Drag Racing

[BadBird]

Not sure how old you are Jeff, but I would say that tool box is about as old as you. I made that back in the early 70's. Designed very similar to the old Kennedy tool boxes. Made another for my father in law, and two more for friends at work. Mine has definitely seen hard labor, but still use it all the time.

[Jeff W]

Not sure how old you are Jeff, but I would say that tool box is about as old as you. I made that back in the early 70's. Designed very similar to the old Kennedy tool boxes. Made another for my father in law, and two more for friends at work. Mine has definitely seen hard labor, but still use it all the time.

I love it. I have seen plans for these in vintage Popular Mechanics magazines. It is on my list to build one for my wood shop tools. My overflowing metal Craftsman box feels out of place in there.

Looks like you are a wood artist as well as a metal and paint master.

[BadBird]

Dennis, I will try to see how much it weighs. IF I can lift the darn thing.

I started dismantling the 8" rear end today. I will post a side by side photo later. I found a problem already. The bolts on the rear housing have been hitting against the exhaust pipe. You can see two shiny spots on the exhaust pipe next to the left shock.If it hits now, I imagine it will really interfere with the larger rear end. See the rub spot in the picture. Have to figure why this new camera puts out blue pictures.

I got the fluid pumped out, took the driveshaft loose, and now wonder if the driveshaft length may need to be changed. Find out I guess.

I cannot believe you haven't heard of "gassers". I grew up with them. Did you look at the gasser pictures?

Jeff, the tool box I made meets my needs, but I want to make another and incorporate changes that would make it work better. Wood working is my favorite activity. Main reason I built my new shop/garage.

[ew1usnr]

[SIZE=4] I cannot believe you haven't heard of "gassers". I grew up with them. Did you look at the gasser pictures?

Hello, Larry.

In the second photo, what is the box that is mounted above the axle that has two hoses attached?

I had heard the term "gasser" and have seen pictures of the cars with the little gas tank mounted up front, but did not know why they were called "gassers". Dragsters put their batteries in the trunk to shift the weight to the back, so why do they move weight forward by mounting the little gas tank up front?

I looked at the pictures and they make me want to have one of those cars. Boy, it would be fun to drive something like that to work each day.

118-gasser-photo-gallery-.jpg

Here is your favorite:
126-gasser-photo-gallery-.jpg

[dhbfaster]

I never really saw "gassers" when I was growing up- except on TV. there weren't many car shows around either. Other then the best car show (our local Falcon show) I have set to ever get to any of the big ones, but I would really like to after I get the Falcon done (with or without the falcon.) Imagine the total hours of work that goes into all these cars. I did enjoy looking at all those pictures Larry- a couple of times actually. I also wondered what that box with the hoses is above your axle.

Larry- I think you problem with the blue in your pictures is the light temperature setting. It's probably not on automatic. See if you can find a setting on that and change it to automatic.

[BadBird]

Back in the 60's, there were bunches of cars that utilized the straight axle front ends. They had classifications aka A/G, B/G.C/G etc, and on up to AG/S,BG/S which separated them via horsepower while the "S" stood for Supercharged. They were amazing cars then and still are for those of us who watched them every Sunday. The going thing in those days was a "mooneyes" fuel tank on the front. In the 50's they used beer kegs, old airplane fuel cells, anything. They were installed on the front to give fueling access and to get it close to the engines. They didn't have electronic fuel pumps on any cars that I know of to push the fuel fast enough.



The dragsters were great, but even they had not reached the 200 mph range yet. Jerry (my brother who several of you met with the 64 Fairlane) along with my father and I used to go to the drags almost every weekend.

IF I could have/drive any car at the drags, it would be the AG/S 41 Willys. They are my favorite car. Can't afford one of those, so will hopefully get this 64 on the strip this year and then join Jerry for the Hot Rod Road Tour this year and race in Tucson, Phoenix and Fontana.

The box you see is hanging from the car is the electric fuel pump. It is attached on a thick rubber strap to cut down on it's vibration noise. I can run the car through the manual pump or switch on the electric pump when more fuel is needed. The manual pump won't keep up with the dual fours when really stomping it.

It would be a great trip if as a club we all met at the drag races to watch a good group of the older classics race.

IF you have never seen/heard a Top Fuel Dragster or Funny Car go the 1/4 mile, then you can't understand true power. The noise is deafening and you feel it when they run. Nothing like it. You can't get it off TV and I can't really describe it. You need to see and hear it for yourself.

Jerry, did a lot more racing than I did. He bought a brand new 62 ford with the first 406 engine and raced it. I raced my 57 Chevy and 67 Olds 442. That 442 would be worth more than a 1/4 million now. It was built only for drag racing. Olds built just a few of the 67's with the 68 engines. It had 450 horsepower, 4 speed, no radio, no air conditioning, no carpets, no power brakes, no power steering. Just one very fast car.

I power shifted that car through the 1/4 hundreds of times and it never failed once. I hope my tremec can handle the power shifts and will soon find out.

Don, thanks for the advice on the camera. I just got it, and I don't do well with technology stuff, no matter how simple.

Larry

[BadBird]

Dennis, you asked about the weight. I put it on the bathroom scales. (Didn't carry it inside). It weighed 98 pounds.
Either 98 lbs. is a lot heavier than it used to be or I am getting really old and weak. Don't start with your computations Dennis . I already know the true answer.
Larry