In a message dated 02/09/2000 7:47:50 PM Pacific Standard Time,
saltracer@netscape.net writes:
<< I have an friend (lurking here) who is considering converting his NHRA
legal
altered 23T into a land speed car. Maybe C/MGR? What would be the major
obsticales to this conversion? I don't believe the car has rear suspension,
which is probably not much of a problem at Bonneville, but what about Maxton?
Phil
>>
Phil,
I had an experience with my GoldDigger XXF/L a few years back that might
be a warning to your friend.
In 1988-89 I had a car built that conformed to NHRA Fuel Dragster specs.
It had a 1 1/2" .062" wall (as I recall) chrome-moly frame and was NHRA
certified a couple of times before I parked it.
I ran the car at both El Mirage and Bonneville between 1989 and 1994 with
one of my Ardun Mercs, posting speeds between 183 on gas at Bonneville and
194 on alky at El Mirage.
In 1996 a friend put his "C" SBC in the car and we trotted off to Speed
Week, entered in C / GL class. At the "Big-Top" Tech station we were informed
that the roll cage tubing was "oh-too-thin and oh-too-small". Evidently
previous inspections had missed the "non-spec" cage. With an engine in the
car that was capable of well over 225 MPH the guys gave it a closer look and
discovered the awful truth.
We were limited to licensing runs at or below 175, which we complied
with. When I got home I decided to park the car rather than change the cage,
which runs from the front of the engine to the front axle in this rear engine
car.
It now appears that if someone wanted to replace the rollbar hoops with
heavier tubing and "plate" the tubes from the shoulder hoop down the car
could conceivably pass tech.
The morale to my tale of woe is that SCTA and NHRA tech specs are not the
same regards tubing size and thickness, among other things. If you want to
run a dual purpose car be VERY aware of the specs of both sanctioning
organizations.
My experience has been that "dual-purpose" cars are usually a compromise
for each use. They double the fun for a relatively low-buck outlay (compared
to building two separate cars), but rarely will compete with a
"purpose-built" car.
My 2 cents worth...............Ardun Doug in CA
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