for 5 years almost every week-end if there was no snow on the Great Lakes Dragway, Union Grove Wisc track.
Won allot of races, and set track records, and had a TON of Fun.

Jon Hansen, JrFuel Dragster Association, Hayden Wheels

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