Picking up an old Bracket car. Have some questions

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340dartley

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Hello all. I have been a member here for a long time but have not really posted. Here it goes. I am picking up a 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 car that has been a dedicated bracket car since the mid to late 70s. I actually have driven this car about 20 years ago. It is full of old technology and hasn't been down a track in about 10 years. I believe I have the quickest ET in the car running 12.00 back in 1995.
I am going to do some maintenance on it and I would like to take it out and run it again. My questions are in regard to the legality of some of the safety equipment. The car has a 6 point roll bar. Back in 1995 we were told it was not legal for 11.99 and quicker. They said the bar was not the legal diameter. It was built in 1979. I am reading now that you do not need a bar or cage unless you go 11.49 or quicker. Will they hassle me about the bar because it is there or will they not worry until I approach 11.49? The seat belts are the same way. It has a 4 or 5 point harness (I don't remember). They are so out of date that they should be in a museum. They are better than the factory belt though. Also it has a trunk mounted battery. It has never been in a battery box. I do have a battery off switch.

I am excited about bringing this old race car home. There are some things that I want to change but not much. I like the nostalgia of the car. The engine is a 340 with a large cam. I don't know the size. It has forged Pistons and ported heads. There has been some lightening of the rotating assembly. It has an old dual point distributer and a cable driven tach. It is still running the factory cast iron intake manifold and an old 750 double pumper. It has fender well headers and an electric motor to run the water pump. It has a reverse manual valve body with a 4500 rpm stall converter. It has 4.56 rear gear I believe.

After a quick freshen up, and a few bits of modern technology, I think this should dip down into the high 11s

What do you guys think? Thanks and I look forward to your responses.
 
The 1st thing I would do is pull the transmission (assuming it's a 727) and go through it completely. Install A@A's best sprag and steel front drum and a good shield.
Next, go through the brake system completely.
Make sure your steering components are tight and in good shape.
You can get a new harness pretty cheap, we all have to get new ones every 2 years, it's the nature of the beast.
Also, you can get a battery hold down pretty cheap, and it doesn't need to be welded in you can just bolt it to the trunk, but I think you have to use 3/8 or bigger bolts.
Check all of the wiring for missing/chewed on insulation. Depending on where it's been sitting for all these years you could have some issues there.
Enjoy your bracket car, they are fun!
 
it's been sitting for 10 years! change the trans fluid, engine oil and filters. you might want to do a valve job and replace the valve springs. I would recommend a trans blanket if you're not wanting to change the sprag and drum. depending on if it was outside i'd take both the motor and trans apart and inspect for rust. rear end too.
 
As mentioned check everything over. The roll bar may or may not be a problem, true it's not required until 11.49. If it's mild steel it must be at minimum .118" thickness and 1 3/4" diameter. It could depend on the guy who techs the car, if a roll bar is there it has to be 1 3/4", if yours is not he may not let you run.
 
Thanks for the replies. New fluids are definitely in order. I should clarify. It does run now. Rust is not typically an issue as it lives in the high desert of socal. When we were running the car in the early 90s. It was getting new fluid every year and new valve Springs every 5 or so years. The battery does have a hold down already. I thought I read that it now has to be in a battery box now. I think it also has a fuel cell in the trunk. Small aluminum tank. Maybe 5 gallons.

It should be fun. Trying to decide weather or not to modernize it or keep a lot of the old racer ingenuity that it was built with. I am sure it will be ready for a new set of slicks. I wouldn't trust 25 year old tires on my street car let alone an old Bracket warrior.
 
I believe the same rule applies to belts as the bar... If they are there they have to be currently dated. If it were me I'd probably change the fluids, check the pressures of some valve springs, get the dated stuff current, and remove the bar. Then replace the tires and brakes to make sure they are current too. Then try racing it. See how it goes. It wasn't lightning fast, so the engine might be milder than you think, which means it might have made it past retirement in good shape.
 
Any belts are OK to 11.49. Faster than that, the belts must be certified/dated.

A roll bar is the same, if it's 11.49 or faster, it needs to have a rool bar that meets spec. Slower, it requires no roll bars. What you have should be ok.

Battery in trunk, needs a bulkhead of .024 steel or .032 alum.
 
I will post some pictures when I pick it up. I am friends with the original owners so the history of the car is fairly easy to follow. When I say original owners I am talking about the guys who turned it into a racecar.

The car is an original 340 Swinger. kind of wish they didn't cut a hole in the hood for the hood scoop. It is also tubbed but still running leaf Springs with ladder bars.
 
crackedback said:
Any belts are OK to 11.49. Faster than that, the belts must be certified/dated.

A roll bar is the same, if it's 11.49 or faster, it needs to have a rool bar that meets spec. Slower, it requires no roll bars. What you have should be ok.

Battery in trunk, needs a bulkhead of .024 steel or .032 alum.
Click to expand...

Listen to what cracked tells ya.
 
Thanks for all the awesome information. I have been away from drag racing for some time now. I have gone to watch a couple March meets and California Hot Rod Reunions but that is it.

I am excited that this car has fallen into my lap. I have been after it for several years. I have other projects that I have been trying to find time for but life has gotten in the way. I also have a 1968 Plymouth Satellite with a. 383 that I need to finish building and I have a 1967 Dodge Dart Gt that is in pieces. I used to Street race it when. I was in college. None were very fast though. (Mid to low 13s.) I would like to play around with this car and get to the high 11s. It should be doable I think.
 
Any belts are OK to 11.49. Faster than that, the belts must be certified/dated.

Wasn't true for me but that was some years ago and in NY. I was told by the inspector a factory belt, or dated improvement. At the time I had racing buckets and older 5 pts from a race car I parted out. I was running in the 12s at the time. It cost me a day and towing. Went back with stock lap belts in the factory holes and was cleared to race.
 
moper said:
Any belts are OK to 11.49. Faster than that, the belts must be certified/dated.

Wasn't true for me but that was some years ago and in NY. I was told by the inspector a factory belt, or dated improvement. At the time I had racing buckets and older 5 pts from a race car I parted out. I was running in the 12s at the time. It cost me a day and towing. Went back with stock lap belts in the factory holes and was cleared to race.
Click to expand...

Get a letter from tech in glendora clarifying the rule. That's what a bunch of people have done. Same as the window net rule. Only for 9.99 or faster. Car has a cage, but doesn't run 9.99... does it need a net? According to the letter of the rule, no. I've had some interesting discussions with tech guys about this and the belt rule over the years... get a letter and carry it with the car in a notebook.
 
moper said:
Any belts are OK to 11.49. Faster than that, the belts must be certified/dated.

Wasn't true for me but that was some years ago and in NY. I was told by the inspector a factory belt, or dated improvement. At the time I had racing buckets and older 5 pts from a race car I parted out. I was running in the 12s at the time. It cost me a day and towing. Went back with stock lap belts in the factory holes and was cleared to race.
Click to expand...

But if that roll bar is in the car it has to have proper mounted harness no matter what the time is that the car does.
Congrats
 
Thanks Cracked. I decided a long time ago it's not worth arguing about interpretation with the guy that's supposed to do it. I tried when I was younger though...lol.

Clown - that's exactly why I said pull the bar. It's dead weight an may lead an inspector to think the car is faster than you say, aside from also forcing more compliant equipment.
 
I have another question. There was a modification to the body that I would not have done because it is a uniform car. The inner fenders have been completely removed. It has not had any ill effects on the last 40 years of racing. I have always heard this was a big no no. Would you worry about it, reinstall replacement panels or install tubing between the firewall and core support. Maybe tie it in to a full cage at some point.

I look forward to your responces
 
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This is the car and the only beet up old picture I have of it from about 1994
 
It looks like I will have the car in my possession this Friday. Word is one of the slicks will not hold air. I have an old set of slicks on Richard petty kit car wheels from a Volare in my shed. I will bring them to make it roll onto the trailer. They are only 10x28 r15. Much smaller than the big slicks on the car now. .

Has anyone here ever redrilled the front brake drums and hubs to big bolt pattern? I have a set of weld super lights I want to put on the front 15x4.5. Eventually I will probably put disk brakes on it but until then I want to run my wheels.
 
About 10 years ago I sent my front brake drums on my Demon to Moser axles and they redrilled them to 4.5 in bolt pattern.
 
The inner fenders are structural. If I were to remove them, I'd plate the firewall and run bars adjacent to the the shock tower to the front frame rails. Then plate the shock mount to the bar.
 
Put foam padding around roll bar till you go 11.49,just to get tech off your back.
 
I picked it up tonight. It is in better shape than I expected. It has had a few upgrades since I saw it last. It has an msd 7AL. It now has an alternator on it which was needed for the msd. The one slick did not hold air but they are fairly new looking. The front wheels have been replaced with a small bolt pattern mag wheel with skinny Tires. It started and ran very easily. Pulled right onto the trailer. Seat belts have also been replaced since I sat in it last. Can't wait to play with it.
 
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