Hot Rods Need advice? FED

I was over my friends house talking about getting the sale of his FED in progress. He built the car around 2000-2002, it passed certs when it was built. Then he said it could only be certified for 8’s or 9’s, he didn’t remember exactly, because he built it out of mild steel. Anyone know how fast this car can be certified to? I really wanted to break 200 MPH in it. Doesn’t look like that will be happening.

 

https://sfifoundation.com/drag-racing-chassis/

no location so here's the US map
https://chassisinspector.nhradata.com/

 

A properly built mild steel car can certify at 7.50. The best bet is to have it checked out by a NHRA Inspector.

 

Marty is spot on. It's more about how the chassis fits you as the driver and where some tubes fit in relation to your body. Anything past the firewall really don't concern them, just the passenger cage section and wall thickness.

 

NHRARACER website will list NHRA chassis inspectors in your area, they will provide best info, They will come to your house for a small additional fee otherwise you need to take the chassis to a track holding inspections

 

Thanks guys. The car was built by an NHRA certified chassis builder, and passed it's Certs when built back in 2000-2002. I just don't know what it's certified too? Mason Dixon has 3-4 certification days, so that's not a problem. My buddy said he thought it only certified to 9 seconds. I don't want to dump a truck load of money in it just to run 9's If a mild steel car can cert to 7.50, I'll be close enough to my goals. I just didn't want to spend the money for a cert just to have them say it could only go 9 seconds. It also needs all new rubber and safety stuff. My friend just built it to prove he could, and he never wanted to go real fast, so he went with mild steel. He takes it to local drive in shows, and that's about it. It's never made a full power run. He said the Ultra Bell/Glide has to get certs too. So, the price list keeps going up. It is a turn key running car with a Dodge 413, Ultra Bell/Glide and 8 3/4 rear. With every thing 20 years out of date.

 

Joe, I kind of hinted it with the specs and the inspector stuff. Others have also pointed that way.
Before you buy from your friend, get it looked over. They will hand you a shopping list or a hard NO.
It's in your interest and your friend's that you know what you are jumping into. If you back out, your friend will have good info for the next buyer.

 

Joe,
Just a thought, Don't know what part of the country you are in but I would suggest finding out what is out of cert on your friends car make a list like others have suggested but also If they run in your area check out a NDRA or Nitro Chaos event and talk to the racers that are running 200 MPH and see how their cars are built. Also have you sat in your friends car yet to see how comfortable you are in the car? Also expect to spend $2-$3K in good safety equipment for yourself to safely run 200.

 

If it was me I'd get it, get it running good, even if only in the 9's, and then run it till I was comfortable especially money wise. If I wanted to go faster then sell it and look around for one already specced for faster than 9's.

 

CRS is getting me again...but...7:50 is nostalgia eliminator right??? and if it won't cert 7:50... it won't cert 8:50 either???? right... usually there's just a couple bars needed on the sides and a 5 point hoop roll bar??? right??? it's been over 20 years since my last FED, CCE chassis , full hana body.. I'm thinking if it has a cert tag. it's to 750...??? never heard of a 850 cert for a digger,... started driving A/F 53 yrs ago,.. then AA/BAD in the 70's to the hanna body FED in the 90's... maybe things changed??? I did the last pass @ OC raceway where they made all cars have a reverser , we run a lenco 2 spd and had to re work the chassis. RED, so we bowed out.. that class sucked as 300 cars showed up for a 16 car field...

 

• Nostalgia Dragster: 2 classes. Created a few years ago for front engine dragsters with mechanical fuel injection, on methanol and using a Powerglide transmission, these dragsters resemble dragsters from the 1960’s, yet can run in the high 6’s with a relatively small V8 (380-410 cid for most cars).

I'd say if the chassis has a current cert,... it's good to go... lets say there is a 9 secound cert,... doest take much motor to go in the 8's.. how would the tech's know you won't make a pass in the 7's... I ran an old woodie gilmore :FED with no cert, had to run it slower than 10:05 in vegas ... {9:90} on the coast... but say I did run an 8:50, that would get the car banned till it got the cert

 

also... to go 200 mph, gonna need a nhra lic....

 

Our altered is home built mild steel and certified to 7.50 , tube placement and wall thickness are what they go by , even if you only get a 7.50 cert, it makes the chassis much more sellable if you cant reach your 200mph goal with it

 

The money spent for a new inspection will be the cheapest part of the deal. I would get it inspected before I bought it. That will give you a shopping list of things needed before you buy that "good deal" race car.

 

You would think the seller would have the chassis cert updated, that would increase the value and make it more salable.

 

Oh yeah, I remember that now.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/twin-super-red-rams.1307603/

 

Nothing says vintage slingshot dragster, like a radiator and a battery.

 

Well, Garlits is credited with the first 200 in '64.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IQN4gCgUlo
or is it Chris Karamesines in '60?
https://us.motorsport.com/vintage/news/nhra-s-50-greatest-drivers-30-chris-karamesines/1878458/
I'm not going to argue that, but this is what it took back then to break 200.
I doubt OP is planning on nitro and no chassis that will pass current specs is going to be vintage.
So the question is, can the chassis cert and can OP get his license?
At that point, we can discuss what it's going to take to run the number.
Buying nitro
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0058/8110/2447/files/torco-nitro-form.pdf

 

"usually there's just a couple bars needed on the sides"

As I recall ( I think) the NHRA rulebook ain't keen on the top side rail just ending on the firewall hoop.
That misses an opportunity for some effective triangulation to reduce bending of the tube. Just because something does not bend today does not guarantee things won't fatigue and crack or even break next season.
//IF// the hoop tubing is stout enough it will be OK with bending. But the hoop tubing could have been smaller/thinner/lighter .

 

That's ballast to keep from doing those really high wheel stands.

 

Well, update. When we talked last fall it was $2000, which I know was way low. I talked to S&W and they said the chassis would carry twins no problem. They also said if it passed certs in 2002, it should pass now. It’s was built in 2002, so it’s not a vintage to the FED era car. I went over to talk to him about finalizing the deal. Since then and now, he found something he wants bad, he’s broke, it’s $5000, so now the price is $5000. He never really wanted to go fast so he built it out of mild steel. The car did certify when built, but, he said he thought it only certified to 9.00? In response to my question of how fast could a mild steel chassis certify, the answer was 7.50. But, it would probably take $1000’s in upgrades. It’s sad, the car is turn key, you could jump in, crank it up, and drive around the neighborhood. The deal isn’t off the table, but he wants $5000 ASAP, and I can’t do that in a few days. I told him if he gets an offer, let it go. I’ll even help him move it. Thing is, I’m 68, and at $2000, I have the money to upgrade all the rubber and safety issues, as built, this year. At $5000 I don’t.

 

Thanks for all of the advice. Best being, get it inspected and quit guessing. Big problem there is we have to move several Model T projects to get to it. I did fit in it when it was built?

 

Hydrazine?

 

With all due respect... the 5k wall was heaven sent... first off, to go 200 mph, you have to have a license... second you have to have a car that will run within 10% of the class speed, third you have to have 3 current NHRA lic holders willing to sign off, you'll have to do 3 half pass's first time out at an NHRA event, and the next time I think 2 moderate passes and the last has to be within 10% of the class speed...
now, also wanna add this.... going 200MPH in a digger is easy..... but not cheep... you'll be lucky to get away with it only costing 2k a pass.Sh*^ happens... 2K for the car???? you can't do a good shorty glide and converter for that...I've seen the junkyard diggers that try to run the 8:90 class... they're up against about 100, 50-80k diggers full electronics, and can run laps @ 8:90's with an 0 or 1 , so you will be lucky to even get a qualifying pass in after sitting in line for three days.. I quit driving some where around 2000, went thru the lights @180 MPH a ball of flames... broke the crank, windowed the block and spits rods allover the track......I couldn't even replace the crank for 2k, let alone all the rest
if you wanna go 200??? you could sneek once.... you can run anything that will pass tect slower than 10 sec, but soon as you do go faster, the track will ban the car till you have a lic. and a cert for the car.... getting drivers to sign off is gonna be hard... they don't wanna line up next to a newbe driver thats starting @ 200 mph... stuff happens quick in 7 seconds after the light turns yellow ( if you see green you loose) till you make it (hopefully) to the big end.. here's some cool stuff to think about in a FED.... when you see the front tires, and the 200 in chassis is straight up, or getting tire shake at 3/4 track and you think you brains are gonna leak out your ears,, or how bout when the third member/ rearend lets go and your headed to the wall, or worse crossing the center line......like I said.... Heven sent.... throw this idea out of your bucket list.....

 

whatcha got??? I have 3T's..... but always looking...

 

Here's my ol timers advise to anyone thinking of doing something like this... the first money spend would be for a pit pass... only buy turn key cars at the tract... watch it run,... does it go straight ? and is it consistent... buying craiglist race cars.... look at it as a pile of parts, and don't go over a nickel on the dollar for the pile,... bring it home, pull it apart and check every thing...Goood luck!!!!

 

A+
Going fast is easier now, with various tried and true methods all mapped out.
Being able to pay for it all is harder than ever.

 

Education is a Bitch! But it's for the best no matter what direction you're headed. I'm retired now but my total working life has been on Toys for Customers. It doesn't matter if you're working on Volkswagen's, Go Carts, Hot Rods, Customs or Race Cars, Fun costs Money and a hell of a lot more today than just a few years back. Dreams are wonderful. Disappointing yourself hurts a long time. Don't try to play a game outside of your Wallet.

 

There's nothing wrong with mild steel chassis as long as it's DOM of proper dia and wall thickness especially in drivers compartment and roll cage.