Old Sprinter

The Indy 500 is greatest race, isn't it. It brought tears to my eyes ,a few years back, when I first went there for the 500. I've also been to Long Beach, Laugna Seca ( back in the day), Texas and PIR (again back in the day) for the Indy car races

Big changes going to be happening in Indy Cars as well. They have a new sheriff in charge who was the lead guy running the bull riding for the pro Rodeo cicuit. That caught on big and pays huge prize money. The cars will be different; not all the same motors and areo packages. This league is not a minor, lower level; it's the real deal and about 40 mph faster than stock cars. It was, at one time, the elite place for the top drivers to race in. I believe it will return to that status in the next few years.

I've seen her race at Indy, in person, and believe me she's a real racer. She has mixed it up with the big boys and has what it takes to win. There's several "want to be s" in NASCAR not as talented as Danica. We'll see what happens this year with a full ride. I think she'll get some good finishes .

I'm like some of you here in that I just like racing. It doesn't matter at all if those cars are injected or have a carberator as to how good the race will be. If you have never been to a NASCAR race in person then give it a shot, it exciting and fun. I like Indy cars and sprints and midgets and Late Models and modifieds; all of it, as well as NASCAR.

Good story, Joe and nice job reacting to the sitution. Fire has always scared me when I raced those things. I have been burned a few times but nothing serious. Open driveline got me once ( in a supermodified) and that one I still have the scares from. I like the 410 non wing cars the best. The CRA and USAC run those here, sometimes, but mainly the 360s which still put on a great show. This year I'm going to more Late Model shows for sure. They run those Open Comp Late Models here (3/8 mile track) as well as the crate motor cars and they do haul. Fun stuff. I have never driven a stock car before but it's got to be a blast trying to get that beast through traffic and be smooth. Joe I really enjoy your posts and I'm sure the rest do to, so keep it up. Thanks. Ken

Huge help, Joe, thanks. I think I got it. I found dimensions for the Brinn transmission. I guess the reason a Late Model can't be as simple as a sprinter is the longer wheel base and track, plus the extra wieght. There is a lot of unsprung wieght, though, in the rear suspension of a Late Model, don't you think?

Yes Sir; you're a race car suspenion junkie like me, Joe. I get it (after reading a bunch about it) on how the rear steer works. I used to watch these cars on TV and wonder " how do they do that" The cars I've been around, all my life, are so simple compared to these. Upper radius rod and lower torsion bar arm connected to a birdcage which rotates around a live axle. All held in place latterally by a Jacobs Ladder at the rear and a straight axle with one radius rod on the left and two on the right and a panard bar in the front. Easy stuff that's been around for ever. I see that, on these Late Models, placement of the radius rods is so different because you're asking it to do something slightly different than say a midget or sprinter. This arrangement took some real thinking to get to where it is today. I used to not pay much attention to these Taxi Cabs, as I called them, but now they are becoming one of my favorites. I know I have more to add to the rear such as the J bar and chain and control bar to the 5th link as well as coilovers. I started the big block motor today and have one question. The driver's cockpit is totally enclosed from the motor, etc. so how does does he shift gears? Does the shifter stick thru the sheet metal or does it jog over and encase the transmission as well. I can't find any reference material that shows this arrangement. Once again a sprinter doesn't shift, it just has a slider or in and out box to engage or disengage the motor to the rear end. Thanks for the encouragement and all the information.

Quick change rear end is built and going in the frame. Note the fifth link; this is a piece that helps create rear steer in these cars.

Look how much midget cars have changed. These pictures are from this year's Chilli Bowl ran last weekend in Tulsa. Crazy stuff!

That body does look perfect, now to put all the trick stuff under it.

I've got the front end almost complete and the fuel cell built and installed.

I have never looked in this part until today and I find your dirt late model, Tommy. That is a great car, sir. I just recently got interested in these things after spending my whole life around supermodiifieds, sprints and midgets. I'm building a 2007 version of a Rocket Chassis now in 1/8th scale. Nice work!

Wow, Joe, I'm honored by your posting about this car. You have given me, in one post, more information on these beasts than I've been able to get in a month of surfing the web. Thank you for the help. As i've said I am an open wheel guy that has just recently found an interest in these late model dirt cars. The most interesting things, to me are the frames and the suspenion. I wanted to build one to learn some of the trick stuff these guys do. Much cheaper to build a model. I've, recently, learned about rear steer and how they do that. These cars have some of the wildest suspenion setups I've ever seen along with some highly engineered frames to hold it all up. Please post again, as I build this, if you see something not accurately done. I truely appreciate it. Ken

Yea and you wouldn't need ear plugs ! A full race, tricked out Volt; what could be better? LOL

Race cars should be loud and angry sounding. Although it looks sort of cool it will sound like a slot car,.LOL

I'm building a dirt late model that's posted on this site under Big Boyz as it's 1/8 scale. I did a bunch of research but found that Dirtmodelers site the most informative. There' a free PDF of 1/24 scale plans of a 2007 Rocket chasssis. You just print it and bend all the pieces exactly the size that's shown,( there's a template for every part) and put it together. Then they sell the photo-etched parts for the suspenion you would need including the body. I just took thier plan and made everything 3 times bigger to get 1/8th scale. Good luck.

I have ordered supplies from them atleast once a month, for the past year. Good prices; takes about a week or so to get your stuff from the time you order. They have a huge selection.

I agree that those cars are too fast to be fun (for me anyway) It's just like stomp and steer racing without the steering part. I built a track and several cars when I was 13 and we raced in my garage, but you had to lift in the corners or they would spin out which made it a lot more skillfull and the cars were in 1/24 scale which I thought was cooler. Just my opinion, of course.

A rocket launcher; holy cow! And it worked ? You must have a military background. I was in an artillary unit that had one but seldom did it ever get fired. I think building a scud launcher is a cool idea and can't wait to see that project evolve. Ken

He does have a way of making everything perfect and so real looking doesn't he ? We need more Dave.

Joe, that's awsome work, pal. It's also an interesting subject to model. Most post are about race cars ( like me) and hot rods and a few classic and vintage cars but nobody has done a fire truck. You have done it well. If you live in Ventura, my great grandfather was major there way back in the day, so I've been there a bunch and love that place or how it was 20 years ago. What's next on your build schedule?

Thanks Glen, I got some coilovers built and mounted.

They should call these things "flying bricks" as someone suggested on another forum. I started on the front end suspenion as it's the easiest to understand. I am going to get the wheels under it before going much further making the body.

Very nice work, David. 1/12th is small scale to me which makes your build even more amazing.

I scratch build most evrything so I don't buy kits (maybe a couple of balsa wood airplanes once in awhile), but I am totally with Junkman. I build some race cars that i think are amazing and I say to myself "Kenny boy, is anything you can't do". Then I go on this site or a few others and see what the real guys can do and i want to throw all my junk away and find another hobby.