Pics of my old altered roadsters | FerrariChat

Pics of my old altered roadsters

Discussion in 'American Muscle' started by AnotherDunneDeal, Apr 21, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    #1 AnotherDunneDeal, Apr 21, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  2. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
    Wasn't it necessary to put a drag bar on to keep the car from flipping over?

    As you can tell i'm not a dragrace expert, but i did see some races here in Belgium and they all had a bar with 2 little wheels on at the back.
    Even the dragrace Harleys had such a bar.
     
  3. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    You are correct. I had one more after these and it had dual wheelie bars with casters at the rear. Remember, this was back about 30 years ago and those things had not come into creation yet. The last car was almost as fast as these but without a supercharger. It was the advances in technology that it allowed that to happen.

    It was very observant of you that they did not have them. If they caught too much traction the nose would go way up. It was a real thrill.
     
  4. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
    :D
    I can believe that !!
    It's even a thrill to see it, i'm just guessing how it must feel when your behind the wheel :D
     
  5. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    You are sitting inside a cage that wraps tightly around you with your knees up seemingly near your chest. The butterfly steering wheel is shaking in your hands and the vision is not the greatest. The sound of the engine is earsplitting even with the helmet and earplugs and the firesuit is hot. But those are the bad parts.

    When the light turns green and the throttle is hit, the car rockets off or up depending on traction and the fun ride begins. Your eyeballs seem like they are going back inside their sockets and the acceleration just is tremendous. The thrill of trying to keep this short wheelbase, hight centered car straight down the track is exciting to say the least. And 7-8 seconds later the drag chute throws you tightly against your harness and slows in a hurry. It is almost undescribable the feeling of being out in the open and not enclosed in a "door-slammer" when all this takes place. It is almost surreal after it is over but very mind focusing while it is taking place.

    Have not done in in many years now but I still follow drag racing. It was a love of mine from about 1959 to now. I guess you could say I am one of the "old guys" who saw NHRA and AHRA in their infancy along with the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association). Long Beach, Half Moon Bay, Irwindale, Bakersfield, Famosa, Lions, just to name a few we raced at early on. Also tracks in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma. MOstly ran the Southwest. Did not make the Indy Nationals. We just never made it that big. I wish we had.
     
  6. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,380
    Texas!
    Cool stuff James. But like everything, drag racing has really stepped up in recent years. From what I understand, 500k for a competitive car is not unusal. Do you ever think about doing it again?
     
  7. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
    I wish there would be more races here in Europe.
    A friend of mine has a cd with the sound of some dragraces on it (mostly topfuel i guess)
    It is one of my favorite :D
     
  8. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    Can't afford to. We ran back when it was basically an amateur sport and we did it for the love of the sport. I built the cars for less than $30K each and was competitive. Today, the engine alone will cost twice that and may go up in smoke off the line. When Eddie Hill, my old buddy, retired his Pennzoil Top Fuel car, the final years budget was slightly over $3M with Pennzoil and Matco Tools putting in $1M each and other smaller sponsors taking care of the rest. It took him a crew of 8, two spare chassis, 4 engines, 4 superchargers and a whole host of more spare parts to be competitive. His 18 wheeler included a full machine/fabrication shop, sleeping quarters and a computer work center. It is really a high dollar, professionally run operation to be competitive now.

    I guess I could do brackets, but I love to race heads up and unfortunately I am a little guy with shallow pockets and I can't afford to run with the big guys. Sure wish I could. I really miss it. I do love the nostalgia cars though. I can live vicariously thru them sometimes.
     
  9. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    Bertus,

    Check out a google search on European drag racing. There are many exhibition races set up and run there each year. England has several tracks and has some pretty fast cars. I do not know how close some of the exhibition races are to you, but it would be worth a trip if they are within a reasonable drive...............
     
  10. Sfumato

    Sfumato F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    10,194
    Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales
    Full Name:
    Angus Podgorney
  11. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
    It's very popular in Scandinavia and that is quite a drive.
    But i know some friends of mine are going to Germany (Hockenheim) in august so it's quite possible that i will be there also this summer :D
     
  12. writerguy

    writerguy F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2003
    6,786
    NewRotic
    Full Name:
    Otto
    #12 writerguy, Apr 21, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  13. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    Out in Midland/Odessa. I raced there quite a few times. I ran the car I showed you the picture of when you dropped by. The Strip Teaser, Altered.

    Brings back all kinds of good memories. Some bad. The Strip Teaser ran a 2-speed powerglide with a 4000 rpm stall speed torque converter. It fried more transmissions than I can count. Never could get that one right. Sold it after two season.......... Engine ran great the whole time, even when the transmission went away and over reved the engine way up there.
     
  14. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    Check out www.eurodragster.com. It holds calendars of events in Europe. Maybe it will have something you can get to. Good Luck......
     
  15. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
    Thanks

    That was the website i got via Google
    The event in Hockenheim Germany is the closest by, and some friends of mine go there every year. Unfortunatly i haven't been able to go there yet.
    I hope this summer i'll be more lucky :)

    Greetz

    B
     
  16. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
  17. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    #17 AnotherDunneDeal, Apr 22, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  18. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    #18 AnotherDunneDeal, Apr 22, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    This is what can happen to these fuel altered cars with the old chasis set-ups like we used to run. Nanook putting on the show here.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  19. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
    That indeed is a thrill :D

    Did accidents often occur in those days?
     
  20. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    #20 AnotherDunneDeal, Apr 22, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  21. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
  22. Bertus

    Bertus Formula 3

    Mar 1, 2004
    2,101
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Bert S
  23. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    #23 AnotherDunneDeal, Apr 24, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    If I did not already know whose car this is, I would swear that it was my old car. It is almost identical in every way including the color. Wow!!!! But these guys were really good guys to race with.........
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  24. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    I just looked. I need only one more post to reach 1,000. Then I am only 12,000 behind NNO>
     

Share This Page