Thread: Well maybe some day

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These are cad drawings of a frame I designed for a Astro Pro Mod Street van.the roof line would be only 48" with a chop/channel.Projected wt of 2,900lbs wet.It would have a 18" engine set-back.









Of course it would see some track time.

Where are you measuring the 18 inch engine set back from---looks pretty even #1 sparkplug to spindle to me!!!

Pretty cool,
where did you get the data for the BIW?
Mark

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Where are you measuring the 18 inch engine set back from---looks pretty even #1 sparkplug to spindle to me!!!

Astro's normal engine position is forward.A better proportion of the 18" is the bare frame pic and the driver's seat location being set back.It is also a centered driveline where the normal driveline has a one of a kind offset towards the passenger side to allow for foot area on the driver's side.

OK, I don't want to piss you off----what is the wheel base?? Are you going to race this in a class?? Does if have to meet some type of specs???
What is the lower outside frame member made of?

N/P Jerry.I would have to look back on my ref notes,but if memory serves me correctly the w/b is 110,the same as a stock Astro.Not built to s/gas or s/street spec's necessarily.Built from building the same before and if you look closely at the roll bar components,you will see bars that "z" into the main frame rails vs just on the out riggers.The out riggers are 2 x 2.Main frame rails are the standard 2 x 3.The rear part is a chassisworks Battle Cruiser kit where the roll cage is "x'ed" in.Mainly a Pro Street van seeing some limited track time.I could adjust roll cage to have it cert for 9.90 and yes then it would be worth more.

Me,a drag racer since 16 yrs old and now 62 yrs old.

Move the engine back another 18-24 inches and build a doghouse over it

Move seat back between the dual overhead roll bars

Narrow rear tract

Change outer lower frame rails to same round tube as the roll cage

rework the center X so you don't have that 2 or 3 inches in the middle--make the joint so it comes together without the short piece in the middle

Jerry the intent was always to use a Astro shell for the body and tin the inside,so a dog house was never a issue,but driver's seat location given the set back of the engine was.Max set back is 18" because of the door openings and driver's site line out the driver's window.

The body mods are major.There are a fold in Astro's body line and planned is a cut 360 degrees around the body creating a new rocker panel along with a 6" top chop to get it to set down on the frame with a 48" ground to roof line measurement.The w/b on the shorter early Astros and the extended versions are the same.I just prefer the early shorties.

The engine for this isn't nothing major.Sure would be happy to just get into the high tens naturally(no nitrous)and still keep it easy drivable van on the street with the hope of the four link/coil over and the wt savings helping in that effort.