1963 buick skylark special "gasser"

[earthman]

You have it under control bud.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Make the mock-up axle and keep moving forward - you have momentum. [

 

[Skip]

Make the mock-up axle and keep moving forward - you have momentum. [

And we don't want to wait to be entertained. [cl

 

[christcrusader13]

This is going to be fun!

 

[smallfoot]

I'm kinda stopped on this project until I get my income tax return unless I build my own gasser axle.
I want to buy one from Bill W WAC customs if I can. His are said to be bulletproof.
I have some 1026 .60 thickness DOM and a pair of kingpin bosses. I might have to at the least build a mock-up axle so i can keep moving on getting everything else setup.

What width do you need up front? I have a chevy van axle with 5/4.75 that was previously used as a gasser...

 

[Torch]

Thanks but I'm good.
I already have some 1026 .60 DOM and a pair of kingpin lugs and an ac-dc stick/ tig welder
I have a couple 46 chevy i beams one disc one drum
and a tube axle with 46 ford spindles and f100 drums 60" wide.
I need a tube axle with 7 degree kingpins to take chevy truck spindles so I can use my disc brakes
Speedway only sells 3 degree axles for chevy car spindles and use .25 1018 dom. don't want one of those
WAC customs only wants 350 for a .60 tube axle with billet lugs and safety flags welded in all tig welded and no-one builds them better than he does.

I do have these 2 46 chevy I beams available they are 60" wide fully assembled.

I was following that 61 buick gasser build on the HAMB. if anything that build showed me the stock unibody is strong enough for a large v8 up front but I don't like anything about the way he did his suspension or left the rear axle hanging wide like that. personal preference.

 

[Torch]

I want to build NHRA legal
I've been looking at the nhra rules. I had to move my rear axle back 1" to center the tires in the wheel well
I'd like to push the front axle foreward instead of cutting into and modifying the the firewall
As it is... the pontiac 389 will be roughly centered on the front axle centerline if I run the front axle in the stock location.
I don't know if that will be too nose heavy or not
I know there is a 2% rule for the A/FX class but can't find the verbatim rule itself to review.
if I were to push the front axle foreward I have several inches of fender I can section forward to match it.
My rear suspension pickup points will be plated and bolted through the unibody with plates on the inside for rollbar pickup points. I don;t think I need them on the front but if I do i will have to tie those front subframes into the cage somehow.

if I install the 389 on the stock crankshaft centerline, the manifold on the 389 is roughly right at the top of the carb for the 215
So I'm going to need a cowl hood, a scoop, or will have velocity stacks and carbs poking out the hood.

If I can find another 450 cfm rochester 4gc i can run this intake I have
It was a good ebay score 10 years ago for $250 they sell for $470 today

 

[Torch]

I don't know if i will have room for clutch linkages
if I run an automatic I may have to widen the trans tunnel. That alteration of the stock floor would require my seats to be rollcage mounted.
I specifically searched for a car with solid original tin so I wouldn't have a modified floorpan
I MIGHT be able to install an automatic if the crank centerline is lowered from stock but I don't know if the rules allow that.
A 4 speed is a perfect fit and a th350 not too tight.
I had an idea for a clutch pedal assembly...
Mount the clutch pedal to a bolt that goes through the brake pedal and has the clutch arm pinned on the right hand side of the bolt between the column support and the nut securing the bolt.
This would allow the pushrod to drop straight to the bellcrank without having to cross over like the stock unit (if I had one) does.
Fabricating the bell crank and the other linkages is the simple part if there is room.
I have some brainstorming to do before I build more
I'm also waiting for more money so I can buy a new pair of wrangler YJ springs for the front.

manual steering- monza slow ratio 545 box
manual brakes- 4 wheel disk
A 4 speed would be nice. brakes work so much better when they don't have to also slow down the engine on a hard stop.
I setup manual 4 wheel disk in my 71 firebird (sold) that stopped as easy or better than power brakes and they had a lot better feedback to feel wheel lock than with power brakes.
I won't have a power steering pump to run a hydro boost only an alternator and water pump here.

 

[Torch]

I'm also wondering what I should run for caster. I've read some guys going 3 degrees positive on a race car.
Some are saying 5 to 7 degrees, 7 max if street use is intended.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Where are you finding rules for A/FX?

I haven't read an NHRA rulebook for a "while" and though their site mentions "Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Rulebook" I only see supplements and references to general rules. (In typical NHRA fashion they offer little else without paid membership.)

.

 

[Torch]

I'm not Doc. not finding anything but those general rules you mentioned.
I'm not planning on campaigning the car but I want to build it track legal.
I've been told a car that has to be totally reworked to meet specs isn't worth near as much as one that was built right.
I don't want to build a "go home and don't come back" car
It's not the reason I'm building the car but it's a concern.
My theme is what would I have built in the 60's to race.
I would like to run it at the track on occasion.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

OK. Just build within "General Rules" according to ET and/or MPH for full-bodied cars.

"Bracket" classes are not terribly fussy about wheelbase, body mods, engine setback etc., etc... different if you're cutting the roof off, burning nitro or radical to the point where it looks like a funny car.

Near as a I can tell, your build and intentions are good under regular "Sportsman" rules... do what you please within those rules and you can "run what you brung" with a dial on the window.

.

 

[BlueNorther]

go here and spend $10 on a rule book and follow the general safety rules and regs.

plus the rules under 10.00 and slower ET cars. (unless you plan on a sub 10 second ride)

http://store.nhra.com/shop-by-department/books/

 

[Torch]

I got side tracked- my 350 lost a head gasket on the interstate and I didn't know it until the exhaust "sounded pingy"

I found a good 400 with 60k miles and while I was at it rebuilt the suspension brakes and driveline.

 

[Torch]

Next up I'm going to get the dana 44 and transfer case in the 200 ford and get it back together

 

[Torch]

Scored a set of stainless steel shorty headers for the 2000 today for hunnert bucks.
I'll have to mod my exhaust as they are off a 5.4 lightning but no biggie i go them for less than 1/4 new price.

 

[earthman]

Ok that's enough on the side distractions.

 

[Torch]

Ive got a real mess here I need to move stuff to get at stuff to get stuff movable and have no room to move stuff lol.

 

[Torch]

400 is running sweet and smooth and the truck drives like new again

 

[christcrusader13]

Good deal!