Took the 39 to the drag strip

flatjack9

flatjack9

Well-known member
Went to a car show today and they were having nostalgia drags. Ran the 39 with a best et of 18.55 at 72.4 mph. Calculated horsepower form these numbers and came up with about 90 hp at the rear wheels or about 106 at the flywheel. Ouch! On the bright side, I cut a .12 reaction time on my last run. I did have a ball. Haven't been a dragstrip in over 40 years.
 
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"Ouch" is right. I would think that your car would be in the 16's. In 1961, we ran a '36 Ford coupe with a junkyard '41 Merc with "heads 'n carbs" and ran 16.44. This was at Minnesota Dragways, which was an NHRA sanctioned strip back in those days. The guys with stock flatheads ran in the 19's.
 
flatjack9 is the kind of guy that likely 'maintains' his car fairly well. This "episode" of Jack's should prove that it is possible to kind of 'lean-on' these old drive trains, IF ya KNOW what you're doing with a little 'finesse' and don't just 'HAMMER" on it stupidly with abandon. My God, I probably haven't seen a flathead go down a drag strip since about 1968 or '69. Jack....did they have you running something like G/Gas? DD
 
I think Jack's E.T. is about right. I ran our tow car with a 286 engine a few times back in the early 1960's. It is a 1946 Merc 4 door with many spare parts and tools for the Dragster on board. My times were in the high 19's and low 20's. 4.44 rear gear and Columbia.
 
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My '39 on the drag strip.
It faster than a VW.
 
V8COOPMAN said:
flatjack9 is the kind of guy that likely 'maintains' his car fairly well. This "episode" of Jack's should prove that it is possible to kind of 'lean-on' these old drive trains, IF ya KNOW what you're doing with a little 'finesse' and don't just 'HAMMER" on it stupidly with abandon. My God, I probably haven't seen a flathead go down a drag strip since about 1968 or '69. Jack....did they have you running something like G/Gas? DD
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Probably something like ?/Gas. Just grudge racing. I did beat my pal with a flattie in his Model A. I did have a little traction problem off the line and 2nd gear got rubber. Went through the traps at around 3500 rpm. Running a 3.70 Bronco rear. Did 11.80 in the 1/8th.
 
When I ran my '34 more-door Sedan as a 16 year old at the 'Antique Nationals', with a new 286 cube flathead (first flathead I built), I ran consistent 15.21s, 15.22s with a 4.11 rear. In retrospect, I guess that wasn't too bad of a time for a big-fat sedan on 3 carbs and a kid's first drag race . . .

Somehow I managed to win my class/bracket - which was quite a thrill for a rookie. I think I was the only 'kid' with a car . . . most the guys were decades older than I was. Most of the people I met were very supportive, though a couple of the guys I beat were really pissed that a snot-nosed kid somehow beat them - which I thought was pretty funny at the time.

My mentor was Joe Reath . . . he came by in his big blue Lincoln, just to see how I did. What a great guy ole' Joe was to me . . . treated me like family, not as a 'customer'.

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flatjack9 said:
Probably something like ?/Gas. Just grudge racing. I did beat my pal with a flattie in his Model A. I did have a little traction problem off the line and 2nd gear got rubber. Went through the traps at around 3500 rpm. Running a 3.70 Bronco rear. Did 11.80 in the 1/8th.
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I forgot! Seems like it's coming back to me now...you have one of those RTS 3-speed + O/D transmissions, don't you? If so, which 1st gear ratio is in yours? DD
 
Bored&Stroked said:
When I ran my '34 more-door Sedan as a 16 year old at the 'Antique Nationals', with a new 286 cube flathead (first flathead I built), I ran consistent 15.21s, 15.22s with a 4.11 rear. In retrospect, I guess that wasn't too bad of a time for a big-fat sedan on 3 carbs and a kid's first drag race . . .
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Memories of the old days!
 
Bored&Stroked said:
When I ran my '34 more-door Sedan as a 16 year old at the 'Antique Nationals', with a new 286 cube flathead (first flathead I built), I ran consistent 15.21s, 15.22s with a 4.11 rear. In retrospect, I guess that wasn't too bad of a time for a big-fat sedan on 3 carbs and a kid's first drag race . . .
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Bored&Stroked said:
When I ran my '34 more-door Sedan as a 16 year old at the 'Antique Nationals', with a new 286 cube flathead (first flathead I built), I ran consistent 15.21s, 15.22s with a 4.11 rear.

I never saw a flathead run that well around Iowa, but I never saw one without the rear door handles either. Musta made a difference! LOL
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Weight is a big issue, there is a lot of weight difference between a full stock body and one that is stripped down. Something like a seat is heavy!
 
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