Drag cars?
 

Any of you guys ever raced a car ? Thinking about a roadster . I personally have never had a drag car . I have drag raced street cars . Looking at a 4 link 27 Ford type deal . Mustang type front end . Any opinions or experience would be great .

Re: Drag cars?
 

Roadsters and Alterds are a easy way to go REALLY fast reasonably economically (vs comparable ET in a door car) . If it's not a CM chassis and has a current 7.50 cert,, keep looking!!

Re: Drag cars?
 

I don't have any experience racing, but I grew up with my dad racing a '27 Ford, so here's some inspiration. He also hauled it around with his '75 Chevy which is where my love of trucks came from.

Re: Drag cars?
 

This is probably more of a street car than what you are thinking, but this season I will have been racing this same car for 40 years.

Best is 9.85 at 136mph in the cool fall air (at 3900 lbs). It likes to go between 10.27 and 10.32 in the heat.

http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/

I agree with Marvin, and I always wanted a roadster until I realized how much fun I was having with this car.

K

Re: Drag cars?
 

We've got an Fbody T/A which gets raced, but its on that line between street car and race car. Never had personal experience in any of the lil coupes or roadsters. Would love to try how an altered feels.

Re: Drag cars?
 

no experience in roadsters, personally don't feel as comfortable without a full body surrounding me..

but I have spent some time at the 1/4 mile..

started the 14's with this in high school [this is where everyone laughs including me]

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/uduocc8j94p...01987.jpg?dl=0

ended with this in the high 11's mid 90's

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/p9pjsumm4yt...front.jpg?dl=0

best thing I could suggest is spend some time at the track talking to folks runnin what yer looking to build and see what they have to say..

never met anyone at the track that wouldn't tell you everything they know about their car on request ;)

good luck!

Re: Drag cars?
 

You've never met my engine builder....

(lol)

I know there is stuff he is not telling me.

K

Re: Drag cars?
 

Forgive me for my ignorance , but fill me in on the CM and 7.50 story . I heard they changed the rules a while back that made a lot of the roadsters outdated .

This is exactly the type of set up I'm looking at . Thanks for sharing your memories.

Me too , think it would be a cool change.


Hey , I encourage everyone fast or slow to get to the track and support it .

Re: Drag cars?
 

I have run door cars and dragsters. Came really close to buying a roadster. It was a left hand steer Super Gas/comp legal car. I had been running Super Gas with a 69 Camaro and wanted to go to Super Comp. The car drove really nice. All round tube, strut and 4 link. I would look for one with strut and 4 link and a current 25-1 tag. You can race what ever you want with that.
Jimmy

Re: Drag cars?
 

First pass ever was a 15.10; I had it going 14.90's by the end of the day.

BTW - the track in this picture is Lapeer "International" Dragway. It is still open and still looks exactly the same.

K

Re: Drag cars?
 

awesome history Keith! I love hearing about you and your family's involvement in the industry and racing..

and what's up with your mechanic? LOL!! not supposed to be building faster than you.. no wonder he keeps quiet..

who the heck would look at that '74 Chevelle now and think of a 14:90 pass? probably make that in reverse LOL

speaking of which, looked through that pile of b&w pictures and found another of the '74 gutlass with a 14:90 dial on the window.. probably same day as above..

maybe we're off by a few years but we would have had some good grudge runs :hm:

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/0nbzjtrj8lm...tlass.jpg?dl=0

I was the HS newspaper photographer [yes, chasing a hot girl in journalism class] so my buddies and I shot miles of film and developed in class..

these would have been at KCIR in 87-89.. according to wiki, opened in 1967 and closed in 2011, sad news..

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rT1l7myUcqU/hqdefault.jpg

Re: Drag cars?
 

Guess you know that thing from front to back. Probably dial it by feel.

Re: Drag cars?
 

They re-surfaced the track last summer and cleaned things up , looks much better But still has that dam dip at the end of the track.

Re: Drag cars?
 

How quick are you looking to go? I ran a Super Gas car for 20 years, and now run a center steer AA/F funny car - altered chassis for the past 11 years. While the funny car/fuel altered is scary fast, it is a lot easier to drive than my Super Gas car. The consistency of the chassis and rear tire makes it so much easier to tune than working on shocks, springs, and 4-link settings. If you're looking to go quicker than 8 seconds, I would recommend going with center steer chassis to make it a little more predictable and enjoyable rather than chasing suspension adjustments.

Re: Drag cars?
 

Really not looking to go that fast . More just easy access to work on , plus the weight loss . Really need it to fit in my small garage.

I have talked myself into Frank Hawley's drag racing school next time it comes into town to get my license and drive a dragster for the first time ( I hate dragsters).

Re: Drag cars?
 

The new owner is redoing the track should reopen by the 4th of july weekend.
He is spending a butt load of money on the track.

Re: Drag cars?
 

I heard the track had sold.

One of the guys I work with lives within walking distance of the dragstrip (or - within hearing distance, at least).

K

Sidebar for the group: Two events on the calendar so far (Bowling Green KY and Martin Mi) - both have been rained out :waah:

Re: Drag cars?
 

I ended up buying an altered . Wow , it rode ruff . Solid rear and torsion bar front and butterfly steering wheel . Not what I was expecting . Sold it pretty quick . Still looking for a mustang 2 type 4 link roadster .

Re: Drag cars?
 

Sounds like an old funny car with no body

Re: Drag cars?
 

You guys are gonna ban me for buying this thing , if I can ever figure out how to post pics correctly