Billetproof Drags......trying to make it.

There were rumors at last year's Billetproof at Garlits place that next year they were also going to have drag races..........the GOOD kind of drag races, featuring no car newer than 1964, and the races would be open to anyone who wanted a shot at the quarter mile. The HAMB has been having these kinds of races for some time, and it is so cool to see everyday hot rods (and customs) getting a chance to see what they can do.

The most recent date is October 25th, I think, and it is going to be held at an outlaw track somewhere in the middle of Florida............yet to be finalized and announced. When I heard about it I really got pretty excited because my roadster pickup would be perfect for those races, but I was worried because I don't want to put a roll bar in it. However, I spoke to Alan, who heads up Billetproof via a PM, and he told me there are only two rules:

1) Nothing newer than 1964

2) You must wear a helmet.

I love it. There are only about 4 months left, but I think I can make it. My 406 CI Olds engine is just about all done, just need to put the intake and a few other goodies on it. I am also going to remove the 1959 Olds 4 speed Dual Path transmission and put in a TH350 I got from Jackson Racing. I am using a Bendtsens adapter kit to mate the two. To do that I have to first re-engineer my motor and transmission mounts. In stock form these Olds engines are just backwards of most cars...........they have one motor mount in the front center of the motor, and a transmission mount on either side of the bellhousing. To use the TH350 I need to make a mount for the engine that has two mounts spead apart. Then I can use the standard TH350 mount like every other car uses.

I got started today by removing the body and bed so I could see what I needed to do to get the new transmission mounted. Dan or Don weren't around to help me move our gantry, so I just used my engine hoist and lifted them off the frame. Here are some pictures of that process.

Don

The following pictures show how we did this frame to accomodate the Olds engine and transmission. That transmission is huge and is pure cast iron........weighs a ton. Not only will the new transmission be lighter, but it will have harder shifts and be easier to repair if something goes wrong.

Don

The first thing I had to do was sawzall off the old mounts that we had built for the front of the Olds. After that I started to mock up a new front mount and Dan showed up. As usual, he had some better ideas than me on how to do the mount, and he spent some time cutting up some steel for me. His design is not only stronger, but he had to put his usual touches on it by drilling some lightening holes. :rolleyes:

After a while he had to run because he was playing tonight , so I finished cutting some side supports that will tie the whole thing together. I am going to use some early Ford biscuits, one on each end, like the old Hurst mounts used to do. Once I get the front mount done I can pull the engine and temporarily bolt the TH350 to it to see where that thing lays. Then we can build the rear mount.

Here are some shots of the front mount as far as I got it done. Oh, I also changed my front suspension a little. I mounted the spring UNDER the perch, where it had previously been on top to get it low. I not only wanted it higher for weight transfer and that altered look, but I wanted to mount my draglink behind the axle so I could use a SoCal stabilizer shock on it. The last thing I want is death wobble going through the lights!

Don

Only 2 rules, and roll bars in open top cars isn't one of them???? I'm sure it would be fun, but racing that way years ago with low horse engines and skinny non-hookin' tires is a bit different than what we are running these days....

Many of the rules we have for drag racing came about because of incidents in the past.........

Well, the speeds most of these cars will be going won't be that fast. These drags are a throwback to the early days. Besides, if you are going to go, what better way than behind the wheel of an Olds powered roadster, screaming down the quarter mile? :) Ok, there is ONE better way, but that one involves a 20 year old blonde and a good bottle of wine..........I've got a better shot at the roadster thing. :o:LOL::LOL:

Don

At your age, either can be quite hazardous!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

I'd sure be for giving a LOT of thought to adding a roll bar and some good belts....... One other consideration is the car in the other lane....Wanna bet your safety on his car building and driving abilities too????

For a change Dave, I am going to put in a seat belt. I've always preferred not having them in an open roadster in case it flips, but in this case I think I will do them. As for the roll bar, my frame design doesn't lend itself to one, plus I want to drive this one on the street mostly, and an efficient one would take up too much space in there.

Don

Today Dan asked what I wanted to do for Father's Day, and the answer was easy...........head to the shop. :D When we got there he started studying my front end for a while, and then made one of his "suggestions." "Why don't you pull out the tube axle front end and put a more traditional I beam front end under it?" I told him I was totally happy with the tube front end, and that it was pretty much done, so I wasn't going to change it now.

We debated for a while and then he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He said he would either get me a Speedway gift certificate for Father's Day, or he would give me the entire Pete and Jakes front end he was no longer using under his RPU, since he went to the chrome setup. I took door number 2. :D

So, we pulled out the entire front end and replaced it with all early Ford stuff, and I have to admit it does look better, and stronger. The axle is also 2 inches more dropped than the tube axle, so the front is that much lower. We also removed the rear coilovers and dropped the rear down 2 inches too. The entire look is much sleeker. We are going to redo the entire front crossmember and move the motor back a couple of inches. None of this should slow down the progress too much, so maybe I still might make Billetproof.

Here are some pictures of the new front end and stance. Of course we had to put the body back on to get the full effect.

Don