stukndapast said:
Knurled. said:
In reply to frenchyd :
I would not do that. The front end is not engineered for bumps like a road has. When I say they are big karts, that is not much of an exaggeration. Except karts are probably more sturdy. They're built to handle pool table smooth asphalt and concrete, and are pretty unloaded during a drag run besides. If they were any tougher, then they'd be too heavy!
He's right, they aren't suspended and they actually rely on the flexing of the chassis to provide a modicum of suspension, including weight transfer on launch. I remember taking my rail to RaceTech because one of the frame crossmembers had cracked and he insisted on examining the car in the trailer as it had been towed to the shop. You have to tie them down in the trailer, supporting the front section so that it doesn't flex with the motion of the trailer otherwise the constant motion can crack the frame. He wanted to see that it was being transported properly before he fixed it. They even make air pillows designed specifically for supporting the chassis while being transported. Chassis Air bag.
Thanks for posting that info! Never saw one still in a trailer but always wondered about the flexing as just being moved around in staging etc the chassis flex noticeably.
In reply to stukndapast :
We had blocks of wood that we would bolt to the floor of the trailer, and then bolt the dragster to the blocks of wood. I always thought that it was merely a really well executed way of keeping it from moving around in the trailer (which was also a small machine shop) but the chassis flex issue makes sense. They spend a lot more time in the trailer than they do running down the track!
One of the blocks was in the middle of the chassis, now that I remember more clearly.
dculberson said:
I won't pretend to know the politics of your family, but I wouldn't dream of charging my father in law a "finder's fee!"
You haven't sat through many thanksgiving dinners hearing about how Jag V12s are far superior to these sad turkeys we're forced to eat every November because the pilgrims ran off the a country full of Chevy V8s. 
I kid I kid
Why not just hold the front up (back of car at front of trailer)put the trailer ramp/gate up and hang the front wheels off the back? Red shop rag and go.
Has anyone explained that bracket racing is about consistency not speed?
Frenchy, if you can run consistently at 12 sec, thats your dial in, if my work truck runs 17s, i get my green light 5 sec before yours and first one across the line wins. If the car is fun to drive that way, that's my suggestion
Oh, before i get bum rushed, there is a lot of strategy to bracket racing like sand bagging and pedaling at the finish line etc but you probably arent going there anytime soon.
Test n tune at my local track i get 15 runs some nights, 5 or so others, but more than 6 or 8 and youre probably hurting your car
stukndapast said:
Knurled. said:
In reply to frenchyd :
I would not do that. The front end is not engineered for bumps like a road has. When I say they are big karts, that is not much of an exaggeration. Except karts are probably more sturdy. They're built to handle pool table smooth asphalt and concrete, and are pretty unloaded during a drag run besides. If they were any tougher, then they'd be too heavy!
He's right, they aren't suspended and they actually rely on the flexing of the chassis to provide a modicum of suspension, including weight transfer on launch. I remember taking my rail to RaceTech because one of the frame crossmembers had cracked and he insisted on examining the car in the trailer as it had been towed to the shop. You have to tie them down in the trailer, supporting the front section so that it doesn't flex with the motion of the trailer otherwise the constant motion can crack the frame. He wanted to see that it was being transported properly before he fixed it. They even make air pillows designed specifically for supporting the chassis while being transported. Chassis Air bag.
I'm actually aware of that. One of the very few tidbits I know about dragsters.
Wally said:
dculberson said:
I won't pretend to know the politics of your family, but I wouldn't dream of charging my father in law a "finder's fee!"
You haven't sat through many thanksgiving dinners hearing about how Jag V12s are far superior to these sad turkeys we're forced to eat every November because the pilgrims ran off the a country full of Chevy V8s. I kid I kid
Actually paying him a finders fee or just " a loan" so he can feed his kids affects me the same way. One leaves him with a little pride.
In reply to Justjim75 :
If I'm bracket racing I'll quit. To me that sounds about as thrilling as watching grass grow. It's the same reason I don't autocross.
I'll test and tune and enjoy that. Because it's quick feedback as to my mechanical prowess. But even that will hold little charm for me. Face it the "skill" in these low powered cars on a drag strip is about reaction time. At 72 with no prior experience that's not something I'll do well at.
I've gone to a few test days with friends that were serious drag racers and had a ball. It was a relaxed day, you could pretty much make as many passes as you like, I think between me, friends, girlfriends, etc my Monte Carlo made about 30 passes while we worked on his Chevelle.
Justjim75 said:
Why not just hold the front up (back of car at front of trailer)put the trailer ramp/gate up and hang the front wheels off the back? Red shop rag and go.
Has anyone explained that bracket racing is about consistency not speed?
Frenchy, if you can run consistently at 12 sec, thats your dial in, if my work truck runs 17s, i get my green light 5 sec before yours and first one across the line wins. If the car is fun to drive that way, that's my suggestion
A trailer is one more complication for Monday midday. I'm down making a ramp to set in my pickup. Perhaps you've seen the lumberyard I've got down in my shop? The ramps are almost 18 feet long. This will work, I'm sure of it.
I didnt mean to make bracket racing sound not fun, because it is. I was merely saying that you can build what you want to, the car you enjoy no matter if its "fast" for a rail and still be competitive and not have to rebuild the whole cage and such. I like the 20 foot SC Jag V12 bracket dragster in the back of a truck idea A LOT, and being older just means you have the wisdom to figure out how to beat a 20 yr old in a brand new Mustang and smile doing it
Putting it in the back of an 8' bed pickup is possible with the right ramps. Not sure I would want to take it to the track like that. Unloading and loading was possible but precarious.
Shouldn't be too hard to get a sticker on it. Most of the changes for safety were for quicker chassis. Worth a call to an inspector to come look at it.
Justjim75 said:
I didnt mean to make bracket racing sound not fun, because it is. I was merely saying that you can build what you want to, the car you enjoy no matter if its "fast" for a rail and still be competitive and not have to rebuild the whole cage and such. I like the 20 foot SC Jag V12 bracket dragster in the back of a truck idea A LOT, and being older just means you have the wisdom to figure out how to beat a 20 yr old in a brand new Mustang and smile doing it
Wierd cranky old guys like me do stuff because we want to. Not to prove anything. Bracket racing seems like auto crossing, a big win is by a 10th of a second.or less.
The reason this is appealing is because it's so far from the normal. If it takes me 30 seconds to go a 1/4 of a mile it will still be weird.
With my budget it would shock me if I could do a 10 second 1/4 mile. But unless I'm completely wrong I'll be on the track for under $1000 ( much over that and I'll let him haul it to the scrap metal place ).
Since there are cars right off the showroom floor likely to be faster, This isn't going to be anything exciting.
No if I can't find a trailer to haul it to the race track I'll build a trailer myself. It won't be enclosed, just a square tube frame made from whatever is cheap at the surplus metal yards in town. Single axle because it's weight will be under 2000. The wooden ramp I knocked together is to haul just a bare frame home I'm thinking at most 800 pounds.
In reply to Paul_VR6 :
You are right. Bare empty chassis I'm figuring 5-800 pounds. Once the engine and transmission is in it and it's ready to run figure another 1000 pounds. Definitely too much for the wooden ramp I knocked together.
If I can't borrow a trailer long enough I'll spend a weekend welding one up from surplus metal at whatever yard has what I need. Single axle should do it. Just have to have it far enough back so I have 3-500 pounds on the hitch.
I'm anxious to see it in daylight. It's at least 21 years old, probably a lot older. Good call on having an inspector look it over.
I have seen a lot of guys load REDs backward and just have the nose hang off the trailer and put flags on it. Gets the weight in the right place and you don't need a big trailer to do that.
In reply to Paul_VR6 :Aw Nuts!!!!
Flailing to get the wooden ramp loaded Then to get over to the address, load the dragster and get back to work in time, I was actually panting from all the work and effort I'd done. With a shade less than an hour before I was due back to start my afternoon routes.
I put my hand on the rollcage and fell to the floor.
My hand was holding paint and rust. Like a rusty tailpipe that had been painted. I'd crashed through the chassis rails on my way to the floor.
What had been one car was now pieces. Almost all of it rust covered paint.
only the steering colum, front and rear axle were still solid. held up to the roof by a rope and pulley system were the front and rear axle. If those ropes had been around the frame it would have long ago crashed to the floor.
I got back with only a minute to spare completely forgot about taking pictures. It's in the dumpster now but I'll have Patrick take some pictures of what could have been.
Hey, is there any value to the rear end and front end?
DOH sometimes free is even worth less. In for pics.
Well THAT sucks. Makes you wonder who built that thing and from what sort of tubing. Home built from exhaust pipe? I'll bet it has been done. Are you from the south...? 
If it was stickered it should have been checked for wall thickness. Either sonic or inspection holes.
In reply to Paul_VR6 :
I saw one sticker dated 1999
In reply to frenchyd :
I'll give you $50 for the front and rear. Pick up next time I'm up your way if you can store it.
stukndapast said:
Well THAT sucks. Makes you wonder who built that thing and from what sort of tubing. Home built from exhaust pipe? I'll bet it has been done. Are you from the south...?
Minnesota. I wonder if this was ever run at Bonneville? I can't even maginevwhat would cause it to go bad in 21 years. I mean it looked dry in that garage and it was up in the rafters.
In reply to Stampie : I sure don't ( you saw all the wood in my shop didn't you) ? But I'll ask my son -in-law if he has the space.
That really sucks, I've been looking forward to a 12 cylinder dragster. :(
In reply to Wally :
Me too, so much I just checked out racing junk. Wow if they are actually getting that much for them I guess I'll never get one
