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Finding a good Drag Car

5K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  mrRocky 
#1 ·
I'm looking to find a car that would be suitable to drag race in. What are some things that I should be looking for?
Thanxs
 
#2 ·
G'Day Ford Cowgirl,

Well firstly, make sure its a Ford!

There's really a lot of personal preference to it......ie: what car you want to race. Any car can be setup for drag racing.....do you have a car type in mind?
Vehicle weight is a big player. The heavier the car the slower it is, so if you want to go fast and not spend a lot of $$ on a high horsepower setup, a light car is the go.

Budget is a big player the faster you want to go, the $$$ go up and up! Do you have an idea of 1/4 times you want to run or are you just looking to have some fun?

Things that would be nice to have on the car or come with it are mainly heavy duty parts.....you don't want to have to keep reparing things:

Very generic things listed....and you definitely don't need all of them. You can build it up over time and have lots of fun in the meantime.

Good engine
Driveline: gearbox (with good stall converter or clutch), low diff ratio gears, strong axles & tailshaft loop and strong uni joints
Suspension: 90/10 shocks up front and softer suspension on rear
Either some type of caltrac/slapper bar setup on rear axes if leaf sprung
Drag slick tyres on rear with skinny front runner wheels/tyres
Line lock on the front brake line (for burnouts to warm up tyres)

There's a start!
 
#3 ·
Hey TruBlu351,

Thanks for giving me a start. I found a car that I think i'm interested in.
Plus, I made sure it was a Ford! :hy: A four door Ford Mercury comet. I think it will be small enough for a drag car... now the engine.. I have no clue where to start there.... I was once told that in order to build up a car you start from the back and work your way to the front. Is that a good idea?
Thank ya
 
#4 ·
Ford Cowgirl I completely agree with who ever told you to build the car from the back to the front. You can have all the motor in the world but if you can not put the power to the ground it is useless and will not be competive. If you are planning on running 11.00 in the 1/4 or slower the Cal-Tracs will be fine, but if you plan on going faster even if later down the road a ladder bar and coil over set up will serve you better. Have at least a rollbar in the car and preferably a roll cage. The roll bar or cage will not only make the car safer but will also help eliminate chasis flex especially in a 4 door car. Make the chasis work and the car safe and no matter what motor you put in it the car will work and you will have fun.

Chris
 
#5 ·
I have a extra yellow 98 Cobra shell if you want to start from scratch. I mean it still has a few of the basic parts no engine and trans though....It used to be our old race car, but we have a new one now. There is no cage in it though, so it depends what you want to use it for street racing or the real stuff.
 
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