chassis info

Hi Iam going to build a altered kit car, has anyone had any experince with this?? Who to get the kit from?? What to look for ect.. better or worse all advice and commets welcome Thanks Dale

 

My experience tells me to buy a used car and make changes that suit your needs.

Good luck,

 

mark williams has a funny car kit that would work for keep in mind most kits dont come notched fitting tubes is the hardest work other than that keep it square and a level platform to build it on if you can weld you will be fine

 

i am not sure, but i think S&W offers a kit. it would definitely be worth a phone call....talk to Scott Weney....great people to deal with.
http://www.swracecars.com/
Darren

 

Chassis

IN MY OPION ,YOU WOULD BE FAR BETTER OF BUYING A USED ONE !
BY THE TIME YOU GET REAREND,BRAKES ,STEERING,WHELLS AND ECT. YOU VEY SURPRISED...
TA/FC CHASSIS ,IN CANADA SOLD FOR UNDER $9000.A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHASSIS..
BRAND NEW CHASSIS $7000..
THERE ARE ALOT OF GOOD BUY'S IF YOU WATCH AND WAIT...AND ALOT MORE TO COME WITH THE ECONOMY THE WAY IT GOING..
I ALSO HAVE TWO CHASSIS OF FOR SALE...
SANTO
330 332-1752
EMAIL:thedragshopp@aol.com

 

weld... you asked for input so here's mine

if you wanna fab/weld/play in the garage: get the SFI spec, tube bender, TIG machine, notcher and tubing and go for it (assuming you are a very accomplished welder/fabricator)

if you wanna race: go here (www.racingjunk.com) get your checkbook out and start looking


i enjoy fabricating and i'm poor... so i built my first one in the basement. took a couple years and lots of late nites. then i had to disassemble a COMPLETE ready to run aa/fa, carry it out my 30" wide basement door and put it back together in my driveway. and they say this shit isn't addictive?! lol

 

Altered boy narrowed it down pretty good.
IF you like to make things go for it. It's a great life experience. Plus you can change something at Midnight if you want.

I have built my own for several years for all the above reason and a couple more.
First one took a year because I over fussed with it. Second one took a month.

Got money? Buy one and learn from it.

 

I like that idea buy one see what You like and don't like then build Your own. You can buy most older cars for what the wheels,rear and brakes would cost new.
Steve

 

A lot of good logic going either direction, but keep in mind what your engine, tranny combo is when you're looking for a used chassis. There are a lot of good bracket altereds out there, and of course most are built around a Chevy combo, which is fine unless you're planning on running a BB Wedge or Hemi Mopar, then you'll find in most cases uprights and diagonals are smack-dab where the oil pump and on-board starter need to be. In most cases where the chassis was built around a Hemi, its probably an ex/FC chassis thats built to clear the oil pump but like in my case with a Plueger, its too narrow and too low to put an on-board starter on, even if you use the Chevy starter location like I did with a rear engine car. Fortunately I run a Nostalgia association that feels that a blower starter is part of the show or I would be SOL if I had to be self-starting. Just a few things to watch out for if buying used.

 

I'm just putting the finishing touches to an altered that I've built myself using an S&W TAFC chassis kit. Apart from a couple of very minor niggles it is a great feeling having built my own car. BUT, because I don't have the gear myself it's been a hassle taking it to work on the weekends and bringing it home, not taking it out in the rain, etc, etc.

It's a lot of work and there's nothing more frustrating than not having the equipment you need at 11pm to finish off one last little thing, etc. Also, just after you finish doing something you'll see a really great idea and kick yourself because you'll wish you'd seen it sooner. Not only that but because of the cost of buying everything it's been twice as expensive compared to buying a used one. If I'd bought a used one, I'd have been racing two years ago (it's taken me 2 1/2 years so far, but then I'm a solo parent with a mortgage).

If you don't mind taking your time, doing things twice, spending twice as much money, aren't in a hurry to go racing, and have good engineering skills, I'd say do it yourself. It'll always be YOUR car. The car that YOU built

 

thjts indirectly brings up an interesting point that may be a plus.
As I said the first one took a year and much quicker thereafter. The Plus is that along the way you accumulate some neat tools. A little here, a little there. Eventually you get to the point you can make darn near anything. After a couple I sold off my tube bender. I had learned enough to just call MW with a drawing for the cage and should hoop bends I needed. Now,...I would find building a tube door car an awful nightmare.

Garlits made a comment decades ago that stuck with me and I blame all this on him.
When asked the secret to his success he said among other things "we do as much as possible in house to control our destiny"