Don here. Been around cars and rodding since my early teens. First drag strip pass July 1966. Speak Mopar but have built other make engines as well. Now retired class A mech /auto machinist (ASE master engine machinist) Drive a 1963 Dodge 2dr hrdtop Max wedge clone with a real 426 wedge with stage III MW heads and a rare RV2 single 4bbl nascar intake. Race The Sr Dragster, 96 inch wheelbase FED powered by a slant 6 (1962 Valiant engine) Am a regular at The Great Picton Airfield Armdrop Drags. Also working on a 73 VW body on a HB gasser chassis called "Das Auto" and powered by another leaning tower of power. I like taking an engine like this and seeing what I can personally wring from it without breaking the bank. I make everything I can. "Buy" is a bad word here. As I age I find the Sr Dragster has become my centre of focus. Never has so much fun been had by so little $ outlay. I probably should flog the others and just keep it except I need the 63 to haul it to Picton on its matching vintage style trailer. Three good runs at Picton will keep me smiling for days.
Don
__________________
SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
Welcome Don from North Bay, good to see another racer here, and you have an interesting introduction.
Those slant sixes are very popular in the US , there is a Slant six club that has some great photos of drag cars of every description, that are putting out serious horsepower.
Thanks all. It has been a lot of fun for me this FED. The videos I am waiting to see is the tracks own video. I want to hear it as it crosses the finish line. They should have it soon. I always get one to watch. Car was working very well Sept 28 race. As far as the /6.org group goes I have been there. Didn't get that warm fuzzy feeling. ;>) Currently working on a new intake carb header combo.
-- Edited by Don on Tuesday 29th of October 2013 06:11:30 PM
Welcome Don! I remember seeing the Sr dragster on the hamb and at the arm drops. Awesome looking ride, and great to have you onboard. May even have to pick your brain for some ideas on how you built it!
Welcome Don from Port Hope/Cobourg area. Good to have you here,I have watched your runs many times at the Armdrop races. I always enjoy the sound of your car. Ed
Welcome Don . I have followed a few of your threads on the hamb loved the 6 carb setup All though it never gave you the performance you were after it was 100% cool Hotrodding at its best.
BTW found four of the old Corvette (53 54 six cyl vette)sidedraft carbs Monday (three and a spare). Can get all four for $300. Of course they also will work perfectly on a 261 ;>)
Re the six carbs. I still have them. The four barrel wasn't any faster or slower when I switched. They were the whole reason for the cars existence. When I retired after I finished the practice engine for the NASCAR Returns to Lemans Project in Europe I set about to try some of the things I had always wanted to do. First I found the carbs, then using a manifold gasket made the manifold ,reworked the carbs (no pumps, top feed , single pull linkage etc) But I had no car so I built the Sr DRAGSTER from scratch. After enjoying running it for two years with the 6 carbs I decided to push it a bit since that goal of running a six cylinder on six tillotsons had already been fulfilled. As some know it worked from the first run. Once I got beyond the ability of the stick slant six fuel pump (or so I surmised) to supply them I decided to switch to the four barrel since I had it and had a severely reworked 750 EDDY on it I wanted to try. It worked so well a friend offered me $350 for the carb. I was powerless to refuse. Morton (32 bantam 460Ford) had the current 600 DP under his bench all apart with some pieces missing and donated it to me. I flogged the daylights out of it and had most of the missing parts in stock. It works pretty good although the 750 was easier to leave with because it wasn't a DP having a weighted air valve which is the Carter/Eddy equivalent of vacuum secondaries. Since then I have reworked a head to extreme full race flow and had two cams made to my specs. This spring (may race) I discovered by way of a long lens photo Bob Willis took that I was driving with the hand operated brakes fully applied by half track. I couldn't believe it but photos don't lie. I had to force myself to put both hands on the wheel when I left so I would not subconsciously be doing that. WOW! What a difference! If that seems stupid, it is. Wait till you get to be "an old fart. "I would have insisted I was only keeping the brake ready and I had always drove that way. In fact on one of the very early videos on You tube you can hear my crew , Mike Sietsma answering someone who asked what my hand was doing . He says "On the brake" in the video.
I am not a good driver and never was but I still enjoy it. Still I find it hard to walk and chew gum at the same time. I treasure every pass in the little blue FED. I had no idea life could be so much fun.
Don
-- Edited by Don on Wednesday 30th of October 2013 06:25:32 PM
Randy, For sure. $20 was bad enuf. Warren Ok I will make sure they don't wander off. Yeah. Carter YL I think if I remember. I was just thinking out loud about the 261 and mentioned the vette carbs. When I described them he said come with me. Way in the back in an old milk crate in the far corner of the shop were 4 of them. They were also used on the Turbo 180hp corvair (one only) and in some 1950s marine application (which these are from) because of their low profile. Enrichment was all mechanical, not vaccum related which is nice for HP. I got familiar with them when I installed a corvair turbo on a 170 slant six way back in about 1975. Some of you saw it at Mohawk and at Cayuga in a blue 32 bantam roadster back in the day owned and driven by Stu Denyes. For its first runs at Cayuga it was flat black Don
Re the brake thing. Yeah I gained about 1/3 of the track against you know who. I loved it when he wanted to run me again and you Warren said to him "you just don't get it, do you."
I don't think he realized I was telling the truth about the brakes. I think he does now though!
-- Edited by Don on Wednesday 30th of October 2013 10:24:00 PM
__________________
SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
Don , those old Side drafts were they not a Carter "Y" carb, or am i mixed up? I had a set of those with the manifold years ago, i sold them i think to a guy in London Ont.
Always enjoyed being outnumbered. Makes winning so much sweeter. However in my old age I am trying to become more tolerant. Listen more and speak less. And I struggle to keep my somewhat strong opinions from boiling over. As the days left is for sure now less then the days spent got to make them all count if possible.
Don
__________________
SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
Welcome from Vineland Don. Love the leaning tower of power. My first car was a mint 64 Plymouth. Bought it at 14, had to sell it to one of Dad's work buddies at 15 whose wife was preggo and they had no vehicle. Been bummed ever since about that car. Really like yours though.
Welcome from St. Catharines Don - I wondered how long it would take to see you on here. I love your stuff on the HAMB. You're an inspiration to everyone so keep it up. We need more like you.
Well thanks. Not everyone likes that stuff. I am restricted on the hamb to editing old posts. Must have said something wrong (again!)I have no idea what it was though.
I was nervous coming here. The reason I am not really a rodder per say. Never had a Model A or a Willys (cept the hemi jeep build) Still I know a lot of you and share common interests so I hope that is a enuf. I do have slant six powered VW on the burner but am not sure about VW stuff here. Basically I like muscle cars from 60s and 70s and old feds and altereds.
Don
__________________
SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
Ok here is the bug. I was given this ruf body shell mainly because I can speak to it in its native tonque Dulmage being anglizied from Dolmetsch . My pal Mike Siestma (41 hemi Willys and "Vintage" hemi FED) donated a bunch of 2x3 rectangular tubing he had inherited so to speak for the project. So there I was painting myself into a corner again. I started on July 2 this year. I got a Ford twin I beam (late 60s) and joined it for the front axle (all wugas fault. He made me do it) An old race friend gave me some proper front tires and I already had the 5.5 wheels so ?---. I whipped up a chassis using my special design 1/4 eliptic with shocks set up. (My rail is a 1/4 eliptic as well). I bought a 75 Duster diff and made a set of ladder bars with my own design locator bars bolted to the former pinion snubber bolts and connect 1/2 way up the ladder bars. I calculated the rear spring weight in deflections per pounds/ inch and made and mounted the rear springs from a set of discarded shock helper springs. I was nervous shortening them but once again math doesn't lie. They support the car, driver and body perfectly. I got a set of short speedway shocks and mounted them. I bought a bus seat because it is 39 inches wide which is perfect so I have the worlds only bench seat VW. The slant six sits where the hood is and has proper gasser set back of 10%. I built it so it will take almost any motor. I just happen to have a surplus of slant sixes and race parts for them. This VW body was really tuff but I have enjoyed welding it back together and fixing the impossible. (I do not yet have a hood for this , a 73 super beetle) Oh there are days I ask why I m doing it. I certainly don't need it as the FED supplys all the motivation I need to keep going. I guess it was free and delivered and a challenge.
Anyway here are some pics of "DAS AUTO"
Don
-- Edited by Don on Saturday 2nd of November 2013 12:31:50 AM
Welcome from SW Dorchester. Great intro! It's going to be a pleasure to follow along with your innovative project and various "outside the box" mods!!!
__________________
"If I could get back all the money I've ever spent on cars...I'd spend it ALL on cars !!!
That's really cool Don. Did you fabricate the intake/header as well? If so, very nice work. This car will certainly turn heads to anyone listening. Wouldn't have any pics of the 1/4 elleptic front end would you? I think there's another thread with a fella building a pick-up that has a somewhat heavier but similar front suspension. He might be interested in seeing yours for reference. Keep us posted on this neat project.
You can get you times there on your smart phone feed. They tell you how and make sure you have it at the drivers meeting apparently. I don't have one (cell phone or smart phone) and at this stage of my career no longer care. I just thoroughly enjoy being able to spend an afternoon with old friends and make three or four hair raising rides in my lil homebrew FED. How fast? The car I race the most runs 11.76 a Shannonville and I beat him badly now (no brake on during run. )
I no longer allow my enjoyment to be spoiled by becoming obsessed with my ET. For me now going racing is like going skiing or something. I am going on 64 and in deteriorating health. I can now barely get in and out of the car. I can still drive safely but at best have maybe a couple of seasons running left. That translates to probably 12 to 15 runs left in my whole life. Kinda makes one sit up and take notice when you realize the reality of it. I intend to savour and enjoy everyone of them. However you will not have to look hard to find folks who have been smoked by this little bomb and never in a million years expected it. All V8s too and two of them in similar weight and style cars. If all that makes no sense I apologise but simply put I am just thrilled to be there at the end of a long and successful racing career mostly as an engine builder and or car owner. As long as I am safe to drive I will continue. The fight has gone out of me now but the "little boy" in me is still alive and well. So if you see the lil blue rail running and hear some grey haired balding old fart at the wheel hollering "Yab Daba Do!!!!!!!!" that would be me. Some of my pals even here on this site understand. They are kind enuf as well to keep an eye on me making sure I am good to go and help me if I need it.
Yes I made the intake/header set up. It will be on the FED next year but I used the bug for a jig when I built them since it was easy to get at. Actually I have about two years development and work into it. Not something you can rush. I need it working right when I run. Not just ok but perfect. I am anal about that. That is why I am getting everything done now . Hopefully in the spring jetting will be the only thing left to deal with and that will be done long before Picton's Spring race.
Here is another one I made and raced for a couple of years.
Don
-- Edited by Don on Saturday 2nd of November 2013 07:48:22 PM
Yeah stock stroke (4.12") Block is bored to 3.563" which is a huge overbore but I just finished its 7 season. 246 cubes. Cam is a hydraulic custom ground to my specs. Head is F_L_O_GG_E_D!!!!!!!!!! It runs an old direct connection windage tray, Gear is 3.91. Car weighs 1404#without me. Wheelbase is 96 inches
Don
-- Edited by Don on Sunday 3rd of November 2013 11:21:03 PM
__________________
SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
Static ratio around 11 TO 1. Cam peaks just below 6000.
Converter is a Frank Lupo Dynamic 8 inch converter custom made for the car and will actually give 4700 stall when warm but often traction doesn't warrant that. I try to never give more then the tires can handle at a given track. At Picton If I leave at 3000 I can pick the front wheels up and inch or so and carry them. Often though I get staged but never get the chance to set the launch RPM . They are pretty quick flagging us off and I am getting slower gittin er done. Gonna try and teach myself to stage at 3000 just letting her creep in inch by inch. Converter is good for about 3 lengths instant when I have it all working right. Sometimes it pulls so hard in first it surprises me. Trans is a 904 version but a lock up original which is gone now but these trans are the ones with the lower low gear and they come stock with a bolt in or rivited in rear sprag. I machine both clutch drums reaction and apply plates for one extra fiber and steel which gives me 25% more holding power in the front or direct clutch and 33% more grip in the rear or"forward"clutch (because its on in all forward gears) I use a old Fairbanks shift kit in race mode and especially am anal about installing the high clutch passage restrictor which cures torqueflight 2/3 overlap instantly. I run a pan from a modern mopar truck auto which happens to fit and has a more rounded bottom and holds a lot more oil. I space the pick up to match. I keep and run the accumulator spring slightly shimmed to give the trans a bit of a break or cushion on hard shifts. I use a A&A governor kit to allow the trans to shift itself at up to 6200 RPM. All I gotta do is stage in D , let go of the brake, hang on and scream!
Don
__________________
SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!