Funny car as a LSR car

[joes68340s]

I have been searching with out any results. Is it possible to convert a vintage funny car to run LSR El Mirage, Bonneville. I have a concern if it is practicle or possible with the exposed open bottom.

[studemax]

Not advisable unless you plan on adding about a half ton of weight....

[DanStokes]

That would take a HUGE amount of conversion. You'll want to get a rule book and READ it! <www.SCTA-BNI.org> IIRC) Yes, you'll need a full floor and that's just for starters. That said, with adequate prep you can run about anything in LSR so it's not totally out of the question - just work with the SCTA tech staff to get it ready. The BIG stuff is safety related. They've seen it all over the years and they have this crazy idea of keeping you alive even if you don't care about that.

I'm a rookie tech inspector but this is WAY beyond my experience level so I won't offer any specific input here.

Dan

[Beagle]

Eating dirt or eating salt at just 50mph hurts. What's your threshold for pain?

[joes68340s]

I have a lot of time on my hands and have thought about converting vintage race cars. I never really expected it to work with open bottom and I think, well it was just a thought.

[Beagle]

I think they add a couple of tons to make the cars stay on the ground and aid traction at speed for both places, so the weight penalty from adding in a full belly pan / fender line is actually to your advantage. Chad may be able to answer here, but I thought I remembered the Camaro "Special" of many names that Freiburger owns weighing in over 5000 pounds. I'd expect to have to make some structural changes for the extra weight, as I remember it, they flex a lot already.

[DanStokes]

Actually, Keith Turk owns the Camaro in question - the Hot Rod Magazine Special. The last I heard they run at Bonneville at somewhere around 4750 but they really won't spill the beans on the exact weight and it's distribution. David makes the engines for it. The car is also as low as they can make it (top chop is not allowed in most classes that they run) and they've gone so far as to eliminate the body mounts. That car is based on a stock Camaro so it has a typical Camaro subframes (tied together) and enough cage that NOTHING is going to move. So not much to compare with a former funny car.

Dan

[CTX-SLPR]

Also to remember that it'd have to run in Special Construction which has its own set of challenges right there. The dragster to LSR cars seems like they need a ton of frame reinforcement not so much for safety just so they don't flex as much at speed and are controllable.

[joes68340s]

Also to remember that it'd have to run in Special Construction which has its own set of challenges right there. The dragster to LSR cars seems like they need a ton of frame reinforcement not so much for safety just so they don't flex as much at speed and are controllable.

Thanks I thought It would be a challenge. I will move onto another project.

[joes68340s]

Thanks I thought It would be a challenge. I will move onto another project.

Interesting I just saw a land speed car on ebay. 31 body its a flopper body like a funny car. It does have a reinforced chassis but it is still open like a funny car.

[Monster]

Interesting I just saw a land speed car on ebay. 31 body its a flopper body like a funny car. It does have a reinforced chassis but it is still open like a funny car.

Get this idea out of your head. There are lots of people who did not have access to the experience you did, when deciding what platform to build from. Just because a vehicle type exists, does not mean it was right ... ask yourself; "Why is it for sale" ?

[Beagle]

Get this idea out of your head. There are lots of people who did not have access to the experience you did, when deciding what platform to build from. Just because a vehicle type exists, does not mean it was right ... ask yourself; "Why is it for sale" ?

Honestly, I'd much rather be in this conversation than one involving a cat or the lottery, so I'll bite.

What is the draw for a vintage funny car? The body style? They were way the hell up in the air, something of a cardinal sin with LSR cars. It's probably gonna look pretty funny by the time you get it down out of the clouds. Example:



that just looks "Funny" to me. Most of the stuff that I would think of as "Vintage" and recognizable was pretty tall...




'31 makes me think pro-mod unless it's like this model in '31 - notice you can't get your helmet under it either!



I'd probably consider the chassis suspect and just start from the beginning with the salt and dirt in mind. Traction is pretty laughable compared to the glue behind the Christmas Tree.

Speaking to the original question, anything is possible. Slap a couple of motorcycle fenders on it that follow the wheel instead of the body and go for it.

Edit (whatever number it is now) - do you have a rulebook from SCTA-BNI? CTX-SLPR's comment on Special Construction is on the money. See what it would take to make it pass tech and if that fits within your idea?

[DanStokes]

To be fair, the OP has already decided that this is NOT a good idea and has decided to take a pass.

Dan

[Beagle]

To be fair, the OP has already decided that this is NOT a good idea and has decided to take a pass.

Dan

not really - check post #10. No worries on my part. I'm not condemning the idea, just curious about what the larger goals are and if Joe has a SCTA rule book, which is a great piece of literature to own anyway!

http://shop.scta-bni.org/SCTA-Rule-Book-2015-scta001-15.htm

[joes68340s]

not really - check post #10. No worries on my part. I'm not condemning the idea, just curious about what the larger goals are and if Joe has a SCTA rule book, which is a great piece of literature to own anyway!

http://shop.scta-bni.org/SCTA-Rule-B...scta001-15.htm

I just sold my last Drag car and I get bored and since I like to recycle cars and build or use them for different things seeing a 70s Funny car got me thinking but I have moved on. I think I will leave the LSR for the experienced.