Starting over.....

Just got home. Drove a 520 mile round trip today.

It's a done deal. I guess I'll be starting over from scratch (almost). Sold my dragster today. Complete minus the alky fuel injection.

It went to a good home though. Phillip Oakley bought it. I guess the plan is pull the 588 and put a milder combo in it for his daughter to drive. She was all smiles That helped letting it go.

So, now I'll take a little time a figure what direction I want to go in. Lot's of good cars out there, I'll take my time before I decide. I loved the dragster, but it was a single use car. Brackets only. With my job I can't race every weekend so I need something a little more versatile. Something I can run brackets in and also perhaps race in the heads up index game.

Two directions enter my head right now.
An 05 up Mustang small tire all bolt on suspension stuff for brackets and the 6.0 heads up class. Sort of in the style on the new factory CJ Mustang racecars, but with a bbf instead of the blown 5.4 in the CJ's.
or
A lightweight round tube chassis car for brackets and the 5.30 heads up deal (or 5.00 with a little spray)

Either one will have a clone of the engine that was on the dragster. I'll build another 588/598 A headed deal just like the old one.

Or ..... I might buy another dragster. hehehe

Either way, I ain't done yet.

David Cole

David,
I will be the first to admit that I was not a big dragster fan until last weekend. Round here there is NO ford powered dragsters, NONE.

Your dragster was a work of art after seeing it in person. All The rest that ran at Windy Friday and Saturday were very nice also. The paint on these were unbeleivable. I am sure whatever route you take the end product will be just just as nice. Be it a door car, tube car, or another dragster.

Take care,
Travis

Just curious, do these "heads-up" index classes have a wheelbase rule or simply that it has to be a "door car"...?

congrats David on your sale ..it definetly went to a good home ...... come on and grab you a foxbody deal .... lots of nice t/k packages out there right now ... definetly a buyers market


anytime you want to try out a slow small tire deal call me and i will let you borrow the car

rmcomprandy wrote:Just curious, do these "heads-up" index classes have a wheelbase rule or simply that it has to be a "door car"...?

here is the orsca 6.0 heads up rules Randy

2010 6.00 INDEX RULES : Last Updated : 12/30/2009
Class Description
Classes are run off a .400 Pro Tree and Pro Ladder. Vehicles from a major manufacturer only.
Body
No full fiberglass bodies allowed. Origonal Factory fiber glass bodies only . Vehicles must have , tail lights
Transmission
Any type transmission (manual or automatic) allowed. Pneumatic and air shifters are allowed in the Outlaw 6.00 Index class. Trans-brakes are also allowed.
Electrical
Optical sensors, and electrical or pneumatic throttle stops are not allowed.
Deep Staging
Deep staging is allowed at your own risk. Starter will not wait for driver to deep stage. There will be no starting line "games". If either applies, you will be disqualified at the discretion of track officials.
Tech
After unloading of car, a tech card must be completed on both front and back. The tech card must be brought with the car to tech for tech inspection. All cars must pass rules and safety inspection to race.
Disqualification
Disqualification, (the pass will not count) will be rendered for any of the following: crossing centerline, use of above mentioned bracket racing aids, improper staging procedures, failure to report to staging lanes when called, reckless driving or speeding in pit area or return road. Outlaw 6.00 Index cars will be disqualified for running under index during eliminations.
Qualification
Outlaw 6.00 Index cars will qualify for run positions. After qualification, they will be placed on a Pro or Sportsman ladder. Lane choice is determined by previous round E.T. Uniforms Matching uniforms or matching shirts are required to be on the starting line or in the burn box area as a crewmember. Crewmembers must leave the starting line and burnout area after each pass. * Rules may be revised in accordance as need arrives.

I don't see any wheelbase rules, Nick. It doesn't say anywhere that partial tubing chassis are illegal or that fenders must cover the front tires.

Lots of room for a AA/C type car to be built. Of course they would probably make a rule so it would be deemed illegal after the first race.

Our 5.80 index allows dragsters, bikes whatever. 2 rules, dont go faster than 5.80 and no electronic throttle stops. The stops is what they whine about not being able to use...................hell no one wants to watch super class style of racing.

The index classes around here dont have many rules, only that it must have doors, NO throttle stops, .4 tree, and in case of double breakout, slowest of the two wins.

Extending the front chassis ahead of the grill to 180" wheelbase with a "Sling Shot" style dragster front end in a full bodied car, (a la the old AA/Competition cars of the late 60's and 70's), would certainly make the car more stable, controlable and consistant.
Give Wes a call, I'm sure he'd build an extended front end for you, lol.

Those cars are still fun to watch at the Nostalgia Drags...!
Supercharged older 392 Hemi's, Ford S.O.H.C. Cammers, "Nail Head" Buicks and no inner fenders, (or shock towers), to get in the way of anything.
A car like that with a modern day BOSS Ford Hemi would be awesome.

David,It will be hard getting use to seeing you in a door car,but whatever it is it will be nice and fast. The 05/11 Mustang route sounds cool. Good Luck Brother.

Our local track only has one rule for the index classes, or any kind of racing for that matter, Helmet and Seat Belts ! No Tech of any kind, so you never know what kind of crap might be lined up next to you .

As long as the car has a good new home.

125" altered? With a ???? body ???

Well David, Congrats on finding a good home for your digger !! It couldnt have gone to a better home I dont think.....Its is a very clean ride as is something to have been really proud of...I think I would have cried..LOL... But Door Cars are cool...spectators can relate to them more.. and Of course T/F is always a crowd pleaser too !

Last I heard Mr. Stevens was selling his wifes ride , I guess to buy a door car..Never heard if he did or not ?

But good luck to you on your new endevor !

rmcomprandy wrote:Extending the front chassis ahead of the grill to 180" wheelbase with a "Sling Shot" style dragster front end in a full bodied car, (a la the old AA/Competition cars of the late 60's and 70's), would certainly make the car more stable, controlable and consistant.
Give Wes a call, I'm sure he'd build an extended front end for you, lol.

Those cars are still fun to watch at the Nostalgia Drags...!
Supercharged older 392 Hemi's, Ford S.O.H.C. Cammers, "Nail Head" Buicks and no inner fenders, (or shock towers), to get in the way of anything.
A car like that with a modern day BOSS Ford Hemi would be awesome.

Ford Hemi powered Topolino!!

69 Camaro with a 429 hemi, "BOW TIE WITH BALLS" down the side of it, real conversation piece at the track.

Wow, it seems like just yesterday you built that car. Do you still have the Gt 500?

Good luck with your next project David. I'm sure it will be a super nice car just like the dragster.

Kerry

I also agree with the 05 and up Mustang with bolt on suspension parts.If you don't have emission testing where you live maybe even make it a tagged street&strip car.

Later Mark.

David,
glad it went to a good home that was one nice rail! You buying turn key? Not sure?
glad to see you considering a door car!

Are there any Outlaw Pro Mod classes down your way? You could also run top sportsman with one of those cars.

Just an idea

take care
JS

jsracing wrote:Are there any Outlaw Pro Mod classes down your way? You could also run top sportsman with one of those cars.

I like the T/S door car idea. Around here there are a couple of racers that have built very nice Outlaw T/S cars that also ended up working very well as multiple class/purpose cars. While these guys main focus is the local T/S shows, depending on how they adjust the nitrous timers their cars are also able to run the weekend bracket Quick 8/16/32/etc stuff, and also sometimes get into the local Outlaw Pro Mod shows.

Congrats on the sale. I would go the T/S way also, it gives you options. If I had a 598 I would go that way with my 77 Mustang II. I race the 6.00 heads up index at Brainerd and Crossville. Only rules are no throttle stops and must be a door car.

Thanks for all the supportive comments guys. I will look long and hard before I decide what I want. I look forward to it though. I like building them just about as much as going fast.

I prefer to find a roller and build my own engine. I like knowing what's in there and knowing I personally built and double checked everything.

jones wrote:Wow, it seems like just yesterday you built that car. Do you still have the Gt 500?

The dragster was an 07. I really liked it. Besides the single purpose, one of the other reasons I decided to sell was that in a few month the 2011 models will hit the tracks. Mine would have taken another depreciation hit then. That's one of the worst things about having a new dragster. I sold the GT 500 a while back. Had a "qualified buyer" that showed up with cash. I couldn't justify that kind of an investment for a toy that sat in the garage all the time. I only put 3600 miles on it. Half of that was on longer trips, so it just sat.

I still think you should have got Phillip to have as a roller. Your motor in my car with the pro fogger and big shot We cold have been a contender for 10.5 no W'S of coarse. You know me I'm all over what ever you build as long as it is fun and we keep our tradition of going to the race track! How many yrs have we been doing this now? :

Phillip has Dave's old car at Indy today.........1st shot 4.76 @ 143.5 . 4th car down the track. Q16 , 1" Jomar power cone spacer and QFT 1250 .

Lem Evans wrote:Phillip has Dave's old car at Indy today.........1st shot 4.76 @ 143.5 . 4th car down the track. Q16 , 1" Jomar power cone spacer and QFT 1250 .

Keep us updated. I'm interested in how it does. It would normally pic up .015-.02 after the 1st pass as long as the trans fluid was still hot for the 2nd pass.