FrontEngineDragsters.Org Forum
Drag Racing Discussions => Front Engine Dragsters => Topic started by: wideopen231 on May 31, 2015, 04:05:07 PM
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A thread for little fun.
What made you want to race a FED or other style of nostalgia car over more modern boring cookie cutter,oops kind of giving away part of my reason.
For me FED is cooler(to me),different than 10,000 RED's,lighter and little tuning challange to make it work as a bracket car. Most importent is its badass IMO and I am the one flipping the bill.
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For me at first it was the look of a FED. Then I got one and it was a blast to drive. But I didn't really know how much I liked it until I had a RED.
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Because people will walk past 10 RED's going 4.7x's in the lanes to talk to me about my 5.50 FED.
As one guy said, "if I wanted to see flawless pretty cars, my hobby would have been car shows, but I'm a racer.."
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my dad started running a FED in 84 while I was a kid and it is the only kind of car I know of that should go down a dragstrip....
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for me it was originally the cheapest and most accessible way to go drag racing. In the UK we don't have the RWD V8 cars for easy street /strip fun, and american muscle cars were out of my price range. My first slingshot was a 120" powered by a Ford V6 which I later put a Rover V8 in (aluminium Buick 215). Got bitten by the bug and have been racing and building cars since.
I may one day build a RED if only for the challenge of building a split chassis and something comfortable to drive. I'm not hung up on the FED thing, what puts me off a RED is the way they're churned out with little to no individuality. They've become a tool rather than an engineering art form. I put modern TF TED's in that category also. For me the looks of a front engine car is as, if not more important that how it goes.
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My Mom found a drawing I made in 3rd grade of an FED
I have drag raced all my life, ran Mopar door cars--had fun but..hung it up for last 7-8 years since the 08 economy fall
Finally decided one last car build--made for FUN--not going to make it a scond job like before--run when I feel like it and weather is pretty so Nostalgia was way to go
Built my car--have been running it and thing is--I WISH I had built one of these years ago--it is the most fun I have ever had in any car period! driving one is the ultimate car experience! i love how they go so fast with so little an engine--the fans love it--I am having the time of my life with this car!!
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After working on FEDNV's fed for a few years, he asked if I would like to drive it. Decided to get my lic in it. On the second hit went 7.92 @ 171. It was when the ambulance sitting on the second return road went blipping by I realized how fast I was going and I was hooked. Exactly 1 year later I now have one in my garage waiting for an engine and all the Good Times in the near future. Oh and the people involved in the nostalgia events are great! But the best part is for sure the burn out.... Thanks Scott!
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Greg you are welcome!!!! I got into it when a friend of mine in a car club ran a c gas vega and I went to my first nostalgia race. Told my buddy after the race I was getting a FED and so I sold my harley, sold my rat rod and bought the setup I have now. Greg and I have been at it now for almost 6 years and we have never had so much fun period let alone drag racing and we have been drag racing since high school on the streets. This is by far the most fun I have had in a car. Too bad 6 second passes are out of my financial portfolio (for now wink wink). Like everyone else we have met just the nicest people and enjoy the feel of the nostalgia events.
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I started racing in 1969 with a FED and another FED after that 3 RED'S and now my Parks FED ! It is by far the best race car I have ever had !
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That was then This is now
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Bill,
In first pic of first car is chute even connected?
I will say you had a set driving that thing.No way your head was anywhere near in safe postion with rollbar. Amazing when you look back at how unsafe some cars where that did not seem so then.
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Looks like the shoulder straps dragging on the ground--- another plus
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I'm 41, so I never saw a race at Lions. I missed the hay days of OCIR and the other So Cal tracks. But I've always been drawn to "Nostalgia Cars." For me they're cooler then todays modern cars. I don't care to watch super comp or super gas cars. Gassers, NE cars and the fuel cars just appeal to me.
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Back then what we had was what we had ! That car had a 2 speed stick transmission ! I remember the first time we ran in the 9's with it I thought we were really flying ! Fun times !!!
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I have said it before. An FED is the most fun you can have with your pants on. I have only made one run with my 05 spitzer 7.90 /173 . The ignition craped out and have not had the time to get back with the repair, work and weather. Car ran that 7.90 with what sounded like it was on the chip from half track. Still the ride was worth it.
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Started to reply 3-4 times and never really had a good answer.
I always liked old cars because they have soul.
Dad raced a boat, I had a hot rod pick up in high school and had two older brother who were more into muscle cars. I got in trouble street racing with a Chevelle and a V8 Vega. Grew out of and could not afford to street race anymore.
Fast forward to a muscle care restoration that drove me nuts trying to find that one last NOS piece, and finally a job that included selling racing fuel as a key component.
One of the teams that I chose to sponsor was a JR fuel car. That was the team that I spent more time with and learned about the whole nostalgia racing, dare I say "Life Style" Nostalgia racers were more friendly, more willing to offer help, parts, and waaay more laid back than any of the other racers I spent time with. (Second only to drag boats, but that is another story). I was hooked, traveled to some great historic tracks. Indy, Bakersfield, Bowling Green, Cordova, and my favorite Ardmore Ok.
Happened to be visiting a guy with a FED at a Super Chevy Race in 99? and he had a roller for sale. Since selling fuel was part of my job and I knew the FED would get more attention at the track than anything else I could possibly drive, and the fact that I would never drive a FED on the street and get thrown in jail again. I bought it, built it and played with some local groups, had a blast. Bent that one and just ordered some new pipe about a week ago so I can start over.
Nostalgia racers tend to play well together and FED racers have more opportunities to race. You can run index classes, brackets, and many organized nostalgia events.
I suppose the same could be said for Altereds or Funnys. I just don't have enough friends to lift a funny car body all the time.
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Forgot one. My wife reminded me about a story of me pedaling my little car half a block. Swipping a bunch of candy and when asked how I paid for it I said"Momma if you don't have money you don't have to pay"(my liberal stage I guess). The toy car was a frontengine dragster.Bet that would be worth some cash now. Point wife says just going back for another childhood.
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Forgot one. My wife reminded me about a story of me pedaling my little car half a block. Swipping a bunch of candy and when asked how I paid for it I said"Momma if you don't have money you don't have to pay"(my liberal stage I guess). The toy car was a frontengine dragster.Bet that would be worth some cash now. Point wife says just going back for another childhood.
Did your mother spank you !!!!
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Don't think so. It was one of those want to spank them but it was so funny hard not to laugh.
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raced local in the early 70's,,loved when they staged,always loved old hilborn with the crazy stacks, ,,,,,forward 36 years ,,,I got both on the same ride. havin the time of my life
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I got into this nostalgia/Front engine dragster scene in 1990 because I missed it in the begining and when I could get into Drag racing the Rear motors took over. From the early days as a kid buying magazines to fantasize of what it would be like was my only choice.
HOWEVER----
Right now the shine has been taken off the apple. For the most part the swing has turned from the glory days of Form over Function to newstalgia front engine dragsters. We have people building oil derrects-narrow front track A-arm front ends, bodies built with a sheet metal brake, billet this and that, computers/data recorders and all these go fast engine componants and wild fuel systems-- Please someone tell me why it is nessasary to have a Big & Ugly mounted to a set back high helix 10/71 and a 44amp MSD to run 7 flat???? Why do dragsters need 30" of overhang with cannards??? . This is what happens when the Racer mentality overuns the vintage aspect-- all for a couple bux and $25 trophy. A lot of people are racing front engine dragsters, and thats great--Enjoy, but please dont call it a vintage/nostalgia dragster if you cant show me a picture of the way yours is built in a 60's car magazine. and dont say yours was built to be safer then the old cars--- BS, Kidney bars and an extra roll bar hoop on my car is the only visable difference as far as the chassie goes and is legal to 6.00
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I do not like the looks of the new nostalga dragsters. Get rid of electronics in ALL the classes in dragracing and you will see dragracing increase again
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Bruce I think the racer mentality has been around since the beginning of this sport ! The guy's who hopped up there flat head Fords were the high tech racers of the fifty's . I don't think it is any different today ! I really admire those early racers because they set the pace for future racers to never settle and always look for ways to go quicker ! I guess you could say that my car is one of those oil derrick's with a arms and a 6 point cage but that's the way I wanted it and I didn't build it to be a vintage car ! I really like the cars from the sixty's some of the body work and paint were works of art I guess that is something we lost !
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We did not "LOSE" anything, racers took the easy road for a percieved edge over another racer. Tony Nancy in the mid sixtys had a rear motor dragster with a wing on the back, so for that reason I should be able to build a oil derrick R/E dragsters with a wing and call it vintage nostalgia
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Hey love the 60's cars. IMO advancing the design is just that. I think looking for ways to make it quciker and/or better is keeping with the inovative side of the sport. The guys who built the 60's style cars where always looking to go faster and make the cars better. That is exactly what brought some of the new designs to a classic piece.
I knew going in to my build that most purest would not be crazy about some of my design. The so called high chair is one part that I have gotten negative comments on from the start. IMO its helpful in the main intent of my car bracket racing.Got to see my front and other guys front at stripe for top end driving. The 30 front nose piece I see as a have to if you run headsup,other wise you are giving up et that others are not.
As far as I am concerned any car built for dragracing is a bennifit to the sport. If it happens to be frontengine dragster requardless of design thats even better.
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There was no "advancement" in design to make the car better, In fact the older design holds up better long term. The only reason for the design change is that the builders of the new crop of cars already were tooled up from their rear motor design and unwilling to re-tool to a conventional dragster design. Its just dumb tubing and either design can be made to work equally well.
Vintage/Nostalgia drag racing is the only series out there where modern designs & exposed components are acceptable. Am I starting a crusade to banish them--- NO, build your car and buy every electronic gizmo as you see fit and enjoy. The topic at hand was "Why a FED or Nostalgia racing" and on a previous post I had answered that question but also gave my reason for leaving it too.
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Actually the thread is about what made you decide to race a FED or nostalgia style race car. Its not about is the definition of a Vintage nostalgia car. As first line of OP states its meant to be a fun thread.Point was to get folks point reason and what draws them to their choice of race car. To each their own as long as they drag race I'm good with it.
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To which I did answer to when it started for me and for the changes I have seen over the last 25 years of being involved to the point of them becoming "cookie cutter"
I'm done
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We did not "LOSE" anything, racers took the easy road for a percieved edge over another racer. Tony Nancy in the mid sixtys had a rear motor dragster with a wing on the back, so for that reason I should be able to build a oil derrick R/E dragsters with a wing and call it vintage nostalgia
Bruce what I meant by loosing something is you don'see as much of the hand made pieces and custom paint jobs like you did in the seventy's ! Lots of chrome and polished alluminum too! You do see more of it at the nostalgia races . You and I might have different idea's on the way that things should be done but I think we both have the same love affair with FED'S ! When I was 12 years old some friends of mine took me to Dover Drag Strip IN Wingdale NY and I saw the dragster Hallzapoppin run I knew right then that I was going to race a dragster !
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I wanted one from the first time I saw a FED at Laplace Dragway in the New Orleans area in the very late 70s. Still have pictures of the one I saw. I was still in high school at that point. It took me till Y2K to find the one I traded for the Chevelle I had built in the meantime. Much more fun to drive.
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Well I race nostalgia FED because a FED C/gas dragster was my 1'st dragster in 1962, then in 63' we raced for 5 years a Real high gear nitro 301 ci JrFueler in the Midwest. We raced the green "Slot Racer" almost every week that there was no snow on the track, at Great Lakes Dragway, Union Grove, Wisc. Best Et 8.02, best speed 191 in 65'. Even tho our next car, BB/GD, we won the 69' US Nationals, and our last car, Dual engine BBC Top Gas Dragster, that I beat the "Freight Train" with a hole shot at the 71' US Nationals both were allot of fun, and rewarding, I still had the most fun racing the nitro JF car. Just to finish the J.C.Hansen driving story, the last car I drove was Jerry Newman's John Buttera built RED Top Fueler to a Div 3 Top Fuel Championship in 1973. Ya for all you young whiper snappers, NHRA used to have Division TF championships. We beat out Dick Lahie for the championship, and we were #2 in the Eastern Conference too.
Anyway That's why I still race FED's.
Jon
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Im only 37, so i was born too late for the golden era of FEDs, but there is something about the 1960-70s that have always been close to my heart; cars, music, motorcycles, lifestyle...
The first time i did see a FED was in my uncles old american car mags when i was somewhere between 4-6 yrs. There was all kind of cool cars and also a FEDs (although the picture that i remember best was two vw bugs doing HUGE wheelies side by side). I was very impressed by all the pictures, allthough i didnt understand anything... and my uncle "hated" kids, and i didnt have the guts to ask him about those awsome cars.. Rest of family had no interest (and still dont), so i did not have the oppertunity to attend a dragrace (very few of them in Norway at that time).
Luckily, i lived (and still do), 5min away from an old German airfield, and in 1985 the first dragrace took place there (soon to be one of Europes fastest tracks!) - and i think that was it, i was hooked forever!
A front engine dragster is just like a pretty girl, perfect lines, looks beautiful but can still be angry as xxxx..
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But can you make pretty girl only talk when you want?
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But can you make pretty girl only talk when you want?
Nope ;D
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This;)
https://www.google.no/search?hl=no&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1422&bih=687&q=godis+dragster&oq=godis+dragster&gs_l=img.3..0i8i30l2.1673.9747.0.10302.16.15.1.0.0.0.151.1180.14j1.15.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..1.15.1101.4AeBWH9LvBk#imgdii=9bBQUuf4cXUybM%3A%3B9bBQUuf4cXUybM%3A%3BegdIHtRXW1e8GM%3A&imgrc=9bBQUuf4cXUybM%3A
Swedish candy;)
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I would rather see some Swedish eye candy !!!
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There is just something about sitting between two big slicks and engine with zoomies right in front for viewing and great horsepower effect. :o
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1969 Beeline dragway Phx AZ,
dad takes young son to Drag races after many trips to Manzy for roundy round cars.
First cars we see are Dragsters,Told dad some day I will do that.
FC come up and I was hooked.
1980 Walking pits in PHX dragway AZ Some dude with SBC altered was looking pissed off beyond all xxxx.
Introduced my self and ask WTH was happening seems crew did not show up.
We I said lets go he said here is my name address and phone call me next week we try and see if we can work together.
35 years later after burning Nitro across america in AA/FA I get the chance to buy a FED and drive for my self.
So here I am 54 and getting it together for 2016 Heritage season.
Old A-Fuel car of Neal and White. BBC @ 2 spd.
man 22 feet of car is so much harder to get into a trailer that 120 FA! ::) So flat bed we will start with like days of old!
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Welcome, great story, now time to put some times up.
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I grew up in the 70's. lots of REDs with a few FEDs. It was always my dream to own a blown alcohol front motor car....I consider me the luckiest SOB ever.