Cost to build a new fed????

[masracingtd1167]

Your going to get a lot of different answers on this ! You won't go wrong with a 200 inch car !

[1000hpJohn]

I figured that

[dusterdave173]

A Good car will cost you--the no good cars that are too narrow for anyone to fit in the cockpit are the "deals" you see
If you go that route I expect a turn key ready to load and race safely will be in the $15K range
These cars used are like everything else--you get what you pay for IF you do your homework--if you just jump and buy one you can get really screwed
I will say that after bracket racing for over 25 years the first run I ever made in my FED wiped all that out and as long as I have a race car it will be a FED Period! It is like your first time--every time

here is one of those no good cars

very cool car hotrod--you know I was just talking about the Ebay --Racingjunk dogs that are old, thin, bent, rusty, unsafe, too narrow, welded by blind men  etc not your sweet ride   aiming to stay cool on here not step on any toes

[dreracecar]

Wheelbase is more of a state of mind, the main rule is--shorter the car the wider the front axle is.  I built my car at 193" only because I bought 2 lengths of 1 1/4 (longest I could find) and where they came together in front determined the wheelbase, If I wanted 200" I would of had to buy 4 lengths. The stability of chassis due to wheelbase is only brought up by people that spend all their time sitting in the stands. I have built cars with Fuel engines @ 100" wheelbases and up to 225", all seem to get down the track just fine

[JrFuel Hayden]

MY 2 cents on WB is I would think with your BBC, 900 HP you may want the 225" to help keep the front end down, with less lead on the nose.
If you are still thinking of buying a used FED so you could start racing sooner, I know of at least 2 Neil & Parks designed cars for sale, one in Northen Calif, and another in Lake Charles, LA. To help you I need to know your height and weight to better fit you into a car with-in your buget.
Because of my dragster wheel biz, I talk to racers all over the country.

Jon Hansen, 800-624-3803

[1000hpJohn]

MY 2 cents on WB is I would think with your BBC, 900 HP you may want the 225" to help keep the front end down, with less lead on the nose.
If you are still thinking of buying a used FED so you could start racing sooner, I know of at least 2 Neil & Parks designed cars for sale, one in Northen Calif, and another in Lake Charles, LA. To help you I need to know your height and weight to better fit you into a car with-in your buget.
Because of my dragster wheel biz, I talk to racers all over the country.

Jon Hansen, 800-624-3803

Pardon my language but xxxx!!!!! 225"= 18'9"!!!!!! .  Have to measure my Elky now and see if a 225"r would even fit in my trailer!!!!!  Of course that is the wheel base, excluding half the distance of the front wheel forward(additional length needed there), and the very most rearward part of the frame/pushbar if needed/used and cockpit space,  chute,  so another what 3-4' there!!!  So 23-24 feet would be needed for trailer space and that much digger might fit in my box trailer, Might!!!  I got a 28' box.  Would be tight and of course the single wheelie wheelie bar would HAVE to come off...  my 4 wheeler won't fit if I go this route as well and my crew chief won't be happy about that!!!!!

Am I right about the length or close!!!!!???

Iiiiiiii forgot to mention, I spray this engine of mine with giggle gas so add another 200-250horses worth of go power!!!!  It takes 1030hp to get my tug boat rolling thru the beams at 8.70/156mph, but then again, the weight factor will kick in with the digger and no gas needed...lol

Any idea what an average et is with 900hp of BBC? In a 225"  Say, 4:30 gears and ( I have no clue what to run on the rear as far as a tire and wheel package)  but I have 14 x 32's on my Elky and want to go to 33x10.5W tire so I don't know if THAT tire would work.  Need to know my max wheel width I guess to figure this all out, unless,,,YOU GUYS already know this info!!!!!   Lol

[noslin]

mines going to be 225" and i started to think about the overall length as well.  just glad the PO added on to the garage lol.   i also have 28' trailer.  i figure the front end of the fed will be to one side so the golf car can fit.  that should be fine.  can also put the geny behind the cart.

for 900hp the dreamwheel says 7.20's @ 1700lbs.   here is a pretty cool calculator i just stubbled across. http://vexer.com/automotive-tools/1-4-mile-ET-HP-MPH-calculator

what did your door slammer weigh?

ty
dean

[Paul New]

When I built my car I went with 200" WB as that was all I could fit in my 28' trailer with my golf cart otherwise I would have built a 225" car

[1000hpJohn]

My tug weighs or weighed 3525 with me in it... tripped the 60' beam on rear tires at 1.25.
When the thing launches, it dead hooks, the tires try to run over themselves, I feel the paddling of the rubber and right then I know I'm on a good pass . Nothing like riding a wheelie 75 feet out while still eating!!!!! Lol. Finally got the car to do what I wanted, just took 200hp worth of nitrous lol.

It hopefully will weigh 3200 without me...

----------------------------------

I'm just in the beginning stage of this idea of having a fed.  Time to slow down a bit, have fun and take some cash home again.... I will relist it for sale during this year again.

Thanks for your info guys,

[JrFuel Hayden]

1'st of all about your trailer, ya you will need to take the wheelie bar off to fit in the trailer, just like our 225" JF, that weighs 1450, with driver, and an all iron SBC injected on pure alky, running 7.0's at 188 to190 mph. I help crew on a A/ND, that they run Comp elim, again injected iron alky car that they put the car in backwards [ back of car toward the front of the trailer] , then move the front on the race car off to one side so they can fit a ATV quad next to the front end. They put the quad just inside the back door so they can unload it easy and load last. Neil & Parks has run 6.87 at 197 mph with their A/ND [ JF] 225" with a 387 ci iron SBC making 900-1000 hp weighing , with driver, 1365 lbs and running .967 sixty foot times.
I suggested 225 because of your BBC  will make more torque than most SBC JF combo's, and it will try to bring your front end up. It's all about car balance.
Mike Chrisman, Art Chrisman's, son has a JrFueler with a 410 ci BBC that weighs over 1550 #,and has run 7.20's on injected alky, and I think he runs a 4.30 gear and JF rules limit tire to 12" and 12" wide wheels. Most JF cars are running the super light weight [ 22.5 lbs] Goodyear D2585, 31x12x15, good for tire growth. Light tires take less HP to spin, ie , one pound of rotating weight is equal to 9-10 lbs of static weight. the old saying is if you take 100 lbs off your car you will pick-up a tenth.
I have 31x12 and 33x12 GY's in stock, I had to special order them , because GY has these two sizes on an inactive list.
The two used Parks designed FED cars I mentioned are 225", that is the max limit for JF and other classes too. If you build or buy a 225" it will be easier to sell, when it's time. 
Call if you have any questions, 805-444-4489, cell
Jon

[225digger]

3-4 yrs ago i started to build a FED theres even some pics in the build section, between working on customers stuff and other things life throw at you it never got finished..i actually cut the frame up becuase there where things i could have done better.... and i took the parts i had and had david beard put together a chassis for me last year, unless you have the time building one is great, years ago i also purchased a sw kit that i got halfway together and then sold becuase of lack of time. the kit was nice , but i personally think if you have a local source for tubing you could maybe save some coin by buying the bends you need from a shop that does bending to fit your needs and do it that way..... there prints are top notch and supplemented with the SFI prints you will have no problem building a spec chassis...... i am very happy with the chassis i got from david top notch fab work at a reasonable price....as others mentioned there is alot that goes into it and it really does not cost that much to just have a frame built

here is mine as it sits with wheels etc, no 3rd member, floater rear, there is about 13k into it....225" wheelbase.

[ricardo1967]

Regarding wheelbase, I remember reading an interview with a crew chief of a TF team where he stated they would go for a wheelbase longer than 300 inches if rules allowed it.

Also, given the stickier tires/tracks these days, the engine needs to be located more forward than those bitchin' looking diggers from the past. It's just aesthetics, but a short wheelbase FED with the engine in the middle of the car looks a little weird to me.

I wished my car was longer than 173" (which would require a longer trailer than my current 24-footer).

[1000hpJohn]

3-4 yrs ago i started to build a FED theres even some pics in the build section, between working on customers stuff and other things life throw at you it never got finished..i actually cut the frame up becuase there where things i could have done better.... and i took the parts i had and had david beard put together a chassis for me last year, unless you have the time building one is great, years ago i also purchased a sw kit that i got halfway together and then sold becuase of lack of time. the kit was nice , but i personally think if you have a local source for tubing you could maybe save some coin by buying the bends you need from a shop that does bending to fit your needs and do it that way..... there prints are top notch and supplemented with the SFI prints you will have no problem building a spec chassis...... i am very happy with the chassis i got from david top notch fab work at a reasonable price....as others mentioned there is alot that goes into it and it really does not cost that much to just have a frame built

here is mine as it sits with wheels etc, no 3rd member, floater rear, there is about 13k into it....225" wheelbase.

THAT is the EXACT look of a digger I would want to drive right there!insert thumbs up emoticon here lol
THANKS a ton for your info again guys, just priceless info to me insert smiley face here lol.

[crider]

That's a dragster supply car. I bought mine from David too. Super nice guy, and I'm more than happy with my car.

[glofria]

Here see if this will help. Build your own nostalgia dragster from this drawing by Roger Lee of Jim Brissette's BB/FD that went 7.20 @ 224 MPH. The car was originally built in 1964.

This drawing was on the wall at Don "The Wavemaker" Prieto's shop in Torrance, CA. I took this photo a couple of years ago while there for the United States Food & Gas Nationals