Thread: Drag racing my 1930 Ford coupe

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I guess I'm making my intro here. So hi everybody. I joined this forum particularly to post in this drag race sub forum. There aren't enough guys that race their hot rods. Don't know why. I grew up thinking that every hot rod was a drag car... But I'm only 33 so what do I know?? I don't generally fit in with this car anyway. Even though I built the whole damn thing myself (story for another day) I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if it was my dads car. And at the drag strip... forget it. Every guy my age either has a ricer or a fox body. lame.
Anyway my coupe runs a 400" poncho through a th400 trans to open 2.79 gears. LOL I've run a best of 12.78 @ 109. I'm making a couple changes this winter that should put me pretty easily in the 12.4 range still on street tires. Heck the car only weighs 2700lbs with me in it. So as I inch close to 11's I've started thinking about a roll bar. Does anyone on here have an NHRA legal roll bar in a similar car? I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to jam one in there. This is an unchopped, unchanneled car. The main issue as I see it, are those rear bars. They need to be within 5" of the top of the of main hoop. They can't be angled more than 30* and they can can only have one 30* bend. Correct? How on earth can I get something like that in to a car shaped like a phone booth?? LOL Thanks guys. Here's my heap.... hammer.jpgdrags1.jpga1.jpg13.1.jpg

Welcome to CHR I'd say your off to a great start there. Don't know where you found a 30 that wasn't chopped ... great pictures

First, Welcome and glad to see you here! Second, thanks for the pics! We are fanatical for pictures! Lastly, regarding your roll bar(s), around this site is a fella under the handle of Techinspector1, he is just that - at a dragstrip local to him he does the tech inspections. I believe he would tell you to work with the Tech Inspector at your track and follow the rule book for your particular association. Eventually, your tech guy is going to need to approve or deny your install and it's method of installation so who better to ask than the inspector, right? Do you have the rule book that your local track follows? That is how I would approach it anyway... HTH..

and I'll second that.... On a unique car such as your Coupe, would certainly be a good plan to get in touch with your track or divisional tech folks... Always best to build the bars and/or cage to be in compliance with what the tech people want to see rather then have to cut things out and redo them later!!!! Never hurts to be on the good side or at least have a working relationship with the tech folks at the track you'll be running at!

Or sell me the coupe body and buy ya a sedan body !!!

Originally Posted by HWORRELL

Or sell me the coupe body and buy ya a sedan body !!!

Well, since I responded first, I figured I'd get first dibs!

To get it all in there i would situate the hoop at the 'B' pillar - forward of where you sit. I would run the rear bars back and bend down to intersect with the seat back bar which would run from each leg of the main hoop and run rearward bending around behind the seats. Additional support would then drop from the seat back bar (align with the bars from the top) and drop down thru the floor to structural members of the suspension. The main hoop bars will also pass thru the floor to connect to the frame.
If i could figure how to do an autocad dwg here i would post one up. If you don't understand then shoot me an email to ojh4@verizon.net and i'll send you a drawing.