In a message dated 2/6/2002 5:15:45 AM Pacific Standard Time,
scowle@mentorcollege.edu writes:
>
Scott,
I originally chose the Lakester class in the late 80's because I wanted
to build a dual-purpose car, one that could compete at the nostalgia drags
and at LSR events. At that time the nostalgia drage were going well here on
the Left Coast and there were several pretty good events annually.
I soon found out that a dual-purpose car is usually a compromise in
either venue. My car did pretty well, however, as a LSR car, so I ended up
building a FED Dragmaster Dart replica in 1991-92 to run at the drags. I
wanted to retain the short wheelbase FED of the late-50's and early-60's, but
it had trouble getting the horsepower to the pavement.
In 1996 we put a SBC into the lakester for Speed Week and promptly found
that the roll cage was "oh-too-thin" and "oh-too-small" to pass SCTA specs.
When we built the car we mistakenly assumed that if it was built to NHRA
specs and certified as such it would satisfy SCTA. Wroooooong.
To redo the cage on a RE car involves everything from the front of the
engine to the front axle, so I decided to look for another car. I found a
modified roadster project car in my area that was for sale. In modified
roadster class I had a chance of going over 200 and earning a "hat", and it
was an open-car class (easier for an old-guy to enter and exit the car).
As it turned out we used little of the project car. The SBC that came
with it didn't suit our class, I didn't like the R&P steering, VW torsion bar
setup, or the Anglia spindles, I wanted a C-4 rather than the 4-speed that
came with it, I wanted to use my Champ QC with the 3.6 R&P instead of the 9"
Ford RE, and the body was only suitable as a "plug" from which to fabricate a
new ont that had the aerodynamics my "Wind-Wizard" aero-guy wanted.
Anyway, two years later (late 1999) the car "hit-the-salt" at World
Finals and has been entered at several LSR events since.
We still use the Dragmaster Dart for R&D on our various engine
combinations, but it isn't really competitive against the 200+" WB RED cars
with tranny-brakes.........Ardun Doug
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