Well heres the idea... and I'll be bringing it to you one update at a time :)

[Solo]

Ok so I found me a truck for $1200. It's a 72 and its beat pretty bad, the windshields been shot, one of the tires is flat and the inside is real rough. But it runs and theirs hardly any rust so I figured thats an insanely good price! And since I'm tight on cash anyway its probably better to go with this one than the '67 I mentioned in my previous thread.

If all goes as planned I should get it thursday, and then I can start turning it into a drag truck.

As far as cash goes I have $3,050 total. So minus the cost of the truck I've got $1,850 left for upgrades. Where would be the best place to start with that cash?

[BigDaddyDave]

I always start with the basics first,the motor gets tuned,the fluids changed,battery checked etc. I do everything i can to keep the high dollar tow truck away.

[wibilly]

what are you gonna drag with it? with that budget you surly don't mean you wanna race it

[Longhorn321]

ROTHFLMAO@wibilly!

[67CHIP72]

Start with the obvious(windshield) and a tune up and save some for insurance and registration.

[Solo]

Yes I mean I want to race it. And I'll put more into it as I get the money to do so. What I mean is that after purchasing the truck thursday, I'll have $1,850 immediately available to start gettin' it ready to race and what I'm asking is where would be a good place to start.

Also I've already priced insurance and all the neccesary stuff and rounded it up so when I say $1,850, I mean those are funds available purely for putting into upgrading the truck, after all neccesary costs have been taken care of.

Chip, def. gonna get a new window and new set of tires as well as get it lowered (this guys got it jacked sky high, which theres nothing wrong with that, but its not great for dragging imo).

Dan, its a short bed.. and pics are on the way lol!

one more question.. Anybody know what a supercharger (one worth wile) would cost? or in the ball park of?

[Dingfodgy]

Originally Posted by Solo

one more question.. Anybody know what a supercharger (one worth wile) would cost? or in the ball park of?

Roots type or Centrifugal? Not that it matters economically- I would expect to spend between 3-5 grand for either a good dual carbed roots type blower or centrifugal type with charge cooler. Granted- you'll spend almost that much getting the long-block put together to handle and take advantage of any sort of significant boost.

[dirtboy488]

I assume by your posts you have never drag raced or built a drag car/truck. This is what I would do if it were me:

1) Make sure the brakes and suspension are in good working order.

2) Make sure the engine and trans are ok and do not need to be rebuilt. Replace all the belst and fluids.

3) Make the rest of the truck road worthy i.e. Glass, seatbelts, seat, pedals ect.

4) put some new tires on it and get a good alignment.

If it has a stock 350/350 combo or somthing similar I would expect it ti run maybie a low 17 in the 1/4 but these are all details you need to post if you want help.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Solo

Chip, def. gonna get a new window and new set of tires as well as get it lowered

Buzzer sound...budget blown.

[67CHIP72]

Originally Posted by special-K

Buzzer sound...budget blown.

It goes quick.

[haysonj]

one more question.. Anybody know what a supercharger (one worth wile) would cost? or in the ball park of?
Procharger claims to work on stock engine in a healthy condition. 500 HP with 5 psi boost and an intercooler on 91 octane. Cost about $5000 complete. I have one on my boat running 7 psi boost no problems in 4 years. Here's there link www.procharger.com
Add that's on a small block with a carburetor

[streetstar]

Originally Posted by Solo

one more question.. Anybody know what a supercharger (one worth wile) would cost? or in the ball park of?

1500 for a nice rebuilt GMC 6-71 roots blower, another 350 for the manifolds and carb adapters, 5- 600 or more for the carbs, then $3000 minimum for a long block built to take advantage of the supercharger

Its more money for a name (B&M, Weiand, etc.) supercharger


Here is a good classified website for you -- www.racingjunk.com -- hours of fun there, but used racing stuff is always "caveat emptor" - let the buyer beware

[96blazr]

Originally Posted by Solo

Yes I mean I want to race it. And I'll put more into it as I get the money to do so. I'll have $1,850 immediately available to start gettin' it ready to race and what I'm asking is where would be a good place to start.!

Anybody know what a supercharger (one worth wile) would cost?

Listen Solo, let what most of these guys are saying roll off your back, cause you gotta remember, in their world (Their's and Mine) having someone say the things you're saying and asking for is something we don't read everyday. Don't let it get you down either, cause you can build this truck into anything you want, but you gotta realize, and I mean you HAVE to realize, that what you're wanting to do and what you have in money resources is....well, not gonna get it.

I know, I know, you're saying how you'll spend more on it as you get more, but trying to race this thing this season is a long shot. Now, you should follow what DirtBoy488 says. Get it ROADWORTHY first, then you can build it better and SAFER. I'm telling too, you show up at the track with some thrown together POS and the Tech inspection will send you home real quick.

Look man, It's cool to dream, we're not trying to bust your bubble, just listen to ones who know what they're talking about. TAKE YOUR TIME and for Gods sake use the K.I.S.S. method.

[dan42]

shortbed or longbed? pix, dude, you know the rules!

[ed2552]

And if the interior is bad, if you can, do something about that, too. You want to be comfortable

[72lb4x4]

Go through the brakes. Stopping is underrated til ya really need to...

[weasle]

I don't know what part of NC you're in but you can go to the Charlotte Auto Fair this weekend and pick up some parts. http://www.charlotte-autofair.com/

[streetstar]

You could test the waters with a plate style nitrous system if your engine is healthy and you really want a power adder for the track, after you get the truck running and driving good

[SCOTI]

Geez guys, he only said he wants to race it not win the fastest streetcar shoot-out.

Get it road worthy, take it to the track, enjoy the truck & see what it will do. That's racing. It may not be fast, but he'll still be racing. Beats the heck out of sitting around watching others racing/having fun & can definitely be done on his current budget.

[streetstar]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Geez guys, he only said he wants to race it not win the fastest streetcar shoot-out.

.

He did inquire about a blower though, meaning he would probably like to run faster than a stock Chevy cavalier bracket car

[Solo]

Originally Posted by streetstar

He did inquire about a blower though, meaning he would probably like to run faster than a stock Chevy cavalier bracket car

haha yes I would.

Heres the good news, got an extra $500 so the total money on hand for upgrades after buying the truck would be up to $2,350.

The not so good news. After reading all the posts I'm starting to think I should get the 67 I found earlier because the engines is brand spanking new corvette engine (I think chevy uses the ls6's in the vettes, right?) and the glass is good and the tires are new.

The bad news. The 67 would eat up more of the money by itself, I'd only have $850 left for upgrades... i guess a few months saving though and I could bolt in a supercharger.

Hmmm.... What to do, what to do.

By the way, if I don't get to race competively this year thats fine, this a long term project (and I suspect its gonna be a crazy one lol) but I figure I'll take it out on the weekends to the local track a do some passes. The plan here is to start one step up from scratch and build on that over a year or so. I'm also planning on starting a business specifically for racing old trucks in the next year or two.

[streetstar]

Its good to see enthusiasm Solo --- i race in a heads up class (used to be a lot -- but now only occasionally) I have seen a lot of guys with trucks at the track -- some are hopped up farmboy specials , some are beautiful trucks -- others are in between -- but they all have one thing in common -- they are all reasonably safe-- so that is paramount --- I hate to say it, but as a new racer, very few people will give a crap about you and if you put it in the wall because of an easily rectified mechanical, people will be ticked because you wasted 45 minutes of their day that the track safety crew has to spend cleaning it up , and nobody like being out at finals at 2 am because of something like that(thats assuming you yourself are otherwise alright)

So i would assume that any truck you buy in the price range you mentioned is gonna need its front end and brakes rebuilt.

Although i race heads up in the Pro/Mod class, most of the trucks i see, compete in the bracket classes -- and 15 and 16 second quarters seems to be the norm.
Most people who want to race heads up build a car, unless your track has a specific class for trucks . Its not that they can't run -- they can, and there are a few examples sprinkled throughout this board that do run in the 9's, 10's and 11's. I even saw a thread on a mid 70's truck that ran Pro-Mod times (7.50's or so) --- but its a high dollar way to do it compared to more typical racing chassis'
The truck will teach you racing protocol, and how to get involved, etc etc. and will probably make you a ton of friends, because everybody roots for the "underdog" trucks at the strip and its fun to see a dusty fresh off the farm hay hauler clock a 13 second pass.


But i'm rambling ---- check what classes you can run, decide on what you want to do as a goal and then hit it, with your safety as the first goal.
,