Once my dad brought the car up to Louisville from Louisiana I prepared it for the chassis shop. I choose to run in SS/CS. This is a modified stock class. The rules are 10.5 pounds per cubic inch, cast iron wedge head, single 750 carb, and maximum of 4 forward gears. Any internal engine modifications allowed. The car had a roll bar in place which needed upgrading to a full roll cage. The 302 was mounted in stock location with standard motor mounts. The car was using a stock type clutch pedal and arm. NHRA now allows a floor mounted clutch pedal. I found that Brian Browell of Browell bellhousing makes a cross shaft type bellhousing for the SBF. It is 7 1/2 inches deep though as opposed to 6 5/16 (I think) stock depth. As many of you know there is not much room for headers. I came up with the idea of using a floor mounted clutch pedal with browells cross shaft bellhousing and mouting the engine with front and mid plate. This would leave maximum room for headers. Super Stock rules state, no modification to shock towers. NHRA also allows for a removable trans tunnel. The browell bellhousing has a removable inspection cover. I searched around and found a fellow Super Stock racer has a chassis shop in Louisville. Rick Fuller at R & R chassis. I called him and arranged for the chassis work. I needed a dummy block for mock up. This guy named John Ford calls me up because he saw my post on this board. He lives in Louisville and offers to bring a dummy block and heads to the chassis shop, now this is without every meeting me and to top it off he refuses to accept compensation. The pictures are of the intial work done at the chassis shop. A roll cage was installed. They tried bringing the down tube through the dashboard. This was not possible secondary to the acute angle of the windsheild. So that tube had to come down in front of the dash. The cross bar then would have to come under the steering column. I wanted to leave maximum room for clutch adjustment. They decided, after approval from NHRA tech, to make the cross bar forward of the firewall and use this bar as support for the back of the motor, eliminating midplate and freeing up more room for headers. As you can see in the pictures the engine sits in a cradle created by the cross bar. I'll have more later on, Ashton
Wow, Ashton. Glad to see you posting your progress here. A lot of us are living vicariously through your journey (okay, me at least). 'Sounds like you're doing your homework too! Best of luck to you.
I am glad you are posting this stuff Ashton....told you folks would enjoy it. I knew Dennis would....he is a "3rd pedal guy" as well Those pics are old...the car has made huge changes since those pics were taken. I was over there today......that thing is gonna have more gadgets and wiring than a late model cadillac. Unbelieveable detail...........now we are talking about a "purpose" built race car. So what I would consider "unbelieveable detail" others might not....but it is really really cool! Post pics of the suspension......rear end post pics of the motor....... post pics of the brakes, lines and master cylinder...... post pics of the trunk...inside post pics of the interior.....dash, tach, gauges, switches and that "smart" steering wheel post a pic of that tranny.........
Man, and I thought my car was a pain to build... Keep after it. Will be great to have another S/SS Maverick racer!!! Raymond, Stock # 9208
