Back in the mid-late 60's, what were the chassis builders using material wise on the top fuel cars? What method of welding did they use? I know as the years progressed the wheelbases changed. I cant seem to find any wheelbase measurements though. Say Garlits front engine Swamp Rat XIII vs the rear engine XIV. Or some of the Fuller cars. I have a strange idea for a period correct build, but I am just trying to gather info for the time being. Thanks in advance. Also, if anyone can get me in contact with one of the old chassis builders so I can pick their brains, that would rock.

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As far as material goes there were two schools of thought in the sixties. One thought that mild steel tubing took more stress without cracking than did chrome moly so there were some cars made from both. As the cars got faster it was the 4130 than won out over mild. Wheel bases were all over the place from the early 60s to the late. Early 60s most cars were 150" or less. Later in the decade they were playing with how far out the engine was from the rearend and those types of changes saw the cars get longer. I believe the last RCS car I worked on was somewhere between 185-200" long. I remember that the car would barely fit in the garage! There really was very little science to chassis lengths after the general rule of 'The wheelbase shouldn't be any longer than one revolution of the rear tire'! At the time that meant wheel bases between 95" and 100".

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"The cost of racing hasn't increased in 30 years. Back then, it took everything you had. And it still does."

Thanks Darryl! I have never heard of that early general rule of wheelbase based in tire rollout!! I wonder who came up with that idea!

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That would be Scotty Fenn of Chassis Research, who was mass producing dragster chassis in the late 50's early 60's.

There's a lot of people out there making modern FED's. So I wont compile and list.

One reccomendation to get you going is:

Tuttle-Front Engine-Mini-Supercomp-advanced ET-Slingshot-Dragster Fabrication-California Chassis Engineering

Dave Tuttle is a second generation chassis builder and he's probably a good place to start.

Google "Tim Conder" for some excellent web based info on recreating 60's FED's. Tim is friggin' AWESOME, even if he was on one of the few Monster Garage build teams that FAILED!

-90% Jimmy

Thanks Jim! I had seen Conders website before, but missed this! Pretty much what I was looking for. chassisbook

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I'm sorry, I cant hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

Brad,

As promised here some additional info concerning early cars from a well known driver from that time period he recommended Roy.

Roy Fjastad's company, He built all of the SPE cars...Home Page

Thanks Tom!

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Go to Page #2 Stephens & Venables Dragster Restoration by Rip & Natalie Wiley

Great link!!! Do you think Don will still honor those prices???

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The catalog is probably worth more then half the parts in it, lol

Brad,
An old timer. I did run a Chassis research, 92" car. Also, had a hand in building two FED's in 65/66. One was Chrome Moly, 140 inches, and a carbon one, 150 inch. We ran the chrome moly one in AA/FD with a hemi, the carbon one as a gas dragster with a small block. Managed to crash the fueler and got away from this for a long time. The Chevy car ended up as a blown small block fueler.
I guess what I am saying is build what you want. Everything was up to the builder back then. If you are planning on running this, not as a cackle car, I would go with chrome molly.
Art