Slingshot dragster

i will make a rectangle manifold that runs horizontal along both sides of the engine fed from the exhaust ports. 1 1/2 emt conduit will be bent to form the headers into a 3" collector and 90 out in front of the tires

Ah ok cool. That thing will sound mean! Any muffling material being put in anywhere?

i might put a baffle in it. it all depends on how it sounds. it should be pretty mello with the resonator. I dont want it to sound like a toyota with a fart can muffler

Haha yeah... those fart can mufflers... any progress lately?

Not much visible progress this week. Working on other projects. The frame is back on the jig table finishing up welds and redoing the axle mounts. Planning ahead on the body, shifter and other control stuff, battery location, steering stuff and possible upgrades after it is up and running. I have to slow this build down until the official start of the contest anyway. The plan for this weekend is finishing up the Gilson build, shop clean up and smoking some meat.

I got bored and taped up the body to find out what angle I need for the hood.

TIP OF THE DAY... butcher paper makes a good mockup for sheetmetal and you have a template to cut it out when you get done. The wrinkles tell you where it needs to be shrunk or stretched.

This is the cowl section. If you cut out a 10" wide strip and tried to form it around that shape, it would not fit without a cut and splice

That looks amazing! Ill remember that tip for next time I'm forming sheet metal, thanks!

I will use this template for 2 cut outs. 1 will be for the ATLTF build off and have a step run in with the bead roller for the hood. The other will not. I plan to make 2 bodies for this, the 2nd will be a rusty rad rod body without the JD fenders and hood.

I am starting to get the hang of this photoshop thing. This is what the rat rod body should look like...without the 116 hood obviously.

got a chance to work on the rat rod body, since I am waiting the official start time to finish the frame. This is to play Barbie dress up when it is done, so it doesnt count towards the competition build.

The rough shapes are cut to see how the fit together, then final trim, step flanges to mate them together and a little english wheel treatment to get the stress out of the panels.

It is starting to look like the doctored pics.

Looks amazing! Are you still planning on putting a mower deck on this?

yeah. that will be part of the contest build. I wont run it when dressed up like a rat rod.

For the mower deck, I would just cut off the ends and mount those to the frame. it will be lighter and simpler I think, and still have the rough appearance of a full deck.

It will be a functioning deck. I want to watch people loose their shlt when they drive by and see this thing mowing grass.

Ohhhhhhhhh.....gotcha lol that'll be great

Any future updates on this build can be found in the 2017 build off thread.