That's very kind of you, thank you Sir data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
It's taken a while to get this far, but hopefully it'll start looking like a car soon... data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
No photos from yesterday unfortunately, the excitement of it all...data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 (we were in a bit of a rush).
The revised seat is complete; yesterday was a trial fit for the harnesses, and final placement for the throttle pedal. The baseline measurements for the roll cage were nearly spot-on. With a chunky fire suit and skid lid on, there's the regulatory gap to ensure if you become inverted, you don't have your head and spine compressed against the roll cage.
A small portion of the cage (possibly just the tops of the rear uprights) will protrude the top of the body. The plan is to make a small feature of them by glassing that section back in and using some plated elliptical 'port holes' where the cage will show. Photos will make more sense of this...
In a few weeks the rear of the chassis should be all finish welded, and the new cage (partially composed of the previous one) should be on. By then, the body should be back for the first trial fit on the chassis. At that point, all the measuring, checking, seat fitting, rear-end lowering etc will start to make sense.
In addition, I pulled the transmission out of the car yesterday, so that can be stripped for a thorough check before it goes back in the car. The engine will come out shortly and go back onto a stand so I can crack on with checking everything and putting it together for the final time. I should be able to put together a decent mini-build diary for that with plenty of explanatory photos.
Today is the last day of the domestic season, after inquiring about how the other guys building cars are getting on, it looks as if Easter will be entertaining for all involved data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
A brief update and some quick photos to explain the drivel (apologies for the shakey camera work - I'll try and get some better photos this weekend).
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The roll cage was salvaged from the previous incarnation. Cutting out nearly 8" out of the height required the loss of the vertical support bars, as these prohibited the front hoop from stretching out to meet the chassis rails. The benefit of retaining the rear hoops and front hoop allows reuse of the titanium head shield at the rear of the cage
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Obligatory 'way back when' photo... quite tall...
Moving forward, the new throttle pedal is complete. Lightweight, sized to my clown foot, it feels very nice and natural, even with my right leg at an awkward angle of dangle above the transmission.
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Hopefully I'll have some better photos after the weekend, and a proper, juicy, full beans update data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I didn't manage to get as many photos as I'd have liked today; it was a bit of a busy one...
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I took the motor that's currently in the car, down to a short block to allow me to build up the top end of the motor (manifold, restraints, blower & injector).
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Aside from some sticky studs, it came apart ok and just needs a clean. The plan is to use the rocker assembly on the spare engine which due it being in slightly better shape, will get installed in the car once I've built it up.
On to the chassis - the roll cage is nearly there, today was more a case of seeing how we are from a headroom perspective. It's relatively comfortable in the car, and the clearance from crash helmet to where the cage padding will be is enough to satisfy the regulations.
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In a few weeks I'll be cracking on with the motor build. More piccies then data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Something of a throwback as there's not much to report until next week - here's a snippet about the car that I started with back in 2008. Known as a Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster, 'digger' or 'FED' (Front Engine Dragster). These were what started the Top Fuel revolution back in the 1960's. At that time, safety wasn't much of a concern and knowledge of chassis dynamics and aero was limited to "long, slippery and flexible".
Back in 2006 I started the build with the intention of it being a full aluminium paneled car of 125" wheelbase with a supercharged, methanol burning big block Chevy and and 2 speed Powerglide transmission. A twist of fate and one of those 'you only live once' moments, saw the decision to go for broke and go the nitromethane route.
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One of my favourite photos, it explains the draw of nitromethane - the smell, the sound. It was a surefire crowd gatherer.
Given that the chassis was constructed from CDS steel rather than chromoly, it would only tag to 7.50, but that would have been sufficient with the methanol burner. With the nitro engine making close to double the power, the tag would limit how quick we could go; at the time I decided it was just a bit of fun and we could have a big burnout, lairy-to-drive car that could be shutoff at half track and still run 7.50.
Late into the build, it became obvious that the wheelbase made it look like a cartoon car. The engine dominated it and it was simply not in proportion. The wheelbase was stretched to 161" and there it stayed.
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This was what's called a legs over car i.e. your legs sat on top of the back axle, with your meat and two veg nestled behind it. In the event of the axle coming apart, you might experience some 'trauma' data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
The transmission was a direct drive reverser with a 3 disc clutch. The clutch made its way along with the engine, into the Fuel Altered the following year (2009).
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Unfortunately, track time was limited with the FED due to a mixture of poor track conditions and poor weather. A couple of decent launches with early shut offs was all that I managed, but it was the first dip of the toe into the pool of nitromethane - a drug that becomes rather addictive data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
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A very quick point regarding the Chevy motor. This was the engine that went in the altered later. If you compare the size of head studs to that of the TFX engine in the post above, you see how more heavy duty the race bred motors are. In comparison, the Chevy uses knitting needles. Not great for retaining the heads. As you can see, this was a cast iron block. In the altered it went as quick as 6.711 - I believe the ET record for an iron block Chevy on nitro was a 6.59, so we did alright considering.
The car still exists today, under new ownership, and currently undergoing an engine transplant from the methanol burning Chevy it ran, to a Donovan Hemi with the intention of running it as a static display 'cackle car'.
Hopefully next week, I'll have a decent update to post as I'll be assembling the top end of the motor with the juicy fuel system parts.
Today was back at it. Although I'd had the bulk of the engine parts for some time, I hadn't got around to mocking it all up for fit, in particular the blower restraint. This thing is a pain in the backside but quite good at saving your bacon should the blower get lifted off the manifold.
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Aside from needing some gasket trimming and an o-ring installed in the manifold, it's good to go. The difference between a 14.3 spec restraint (this one) and 14.2 spec is the extra plate which sits below the blower, along with the extra straps that clip onto the injector. A 14.2 spec bag is literally just a bag with the top plate and vertical straps - in both cases, they fix to brackets welded to the exhaust headers.
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The Corvette body has returned to the workshop; apologies for the photos - it's yet to depart the trailer. Next week it should be back on the chassis and we'll see where all the work in the cockpit and around the roll cage has got us.
More updates in a few weeks.
Have you been crack detecting around the pulley or is it naturally white with bits of red?
That's a trick of the photo I think, the pulley's quite shiny aluminium so it's a reflection of the tool drawer (hence the red). The manifold on the other hand, that is prone to cracking. Magnesium is wonderful for lightweight parts, but ever so soft and fragile.
To get the spare engine built up I'm toying with the idea of using an aluminium manifold and perhaps swapping them over as I've never been very trusting of magnesium parts. Time will tell on that one.
I thought dye penetrant would be an unusual thing to be using at this point data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Some goodies are due from the US in a few days, that'll be the last of the proper engine hardware to come over prior to the festive season break (time at home, messing with LEGO Technic - it's a chore data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7).
In the meantime, one noteworthy update - the calendar for next year was announced last week, it looks like this:
April 14th – April 17th 2017
Championship Round 1
SPRC Festival of Power
Santa Pod Raceway
June 24th – 25th 2017
Championship Round 2
SPRC Summer Nationals
Santa Pod Raceway
July 14th – 16th 2017
Non points round
Dragstalgia
Santa Pod Raceway
September 7th – 10th 2017
Championship Round 3
FIA / FIM European Finals
Santa Pod Raceway
September 23rd – 24th 2017
Championship Round 4
SPRC National Finals
Santa Pod Raceway
I'd recommend Dragstalgia and the European Finals as the pick of the events to attend from a spectator perspective. Dragstalgia, being a non-points round, allows us to have a bit of fun and the racing's a bit less competitive. It's more of a drag racing festival than a race event.
The European Finals is a nice addition, it allows us a chance to race in front of the biggest crowd of the year, and being an FIA event, the big show Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars are in town so there's the wow factor for spectators if the old bangers such as the Vette aren't quick enough data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
Photos and update bits & bobs in a few days hopefully data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.