My 70 Racecar Project

Did a little bit more work on the car.

Got the manual steering box installed.



Got everything out of the dash, and got all of the wiring out of there.



Trunk floor painted, and getting ready to route the 1/2" fuel line



Quarter panels are pretty beat up, gonna straiten them as much as I can then put a thin layer of bondo so it will look nice.





Cut out some weight from the doors.

 

If you don't already have one I would get a 2009 NHRA rule book before I went any further. Nothing worse than building a race car that doesn't meet the rules and getting turned away at the track by tech officals. Just my two cents worth.

 

Im verry impressed with the work you are doing i just seen this thread for the frist time i love it your are a brave man to take it on.Are you going to take the door beems out aswell?Also i was reading a thread on here about gauges how autometer is being made overseas and the quality has gone down.I dont no if it applied to all lines of ther gauges or not. Have fun and good luck with your project.
Jamie

 

Thanks for the info. We do have a rulebook, and we are going to build it so that it will be legal for NHRA and IHRA.

Thanks, I am thinking about getting the supports out, but I am afraid of cutting through the skin of the door. I might just have to work up the courage and do it, but right now I am thinking about leaving them in there lol.

 

I took the door beams out of my Regal (about 14 lbs) each door and they were riveted on both ends. I don't know if the old Buicks like yours are like that but if so it takes the gamble out of cutting them out.

 

Its a pinch weld...I think... but theres about an inch of space between the door skin and the brace. If i screw up and point the "flaming hacksaw" :laugh: anywhere near the door skin it will cut through it.ou:

I think that I can do it, but I am scared lol.

 

If it were me l'd just use a grinder with a cutoff wheel it's just spot welded as far as i know
Jamie

 

Is that the designated fuel line you plan to run??Not thinking that's a good move.

 

A 1/2" fuel line? why not?

 

You will need braided fuel line from front to rear,or at least metal like the stock line. That looks like the kind of tubing you can buy at a plumbing wholesaler and wont be allowed. Not trying to be smartassed but at the minimum,where the tubing goes up past the bellhousing area,it must be metal,braided or be in a metal sheath in case of bellhousing mishaps that may cut the line. I would minimally get the pushlock type hose that use the barbed fittings.

 

It is 1/2" aluminum fuel line from summit.

 

My bad...I thought it looked like clear tubing...Carry on....lol

Nice progress BTW. I'll tag along on this thread as I am dedicated to get way more work done to my racecar this year instead of letting it set on jackstands..

 

grinder is a good idea to cut out those beams.

We will run the fuel line through the frame so it is protected at the flywheel area. That should pass inspection.

Tyler has been working hard on this project and is doing a great job and learning more and more about Buicks. In the years to come, he will be a great Buick performance resource. Just a comment from a proud dad.

 

Ok..Now I got the connection...I wish I had someone who was into the Buicks like him. Dustin has a 70 Skylark and lost interest. I may have to keep after him and get it back driveable.It's a shame but for 1500 bucks it would be a heck of a nice driver...

 

No problem. Thank you for sharing your concerns! That is why I am posting my progress so that I can get suggestions on what I am doing.

 

Tyler,
I really admire your hard work and dedication both on your current street/strip car and your new project !

I just wanted to add to the pre mentioned suggestion of checking out all details in NHRA rule book. For safety 1st and foremost and to avoid the disappointment of not passing a general tech inspection due to a minor oversite.

Just a few tips if you do not mind:


I noticed the aluminum fuel line in your pictures. Make sure when you pass the flywheel area that this is run in steel tubing or use braided steel line thru this area.

If you use a back seat or not you should fabricate a sheet metal or aluminum sheild that covers the package tray and whole rear seat area solid. Caulk all seams with body putty or similar. ( If you put full interior just cover over the panel. ) This will avoid any fuel or battery acid from coming into the drivers area in the event of an accident. An added benifit is that smoke will not fill your car during a burnout.....This is a huge distraction when staging and that whole 2nd hand smoke thing.

When you mount your Battery(s) in the trunk do not turn them long ways forward. Turn them sideways. I learned this the hard way after having a reoccuring problem. The plates in the battery will sometimes short out on hard launhes turned sideways or wide this will not happen.

Keep an open mind for the future when building your car. I have built class specific cars before that would not be flexible enough to race any other venues without major changes.

If you follow NHRA / IHRA general guidelines you can pass tech any where you want to race. Not many things worse than driving 16 hours to a special event an not being able to pass tech.

Keep up the good work and we are looking forward to seeing more updates soon !
DP

 

Thanks David.

 

No connection. But there isnt much room between them and the door. If i try to cut it with the torch, I am afraid It will cut through the skin also, because of how close they are together.

 

Good luck with the aluminum fuel line. I tried to plum my Regal by myself using aluminum line and 45 minutes later it was in a wade and laying in the front yard. It will probably be easier to do with two people if you can get some help. I ended up using -8 braided line which I feel is safer and easier to work with when your a one man band. Good luck