Tater's "OH Deere 116 dragster" [2017 Build-Off Entry]

I got home tonight with the intentions of finishing up the last few welds. About 5 seconds into the first weld the damn thing ran out of wire. I dont have an extra box on hand and didnt feel like driving back to town to get another, so I switched gears and put on the first coat of paint. The stuff still in primer will get the bed liner.

I changed the paint scheme on the engine. I originally thought about doing orange and making some shrouds to make it resemble a SBC, but went with black instead. I think it will kinda camouflage it enough that it will be hard to tell what it is with the hood on it. I went with flat black header paint on the resonators. Not sure how that will look. I think I will get a temp reading on the resonators after I get it running. If it is under 500, I will hit it with the gloss black.

It has been so dang long since the last time I had all of this bolted together, I had to wipe the cobwebs off of the parts...

Man that looks good. Gonna have 'er racing around in time for the deadline??

Hope so. I blew my money for the pulleys and belts on welding wire, so I skipped that step. Working on wiring and a few misc braces now. Jumping on the JD body this week end.

Front shot

I rebuilt the steering knuckle and have not re- clocked the steering wheel yet

Working on the JD body. It is 4" too long to fit in my brake to bend the top. thinking about clamping some angle to it and bend it with that. The problem is I dont have any 1 1/2.

Holy crap this thing looks good

Thanks.

I did a little noodlin around on Photoshop today trying to figure out what the front end on the JD should look like. I think I like the short hood with the Cub Cadet'esque nose.

Yeah I like the shorter hood as well.

Definitely the shorter hood. What about a small aluminum keg as a fuel tank? I think that will ultimately have a better look.

I priced those. Holy Shat they are high. I went with a $10 minibike tank turned around backwards. I had to move the fuel line to the fat end

While rattin around in my spare parts pile, I found a position switch. I can add functioning brake lights real easy.

1 fender is semi bolted on. I have it tacked and a few bolt holes tapped (actually nut setter threads).
The brick is so I can take the wheel off to mark and drill holes. It is surprisingly rigid with 4 bolts and 15% of it tacked.

The nose is starting to take shape.

I'm liking that grille, looks cool!

This thing just keeps getting better and better man. You have one heckuva imagination and the fab skills to get it done. If you get it done in time (looking probable) I think you got a winner

Thanks guys.

I have made a list of what needs to be done. I came up with 20 items. I should be able to scratch off an average of 1 a day. That would put it completed on the 27. I have a 3 day weekend coming up and a 4 day for Thanksgiving. That will speed things up. I am expecting to need a week to work the kinks out, and to shoot and edit the video. Short of some major catastrophe, I see it being done in time.

I did notice that it is not wanting to go into reverse. I suspect a bent shifter fork. I had it standing up and it fell over way back in the early frame stage. I think that is what caused it. Luckily I have an extra laying around. I planned to split the case and clean/ inspect, but due to the tight time line, I will drain oil and flush with diesel, and hope for the best

well crap. Now that I have the end in sight for this one, I dont find myself thinking about what I need to work on for this one after the contest... I am actually scribbling ideas for the next build off. It wont be a scratch build like this one, but will involve major chassis modifications on an old junker I have laying around. It is missing the hood, so that means more custom sheet metal work too.
I have a few hydros in the pile and may do an over powered power wheel in the "off season". I have a couple of worn out pump motors that need rebuilt and I need something to put one on.

The nose piece looks amazing- fits the build perfectly. All it needs is a big hood ornament now...

You sir are a genius, im amazed by this thing lol keep up the great work!

Thanks guys.

Nose is done and in primer. It will get a few coats of John Deere green... even though you cant buy that by name. Those axholes wont let anyone call it that. They have to sell it as "ag green". Insert is chrome with black trim, just because chrome is cool and it looks right up there.

I did the final trim on 80% of the rat body. I have to slide it back on to see where the back panel needs to be cut. I had to trim 5" off of what was the firewall to make it fit. Now the fancy bead roll I put in it to stiffen it up looks funny since half of it was cut off. If you zoom in and see the hole next to the vertical rust line right behind the tire rub, that was caused by my son sighting in his new bow. He had to do it in the dark at 30 yards and missed 1200# of card board and hit this friggin thing. The good news is the arrow penetrated both sides and stopped 1/2" short of a double pane window. I still have alot of work on that to make it right and ugly enough to be rat rod. Not sure how it will look with all the shiny stuff.

It looks just as cool with the zoomies as it does with the side pipes.

I vote side pipes.