Messages

16

Wanted to buy / Front engine dragster wanted

« on: September 01, 2018, 08:16:22 AM »

Wanted...,Front engine dragster 200 inches more or less. It can be a complete running car or a roller. I do not fit in a 19 1/2 inch cage, my shoulders are too wide. Prefer a car in the west, but I can travel. Need a car suitable for bracket racing.
Bob 541 233-3820
       541 447-3259

17

Roo Man's Room / Re: frame table and bow in lower rail

« on: August 27, 2018, 08:22:51 AM »

So are we talking less than an inch and try to have the center of the arch under the motor

18

Roo Man's Room / frame table and bow in lower rail

« on: August 26, 2018, 08:39:03 AM »

I was going through the construction pictures of the Lever Family dragster and there was one particular picture that caught my eye. It showed the lower tube rail with an upward bow in it as it was attached to the frame table. When I built my Bonneville lakester, it's like a rear engine dragster but all enclosed, I built it with the lower rail flat and secured to the table. The result was that it has a slight permanent sag in the middle because of all the heat that was applied to the roll cage ( Bonneville cars require more tubes and thicker wall tubes, thus more hear from welding).
On a 200 inch wheel based fed how much bow goes in to it and where is the center of the bow located? Or is no bow needed because less heat is needed to weld the frame together?

19

Roo Man's Room / Re: types of chassis (back half)

« on: June 11, 2018, 08:28:57 AM »

That brings up another question, I have lot's of them,  what is the angle of the back tubes and how far behind the  axle center line is a good place to start for the rear upright tubes. I guess it depends on the drivers physical size but it seems it would be hard to try to get in and out of a car with just the tubes taped together to get an idea of where things should go. Or should I just get a kit with a blue print?

I tried to post a picture of my Bonneville car, don't know if I was successful or not. The car needs some explanation. How can a Bonneville Lakester only go 160 mph with an LS 3 engine (see my profile) The reason is that the LS3 is the new engine and I haven't run the car with it yet, maybe this year. I only participate in the Bonneville World Finals which takes place in late
September or early October. The August meet is too hot and crowded. The Finals event has been rained out for the past 5 years. The old engine was a Nissan V6 with 154 horse power so 160mph isn't too bad. But my goal was 200mph. I tripled the horsepower to get 40 more mph. No one ever said I was smart.

20

Roo Man's Room / Re: types of chassis (back half)

« on: June 05, 2018, 08:24:17 AM »

I like it, I like it, I LIKE IT1111111  My project for the winter is to either sell my Bonneville car without the engine or strip everything off it I can and build a fed for bracket racing. I'm in the research stage now. I need a project every winter that takes up 1,000 hours of my time and is a challenge. Last winter I made a mid engined 50 chev fastback.

21

Roo Man's Room / Re: types of chassis (back half)

« on: June 04, 2018, 08:25:52 AM »

I am a first time builder at least for a dragster. I've built many street rod frames and a Bonneville Lakester using dom tubing. But that tubing was quite a bit thicker .125 thick, and a lot of it. That lakester car is 23 feet long and weighs 2,300 pounds. Currently I drive a door slammer in 1/8 mile bracket racing but need more excitement. I'm quitting Bonneville after this year and will try putting it's engine in a fed this winter. The motor is a Chev LS3 all aluminum engine. I haven't seen any LS engines in fed's, is that because you can't nostalgia race?

22

Roo Man's Room / types of chassis (back half)

« on: June 01, 2018, 08:12:39 PM »

It looks to me that there are two basic types of chassis construction for the back half of a fed.
1. The shoulder tube forms a hoop (u shape) and the lower tube forms a similar hoop (u shape) see page 9, example 2 of SFI specification 2.4c
2. The shoulder tube forms a hoop (u shape) and the lower rail bends up to meet the shoulder hoop at the drivers back. see page 9 example 1 of SFI specification 2.4c

Is there an advantage or disadvantage to either type?
Is one easier to assemble than the other?
Does one take more material than the other?
Is one stronger than the other?

23

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Need advice with new build with LS 3 engine

« on: August 15, 2015, 05:09:57 PM »

I like to build my own cars, one because I need something to keep me occupied because I'm retired, two I have all the equipment, tig welder, tube bender , notchers, english wheel. I like the process of building. The lakester I did all the work including  the aluminum skin work. If I don't end the day with grinding dust on my face I feel left out. I know it will cost a little more but I enjoy the process, plus I like standing next to the car and answering questions. I like to say yes I built the whole thing. I'm not talking major horsepower here, the engine is an LS3 crate motor of 525hp. I'm 70 years old and started to think that at least with drag racing i'm only going half the speed of Bonneville. That's something I keep telling my wife...."drag racing is so much safer"

24

Front Engine Dragsters / Need advice with new build with LS 3 engine

« on: August 15, 2015, 12:29:30 PM »

I've been a Bonneville racer for the past six years but the events keep getting rained out so I need to find something else to do with my LS3 engine. The car I have currently is a rear engined lakester. I was thinking of converting it to drag racing car but it is just too heavy, it's not set up right  for drag racing and is much too hard to get in and out of. So this winter I'm going to order a kit from Mark Williams and build a FED. I'm too old to be a seriously competitive racer I just want to go out on weekends, bracket race and have some fun. If Bonneville ends up a go for the year I can switch the engine back and forth in less than a day. My question is mostly the transmission. I don't want the engine sitting back in my lap so I'll go with something other than a shortie  transmission. Would you use a power glide or something with three speeds, I only intend to be on 1/8 mile tracks. Also do I really need a transbrake or can I foot brake it and  be consistent? What do you think of using the LS3 all aluminum engine for this application? Any advice is greatly appreciated