'29 Chevy RPU from junk

bob w said:

My error, Front engine dragster. Like a Chassis Research only with a legal cage.

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I see.

What do you have in mind, Bob? I have no idea what nostalgia meets require. Would the dragster be a reasonable facsimile running less than 11.99 ET? I'm nearly twenty years removed from NHRA rules and regulations, so I'm curious, which class or category would your dragster be entered? Are we talking 1/8 mile?

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Well bob, with 3 current & 1 dragster and a future FM dragster in the planning stage I would get her space back as soon as possible. [cl

While I was living up on Whidby Island, WA there was a group of front motor blowen alcohol dragster that ran clutch / direct drive setups. Not real good on 60' & 330 times but they ran big time numbers on the top end. My car with the same motor & a PG ran 175 mph and they ran 185+ most all of the time.

An injected 283-301 with old school Hilborn stack injectors sure would be a ride. The nostalgia Jr Fuel class out west had lot of that style FM dragster.

[[ Good building

To build a slow front engine dragster, just follow the rule book. No need for s.f.i. specs. Using mild steel tubing you can mig weld and run 10.00 without having the chassis certified or getting an NHRA license. They don't care about anything forward of the firewall but pay close attention to tube size, wall thickness and geometry from the firewall back. Although I've seen a lot of old dragsters that don't meet today's requirements running at various meets, I don't want to build one and get turned away. The hard part is making the cage look old style. In fact, I doubt if it can be done. NHRA is very specific about design in that area.

I think I have a formula for a small inch Chevy that will have a pretty flat torque curve from 4,00 to 7,000 rom. So it should launch good which is the issue old 28 mentioned in his post above. Takes the right gearing and converter, cam, heads, etc. It won't really be nostalgia, just look nostalgia.

Would love to run Hilborns on it.

Yes, old28, Junior Fuel was my favorite class. Hard to run nitro in a small block Chevy, but it would be fun to try. I'm afraid the learning curve is too long and too expensive for me.

Bob, You are right on NHRA & tube size, thickness, welds, no grinding stuff. You have the book and know what they require. There is a bit more flex with cage on 10.0 and slower dragster. A buddy of mine ran a real mild 283 Hilborn injected with a glide in a 160" FMD on gas with a hidden radiator and ran 10.0 - 10.25, no lic or chassis cert. The 283-301 your talking about I think you may have a hard time keeping it above 10.0. It don't talk much motor to run a 9.99 in a 1200-1500# FMD. Just keep it in back of your mind. If you are running brackets a 10.40-10.50 dragster is a great ride as long as it can run 10.0-10.20 when asked.

I don't have a current rule box but I think you can run alcohol in a 10.00 & above dragster with your 5 suit. Alcohol will really help to keep that SBC cooler than gas. Let us know what you have in mind.

old28 said:

Well bob, with 3 current & 1 dragster and a future FM dragster in the planning stage I would get her space back as soon as possible. [cl

While I was living up on Whidby Island, WA there was a group of front motor blowen alcohol dragster that ran clutch / direct drive setups. Not real good on 60' & 330 times but they ran big time numbers on the top end. My car with the same motor & a PG ran 175 mph and they ran 185+ most all of the time.

An injected 283-301 with old school Hilborn stack injectors sure would be a ride. The nostalgia Jr Fuel class out west had lot of that style FM dragster.

[[ Good building

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I'll be watching for that build, bob.[P [P
I think I have mentioned that I have my skinny friends going to be 301 on a stand in my shop. Getting ready to send out the rotating assembly for balancing.
It's going to have a modern FI system on it.
Torchie

Torchie, Just dreaming. My build speed has dropped way down. Just concentrating on what I have in front of me. Can't get future build ideas out of my head however.

Got the auto trans cleaned up and the slant and trans back in the roadster. With the unusual shift arm on the torqueflite there isn't much footroom. Maybe I shoulda left the 4 speed in her.

bob w said:

Torchie, Just dreaming. My build speed has dropped way down. Just concentrating on what I have in front of me. Can't get future build ideas out of my head however.

Got the auto trans cleaned up and the slant and trans back in the roadster. With the unusual shift arm on the torqueflite there isn't much footroom. Maybe I shoulda left the 4 speed in her.

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I understand, bob. Seems we are always looking at the next build even while we are in the midst of a current one..
Perhaps you need a push button trans shifter.
[P [P [P
Torchie

Been working on the floor. Got the trans cover modified and the Mustang shifter worked out. Only problem, it shifts backward. The trans cooler is in and plumbed. As is the Lokar throttle valve cable. I was surprised to find out the auto trans is shorter than the 4 speed. Now I need to stretch the driveshaft.

Is there a way you can flip the shift lever 180? That would correct the shift pattern.

smallfoot said:

Is there a way you can flip the shift lever 180? That would correct the shift pattern.

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OOPS My idea won't work on a Mopar trans. Maybe a bell-crank hanging from the ear on the bellhousing???



I've done this with a C-6 several times to use a floor shifter on a column shifter trans. Measure from the pivot point on the trans to the attachment hole in the shifter arm. Then cut a piece of 3/16thx 3/4 bar stock long enough to put a hole on the other end that has the same measurement from the pivot point. Bold (weld) the new bar to the shifter arm. (I've done it both ways.) Fixed. Never had an issue with one coming loose.

Could use a cable style shifter and mount the cable coming in the other direction on the trans.

Bamamav said:

Could use a cable style shifter and mount the cable coming in the other direction on the trans.

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That would work well. In fact, I was going to buy a B & M Unimatic shifter. I have used several of them. However, one of the objectives of this build was to use parts I have on hand. Thus the Mustang shifter. Since I'm left handed and part Polish, having a backward shifter should be no problem for me.

I'm confused, Bob.

Your trans lever should operate as below... Park pulled all the way back, 1st pushed all the way forward...



the Mustang shifter should rotate and act in the same manner as depicted above...



so, how do you get a backward shifter?

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E-body slapstick shifter maybe...?

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Torchie

You didn't show us the linkage, but if it's mechanical and your shift pattern is reversed, it should be pretty easy to get it back the right way by changing the linkage around slightly.

Thanks for the clarification, Doc. I took a quick look at some instructions for the B&M Unimatic shifter and it shows all applications using a rear entry cable except for the Mopar trans. It shows a front entry cable. So I made the unwarranted assumption that the pattern would be reversed.

I hoped that would help.

bob w said:

Since I'm left handed and part Polish, having a backward shifter should be no problem for me.

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I'm somewhat ambidextrous and I have a trace of Chinese blood in my veins, which begs the question...

If you spin a chinaman around three times real quick, does he become dis-oriented?

The answer is... yes.

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There's no fabrication left to do. Just have to bleed the brakes. Sure hope the larger bore master cylinder solves the "to the floor" problem. Need to have another driveshaft made. Then, it's just reassembly left. Just in time for the cold weather.
Dr. C., I'm sort of ambidextrous too; can't do much with either hand.

Bob, as I try to be as helpful as I can, so if you want to send the '29 out to the coast for the winter I will cruise it for you and have it back for your summer.
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