Friday, 19 July 2024

147. A year is a long time in Drag Racing two years is an eternity

Well how time fly's eh? it has only been..what two years? so what's been happening then? If you can remember that far back! we decided that we needed to strip the car to investigate the problem we had with the engine to axle alignment, which we did.

Then Steve was slightly distracted by something. This was the re-commissioning for the track of Mr Mopar together with John  O´Sullivan after nearly  9 weeks of solid graft they got the car to Dragstalgia last year  the engine was fired up for the first time in 17 years in the pits, the problem was the slicks were also 17 years old and all the coil over shocks  were blown but he still put on a bit of a show. For The Hot Rod drags a few more bits had been done to Mr Mopar like new slicks and new suspension units but there is still work to do on the steering and an anti roll bar to be fitted, "A warning" the lovely Draper brothers who sorted out the tune for the car have a 5 second tune for Mr Mopar and yes you heard that right.


So then life and money get in the way, we have all been there, with the increasing costs of just surviving in this day and age there isn't a lot of money left over for anything let alone drag racing. But then another problem raised its ugly head...the gearbox on the tow truck packed up at this point we all thought about giving up completely. At the start of this year Steve was asked...no told!.. that he was going to be crewing with John in his gasser on street week.



A lot of fun was had and I believe they are going to do it again next year. So over the next few weeks Steve starts to collect various bits and pieces for the gearbox for the Dodge tow truck, once assembled it still doesn't work even though everything has been replaced? with a little polishing work from Mr. O`Sullivan on one of the shafts and some re-jigging by Steve the box was once again placed back into the truck and this time it works yaaaa The truck is then cleaned, checked over and MOT`d. And back on the road.


So now its time for the dragster, the problem found with the alignment was down to a buckled motor plate, the chassis checks out as straight and all the welds are fine, a new motor plate is being fashioned, so for the time being the car will be put back the way it was and fingers crossed the car will be back together again soon, maybe not in time for The Hot Rod Drags but definitely for next year.