Thread: Front Engine Dragsters

Tweet

Hi All,

I'm pretty active on the Club Cobra forum but pop in here from time to time to see what's going on.

I'm slowly assembling parts and pieces to build myself a Front Engined Dragster. Nostalgia drag racing is really taking off down here and I've always loved these machines.

I plan on building a fixture and fabricating my own chassis etc

I've got an old Clutch Turbo 400 I plan to run. These modern Autos are great but I figure a real nostalgia dragster's got to have a clutch.

I was hoping to start a general discussion on front engined dragsters old and new. Peoples memories and experiences with either watching them run or building and running your own.

Cheers

Mike Murphy

Melbourne, Australia

I don't know of any hot rodder who doesn't love FED's. Technologically, I know rear engined cars are far superior, but IMO have nowhere near the pure charm and coolness of a blood and guts FED. Every so often you see one of these old cars for sale, but I bet it is a big job to bring the frame and roll cage up to current standards to pass inspection.

I love it when they find one of the old Dragmaster or Fuller cars in some barn and rebuild it to race another day. Gastrick should be along at some point and has a huge photo collection that he shares with us often. I know he will have some great shots of these in there.

BTW, welcome to this side of the forum.

Don

Mike, since you like them so much, how about going along for a ride in this one:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOYD5RnEy58


Enjoy.

Don

thats what i was planning on next, was building one of finding one and building it. god i love front engine dragsters. i know a guy who is ...well lets say a caretaker of a fuller car. nick named the little fuller it weight 920 wet!

There's a heap of good FED videos on YouTube.

I like this one:



Cheers

There's also some old 8mm films of the racing back in the day. This one is from 1963. Cool stuff.



I've got an old VHS video tape called Hot Rod Story or something like that. It's got some great old footage on it. I never get tired of watching that stuff.

Cheers

Michael

ive got a bunch of those old flips in my favorites ill ahve to list them for you so u can dig them,

Mike
I'm also over on the Cobra site and always look to see what you guys are up to--look at my gallery on ClubCobra for a couple of pics of my FED. Then if you want to PM me I can answer questions directly---of course you may have to tell me about moving the shifter on th t56 !!!

Jerry Clayton
Keeling & Clayton California Charger

We were eating at a restaurant one night and had our T's parked outside. A Sheriff came in and introduced himself........ends up his Dad just bought a Fuel FED. He was telling us that he bought a 55 gallon drum of Nitro and it was $2000!! I don't know how accurate that is, but he also said it won't last many runs.

Sorta makes gas at $ 3.50 a gallon not such a bad deal...............almost.

Don

Hi Jerry,

I'm doing the works on a T56 for a club member at the moment. It's getting the shifter conversion, billet steel keys in 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6 and a steel 3-4 shift fork from the Viper T56.

I've been thiking about publishing the T56 shift conversion as I just don't have the time to keep up with them. I might doccument this one and see if I can put something together.

I like the Chev LS1 and I'm running one in my Cobra. I've got most of a spare engine and was thinking of using it in the FED project. All aloy block and heads, 6 bolt mains etc. It's a tough motor and with the addition of a 6-71 and an injector hat (probably an Enderle bird) and run it on methanol it would make good cheap power. MSD make a module that just runs the factory coils for guys that want to run a carb so the ignition is easy.

Cheers

Do yourself a favor and purchase the chassis specs from SFI......
SFI 2.2B FED 6.29, quicker US$35.00
SFI 2.4B FED 6.30-7.49 US$35.00
SFI 2.6 FED 7.50, slower US$35.00
Main

Tech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

id have more fun with a 2-3 disc clutch

I've been making some enquiries on another forum and figured I'd build the chassis to 2.2B or 2.4B. I figure it's easier to build it right first time rather than have to re do it later if I want to step up to a faster combination.

I think I'll probably also sell the Clutch Turbo and go for a Power Glide. A lot less hassle.

Cheers

Buddies in my club just got this old fed without the engine but with most upgrades, planning on putting a screaming 350 with a alcohol flying toilet in it. Should be a neat ride