School me on early 60's correct drives for FED's

[Shaggy]

I'm looking at compiling parts for an early 60's correct FED build, I'm trying to decide what i should go drive wise. I have a blown, injected 329" early olds that was ran back in the day. What do you guys think about options for period correct drives.

Here are my current options, but i might go other stuff, but my cutoff is around '63 vintage. Also i'm a machinist so i can make anything work if i want to

-Set up a direct drive
-39 box built to race specs(Chassis research had a good article back in the day, including annealing and copper plating the gears, and i have 15 or so transmissions to pick from)
-cad lassale box(again, would need to rebuild it to race specs)
-race prepped olds hydro(i have one including modified fluid coupler, and 1/2 a dozen stockers for parts)

[Calkins]

I am also interested in this.  My goal is to build a Dragmaster with a 292 Ford Y Block.  There is two paths that can be taken, in my opinion.  First, 99% authentic recreation.  Second, a raceable tribute.  After watching a few videos from the Meltdown Drags of no smoke high gear cars, because modern tires and track prep is to good, I have decided to use a three speed auto.  I do things period correct, like the next guy, but Eagle Field is pretty much the only "track" in the country that you can blaze the tires like it was still 1964.  So, I am planning to run a Ford C4 without a trans brake.  The added benefit of a dragster is having a crowl that hides the transmission.  In my defense, the C4 came out in 1964.  And the Ford 9" that I plan on using came out in 1957.

[denverflatheader]

Shaggy - reference photo courtesy of the NHRA providing history 1955 to 1964.  Nice to see how dragsters improved with time in one picture.  Using your 1960 to 1963 cutoff time frame, my guess for a correct drive closer to 1960 would be the use of a 3-speed standard transmission, using only 2nd and 3rd gears, 3rd being 1-to-1 ratio direct drive. 

Myself, I have an early 1960s Speed Improvement dragster which I bought from the original owner builders from Altadena (aka: Poncho Beal, Mark Hopkins and Dave Hollingshead) who mostly raced at Lions.  Speed Improvement was located in Long Beach and they advertised their dragster kit in the back of Hot Rod magazine.  From memory, I think the kit as advertised was $199.00.  Beal, Hopkins and Hollingshead used a modified 1955-57 Chevy manual 3-speed.  The modification was the removal of the tail housing, shortening the output shaft, and making an aluminum plate to bolt in “to cover and seal up” the back of the transmission.  A stock yoke with single u-joint was used to connect the modified transmission to the baby Olds rear; this area was covered with a metal shield.  The simple handmade shift lever is connected near the back of the early Olds rear housing and uses a back and forth movement to control the 2nd to high gear shift.  These three guys were into reducing weight, this dragster is 119” wb and weighs 900 lbs.

Back then with the shorter wheelbase, a thought process seen in many designs was moving the engine weight closer to the rear end.  Today with a 225” wb, a different thought process rules.

What would I do to make it 1960-63 correct drive, select a manual 3-speed “you” like, modify it to work 2nd and high gear only, install it to meet your goal.  Concurrently, I suggest you design your chassis for a shorty pg and shifter to fit in easily to replace the manual 3-speed.  This provides you another drive option should you change your mind down the road (similar to what Calkins wrote, powerglides were available in 1963).  If you don’t like pg automatics, another option taking more money is a modern Lenco CS4 2-speed, it’s the lightest and smallest and designed for 1800hp.  Install the CS4 without a reverser, cover it with a vintage blanket in your chassis’s short wb and never look back.  Alan

[Shaggy]

Thanks for the input, Yea it was an era of a lot of change, and looking at what was competitive there wasnt any set winners. Even at nationals rigs that could have been built in the late '50s did well.

My main reason for my cutoff is budget, the earlier stuff tended to stay more stockish especially at the smaller tracks. I'm kinda leaning tward '39 box since i can afford to grenade them until i get bored and i have a ton of light damaged transmissions and parts that a dirt tracker friend blew up in the day. Definitely a '57-64 olds rear, not sure which chassis design at this point since i want to make it legal. Making it legal will be cheaper and easier than getting busted dragging on the street with it, which i probably would.

[Bentwings]

When we ran dragster back in the early ‘60’s, we used a manual trans from ‘50’s Pontiac. These were selector trans in that a selector lever determined 1-R or 2-3. It was easy to just block them into 2-3 position. Thet had pretty rugged syncros although we had every other tooth ground off so you could really ‘ speed shift” them.  They were very bullet proof.  Many of these had torque tube drive so had to be converted to open drive.  If I’m not mistaken I think the output shaft was pretty short and did not have to be machined. Just a bearing plate.

I do like the idea of the shorty PG.  These can be built so you will never break them with your motor.

The Olds rear end is tough. Not much in the line of gears however. If you go to the larger Olds there are aftermarket gears and posi or spools available.  Today you will be able to get narrowed Adele’s that are bullet proof.  A common way to make your own that was often done was to cut the axel shaft off at the bearing. Then bore a hole in the flange. The axel was machined for a press fit. Then assembled. Then a pair of dowel holes were drilled in the hole circle half in the axel, half in the flange.  Dowels were pressed in then the Sean was TIG welded.  Surprisingly this held up for quite a while. Untill forged axels became available.

If you are going to run the car be sure to build a substantial drive shaft cover. Don’t underestimate the damage a broken drive shaft can cause.  I don’t think I’d run a conventional u joint drive shaft. Couplers and splined shafts are available from several places and don’t cost much more than a heavy duty drive shaft.  Lots safer.

http://fabcraftmetalworks.com/category/0006/REAR-END/3.html

[the shadow]

I ran a late 50's chevy 3 speed with rev and 1st gear removed leaving 2-3 for a high low. I used this behind an injected 331 sbc and used to granny shift it from low to high at the track (just exhibition runs back in the 90's at local nostalgia events and goodguys events) I blew up 2 box's, chewed low gear (2nd) to shreds, after that I just left it in high gear and rev'd the xxxx out of it.  I dont race the rail anymore stopped in '96 but it worked. my rail originally had a direct drive unit in it back in 1960 I just couldn't afford to replicate it when I restored the car but wanted a period trans (not an automatic) that would have been run back then.

[Goinbroke2]

Shadow, what does your dragster weigh as it is in the picture?

[the shadow]

Shadow, what does your dragster weigh as it is in the picture?

1390#'s