Gonna Build A Drag Car?...may As Well Crush Them Now.

[hoopty5.0]

Here's my opinion on this -

Some guys are just drag racers. That's what they do and will always do.

Then theres guys that say, "oh that's cool! I wanna do that!" They build a car, realize they cant drive it on the street or its not as fun on the street and lose interest. I think the thread is aimed at this, am I correct?

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Here's my opinion on this -

Some guys are just drag racers. That's what they do and will always do.

Then theres guys that say, "oh that's cool! I wanna do that!" They build a car, realize they cant drive it on the street or its not as fun on the street and lose interest. I think the thread is aimed at this, am I correct?

Well in a way it is. Seems the majority of those that commented on here were once "drag racers", including myself.

For me it goes like this. That orange and black car was my coming to Jesus moment when I decided that spending money on a project that basically made a car undrivable was stupid, and a gigantic waste of money (to me).
I took a nice 4 eye body (that's all it was when I bought it) and made it into what it became. A car doomed to short blasts on a summer weekend day where it couldn't get to the venue without being pulled in/on a trailer.

(It might as well had been a boat)

I could've just as easily spent that money making it a streeter, and could've driven it anytime, and anywhere. If and when I sold it, could be driven by anybody.

Whatever changes in a drag racer where they come to the moment I did may be age, or money,.......sooner or later most come to it. (Most of the friends I have now are all ex racers). None of us were Johhny come latelys that dipped our toes into the drag race swimming pool and decided the water was too cold after one failed attempt. In total, I have built 6 dedicated drag cars over the last dozen years, and I can guarantee that not one of them survive today.

This:

This is the drag race version of the street car I built the year before. a TT'd, R blocked, A2W I/C'd 363. The A/C'd 347, 5 speed version original version made two legs of the HotRod power tour. The drag version couldn't be driven down the block.

 

[revhead347]

I'm having this discussion with one of my best friends. After wrecking his E30 street car on his first outing at the track, he has it in his head to build another E30 track car. He has a full time job, and 3 kids. I don't see him having the time or the money to get to the track frequently enough to make it worth while. I'm trying to steer him back to building another street car. I just think it makes more sense.

Kurt

 

[t32265]

Why have a car that only goes 1/4 mile at a time, my wife can still drive my car and does( as long as it has gas) still has air and power steering, streetcars are more fun. Especially a convertible in the florida winters.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Here you go....not just a mustang, not just an S-197, not just a GT. But a Shelby GT 500.
http://www.theturboforums.com/threads/360030-Twin-Turbo-Hemi-Outlaw-10-5-Shelby-Build.
Now this is one of those mega dollar, high end purpose built drag cars at the top of the heap, and admittedly, it's a beautiful car. But it was a Shelby GT 500.

Now it's a shell.

 

[hoopty5.0]

@madmike1157 You say top of the heap, I say more money than sense.

There is a build in the Hall Of Fame builds section in there that blows my mind. It's a 70 challenger with a 106mm snail. He posts videos of him just putting down the freeway, driving around town, etc. as if it's a family sedan.

Ah, here it is:
http://www.theturboforums.com/threads/322032-70-Challenger-572-c-i-106mm-turbo

I guess what Im trying to say is you can have both, but it needs to be very well planned and budgeted.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

@madmike1157 You say top of the heap, I say more money than sense.

There is a build in the Hall Of Fame builds section in there that blows my mind. It's a 70 challenger with a 106mm snail. He posts videos of him just putting down the freeway, driving around town, etc. as if it's a family sedan.

Ah, here it is:
http://www.theturboforums.com/threads/322032-70-Challenger-572-c-i-106mm-turbo

I guess what Im trying to say is you can have both, but it needs to be very well planned and budgeted.

Oh I agree, and that's a mega cool car. I gotta admit I jumped to the end, so I gotta ask.
A/C? Heater? PS?, PB?. It's so loud in there he has to wear headphones to hear the audio system.
An aluminum block'd KB 572.
He's having his "cake" alright but he's paying HUGE to eat it. HE has just as much money, and not that much sense either.
But at least can drive it. And as long as he doesn't mind sweating his balls off, strong-arming the thing to turn it into the parking lot at Walmart, Stiff-legging the thing to get it to stop, and not hearing the guy blowing the horn at him because he's gonna back into him, that is OK by me.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

went back and looked, it hasPB's

 

[Duc_Stang_95]

I'm not really a fan of drag racing, but I have respect for the guys who drive their car to the strip, pull off a respectable run, and then drive back home. IMO non street-legal cars are essentially worthless... just my opinion, feel free to disagree with it.

But there's a reason I'm building a NA performance street car for fun and not some 1000hp twin turbo abortion.

 

[Sharad]

Why have a car that only goes 1/4 mile at a time, my wife can still drive my car and does( as long as it has gas) still has air and power steering, streetcars are more fun. Especially a convertible in the florida winters.

Why not have BOTH? IMO, you can't have too many Mustangs. I have a handling Mustang with all of the creature comforts, a street/strip Mustang without creature comforts, and I'm building another mustang which looks to be a restomod theme- a gorgeous 4-eye which can yank the skinnies on the street.

 

[84Ttop]

I think any mustang owner should have more than one. For me the drag/true street car, the driver and a 2015 as soon as I can get my hands on one. I will admit that the drag car is a money pit and may have be smashed up a tad this season but I will gladly throw my hard earned dollars at it again this coming year looking for a True street win!

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I think any mustang owner should have more than one. For me the drag/true street car, the driver and a 2015 as soon as I can get my hands on one. I will admit that the drag car is a money pit and may have be smashed up a tad this season but I will gladly throw my hard earned dollars at it again this coming year looking for a True street win!

According to my computer, you were up at 4AM. Either you leave really early for work, get home really late from work, stayed up way too late on a bender, or are a vampire,.......either way, all of your comments should be disregarded from either
A. Lack of sleep, B. Not fully awake, C. You're drunk, or D. You're undead.

 

[84Ttop]

According to my computer, you were up at 4AM. Either you leave really early for work, get home really late from work, stayed up way too late on a bender, or are a vampire,.......either way, all of your comments should be disregarded from either
A. Lack of sleep, B. Not fully awake, C. You're drunk, or D. You're undead.

5:09 am to be exact, lol. I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so I went in to work 2 hours early. Early start, early quit!!

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

5:09 am to be exact, lol. I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so I went in to work 2 hours early. Early start, early quit!!

That's supposed to happen w/ me today too,..(Ha! we'll see how that goes)

 

[madspeed]

I prefer late start, early quit these days

 

[hoopty5.0]

I was told last week that I needed to use my vacation days or Ill lose them. But then I was told I have to turn in the request 2 weeks ahead (which was a week prior to new year). Jerks. No time off for me...

Related to the thread: I wish I could have multiple mustangs again. It was nice to have something quick to drive while I tinker with the '85. Stupid me

 

[cleanLX]

I would not build a dedicated race car, but appreciate those that do.
My car is not a daily driver. It certainly could be daily driven, I choose not to.
It is not a race car, however the general public would likely consider it so.
It sounds like it's barely going to live at 1200rpm idle, needs about 3000rpm to wake up, was ordered (yep, had it that long) without electric windows etc or a/c. It has spherical rear arms, drag shocks struts. It has full interior including sound deadener, PS/PB and with the dual plate clutch my wife is still able to enjoy it.
It is exactly what i want it to be.
My other vehicle is a 2014 Grand Cherokee with 8spd trans and Hemi.

 

[Decipha]

me personally, i believe dedicated drag cars should run 7s and faster, if your not gonna spend the time and money it takes to get there then just leave it street legal, if you have to pull it off the trailer it better be fast, theres quite a few daily driven single digit cars these days that would make you look stupid otherwise

 

[Sharad]

I understand what you mean decipha, but I don't think happiness depends on what other people are running in their single digit street cars. A person can be just as happy with their 13-second car as another person is with a 7-second car. It's all about attitude.

Slightly related side note, I just posted this meme on facebook and people went nuts over it. I loved that car. And it ran 12s.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151884203542572&l=895941c2c7

 

[keaton5.0]

me personally, i believe dedicated drag cars should run 7s and faster, if your not gonna spend the time and money it takes to get there then just leave it street legal, if you have to pull it off the trailer it better be fast, theres quite a few daily driven single digit cars these days that would make you look stupid otherwise

My car is 100% streetable and nowhere near the single digits but I trailer it to the track because if I break an axle, grenade my tranny slamming 3rd gear or whatever may happen, I'd rather not mess around with trying to get ahold of a buddy with a trailer or call a tow truck.