I'm Gonna Build A Dragster!

Tom, I hope you build one! If you do and intend to run at a NHRA drag strip, be sure to get a rule book and build it so it passes tech. inspection. If you have an unsanctioned drag strip nearby you can have more fun and spend less money.

yea ,ther's an 8th miletrack here locally and i would wanna just run for the fun of it .I have always loved the home made slingshot dragster and your style seems to be in my budget if i take my time and look for good deals !
I dont know how i missed this build till now?makes me wonder what else i have been missing out on around here????

I had Kathy Weeks do some additional art work and lettering. The car now has a number, .45 (caliber). She hand painted the silver bullets on the sides of the nose piece as well as the numbers.
Because I put an automatic transmission it it, I had her add the "a" to the HA/GR to designate that. Don't know what the more serious HAMB guys will think. I'm sure I'll hear about it though.
In my oipinion, the car looks more racy with the radiator laid flat and the aluminum nose piece added.
I put the car away for the winter today. If the money is there, I'll build a healthy engine for it this winter and get a good high stall converter.

Looks nice & fast Bob. Going to hold off on the head until later?

Would like to see her run with the dreaded "Auto" as you had it setup.

HA/GRA [cl That should get a few comments from the boys. I like what you are doing, More fun builds & cars Stick or Automatic.

Wow, Bob you are one bad hombre. I wish I could just hang out in the garage with you and fetch you beers. That thing is sick and you are the man!

bob w said:

i had kathy weeks do some additional art work and lettering. The car now has a number, .45 (caliber). She hand painted the silver bullets on the sides of the nose piece as well as the numbers.
Because i put an automatic transmission it it, i had her add the "a" to the ha/gr to designate that. Don't know what the more serious hamb guys will think. I'm sure i'll hear about it though.
In my oipinion, the car looks more racy with the radiator laid flat and the aluminum nose piece added.
I put the car away for the winter today. If the money is there, i'll build a healthy engine for it this winter and get a good high stall converter.

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wow, what a build, classy and cool all wrapped up in one car...we need moe bobs in the world!!![p

Very Cool HAMB-ster, one of our local guys here has one too with a Slant 6.
You did a great job on it !

Thanks for the compliment AHR. I believe the guy in your area is Robert. We have talked a bit & he has provided information that was helpful to my project. He makes the trek to MoKan every year for the HAMB drags. There are cars there with a lot more horsepower so he doesn't have much chance of winning. But, he is there for the right reasons, to have fun and recapture the roots of drag racing.

A couple days ago I mailed my entry for the 54th Annual Gopher State Tming Association Rod & Custom Show. Hopefully, they'll let my little digger in.

Nice work there. That thing is a beauty!

A little update: The head will soon have new guides. Then it will go to another shop to have the oversize valves installed and some pocket porting. I'll do the rest of the porting.
I picked up a slant six for free on Craigslist.[cl It was really good inside, all standard. Just got the crank back, turned .010/.010. In the pic you can see two holes I drilled and tapped into the main oil gallery of the block, on either side of the oil pump mount area. That allowed access to the oil feed lines to the center two mains, and beyond. I was able to "port" the entry to those galleries which is supposed to improve oil flow and supply, preventing spun bearings.

So did u make it to Mo-Kan? If not, please post when you plan on it, would love to see this in person.

Next weekend is the Gopher State Timing Assn indoor car show. They accepted my little digger. Part of the display will be this cardboard "King" dressed to look like The Lone Ranger. He'll be standing next to a big sign which will have the "Top Ten Reasons To Build A HAMB Dragster", ala Letterman. I have come up with some reasons and they are mildly humorous. I was thinking with the vast number of creative people on RRR I could get some suggestions. Here's an example of what I've come up with: "So simple a caveman could build it" or, "It beats sleeping in a lawn chair all weekend at a car show".

Richard Petty "morphed" into a skeletal Lone Ranger. Creating a car show display is a real pain in the saddle area.

bob w said:

Richard Petty "morphed" into a skeletal Lone Ranger. Creating a car show display is a real pain in the saddle area.

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I like this one better![cl...Nice job on the car too.....CR

Petty was pretty good. I like the way it turned out.

Today was set up day at the show. My S-10 died again so I called Terry & Lee, Tator on RRR, and they hauled the dragster to the show. At this location, there is the main arena and an outer hallway that rings the arena. The less shiny cars are usually in the outer hallway. That is where I expected and wanted to be. Much more casual out there. I had a bit of an anxiety attack when they put me in the main arena with the real show stuff. My hand made signs and posters are the work of an amateur. And the dragster could be described as "grubby". If I'm wise, this will be the end of my indoor car show career.
The reason I'm doing this is to see if anyone in my area gets on board and builds one of these. It would be a lot of fun if there was a herd of them to run with.

Looks great to me.

hey Bob, my dad and brother and i will be headin up to that show tomorrow, ill look for you there

I think yours should be in the main arena with the others! You did a fantastic job..[cl..CR

It's supposed to be about the cars not the cardboard. I'll bet you get plenty of interest. Keep us posted.