Is there a certain location on the rear of the car the shut-off switch needs to be? Being that I have a fuel cell I have a big hole in the tail panel. I was thinking of making a trick gas cap that attaches to the shut-off switch, that way it would hide the switch(labeled on/off though) and my gas cap on the back of the car wouldn't be completely useless.
It has to be clearly labeled and if it is a push pull type is needs to be push to shut off. The twist ones need to be labeled as well, but the switch itself usually comes with a sticker that labels it properly.
Oh and with regard to location it just needs to be at the back of the car. I've seen them high, low, on the right, on the left. It doesn't much matter.
I want to make it shut off the the cap is turned, but something tells me they might not like the gas cap as the switch.
Depends on the labeling. My buddy has one shaped like a chevy symbol on his '56. If it's clearly labeled they probably won't get too picky. But from a safety official standpoint if the car is on fire and they need to kill the battery to stop the fuel pump I would rather push it or move it with my foot or a stick. A round knob that needs to be turned they may not be able to do. But when in doubt, ask the local tech inspector. (Sadly what might be acceptable to one may not be to another.)
So Frank, who runs behind your car while you are on the drag strip to activate your parachute switch at the end of your run? Personally, I keep a young nephew in the trunk, and right at the end I scream "NOW!", he pops the trunk open, turns the switch, and parachute pops out!
I put mine in the clearest spot possible, and the tech guys were cool with it. Had to move the hole a bit when I put the bobcat lights on, but still in the same general area. Sorry about the silver/black bobcats. Working on them...
I thought I mentioned his name in the other post. His name is Now. That is why I scream "NOW!" when it is time to pop the chute.
When the tech guy says you need one. I assume if you read the rulebook, there is some speed or ET that requires one, but my tech guy asked me when I was still doing 9 or 10 second 1/8ths on my original engine.
Has anybody tried to look up the NHRA/IHRA rule book? I have been looking for several minutes, and cannot find it. You would think when you googled NHRA RULES it would pop right up! EDIT---Finally found it. Wasn't obviously easy. http://www.ihra.com/OnlineRulebook/
