DragStuff

I'm sure this has been beat to death I've got a question that might be a new twist. Would there be a big issue in building a "budget" FED dragster out of mild steel? Obviously the easy answer is that C/M is better and thats what you should use but would'nt a mild steel car made from the proper size and thickness work also? Here's the deal....I would like to have one of these but man a good one is expensive and one I could afford is 40 sum years old and probly cracked all to pieces. I'm a pretty good size guy and I would probly have to redo the cockpit anyway. Speaking of older cars(60's era) were they made from C/M or mild steel? I don't have the equipment or skills to properly build one from C/M so this is loosely my plan.......old school front engine digger......mild steel frame......keep it fairly short wheel base......engine under 500 hp......small tire (10.5)........any ideas or opinions greatly appreciated......thanks.........

I dont no if this would apply to your car but NHRA rule books states anyone planning to build an exhibition vehicle( historic nostalgia vehicles ) must submit renderings and designs to the NHRA Technical Services Department.Concepts will be analyzed by the Exhibition Committee .It says to do this BEFORE building the car. All other general rules apply. The only other class for FED is Nostalgia Dragster methanol burning 410 cu in max cast iron head only.

If you are interested S&W in Pa. has a new font motor "kit". It is in the new products area of the website.

I would just run at at my local track and bracket race it........I looked for the S&W kit but could'nt find it.........but if its like all the other kits I've seen it's C/M anyway(which I don't want to fool with) and it's like 4 grand for a pile of tubes that aren't really finished to size........like I said...it's not gonna be a fire breathing 2000hp nitro car......just something cool & different.......I've seen a couple of "home built" altered type cars but no FED's.......

Maybe your best bet is to check with your local track tech and see what they say.

sc racing wrote:Maybe your best bet is to check with your local track tech and see what they say.

The're good with it........the're main concern is do I have $35 for a tech card.........I'm mainly woried about it from a structural stand point...ie-will it break in half going down the track...........

I would think a mild steel chassis would be fine for what you want to do.
Of course they will take your $35 and let you race ...what was I thinking!

Hey....it's all about the money these day's ...........

Don't recall exactly on the S&W site the spot the kit was on. Saw it advertised in Nt'l Draster add. At least it would not be a "muffler tube" roll cage like the Winged Express was rumored to have at one point in its carrer . Have you given any thought to the Nostalgia sites, e bay, or race junk?

Goat Hearder wrote:Don't recall exactly on the S&W site the spot the kit was on. Saw it advertised in Nt'l Draster add. At least it would not be a "muffler tube" roll cage like the Winged Express was rumored to have at one point in its carrer . Have you given any thought to the Nostalgia sites, e bay, or race junk?

Yeah......I surf all the web sites when I can but I can't seem to find any info on what materials were used or how they were built "back in the day"......I did see one that the frame was made from aluminum I beam! I've found a couple on e-bay and racing junk but I'm a little scared of them to be honest........I mean is there a good way to tell if something built in the 60's or 70's is still any good? There seems to be a big swing in the price of these cars.......I can't help but think that the cheap ones are cheap for a reason.......

for all chassis and roll cage work 1 5/8" 0.134 wall mild steel dom. is the tube choice

burnout nova wrote:for all chassis and roll cage work 1 5/8" 0.134 wall mild steel dom. is the tube choice

Yeah....thats what I was planning on using.........that's as strong as 1 5/8 .083 c/m from what I can gather.........

yes the 1 5/8 .083 c/m is the only other way to go and it it lighter but it must be tig welded

if you buy the mild steel tube, see if you can get A513 or A519 astm cert. tubing as its better in its consistancy when made (alloy and dimensions) I have gotten some bad tubing it was dom but don't know what the alloy was and it wouldn't bend/weld worth a diddly and it wasn't cm either

stimpy wrote:if you buy the mild steel tube, see if you can get A513 or A519 astm cert. tubing as its better in its consistancy when made (alloy and dimensions) I have gotten some bad tubing it was dom but don't know what the alloy was and it wouldn't bend/weld worth a diddly and it wasn't cm either

Thanks for the tip........I've built a good bit of round track cars and about the only problem we've had consistantly is with the thickness........we mostly use 1 3/4 .095 but when you check it sometimes it might be .089 or .090 or something like that but like I said...thanks for the tip and I'll deffinatley check into it..........