Drag Racing Discussions > Front Engine Dragsters
New Guy love FED but clueless and scaried
GlennLever:
--- Quote from: AF150 on May 03, 2013, 08:37:58 AM ---Good to have you aboad...I've been hooked on FEDs about 50 years. There is no better racecar to
me. Plans are available from Mark Williams, S & W, Parks,Tuttle and maybe Rooman and others. They
also sell kits, which is a much safer approach for a newbie. Also, there are always a bunch of good
used units out there...several on racejunk.com every day.
If you buy a roller with a current chassis certification, it will be a pretty good challenge to get an engine, tranny, plumb it, wire it, hook up all the controls and safety stuff, truck, trailer and learn
how to operate & drive it. That should occupy you for a year or two. Then if you decide to build one
from scratch ... you will probably know enough to do a better job. Good people in this sport. They
will help you with any direction you decide to go. Just my $.02.
--- End quote ---
X2
tylercrawford:
--- Quote from: AF150 on May 03, 2013, 08:37:58 AM ---If you buy a roller with a current chassis certification, it will be a pretty good challenge to get an engine, tranny, plumb it, wire it, hook up all the controls and safety stuff, truck, trailer and learn how to operate & drive it. That should occupy you for a year or two. Then if you decide to build one from scratch ... you will probably know enough to do a better job. Good people in this sport. They
will help you with any direction you decide to go. Just my $.02.
--- End quote ---
If you don't have much experience than this is definitely the way to go. Much easier than building a car from scratch . . .
I've been around race cars for a number of years in almost every type of racing and even did the clutch in two nitro funny cars and was still unprepared for everything with the dragster starting from a pile of tubing on the floor. There's a lot of little stuff that you can skip over if you buy a frame already done or a complete FED ready to go and really if you don't have the time or shop availability to do it then you are better off.
buickfed:
I passed one up about 10 yrs ago. finally got a roller 2 yrs at age 60. door cars are okay, but when I first tried the fed out in my driveway, it was the right race car for me. just too cool. and I run a buick 350 engine in it that eventually will have a blower on it. loving every minute of it. ;D ;D
BCCOWANWEELS:
START OFF WITH A SIMPLE LOW MAINT. ENGINE/TRANS COMBO. YOU,LL BE SURPRISED HOW FAST A 10-1 ,350 CHEVY,MILD HYD CAM AND 750 HOLLEY WILL GO. ALSO THE CAR SHPULD BE AS CLOSE TO 225" WHEEL BASE AS POSSIBLE, ITS ALOT EASYIER TO DRIVE AND ALOT SAFER.
BOB IN TN.
Curly1:
I drive an Altered and it was evil when I got it. An FED is easier to drive. My Altered had issues and problems but I got them sorted out and it is a Blast to drive. A good FED should not be as hard to drive and it does not take much power at all to make them haul.
My car weighs 1675 with me in it and does 8.20's in the 1/4. And my motor is a very mild 434 with less than 650 Hp. Many FED's are lighter than that so it does not take much. I agree a good flat top 355 would surprise you and you would like it. Nothing quite like sitting over the rear with motor in front of you and making a good pass.
As for being scared I do not think that is the right word, you need to be alert and on your toes and ready to get out of it if needed. If you ever have to get out of it do not jump on it again. Just ease into it and drive on down the track for another day.
On my car I went from single rear brakes to 4 wheel brakes and also added another set of rear brakes with hand brake. I of course have a parachute if needed.
Every now and then a decent FED will pop up on Racingjunk for a decent price and if possible that is what I would do get a complete or as complete as possible On any car much of the cost is the little things, fuel pump, fuel lines, wiring, etc and if you can get one with most of that done it will save you a bunch of time and money.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version