What did you do on your Front Engine Dragster TODAY?

[lake_harley]

Went to a friend's chassis building shop today to get the roll cage tubes bent. He builds circle track cars and has a really nice bender which has a 7" CLR die that looks like it should really work out well for single bend hoops above the driver's helmet. I had some approximate heights needed for the hoops but I know when it comes to final fitment it's going to be a try-cut-try-trim-spread or tighten a bend, try again.......and on and on process. Talked to the gentleman who will likely drive the car to see when he could come to the shop to fit things together. Suggested it might "take a while", which is probably an understatement. I just hope I don't ruin any of the bent tubes because my chassis building friend's shop is about a 3+ hour round trip away. Wish me luck, and an ample supply of patience!

Lynn

[tcoupekyle]

Good luck!!

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

When I build a chassis I farm out my bends to a commercial chassis builder. I have found it valuable to make full size templates of thin hardboard or cardboard so the bender can lay the pipe on the template to get the bends very close.

[wideopen231]

WSell after either not tightening screw in windage tray olr fastener failure. Having the rods cut pretty little grooves in tray and making 3 or 4 million little shavings. I have engine back together after total strip down to bare block and hopefully fully cleaned. Going to drop motor back in tomorrow along with rest of powertrain. Still waiting for new valvetrain piece to replace stuff I screwed up before finding problem. Man I screwup stuff and never even loaded car to go to track much less unloaded it at track. NOT LOL.

[lake_harley]

Ouch! One step forward and two steps back?

Lynn

[tcoupekyle]

Dang I been there too

[wideopen231]

Well since half of reason of having a race car is something to work on I am getting the most out of it.LOL I di find cpl things needing massaging while working on engine. Plus found that math on shorter rods effect on compression was dead on. still sucks to loose ,6;1 just to save 800 on set of rods.New pistons will fix that plus add another 3:1 extra along with 28 ci. Got to learn that " It is bracket car how fast does not matter" thing I keep hearing.

[metalmaniac]

anyone got any pics of seat supports or mounts?

[lake_harley]

FINALLY finished up the welding on my chassis and cage. Now I can start putting the whole puzzle together to see if anything works out the way I hope.

There were some challenging positions this 70 year old had to get into to get to some of the welds! Actually.....I'm not finished, I still have to finish weld the MC bracket that's already tacked in place, and then when the whole engine and drivetrain go in place I'll finalize the engine mount brackets. I built using an alignment bar, but things move when welding. I had been very careful to stagger welds from side to side. I wonder how many times I slid the TIG torch to the opposite side and walked around the car?

I hope to get it done by Spring!

Lynn

[slingshot383]

lake_harley,  looks nice, what wheelbase? You might want to put a diagonal in your small tube box to keep the upper and lower rails from kinking in the future, don't trust just the engine and mid mount to do it alone.

[lake_harley]

Thanks for the compliment and suggestion. It's 145" wheelbase. FWIW, I built the car by plans from S&W Race Cars, but since .058" 4130 was difficult to get in all the quantities and sizes I needed, I built the car with .120" D.O.M. (to meet .118" wall NHRA specs)......and yeah, she's a plump thing. I don't recall a diagonal in the forward "box" on the 200" car plans I used and abbreviated to 145", but I will take another look to see if I missed something. Certainly easier to add now than to repair.

Your profile lists Gateway as being your track. Is that the St. Louis' track which is now Worldwide Technology Raceway, or whatever it is called now, or is it a Gateway somewhere else?

Lynn

[BK]

Well since half of reason of having a race car is something to work on I am getting the most out of it.LOL I di find cpl things needing massaging while working on engine. Plus found that math on shorter rods effect on compression was dead on. still sucks to loose ,6;1 just to save 800 on set of rods.New pistons will fix that plus add another 3:1 extra along with 28 ci. Got to learn that " It is bracket car how fast does not matter" thing I keep hearing.

Don't listen to them the fast car win's on a double red.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Google 'Trustart drag racing'

[tcoupekyle]

Google 'Trustart drag racing'

Why? Meaning where this comment come from? Thanks

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Google 'Trustart drag racing'

Why? Meaning where this comment come from? Thanks

I am pretty sure somebody said one good reason for being the faster car is the slower car has the first chance to red light, in bracket racing. With the advent of the Trustart in "crosstalk" trees the driver with the worst red light will get the lose ticket, not the first driver to go red.

Maybe that statement got edited out of the original post. Sorry for the confusion.