Hi Team,

I am very interested in building (or buying) a nostalgic front engine dragster that I can race and will pass NHRA specs. Does anyone know of any kits being offered out there, that are cheap? (less engine).

Thanks,
wes

Don't know if it's cheap or not, but here's a link (http://www.dragsters.net/kits/kits.html). If you want it to be really cheap, you can buy the drawings for $100.

So you want to straddle a land mine?

My father in law has on old 60's Digger in his garage for the last 25 years. Keep trying to talk him into putting a motor in it and running. He won't do it. Too dangerous.

I have to say when you sit in the seat and realize that manhood is straddling the pumpkin, the tires are 6" from your head, and there is a potential bomb in front of you, I have to agree with him

I have enourmous respect for those old racers. They were truly fearless.

From a safety standpoint, how is it any different than driving a funny car?

I ran a 180" FMD for several years with no problems at all. Big block Chevy, shorty glide, Mopar 8-3/4" rear with Olds ends. Very easy car to drive, went straight down the track, easy on parts. It's an unusual driving position to be in when you are behind the rear wheels.

From a safety standpoint, how is it any different than driving a funny car?

In a funny car, I think the differential is behind the driver. In a front engine rail, you are straddling the differential, right under your crotch. A differential failure or driveshaft failure would not be good.

I've never seen a differential failure that involved breaking the case. Mine had a shield welded over the case, much like a scattershield. There is no driveshaft, only a direct coupler. It's no more dangerous than sitting next to the drivetrain in a standard automobile.

I've never seen a differential failure that involved breaking the case. Mine had a shield welded over the case, much like a scattershield. There is no driveshaft, only a direct coupler. It's no more dangerous than sitting next to the drivetrain in a standard automobile.

till it snaps a rod and covers you in boiling oil, then try to stop it blind. i think the odds of this happening has dropped since the invention of throttle stop cars, but the idea of nitro and oil boiling me in the car, dosen't attract me to the thought of owning one. give me blunt force trauma anyday, over 3rd degree burns....

I used oil in my engine, but there was no nitro. It was a stock 454 Chevy in a bracket car.

I used oil in my engine, but there was no nitro. It was a stock 454 Chevy in a bracket car.


how quick is something like that? probably pretty dependable running stock. is it a throttle stop car?

Bracket 1 at Fremont was 10.49 and quicker so I made the car for that. It ran 9.70's @ 145 with a basically stock 454 Chevy wagon motor, Crane blazer cam, 3310 Holley and a set of Basset boat headers. I used an A1 shorty glide, Rossi converter, 3.91 Mopar gears, Edsel brakes. No throttle stop. I had a Vega radiator, electric fan and electric water pump so I could run without a tow car. The hardest part was getting the seat belts on by myself.

a guy at my work has a model A AA/fuel altered. looks sweet- needs motor and tranny- chute ready to pop if ya can make the wind in her sails...
this is totally a real nice looking altered, just they were - I guess outlawed for being too squirrely.
Id drive it if I could get it legal....

if i can get pics- ill post em.. he also has a rail, not a front, but a rear engined with a wing- he selling parts as quickly as he can..

WES-That would be awsome!!!-I seen a front engine dragster do a 7.70 1/4 mile time at beaver springs dragway---my jaw just dropped--I was amazed-
Seems like the nastalgic stuff is making a comeback--bout to start on a 63 nova gasser type street car myself--I LOVE THAT OLD RACE STUFF-TAKES ME BACK 30 YEARS WHEN I WAS A KID--SEEING ALL THE HOME GROWN DRAG CARS--GREAT IDEA!!!!--
THE GUY DOING 7.70S IN THE FRONT ENGINE DIGGER GOT MY TOTAL RESPECT--THE GUY HAD TO BE FEARLESS-
The beaver has a good bump in the right lane bout 60 foot mark,the car lerched over the bump-but still shot out a 7.70--AWSOME-JUST AWSOME!! GAVE MY GOOSEBUMPS--

67RAT BOB HETRICK

S&W racecars offers a kit. Complete or you build. They're good people to work with. I bought my rear frame from them.
E-town is running the Old Time Drags this Sunday.

A guy I know races one that runs 7.5's in the 1/4 mile. Check out his website

http://www.onehotchilipepper.com/home.htm

If you want to e-mail him, i'm sure he wouldn't mind at all, he's a great guy and loves to talk racing. His e-mail address is at the bottom of the site. Tell him I, Garry L. sent you to him. I also know his pit crew really well too !

Cheers,

Garry

Thanks for all of the comments and replies! I am really serious about buying a kit and building one of these. I have another quick question, will these kits pass the NHRA rules? Which class would I be running in just starting off with a 500 horse SBC?

thanks ALOT TEAM CHEVELLE! :thumbsup:
-wes

I raced one for 4 years. no rearend trouble . oil bath crash. mark williams, neil&parks,boulton race cars all offer fmd stuff. racerrick59

depends on use of electronic timers,etc.and et .call nhra for rulebook as they update rules and an old book may not be correct also you need a jig to hold the tubing in place and know how to tig weld.

500 horses isn't going to be very competitive in any class car, unless it's a very small engine. If you want to know what you're going to have to run to be competitive, go to nhra.com/stats and look up the records and indexes.

nhra member tracks have bracket racing . If you are interested in knowing more, call me as i am a poor typist and i can advise you extensively as i raced dragsters for 16 years. 417-439-9481

How about something like this??

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5545/1876/320/Larsens%20rail.jpg

I just spent the weekend racing with the guy who owns it.. runs low 8's with a small block. Nhra legal for comp and brackets... You will need a competition license..