90's lakester on eBay

[V4F STR 60]

Thanks guys.  Like I said, I know nothing about special construction cars, so I greatly appreciate the input.  The price is just too good not to investigate.  For the record, no pun intended, this would (eventually) be a V4F powered car so theoretically (optimistically) it would be just a tad faster than red hat territory.

[Stainless1]

Tom, I just looked at the pics again, the roll structure is only as good as the area it is mounted to.  The naked frame pic is the only one that really shows anything.  I would want the roll structure tied to more than the top rail.  I am not a structural engineer, just a racer.  I would want the roll structure tied directly to the top and bottom rails at every point.  You might not have to cut it up, just brace it so everything is connected to both, it really looks like a nice piece, I don't see a frame slider so it may be stiff enough and for the money it seems to be a really good start.  
If I lived in CA, I would go look at it, but I don't and I don't need another project.  For anyone that does, buy it and get to work.  
There are a variety of structural guys on this site that can help with what you need to do to make it stronger.  I hoped some of them would jump in here and help VF4 make a decision, but my guess is there is not enough info and too many "what ifs" to do an accurate analysis.
VF4, Buy it, start a build diary and ask for help getting the roll structure up to speed (no pun intended here either)  
 

[Dynoroom]

I would issue this warning to anyone wanting to run an ex-drag car at an SCTA event.

Send all the info and pictures to the Chief Car Inspector, & the Car Technical Chair, both listed in the SCTA rule book. A couple of different cars that I'm aware of were not allowed to run with one being a certified NHRA chassis upgraded to SCTA specs.
 This site is a great sounding board but it's not the final say so.

[johnneilson]

I was thinking about this car also.
I have come to the conclusion that it looks to be in good enough shape that it could be rebuilt and placed in a museum.

John

[desotoman]

It sounds like this car was built as a dual purpose car. At least according to this article in Doug's words. I would try to contact Frank Schonig and see if he remembers what type of tubing he used.

Tom G.


"By Speed Week 1989 Frank Schonig had completed what was to be a dual-purpose rear engine Land Speed and Drag car. It was a great idea, but I was soon to discover that dual-purpose cars are a compromise on both purposes. It had a 150” wheelbase with the rear axle solidly mounted to the frame for the drags and a bolt-on coil-over rear suspension for Land Speed use. Between 1989 and 1996 this car ran elapsed times in the mid 10’s and times in the mid 130’s at the drags and Land Speed times of between 180 MPH and 194 MPH. A couple of the Land Speed times were records, but the car wasn’t competitive in either venue."

[dw230]

Tom,

I would have thought that this car was already in one of your containers.

DW

[desotoman]

Tom,

I would have thought that this car was already in one of your containers.

DW

Dan,


LOL. All though I thought it was a nice car in its day, I don't have time for another car. Heck I don't have the money needed for the ones I have. But like Target 550 I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. So my plan is to return to LSR racing in 2013 if everything falls into place. 

Tom G.

[edweldon]

Guys - I've been pretty close to this car since its construction.  Best I can remember is that some of the cage structure is less than even the .095 thickness required for under 175.  But neither me nor Brian remembers exactly what Doug told us with regard to numbers or specific deficient frame features.  Plan on only using pieces of the frame that are outside the ones shown in pics on pages 26 and 27 of the 2011 rulebook.  For practical reasons you would likely get rid of the frame rails and redo the frame all the way back past the tranny.  Those 2 nice aluminum panels would likely be replaced anyway to allow the engine of your choice to be completely enclosed and the body extended to the rear.  the nice part there is the new aluminumwork would need few compound curves.  A lot aerodynamically cleaner that way.  The really good stuff is the aluminum work forward of the engine, the front and rear suspension, some driver's compartment innards and the nice custom built rear axle pieces including the drive shaft hardware.
I at 5'8" and 185 lbs could get in and out of it with a 3-2/15 firesuit and helmet pretty easy.  It was real comfortable to drive.  Doug, a bit taller (5'10")than me struggled largely due to his somewhat arthritic knees.  Even that could be helped by adding a small piece to the cage design so you could push on the sides of the cockpit opening with your upper arms to lift yourself out.  This would help a taller driver.  The only time I drove it were under pretty good salt conditions.  It handled fine up to 180 and was a nice comfortable ride.
Ed Weldon

[fastman614]

The car sold for just over $3500.... It looks like it would be a pretty good quick 8 drag car.

Does anyone know who bought the car - specifially, was it bought by someone with visions of building it into a current "rules meeting" lakester?

I know that, if it was brought to me, I would be either getting a lot of sonic testing done on the various tubes or drilling a lot of holes in non stressed areas of the tubes through which I could use a depth caliper....starting with the "shoulder bar" tube at just above the diagonal supports (below the shoulder bar tube) to where the new roll cage tubes would be welded....

[Tman]

The car sold for just over $3500.... It looks like it would be a pretty good quick 8 drag car.

Does anyone know who bought the car - specifially, was it bought by someone with visions of building it into a current "rules meeting" lakester?

I know that, if it was brought to me, I would be either getting a lot of sonic testing done on the various tubes or drilling a lot of holes in non stressed areas of the tubes through which I could use a depth caliper....starting with the "shoulder bar" tube at just above the diagonal supports (below the shoulder bar tube) to where the new roll cage tubes would be welded....

Ed ^^^^^^^above your post bought it and has posted questions in other parts of the forum allready. Sounds like work is progressing.