1/4 Scale Top Fuel Dragster PROJECT!!!!
Posted: November 14th, 2009, 12:02 am
Hey guys... I just picked up my first 1/4 scale car, and the word project really fits here.
Before I start, I know some will not see it how I do, but truely see the potential in this car.
For the last couple years, I have been r/c truck pulling during the winter while the drag car season is done. The main gathering for the truck pullers and rock crawlers in the area is Jerry's R/C in Lino Lakes MN. Imagine a place like Sanford and Son only it deals with R/C cars. It's a real small place, with lots of cars, trucks, and tables and chairs so the guys can sit down and B.S. the night away. Jerry is a great guy, and fun to be around, just like most the guys that go hang out there. (Plus his wife makes lunch for everybody on weekend!) Here is the fun part. I had always known Jerry's original place had burnt down in 2000, and he lost just about everything. Well the other night, I was the last one there, and the subject of the fire came up. Then out of the blue, he said --- "Hey! I have been meaning to tell you, there was a 1/4 scale dragster in the shop when it went down, but it was on the opposite end of the building, and is not too bad!! The lexan body is all melted around the chassis, the electronics are also junk, the rear tires are junk, but the rest is not too bad!!" So I asked if it was in the storage in the back of the shop. He said- "No! It's outside in back of the building! It's been there about 7 years!!!"
My first thought was, this thing is going to be a pile of total junk, and what are the odds it would be something decent. I thought it was going to be a local home made POS. So I asked to see the car, not thinking I was going to see much. So we went outside in the dark, and all you can really see is the wing and roll cage, there were leaves from the trees piled all around it. So we drug it out, ans set it on a long picnic table, and started taking off the leaves all within the frame of the car. As we cleared it out, I started thinking, that wow, this was pretty nice!! It was a pro made car, and had some real nice looking parts on it. The front end set up, rear wing, butterfly steering wheel, and wheelie bars alone are the nicest I have ever seen on a 1/4 scale. Right away I asked how much! He said give him the night to think about it, but assured me he always wanted it to go to somebody that would put it to good use. So, tonight I went over there, and he shot the price, and for little more then a few tanks of gas, I was loading it up into my truck!!!! You can't buy a 1/10 scale kit for what I bought this for.
So.. Questions... Who made it??? With a quick search of the internet, I think it might be a Performance Drag Products chassis, but not quite sure. The engine looks different then the one I can find online. This one has a custom scoop and header on it too.
I took the following pictues just as I got the car. Tonight I will start to break off the remains of the lexan body, and try to make out what electionics are on the car. I know this is going to be a long project, and I am going to need a lot of help along the way to get it running, but I think I have found just the place to ask my questions.
Before I start, I know some will not see it how I do, but truely see the potential in this car.
For the last couple years, I have been r/c truck pulling during the winter while the drag car season is done. The main gathering for the truck pullers and rock crawlers in the area is Jerry's R/C in Lino Lakes MN. Imagine a place like Sanford and Son only it deals with R/C cars. It's a real small place, with lots of cars, trucks, and tables and chairs so the guys can sit down and B.S. the night away. Jerry is a great guy, and fun to be around, just like most the guys that go hang out there. (Plus his wife makes lunch for everybody on weekend!) Here is the fun part. I had always known Jerry's original place had burnt down in 2000, and he lost just about everything. Well the other night, I was the last one there, and the subject of the fire came up. Then out of the blue, he said --- "Hey! I have been meaning to tell you, there was a 1/4 scale dragster in the shop when it went down, but it was on the opposite end of the building, and is not too bad!! The lexan body is all melted around the chassis, the electronics are also junk, the rear tires are junk, but the rest is not too bad!!" So I asked if it was in the storage in the back of the shop. He said- "No! It's outside in back of the building! It's been there about 7 years!!!"
My first thought was, this thing is going to be a pile of total junk, and what are the odds it would be something decent. I thought it was going to be a local home made POS. So I asked to see the car, not thinking I was going to see much. So we went outside in the dark, and all you can really see is the wing and roll cage, there were leaves from the trees piled all around it. So we drug it out, ans set it on a long picnic table, and started taking off the leaves all within the frame of the car. As we cleared it out, I started thinking, that wow, this was pretty nice!! It was a pro made car, and had some real nice looking parts on it. The front end set up, rear wing, butterfly steering wheel, and wheelie bars alone are the nicest I have ever seen on a 1/4 scale. Right away I asked how much! He said give him the night to think about it, but assured me he always wanted it to go to somebody that would put it to good use. So, tonight I went over there, and he shot the price, and for little more then a few tanks of gas, I was loading it up into my truck!!!! You can't buy a 1/10 scale kit for what I bought this for.
So.. Questions... Who made it??? With a quick search of the internet, I think it might be a Performance Drag Products chassis, but not quite sure. The engine looks different then the one I can find online. This one has a custom scoop and header on it too.
I took the following pictues just as I got the car. Tonight I will start to break off the remains of the lexan body, and try to make out what electionics are on the car. I know this is going to be a long project, and I am going to need a lot of help along the way to get it running, but I think I have found just the place to ask my questions.