Drag Racing Discussions > Front Engine Dragsters
Step 1 for a FED: Planning!
jenrick:
Howdy, I'm just getting started with the concept of building or buying a FED and I'm looking at what advice I can about the whole process. Combing through the forums here I see a constant thought, and that is plan what you want to do. With that in mind here's what I'm looking at:
A non-blown gas powered (probably SBC or SBF) slingshot/rail/whatever-you-would-like-to-call-it FED that is raced just for fun
I am a trained welder (associate's degree in it from a tech college and some actual work in the field), but it has been about 15 years since I did any serious welding. I changed careers and haven't really been back to it. I can read blueprints, prep pipe, run a bead, etc. I was quite good with a MIG gun, and tolerable with TIG. At the moment I don't own a welder of any sort.
As far as car knowledge goes, I'm not the traditional hot rodder. I've never built an engine from a bare block, and don't performance tune my cars. I can work on my cars just fine, and basically so long as it's not a modern automatic transmission I fine doing my own work. I enjoy working on my cars as well, I just liking driving them more than wrenching. I've got a decent bit of track experience (road racing, not much oval) and I've professionally taught high performance driving for several years as part of my day job.
The money tree grows very slowly, and produces little fruit currently. I know that for a lot people getting a roller or even a turnkey turns out to be cheaper in the long run, but requires a lot more capital up front. It does also get you to the strip a heck of a lot faster.
I'm going to order SFI specs for 7.5 and take a look through them. Is it worth it to get the 6.0 specs instead? I'm guessing I'd be in at least $1K to purchase the tubing, a manual bender, and a decent welder to build the frame. Does that sound about right, for a mild steel frame? If I can find a decent quality certified roller for not much more I'd go for that just for the time savings.
For an engine, would you guys recommend building off a bare block or would a donor engine be the way to go? At this stage I'm just looking to get passes in and get comfortable with things before I worry too much about times, so as long as I'm able to get a little tire smoke I'm not worried about power or ET's.
As far as powertrain goes I've seen a lot of recommendations for a powerglide. Are there other options out there that will work for what I'm after? I'm not against going with a powerglide, I'm just seeing what's out there.
Lastly can anyone recommend any books, videos, etc that I can peruse while I slowly get this going?
Thanks!
-Jenrick
dreracecar:
Buy a car , generaly .40 on the dollar and go racing tomorrow, by the time you work down your list it will be a couple years and could lose interest. Mild steel chassie are losers in the long run. SFI 2-4 (6.00) is the best spec out here to build to and the only difference is the bigger dia shoulder hoop.
To give you an idea what you are up against, couple weeks ago I put a dragster frame together and just tacked welded it. Now I have built many dragster frames, I have a frame table with tooling fixtures to hold the major compoents and tubing saddles, full machine shop and tubing benders. It took ME 35 hrs to do this and this was just a 150" frame and no roll cage yet. And thats the easy part, its all the other stuff takes a lot more time.
GlennLever:
I'm thinking.
http://www.lever-family-racing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dragster-ad.pdf
jenrick:
I'd love to be able to go turn key, but the starting capital isn't going to happen. The attached flyer at $40K, is WAY out of my lump sum price range. $15K would be the most I'd have any chance of doing, and that'd be getting several buddies in on things (which I'm working on doing anyway at least).
dreracecar: Thanks for the break down on frame construction time. That does help put things in perspective.
What is the general opinion of some of the chassis kits, or chassis builders? I know I'll be looking at a $2K-$5K outlay, but I can probably make that happen.
-Jenrick
wideopen231:
PM sent Give me a call if like.
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