I'm Gonna Build A Dragster!

[bob w]

All Painted Up And No Place To Go

The trailer is done and painted. Unfortunately the forecast calls for rain all weekend in Union Grove. No point towing 400 miles with the high likelihood of getting rained out. I still have to work out folding ramps. They are too long (6') to just hinge them and let them stick up in the air. Have to jack knife them somehow. When I loaded the dragster on the trailer the oil pan hit the rear crossmember. It now has a dropped crossmember.

Dave & Jerry came over this morning and cleaned the dragster so if we ever take it out it'll look presentable.

Looks like it's time to get back on the Crosley. Next step is to "clay" the piston to valve clearance. Don't want any mayhem in the combustion chambers.

 

[Old Iron]

Hate to hear ya not getting to go.
Trailer looks great.

 

[bob w]

We skipped the Out a Sight Drags at Union Grove, Wisconsin because of the threat of rain. They got some runs in Friday and rain in the afternoon. There's video of some races so I guess there was some dry track Saturday.

Been raining for four days here now. We are heading for Rock Falls, Wi. Thursday, weather permitting. Just a test and tune session where there will be no tuning going on. There's a Gambler race in the late afternoon but all those guys cut .00x lights. Sure to be a first round loser if we try it.

We (50 guys) have rented the track sometime in August. I'll put the other experimental intake system on it for that.

 

[bob w]

11.36,11.38,11.39 &11.40 all at 112mph. How's that for consistency?

It was a beautiful day at the drag strip. A very laid back day with the real action starting tomorrow. But we were there just for test and tune. The track has new ownership for a couple years now and the improvements are impressive.

Couldn't believe the motor homes and large trailers. A couple stackers even.

It was the first time out for my home made trailer and it towed like a champ. The dragster ran well. Dave had fun driving. We stopped at A & W on the way home for chili cheese dogs and malts and rood beer floats.

I took a bunch of pics but they are all garbage because I accidentally changed some setting.

 

[zzrodder]

Bob, you are living the dream and looking good while doing it. [cl[cl
I haven't made a pass down the quarter since 1978, the fact that you're still at it and having fun is a wonderful thing.

 

[bob w]

Yes, zz I feel very fortunate to be able to do this stuff at my age.

On the way to the track, cruising along a nice county highway at 55mph, a tree frog crawled out of the cowl and perched on the windshield wiper arm. I was going to pull over when he crawled back into the cavity at the base of the windshield. Said to Dave that maybe he is okay there and will make the trip back home safely.

Just then he leaped onto the windshield. The little suction cups on the ends of his fingers and toes were slipping on the glass. I started to pull over when he flew off the windshield. I doubt it was a soft landing.

Poor little tree frog.

 

[bob w]

This was how our race weekend went:

 

[Old Iron]

Maximum disappointment

 

[soltz]

Well Hell

 

[smallfoot]

Better luck next time...

 

[bob w]

This weekend is the Super Secret Fun Run.[cl The Minnesota Street rod Assn. rents Brainerd International raceway for two days of free drag racing fun for members.
The dragster was still loaded from our rainout a few weeks ago. Jerry & Dave left Friday and got the thing through tech. Then they partied all night. I had 11 teeth pulled a week ago so I sat at home with a sore mouth. Losing weight though.
Today at 6:00 am I set out for the 150 mile trip. With a stop to pick up a pair of slicks off Facebook Marketplace for the Crosley. Half way up there it got foggy and misty. I got there at 10:00, hung around an hour or so in the mist and the announcer said there was tornado warnings and severe rains storms coming for the next several hours. I left the boys and the dragster and headed home. A couple of the heaviest rainstorms I ever drove through. Almost blew my truck off the road.
At 3:45 Dave got to make the first run. An 11.59. Forty five minutes later he ran a best for the car of 11.30. Sunday morning will be an opportunity to go even lower. How to get in the 11.20's ???? Where to hide the nitrous bottle?

 

[earthman]

Bob, you are living the dream and looking good while doing it. [cl[cl
I haven't made a pass down the quarter since 1978, the fact that you're still at it and having fun is a wonderful thing.

.........................X2!

 

[Old Iron]

X3^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[DozerII]

[cl[cl so cool

 

[bob w]

Last Run of the Day

Last weekend at Brainerd we finally got to run a friend in his Altered Model A sedan. This car was built in the late 50's and still looks the part.
Now sporting an alcohol burning flathead built by a local flathead specialist, it was going to be a good contest.
After a staging line hold up, starts and shut off's Dave and the Model A lined up. Off they went. At half track the dragster started to slow down and died. Dave barely made the turn off. It was then he decided to turn the electric fuel pump on and motored back to the pits.

Flathead Altered 1, Silver Bullet 0

Rematch at the Fall Out in mid-September at Rock Falls, WI.

I should add, Dave made three other runs all in the 11.30 range.

 

[BlueNorther]

I told you so, I told you so, I told you so, I told you so,

that 3 carbs would make that thing fly, Now cut off the choke horns, and add 6" tall velocity stacks between the air scoop and the carbs.

And you'll have to add a parachute to be legal!!!!!!

 

[Bamamav]

Maybe time to wire in a " fuel pump on " green light?

 

[BlueNorther]

oh yea that fuel pump switch has to go, after losing 1 race because I didn't turn the pump on, I wired the main power switch to control the e-pump.

the only thing in my race cars that could be left on when main power was cut was the electric water pump/fan drive to let engine cool after a run between runs.

 

[bob w]

The Fall Out Drags has come and gone. There's pictures from it elsewhere on UDS. Today I ran into Dave, a photographer extraordinaire. He gave me this pic taken in the staging lanes. That's Dave (not the photog) in the car and Jerry, who buckles Dave in. The brains of the operation, me, was wandering around aimlessly, and missed the photo op.

 

[Old Iron]

[cl[cl