The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 2: No Replacement For Displacement

[ChristianPatriot]

I'm normally not a Gen II fan but that looks clean

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/1979-camaro-z28-blk-red/6290338431.html

 

[halfmileharry]

Racing on the cheap?? If I recall English class correctly that's an oxymoron. There is no such thing as racing cheap..or cheap racing

Racing cheap is easy if you don't like to go fast.

 

[churchmouse]

https://evansville.craigslist.org/cto/d/1964-biscayne-purchased-new/6300896462.html

CM

Whats up with this freak car?

It shows well in the pics. Would be impossible to document it is a Nickey piece. They were a performance dealer of note.
I rolled up there a few times with friends that bought cars from them

If that one is actually 40K on the clock it might be worth some serious coin but not what he is asking for it but I could be wrong.

 

[churchmouse]

Racing on the cheap?? If I recall English class correctly that's an oxymoron. There is no such thing as racing cheap..or cheap racing

If you do not spend it now and spend it right you will be chasing your tail all the time.
Put a solid plan together. Set it in motion and watch carefully as it falls apart as you proceed.

 

[churchmouse]

Racing cheap is easy if you don't like to go fast.

That is what the foot brake bracket class is for and it aint cheap.

 

[thunderchicken]

Racing cheap is easy if you don't like to go fast.

What would be the point in that? Why would anyone want to race if they don't like or don't want to go fast?
Even foot brake classes get quite expensive.
That is one reason you don't see many young people racing at the track. Putting a car together is bad enough but paying for NHRA membership and license, entry fees, food/drinks for the day, fuel etc etc. A couple years ago I saw an article in National Dragster about this. At that time according to NHRA the average age of an NHRA licensed driver was 48. And the biggest reason sited was cost.

Several years back we used to race late model stock cars (no sponsor). It cost us a solid $1,000 (or more) every time we loaded up to go racing and that was back in the late 90's.

 

[halfmileharry]

What would be the point in that? Why would anyone want to race if they don't like or don't want to go fast?
Even foot brake classes get quite expensive.
That is one reason you don't see many young people racing at the track. Putting a car together is bad enough but paying for NHRA membership and license, entry fees, food/drinks for the day, fuel etc etc. A couple years ago I saw an article in National Dragster about this. At that time according to NHRA the average age of an NHRA licensed driver was 48. And the biggest reason sited was cost.

Several years back we used to race late model stock cars (no sponsor). It cost us a solid $1,000 (or more) every time we loaded up to go racing and that was back in the late 90's.

Exactly.
I was always told "Speed is money", "More money for more HP", a 1/10 of a second is $$$$, etc.
I guess a bit of purple from time to time might remedy any misunderstanding.

 

[churchmouse]

What would be the point in that? Why would anyone want to race if they don't like or don't want to go fast?
Even foot brake classes get quite expensive.
That is one reason you don't see many young people racing at the track. Putting a car together is bad enough but paying for NHRA membership and license, entry fees, food/drinks for the day, fuel etc etc. A couple years ago I saw an article in National Dragster about this. At that time according to NHRA the average age of an NHRA licensed driver was 48. And the biggest reason sited was cost.

Several years back we used to race late model stock cars (no sponsor). It cost us a solid $1,000 (or more) every time we loaded up to go racing and that was back in the late 90's.

Try running a USAC legal Midget. I was partners in one in the mid 80's. The costs involved even with 3 of use carrying the costs were overwhelming. The rules kept relegating us farther back in the pack what with new chassis/engines etc. We were running an Autocraft (flat 4) with some success on the smaller tracks but the ones we wanted to run were dominated by the Pontiac's and Fords. They just flat made more power.

We went full on mad scientist one winter and "Grew" some cubes with the help of one Dan Crower (yes that Dan Crower) and went bonkers on the heads. With 48 more CIs and some creative head/fuel system work we could run back up mid pack but even then we were racking up a huge tire bill. It was obvious to some of the officials we had done something to the engine but they never pushed it because we were mid pack racers.
You could hear the damn thing over most of the cars. It was a beast.
Then I bent it up pretty good at the Speedrome. Also rang my bell. We put it back together and it found a new home.

That car was the one John Andretti drove to his 1st Championship well before we owned it. It was the Armstrong Mold car. It has some history none of it wrote when we owned it.....

 

[bobzilla]

For the comment of "why do it if youre not going to go fast?"..... I can answer that. The truck I run is auto-x finished DFL, quite literally, in the Cam East Challenge in August. Yet I was grinning from ear to ear all weekend. Why? Well, a lot of reasons. The people. The fact that something I saved from the desert and have put my blood swear and tears (and money) into is out there burning rubber and making great noises with cars that have more money in wheels than I do in the entire truck. I'm not building this truck as a dedicated racecar. I'm going to have fun, enjoy it and call it a day. It will see a lot of auto-x's. It'll see a lot of DD'ing. It'll even see a track day here and there. But it's going to be a jack of all trades and master at nothing but being awesome.

 

[churchmouse]

I'm normally not a Gen II fan but that looks clean

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/1979-camaro-z28-blk-red/6290338431.html

I have never liked those either but that one is serious.

 

[thunderchicken]

Exactly.
I was always told "Speed is money", "More money for more HP", a 1/10 of a second is $$$$, etc.
I guess a bit of purple from time to time might remedy any misunderstanding.

Ahhh. Thanks Mr obvious, I never made the connection. You're a life saver Mr O. Lol

 

[churchmouse]

For the comment of "why do it if youre not going to go fast?"..... I can answer that. The truck I run is auto-x finished DFL, quite literally, in the Cam East Challenge in August. Yet I was grinning from ear to ear all weekend. Why? Well, a lot of reasons. The people. The fact that something I saved from the desert and have put my blood swear and tears (and money) into is out there burning rubber and making great noises with cars that have more money in wheels than I do in the entire truck. I'm not building this truck as a dedicated racecar. I'm going to have fun, enjoy it and call it a day. It will see a lot of auto-x's. It'll see a lot of DD'ing. It'll even see a track day here and there. But it's going to be a jack of all trades and master at nothing but being awesome.

And there it is. For the pure joy of racing.

Sometimes after years of pursuing the brass ring we forget what got us into the pursuit in the 1st place.

 

[thunderchicken]

For the comment of "why do it if youre not going to go fast?"..... I can answer that. The truck I run is auto-x finished DFL, quite literally, in the Cam East Challenge in August. Yet I was grinning from ear to ear all weekend. Why? Well, a lot of reasons. The people. The fact that something I saved from the desert and have put my blood swear and tears (and money) into is out there burning rubber and making great noises with cars that have more money in wheels than I do in the entire truck. I'm not building this truck as a dedicated racecar. I'm going to have fun, enjoy it and call it a day. It will see a lot of auto-x's. It'll see a lot of DD'ing. It'll even see a track day here and there. But it's going to be a jack of all trades and master at nothing but being awesome.

I can understand that as long as your plan upfront is just to go have fun. My problem is, I was raised in a very competitive family and I/ we always get a little consumed with being one of the top dogs even though we have one of the smallest budgets in our class. It's pretty much a disease or mental illness of some kind. Lol

 

[churchmouse]

I can understand that as long as your plan upfront is just to go have fun. My problem is, I was raised in a very competitive family and I/ we always get a little consumed with being one of the top dogs even though we have one of the smallest budgets in our class. It's pretty much a disease or mental illness of some kind. Lol

I am in the same league as you except I was the "Only" one in my family. They all thought me nuts and yes, I am. The insanity was born solely by myself. I grew up right by the north gates of the 500 and my area was full of gear heads.

 

[thunderchicken]

And there it is. For the pure joy of racing.

Sometimes after years of pursuing the brass ring we forget what got us into the pursuit in the 1st place.

Very very true. I guess the natural progression of racing is always wanting to go faster, make more power etc. I have never heard a racer wish their car wasn't as fast as it is. But tje trade of is the faster you go the more maintenance required and time you have to invest. But doing just for the love of the game is what makes it so aweome

 

[thunderchicken]

I am in the same league as you except I was the "Only" one in my family. They all thought me nuts and yes, I am. The insanity was born solely by myself. I grew up right by the north gates of the 500 and my area was full of gear heads.

When I was really little my mom would pick me up from preschool and I would rush inside to change clothes so I could go out to the garage whenever dad was working on the racecar. I can't tell you how many hours I spent playing behind the wheel in his car. Or how many time I got grounded for stealing his circle track magazines and taking them to school

 

[churchmouse]

When I was really little my mom would pick me up from preschool and I would rush inside to change clothes so I could go out to the garage whenever dad was working on the racecar. I can't tell you how many hours I spent playing behind the wheel in his car. Or how many time I got grounded for stealing his circle track magazines and taking them to school

If I had that kind of surrounding growing up my insanity would be far deeper than it is.
My mentor's were the men who lived close to us. I mowed their grass for free just to hang out but I was re-paid 10,000 fold from the influences and the things they took the time to teach me. When I wanted to race go-karts there was no way I could approach me dad with that. With the help of these men I got to do it. They were instrumental in helping me modify my 1st cars. They are all long departed from this plain but I will always smile when I think of them.

 

[bobzilla]

I can understand that as long as your plan upfront is just to go have fun. My problem is, I was raised in a very competitive family and I/ we always get a little consumed with being one of the top dogs even though we have one of the smallest budgets in our class. It's pretty much a disease or mental illness of some kind. Lol

I've had bouts of compettiveness. The last one was the Forte. It was a competitive car in a competitive class and I pushed hard. I was 3rd in the region one of the years when I was being serious. Problem is, when I do that I forget to have fun. And honestly there's no point in doing this if you aren't having fun. We sure as hell ain't getting rich doing it. I mean, I drove 11 hours to stand around all day on concrete for a week to have the chance to drive fast for 6 minutes. Most people would just call that insane.

We didn't have racecars, we had tractors and Dad taught me how to do everything myself. Not just cars/trucks/tractors but home stuff too.

 

[thunderchicken]

I've had bouts of compettiveness. The last one was the Forte. It was a competitive car in a competitive class and I pushed hard. I was 3rd in the region one of the years when I was being serious. Problem is, when I do that I forget to have fun. And honestly there's no point in doing this if you aren't having fun. We sure as hell ain't getting rich doing it. I mean, I drove 11 hours to stand around all day on concrete for a week to have the chance to drive fast for 6 minutes. Most people would just call that insane.

We didn't have racecars, we had tractors and Dad taught me how to do everything myself. Not just cars/trucks/tractors but home stuff too.

That's awesome. And I applaud you for recognizing that when you started getting too competitive it started losing the fun aspect. Most people that I have known either quit all together or get so consumed they push everything that's truly important away.
Dang right we aren't getting rich doing this stuff...but it sure is dang cool.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

He's optimistic

https://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/d/56-chevy-nomad/6305856335.html