Street/Salt BSTR

See cars and bikes being built for the salt

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Huge
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 6:26 pm
Location: Habana

Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

Hey all. Time to start the diary and get serious.
Purpose built race car or make some changes to the road car? I've chosen the later as I am keen to get out there. Not to mention the lack of funds and other projects already commited to...
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So the build is my 32 street roadster. A good little rocket thats seen plenty of road use. Any thoughts, suggestions , comments and help will be appreciated as I am well green in this land speed stuff! I will be running a mild street blown sbc. It has been heaps reliable, done quite a few kays, and is something I'm well familiar with so I'm happy to give it a run. If it breaks then it wasn't strong enough hey :shock: Muncie for the tranny as I have two of those on the shelf. 9 inch in the rear will stay. Currently 3.25 with torsen style centre. As to ratio's, not sure.
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So, I made my first purchase last week for the transformation, a set of moons. Tacked the tabs to a set of steelies and bolted it on. Next step beer and smiles.
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Started to get some pieces togetehr for the box swap. Currently running a T350 (which needs a rebuild so happy to put it on the shelf), and the good thing about that is the mount and tailshaft won't need changing! YAY! I've modified the booster set-up so the master is now further back, making room for the clutch master for the hydraulic throw-out. I've made template for the pedal, hope to have it cut out this week and fitted up. Quicktime SFI rated bell turned up today, along with a billet flywheel. Couple of weeks it should be back on the road, manually shifting cogs :D
Being a dual purpose car is going to be a bit of a headache. Got Valla rod-run in a few weeks, after that I plan to get into the roll cage which will be a bolt in-out unit.

So, things are happening :shock: Plans were for a fact finding mission 2012 to the lake without the car, but if I can get it ready, may as well take it out for a run. We'll see what happens.
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Cookey
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Location: Tasmania

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Cookey »

Welcome to the forum Huge. :D :D :D :D
I am also getting my street rod ready for a blast on the "Big White Dyno" in 2012. :wink: :wink:
Image.
There will be a few changes from this set up as we will be running in D/STR class with a 301 cube Injected Hemi engine, Torqueflite (or Lenco if it arrives in time)and 2.91 gears in the QC rear end.
Look forward to watching your Build Diary progress and seeing you up at the Lake. :) :) :) :) :)
Cheers,
Tony Cooke
DLRA # 363
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Location: Eyre, South Australia.

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by OLDtimer »

Hmmmm, nice roll cage Cookey !!!
Huge
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 6:26 pm
Location: Habana

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

Look forward to watching your Build Diary progress and seeing you up at the Lake. :) :) :) :) :)[/quote]

Thanks Cookey! I look forward to seeing it progress too, early days at the moment tho! Is your cage a new project? It's something I haven't got my head entirely around yet. At this stage I'm going to try and do something like the rolling bones set-up. It has to be easily removed for street duties, but this is second to protecting my spongey head :? Image

Any thoughts on this setup everybody?
momec3
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Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:36 pm
Location: Cedar Grove Qld

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by momec3 »

Welcome aboard Huge
Read the rule book regards tube size etc and tabs at joins. First year the compromise street/race set up is a good way to get a toe in the water. Comprimise makes building a serious race car difficult once you get past that.
Add ballast and think of C of G.
Is it a glass body?
Chris
Chris
Huge
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Location: Habana

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

momec3 wrote:Welcome aboard Huge
Read the rule book regards tube size etc and tabs at joins. First year the compromise street/race set up is a good way to get a toe in the water. Comprimise makes building a serious race car difficult once you get past that.
Add ballast and think of C of G.
Is it a glass body?
Chris
Hi Chris, yup, compromised! But toe in water is what it's all about. Haven't found the CG yet, it'll change with the gearbox swap and roll cage/fire system addition I'm assuming and have been reading as much as I can find about placement of ballast on a str. I've had a spin on the hwy at 100k in the wet, not fun, and with that in the back of my mind I'll be doing as much homework as I can, to do what I can, before I get out there to try and keep her pointing the right way.
Yeah it's a glass body, and the need for a steel firewall is another task. I like the firewall looking stockish, so I'm going try and plate the inside of it. I can't see anything in the rules about how thick it needs to be though.
Thanks for the welcome :D Scotto.
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Cookey
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Re: Is your cage a new project?

Post by Cookey »

Scotto,
The cage shown in the photo posted was a preliminary attempt done a few years back when I first looked at racing the rod at Lake G.
It has since been scrapped and a new one along the lines of the Rolling Bones version will be produced with added struts to the base of the rear pickup bed.
When I originally built my car, I always planned to race it so the construction includes substantial bracing.
Image
There are 2 hoops beneath the cowl section that are 32nB medium weight pipe and are fully Tig welded to the chassis (as is the body) and there is substantial bracing and gusseting that is well and truly out of sight.
Unlike Circuit and Drag racing we don't have walls and sand traps etc to wash off the speed that can be very destructive should you be unfortunate and fall over out on the salt!
Cheers,
Tony Cooke
DLRA # 363
Huge
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 6:26 pm
Location: Habana

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

Thats where your heaps in front of me Cookey! When my roadster was built, I wasn't planning on racing it, so I don't have the bases covered, unlike yourself. It will still need to be a body off job though, I'll have to add plates to mount the cage to the chassis. Yours look sweet, but I won't be able to do the same. That's what the dilema has been, I have another body and chassis that I could use, but can't justify building a purpose built race car for the salt when I haven't even been out there yet, plus, I wouldn't be able to get it ready for next year. I think I can get the rego'd one ready, but I'm going to be busy!
momec3
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Location: Cedar Grove Qld

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by momec3 »

Scotto, there seems to be 2 types that get there, (lake G)
The ones that try it once and never come back, and the types that get hooked. Be warned. Any other disese you have ever had is no where near as addictive.......
Chris
Chris
Huge
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 6:26 pm
Location: Habana

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

momec3 wrote:Scotto, there seems to be 2 types that get there, (lake G)
The ones that try it once and never come back, and the types that get hooked. Be warned. Any other disese you have ever had is no where near as addictive.......
Chris
Yeah Chris, I wonder which type I'll be :shock: Just what I need, another addiction :roll:

Young engineer at work has been taking a bit of interest in the whole deal, which is good cause he can do things! You know, things that I can't do. Got into work tonight and he had drawn a rough sketch of a roll cage for me :D Next he's going to come around home and measure up, then we'll make adjustments to the drawing. Exciting stuff :mrgreen:
Image
momec3
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Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by momec3 »

Valuable people these kids with CADs. Some of the programs are just plain amazing. Most programs now are 3D
Try and model a seat and human in Race suit, Helmet and HANS device to scale then fit them in the cage with correct clearances. Tape measure and twenty mins.....This may help get the cage size right because we get bulky with all the shit on and save you building it twice.
Chris
PS no known cure. :P
Chris
Huge
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 6:26 pm
Location: Habana

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

Didn't have a lot of time last break for the roadster (work 7on 7 off roster) as I was helping my housemate get his new blown motor in his roadster :mrgreen: Got it going and it is a little sweety!
After that I got back into the clutch set-up.Image
Its going to look something like this.

I finished the template in 3mm mild and took it over the road to Camo's workshop where he has an old profile cutter. 10 minutes later and I had my new clutch pedal!
Image

So that was pretty sweet. I don't have a pic with me but I got it cleaned up, machined a boss and bush for it, and hope to have it swinging through the floor next to the Munchie next break. Got a lot to do before this happens tho. The muncie has a cracked ear which needs welding...
Huge
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 6:26 pm
Location: Habana

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Huge »

momec3 wrote:Try and model a seat and human in Race suit, Helmet and HANS device to scale then fit them in the cage with correct clearances. Tape measure and twenty mins.....This may help get the cage size right because we get bulky with all the shit on and save you building it twice.
Chris
This is the plan Chris. Just need to find and purchase this stuff.
Dr Goggles
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Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:23 pm
Location: Right behind you Chief !

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by Dr Goggles »

Good to see yer gettin on with it Scotty, you haven't mucked around.

What I'm going to say here is for encouragement, for you and other people

One of the real tricks to nailing this game is knowing why you do everything, or, as I've been heard to say before ...no science is better than bad science.

What I mean is that despite there being other people racing in your class you should make every effort to work out what you need, in relation to the rules, by yourself.That's the secret to maximising your effort , your budget and your results.People are very helpful in this game and you'll go a long way before you find a more experienced bunch, but, don't take anyone's word for anything. Well known record holders who've been at it for decades will offer helpful advice and then add "YMMV".....your methods may vary. No-one has won the argument about why or how roadsters spin, whether they should have suspension, spools, weight distribution, jacking, castor....the list goes on. Your best defence is understanding WHY you did something........

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.p ... 253.0.html

Jack Dolan from San Diego said something along the lines of " the rules aren't there to stop you doing things , they are there to help you beat the people who don't understand them", that is truly a brilliant statement, it nails everything I am trying to say here. When you really really understand the rules and can incorporate them into your design you will be ahead of the pack.

As far as I can see roadsters are probably the most interchangeable....more so than what we've got anyway.But even so, you never really know what someone's motivation was in the design of their cage, now, a few people are going to be having a laugh at what I just said but I have seen expensive, professionally built cages for LSR cars that just plain ignored clear thinking and basic engineering principles( no, not gonna point the finger, but the particular one I'm thinking of is in the US). Why?......... because the builder has been entrenched in a particular style of racing, shaped by the rules, constrained by costs and influenced by what other people are doing......

Learn the rules about the cage you need, memorize the basic minimum dimensions and clearances and then build, or get someone to build the cage( and for that matter every other part of the race car) when you know what you want.

We built our car in a back yard shed, with basic tools and we aren't shining beacons of fine fit and finish.It's not what we're in it for. If we listened to all the helpful naysayers we wouldn't have finished. Had we listened to the equally beguiling back-slappers we wouldn't have built what we did, it wouldn't be ours, we wouldn't love it nor would we understand it.

Years ago I had this discussion with John Lynch , he queried our lack of suspension and I said "One thing thing I've worked out John is that you have to make your own plans, these things are ALL different" he laughed, and said " you're f****** right you know, you're on your bloody own aren't ya"

And, in the end, you are. :wink:

BTW: I'm doing a story on the latest Rolling Bones car, Dick de Luna's 34 , gorgeous car, great bloke.
Last edited by Dr Goggles on Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
...few understand what I'm trying to do , but they vastly outnumber those who understand why..
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RGV
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Location: Mid Murray Mallee

Re: Street/Salt BSTR

Post by RGV »

Dr Goggles wrote: Jack Dolan from San Diego said something along the lines of " the rules aren't there to stop you doing things , they are there to help you beat the people who don't understand them", that is truly a brilliant statement, it nails everything I am trying to say here. When you really really understand the rules and can incorporate them into your design you will be ahead of the pack.
After reading this i had a :idea: moment. Thanx Dr. :D

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