Any thoughts? It is a 2 door hatchback. Drove it home for $100. Prior owner just wants to be notified, so he can come watch it crash. Looks alot like a Festiva. It is very tiny. I was considering letting a new kid get a taste in a 105" chain class with it...maybe get us a new derby addict. We can have a reasonable cage with a halo, weld driver door solid, get somewhat creative with bolts, and weld bumper to bracket and bracket to frame. It's a 1.3L with a 5 speed. Thanks in advance.
build it,put the new kid in it and let him go,we will have another addict in no time,but remember the is no intervention for the derby junky!
Indeed. I'll do what I can to get a new guy addicted. God, I sound like a drug dealer. But seriously, as I have mentioned to you privately, the derby guy is a dying breed right out in my neck of the woods. More and more older guys are retiting....not too far off, myself. Less and less young blood is taking their place. Hell, our county fair only had 5 full size and 2 compacts last year. Our cage rules at least have safety in mind, so I won't feel bad about putting him out there in a car that small.
The kid is motivated. Some advice on where & how they bend, and what their worst weaknesses are would be good, though. Hard to create an addict in a one hit wonder.
i would guess the tie-rods are weak like the rest of the smaller fords and i would think it would have a fuel shutoff you'll have to bypass. thats about all the info i have on them but it sounds like with your rules you might be able to make it into a little bowling ball.
when i run a car that no one has tips on i check out any crash test video to see how it might fold. im trying to make one of your shows c4 but i dont know if i will have a car for it but we will see what happens,its still early in the season. demoiltion derby is the safest,purest drug you could deal,so good that i have my kids and a few friends hooked.
its a good car. weak half shafts but if all elctronics a taped up it should be fine with a decent driver.
I've ran against a couple and set one up for my cousin's first youth derby. They run forever and all 3 took a hell of a beating.
Thanks for tips guys. Keep em' coming. Factory fuel pump wiring will be bypassed, so no worries on an inertia switch.
HATCHET....that would be great....which one?
pm sent ^^^^^^
I ran a 91 Festiva last year and good held up real good. My suggestion is to reinforce the radiator. Mine kept popping out till i made my own bracket. By the hatchet. WHOOP WHOOP
One of these a$$fires (lol) ran a local chain and bang 2 years ago. Took 1st place against about 20 cars. Used the a$$ end the whole time and it wouldn't move. Front took a couple of shots and it seemed pretty weak.
Good stuff....keep it comin'!
sabicp wrote:
One of these a$$fires (lol) ran a local chain and bang 2 years ago. Took 1st place against about 20 cars. Used the a$$ end the whole time and it wouldn't move. Front took a couple of shots and it seemed pretty weak.
Kinda strange cause i ran one in a 108" derby and the front was very strong and the back sucks....has no room for packing in before it hits the tires. be sure to ditch the rear bumper or trim it so when it crumples in it doesnt lock up your rear tires. If you can swap to a better compact bumper i would use the front 90% of the time....if stock id do 50-50. The claim on weak halfshafts is very accurate...protect them at all costs and dont dump that clutch if you have a dry track.
snb77 wrote:
sabicp wrote:
One of these a$$fires (lol) ran a local chain and bang 2 years ago. Took 1st place against about 20 cars. Used the a$$ end the whole time and it wouldn't move. Front took a couple of shots and it seemed pretty weak.
Kinda strange cause i ran one in a 108" derby and the front was very strong and the back sucks....has no room for packing in before it hits the tires. be sure to ditch the rear bumper or trim it so when it crumples in it doesnt lock up your rear tires. If you can swap to a better compact bumper i would use the front 90% of the time....if stock id do 50-50. The claim on weak halfshafts is very accurate...protect them at all costs and dont dump that clutch if you have a dry track.
The one I watched did nothing to the front to help strengthen it. Even still had the stock bumper. That is probably why it was weak. And as far as the a$$ end, if I remember right. He got a lucky shot that started to v the hatch in, which sucked the sides of the car in some. After it got to that point it appeared to get real solid. I don't remember the rear wheels getting locked up till the very end. Now ya got me wondering more about that car, lol. Gonna have to see if I can track down the vid of it.
I can swap the bumper, and weld it to the bracket and the bracket to the frame. The back can be reshaped, just can't be welded...has to be chain, wire, bolts (all thread) or screws. Rules are 105"
The track it's going to is rather large, and is usaully dry, hard and fast. One year there, I was hitting 3rd gear in an RX7 with Duke & 4 speed...3.91 gears.
My brother ran one in a Bump N Run race and it help up pretty good. Got some video of it.
The big crash sound at about 2:45-3:00 was him hitting a wall about 35ish MPH. There was a roll over prize he was trying to get. The car just hopped straight up in the air. He ended up with some whiplash, but the car only broke a tie rod end. He sold it for like 250 after this race, i think he only paid 200 when he bought it. He wanted something bigger.
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