Thread: best car to strip?

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Just wondering what you guys think the best car to strip out for drag race use is. I was thinking about getting a 80's camaro theres alot of them around here with trashed motors for dirt cheap, or should i go with something else for less weight?

With a 283 you will want the lightest body you can find. Vega comes to mind.

No Mercedes or Beemer's in your neigbor hood?... just kidding. Anything can can be done. Remember, Your chassis will have huge modifications so think about a body only: glass and steel mix kind of a build.

Hah i was thinking about a gremlin with a 283. (joking) Yeah im starting to think otherwise about the 283 build. A guy wants to sell me a 396. Dont know much about it i think his came out of a chevelle he said.

A Gremlin with a 396 would be a hoot.

Pat McCarthy or Eric, please step up and tell this young man how to build a 396.

I'm in the process of building an '82 Camaro, should come in right at 3,000 pounds or (hopefully) a bit under... They are cheap, got this one for $80 with only a couple small dents and a small rust hole in one quarter!!! One consideration on building one of that era is the torque link from the rear end to the trans.... There are some aftermarket ones that attach to the crossmember instead of the transmission. On mine I'm using a 4 link setup on a 9" Ford rear... Just a few things for you to consider...

I'm a fan of the Vegas and Monzas as a good drag platform... very lightweight and little effort for chassis modification. I guess they are getting harder to find these days though... a mid 80's camaro is good and much easier to find but more difficult to get the weight out. The mid-80's mustang especially notch back are also very popular... I think the notch is sturdier... I see many of these at the strip.

It's still heavy, but I love my Firebird...

Chris

Vega, S-10, Jeep

And a Chevette if you can find one.

No one mentioned a box Nova yet? C'mon guys? 2700 lbs. with interior is pretty dang light, and they are not as ugly as vegas or monza's.

Fox Body Mustangs are light and plentiful. Amazing how many of them are out there with Chevy power too.

Pat

Take a look at the Chris Alston 27 looking drag race roadster.

Tube frame, glass body etc.

Makes a very nice drag race car and would probably click off high 10, low 11 second ET's with a moderately built 283.
Running 10 and 11 second ET's doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it's an excellent ET range to learn to drive well not to mention it's fast enough to be fun . . . and get away from you if you don't watch it.

Later on, a bigger engine.
Since you're running SBC, a stout 383 would serve you well.

Or do like one guy I met . . . stuff a stock parts oriented, rebuilt 455 Olds in it, T-400 trans, 280 degree or so hydraulic cam, Holley - or Edelbrock - large street oriented carb, beefed up ignition, headers and crank off low 9's.

Pretty much a change the oil and go racing car.

I've never seen this car being wrenched on at the races.
In fact, he uses it to cruise around the pits now and then to visit his pals.

A bit expensive to start with, but in the end it'll cost about the same as building a ten second door slammer.

The big secret in drag racing at the amateur level; little car, big engine.

Goes fast, hardly ever breaks parts....

Originally Posted by 69elko

No one mentioned a box Nova yet? C'mon guys? 2700 lbs. with interior is pretty dang light, and they are not as ugly as vegas or monza's.

They are getting harder to find and costly too.

My vote is for an S-10. Tons of parts for them especially suspension, and they are a dime a dozen for the striped old 4 cylinder 2wd, manual window work truck models. If Im not mistaken quite a bit of fibergalss available for them to cut pounds too. JMO

Only problem with S-10 or any other small truck is getting them to plant the tires, but many have tackled this problem successfully. I've seen a number of small trucks (Chevy 'Luv anyone?) cranking off 9's-10's at high altitude (Denver). Just keep in mind getting it to hook is a bit more challenging...

Old box Nova (Chevy II?) are also very good platform (I know several in 8's and 9's) but less available and more costly...

Agree 100% --> small car + big motor is the best way to go...

-Chris

Pick a car and google the weight specs from the factory to see what it weighed new. Last time i had time on my hands I looked at some different ones. I think i saw the late 70's early 80's Nissan Z weight of 2300 lbs. And kits are available for them. Best thing to do is see whats available in your area, see what they are suppose to weight and pick the lightest one also taking into consideration how much its going to cost to get a "CHEVY" engine in it, or a ford engine if you like!!!!.