Opinions welcome

[MidLifeCrisis]

Here's my story.

Life's too short. Time to get racing after years of fandom.

Getting licensed at Frank Hawley DR school soon. (Super Comp) Will more than likely be in the market for a dragster shortly after.

1) Buy turn key or roller?

2) Is there a way to get financing for such vehicle?

3) Insurance?

I'm no certified mechanic, but there's nothing I can't learn in a short amount of time. Books are helpful, hands on is better. Actually thought about going to junkyard and buying a old small block (or big) and using it as a learning tool. You guys are the pros here so gleefully chime in on my ignorant situation.

Thanks,

MLC

[spib]

If I was you I would look for the right, turn key super comp for you, and take someone with you , that knows these type of racecars, so you dont get burned, also go to the dragstrips, there are racecars racing that have for sale signs in them, look at how it runs, does it go straight, does it run the same run after run. good luck, now I need to go work on my ride so I can race someday

[davis419b]

MLC, Super Comp js a tough place to start racing as a beginner, If i were you i would buy a newer 4-link car complete (name brand), not too fast, and start out bracket racing . This way you can learn to race and get very familiar with the car and the tree. If for some reason you decide you dont like it then you will not have a problem selling it. Look around alot before you buy. Don

[MidLifeCrisis]

MLC, Super Comp js a tough place to start racing as a beginner, Don

Agreed. I'm not planning on racing SC out of the gate. That's what I'll be licensed for when I do the Hawley school. I plan plenty of bracket racing for sure.

[topsportsman1]

MLC, Super Comp js a tough place to start racing as a beginner, Don

Agreed. I'm not planning on racing SC out of the gate. That's what I'll be licensed for when I do the Hawley school. I plan plenty of bracket racing for sure.

Just get a bracket/Et license they are good to 7.50 et

Check into the cost of the schooling,it may be cheaper to obtain an ET license

That S/C license is only good for 8.90 I believe,but I maybe wrong here to

[davis419b]

A S/C license should be good for bracket racing anywhere. Most bracket tracks dont even require a license at all. You can get a IHRA bracket license by just making a few passes no physical required.

[MidLifeCrisis]

Hawley School is two-fold. First to see if this is something I REALLY want to do and second, my wife footed the bill as a gift. I've driven before. Used to race my dads '73 Olds 442. If I'm not mistaken, that car weighed about 18,000lbs. (LOL) I'm familiar with tree, etc. Figured I'd like Dragster for simplicity and cost effectiveness. (3 kids that suck money at an alarming rate)

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[davis419b]

If you think 3 kids suck money wait till you start back racing!

[spib]

an ex wife some kids then a new wife, then we are having fun

[bjuice]

1- I would buy a turn key car and make the seller test it in your presence.
as spib says get with someone who knows their cars and take them with you...i am sorry to say this but an experienced racer can spot a newbie to the sport a mile away..but the difference between an experienced racer and an experienced racer that is shady is that the later will take advantage of your lack of experience and hammer you..it will take the form of selling you something that he claims it is and it will not be..or you may go see a car run but when you go back to pick it up its got a junk pair of heads and a cheaper crank in it or a differnt motor all together...this is common practice amoung the theifs out here and if your not careful you will get your a$$ ripped apart....please, PLEASE be careful here..

2- yes there is some financing available check around..i see some of this advertised on speed vision every now and then.

3- yes there is drag insurance you can purchase. the current approx premimums is $100 per 10k....i have some contact numbers for you when you get this far down the road.


i personally feel if you graduate HAWLEYS driving school you will be ok to drive your rail (dragtser) in the 8.0 range no problem...the experience factor you will suffer in will be in your motor tuneups, chassis sets ups and learning the proper dial in etc...i would say after a year of being put out the 1st round you will also learn this part out for yourself...LOL...


for the record:
ASHLEY FORCE graduated from HAWLEYS driving school..if her dad John Force thought this was a good idea for her then it must be a beneficial thing.

i personally went thru the BUCK BAKER round track driving school at Darlington Motor speedway "LADY IN BLACK"...it was a great help..they "NEXTAL CUP" discovered Ryan Newman in this same school.


you can probably learn some things in a short amount of time such as adjusting valves, timing etc.....but the other things is gonna take you a while...just the facts as i know it...


i can assure you that if you hang around here long enough you will learn a few things...i would suggest that you start with the chasiss /suspension and go to the 4 link set up and print that thread (16 pages)..just read over it and do not try to absorb it cause you WILL NOT..but it will get you familer with the 4 link theory and the lingo used.....get your self a 3 ring binder and start printing off some of these tech tips that you can refer back to when you have a problem..
good luck to you.

Brian

[MidLifeCrisis]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

[lotsof454sss]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

Hi and welcome on board...Now the lesson..It is "NOT" called a motor...It "IS" called an engine...Thought you had been lurking...Just had to do that but really welcome on and these guys will help you any time, but your motor is in the washer, dryer, hair dryer etc...

[buffjhsn1]

i keep my motor in the race car! 8) 8)

[bjuice]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

i hope no offense taken..when i am ask for an opinion i DO NOT mind giving one...You will do great i am sure....Good luck..

brian

[MidLifeCrisis]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

i hope no offense taken..when i am ask for an opinion i DO NOT mind giving one...You will do great i am sure....Good luck..

brian

No offense at all. I came here to get the input from folks like yourself. I really appreciate the help I'm getting.

Scott

[MidLifeCrisis]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

Hi and welcome on board...Now the lesson..It is "NOT" called a motor...It "IS" called an engine...Thought you had been lurking...Just had to do that but really welcome on and these guys will help you any time, but your motor is in the washer, dryer, hair dryer etc...

Engine......got it. Steppenwolf sang "...get your motor running". Though Springsteen sang..."strap your hands 'cross my engine".

Now I'm confused.....lol.

Scott

[chevguy65]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

Hi and welcome on board...Now the lesson..It is "NOT" called a motor...It "IS" called an engine...Thought you had been lurking...Just had to do that but really welcome on and these guys will help you any time, but your motor is in the washer, dryer, hair dryer etc...

Engine......got it. Steppenwolf sang "...get your motor running". Though Springsteen sang..."strap your hands 'cross my engine".

Now I'm confused.....lol.

Scott

If Steppenwolf called it a motor, then I am sold.....and what does springsteen know anyway...lol

What confuses me every morning is knowing which side of the bed to get out from....I don't want to get up on the wrong side of the bed...I still don't know for sure which side that is. Sometimes I don't even get out of bed cuz I am too afraid. :shock:

[buffjhsn1]

bjuice,

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I'm in no hurry... I fully expect to lose, lose often and LEARN. I've been lurking here for a while and am getting some of the lingo and such. Won't get taken at purchase.

I'm in Ohio and very close to Ronnie Hutter's shop. Have an offer to sweep floors for free in exchange for qualified info. (Can't afford a real Ronnie Hutter motor)

Thanks again. Any more comments and opinion are welcome.

Hi and welcome on board...Now the lesson..It is "NOT" called a motor...It "IS" called an engine...Thought you had been lurking...Just had to do that but really welcome on and these guys will help you any time, but your motor is in the washer, dryer, hair dryer etc...

Engine......got it. Steppenwolf sang "...get your motor running". Though Springsteen sang..."strap your hands 'cross my engine".

Now I'm confused.....lol.

Scott

If Steppenwolf called it a motor, then I am sold.....and what does springsteen know anyway...lol

What confuses me every morning is knowing which side of the bed to get out from....I don't want to get up on the wrong side of the bed...I still don't know for sure which side that is. Sometimes I don't even get out of bed cuz I am too afraid. :shock:

thats why i sleep hanging upside down from the ceiling, no bed to get outta!

[jimmybiggs]

START AT THE TOP......Buy a TF FC ..... If you way out costs over a 5 year period it will be cheaper..... You'll get sponsors (Johnson & Johnson, Plastic Surgeons, Bayada Nurses, Divorce Attorneys) :P

[mikeaton]

just my 2 cents worth: why a dragster to get started with?i started out in a sb camaro that i could still drive on the street if i had to. i learned alot with that car,tracks,other racers, night verses day races etc... all will be very important to you in the near future. we then went to different but faster door cars which none of them had chassis built into them again low cost racing but i got valuable seat time as well as experience in drag racing. when you do move to a open wheel base car be ready to lose and lose often but also be ready to learn how to win! watch very carefully all the racers who you will be racing against and learn them and their cars.dragster can be expensive but in the long run they are cheaper to maintain,run, repair and it doesnt take a high dollar engine to run in the 9s the first dragster we had i pulled a 454 out of a suburban changed the cam and intake, holley carb and a dual point dist. and went 950s and did it all day! got to love them cubic inches.as stated above be sure you take a seasoned racer with you when you buy a car to make sure it will be safe to race and your getting your moneys worth and i agree with the guys have to car run with you present if possible anyway enjoy and have fun! welcome to the site!!!!! mike

[thetanman101]

I would have to agree with the above. I've had a dragster, and am no longer a fan of them. I tell you what, it will spoil you when you can just drive your door car into the trailer, tie 'er down, and go. It's hard to run a dragster as a one man crew. And talk about a pain in your neck getting in and out of shops if you don't have a straight shot, or have a lip up to the shop pad. :x I guess I just got fed up with it. Now I'm looking to get into an altered... we'll see how long it takes me to get fed up with that! :twisted: :idea: :arrow:

[MidLifeCrisis]

I would have to agree with the above. I've had a dragster, and am no longer a fan of them. I tell you what, it will spoil you when you can just drive your door car into the trailer, tie 'er down, and go. It's hard to run a dragster as a one man crew. And talk about a pain in your neck getting in and out of shops if you don't have a straight shot, or have a lip up to the shop pad. :x I guess I just got fed up with it. Now I'm looking to get into an altered... we'll see how long it takes me to get fed up with that! :twisted: :idea: :arrow:

I'm not going to disagree w/you or mikeaton. Dragster is more than a one man show. That's where my son comes in along w/others. Dragster from the get go is cheaper, and easier to maintain for novice like me.

Thanks for the input.

Now, how about some books to recomend?

Still no thoughts on getting a junked SBC to use as a learing tool?

Scott

[davis419b]

Scott, I am 100% dragster guy and think that is the best way to go for a beginner it takes too much experience to be able to make a door car consistant. It does not matter how fast it is as long as it will run the number, you will figure out the tree! I dont know about a junk SBC as a racetrask is no place for junk. I started out with an inexspensive 377SBC. It started out running 9.20s and at end of 10 years i had it running 8.50s.Then i wanted to go faster and found out what the words money pit really meant. You can operate a dragster buy yourself but its nice to have someone with you. My son has been with me at the racetrack since i started and is still with me at the track, it has kept him off the streets on weekends and out of trouble and that is worth all the money i have spent. I started letting him make passes when he was 16. we have had 2 cars and now we are back to 1 car. I drive on Friday night he drives on Saturday night. You wiiiiiiiiilll enjoy it dont hesitate to ask me any questions! Thanks,Don

[mikeaton]

hey mlc a "junk yard 350" is a starting point but the bbc are still available and are just about the same price and they will go faster lol go to autozone and check into the "how to hot rod a sbc" the book has hundreds of things to look for and also tried and true combos to help you get started one idea a customer of mine bought a "crate" sbc from his chevy dealer changed the intake,carb and installed a billet msd ignition system and went racing! 50,000 or 5 year warranty on the engine! just a thought mike

[3dracing]

My daughter started out in jr's at age 10 and she doesn't want anything else. I had a '69 Camaro and 2 cars were too much trouble and expence. We bought a 215 inch hard-tail dragster she ran for a while, sold it and bought a used 4-link and that is the way to go.


Steve

[MidLifeCrisis]

I dont know about a junk SBC as a racetrask is no place for junk.

Agreed. Just to clarify. I only want the junker to learn from. No plans on using it beyond something to screw around with. More than likely will buy turn key.

My son has been with me at the racetrack since i started and is still with me at the track, it has kept him off the streets on weekends and out of trouble and that is worth all the money i have spent. Thanks,Don


My thoughts exactly. Thanks Don.

[lusincontrol]

Read about your crisis, just wanted to let you know you're not the only one who has others chiming at your ignorance. Life's too short, chime right back.

[cobrajet428]

MLC, Super Comp js a tough place to start racing as a beginner, If i were you i would buy a newer 4-link car complete (name brand), not too fast, and start out bracket racing . This way you can learn to race and get very familiar with the car and the tree. If for some reason you decide you dont like it then you will not have a problem selling it. Look around alot before you buy. Don

That's what I was thinking. Good advice, take it! :wink:

[cobrajet428]

If you think 3 kids suck money wait till you start back racing!

AGREE!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[cobrajet428]

While my car was down after the crash, (by the way, my avatar was the run I crashed @ 121 mph 10.46 et) I was a hired driver on a dragster a friend owned. I did that for a year and got fairly good at it with some wins. However, it got boring for me. Do the burnout, stage, set the trans brake/airshifter/delaybox/throttle stop, mash the loud pedal to the floor, release the button, point the dragster down track, keep it in the middle of the track, (easy enough since dragster go very streight) finish the run, slow it down and return to the pits. Man! Why was I bored :?: :lol: I felt like I didn't have enough control of the run! I feel more confortable in a door car. I like shifting and driving the car versus pointing it. But different strokes for different folks. :P Follow your heart and see where it leads you. Good Luck with what ever vehicle you wind up racing. Just enjoy it. 8)

[Racefab57]

OH NO THE ENGINE,MOTOR THING AGAIN,HERE WE GO,LOL. DAVID.

[cobrajet428]

All of us that have had formal training in auto tech know that a motor is electrical and an engine is mechanical but we all know that when a car guy speaks of a motor he means engine. The important thing is that the message is understood. 8)