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Traction Bars

Started by s_eagle, January 07, 2021, 06:57:06 AM

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gt350hr

   That's how I saw it Jim.
Celebrating 46 years of drag racing 6S477 and no end in sight.

Hertz74

1966, #818 overrides, Hertz

SFM6S087


hertzz350

#689 Hertz dog legged traction bars with rubber pads over traction bars, no boots. When did they switch from rubber pads to boots on traction bars? I restored #731 years ago and it had boots on traction bars.
current owner of 6s689
Previous owner of 6s1855 ,6s1297,6s731

gt350hr

Celebrating 46 years of drag racing 6S477 and no end in sight.

SFM6S087

#35
Quote from: hertzz350 on January 25, 2021, 06:35:48 AM
#689 Hertz dog legged traction bars with rubber pads over traction bars, no boots. When did they switch from rubber pads to boots on traction bars? I restored #731 years ago and it had boots on traction bars.

This is not comprehensive by any means, but it's what I've gathered over the years.

As far as I can tell, all the carryovers got seals made from inner tube rubber with a slit in it, covered up by fiberglass boxes. With the possible exception of the 4 factory drag race cars. I don't have good data on them.

After that:

253 – fiberglass boxes
269 – rubber boots
280 – rubber boots
285 – rubber boots
341 – rubber boots
389 – rubber boots
429 – rubber boots
477 – rubber boots
521 – rubber boots
550 – rubber boots
554 – rubber boots
584 – rubber boots
671 – rubber boots
689 – "rubber pads"
725 – rubber boots
731 – rubber boots
744 – fiberglass boxes
754 – rubber boots
796 – rubber boots
914 – fiberglass boxes

As always, the info for each car above could be wrong. I just documented what I was told or happened to find reported – sometimes here on the forum under other topics.

I know that listing "fiberglass boxes" without mentioning what was under them is not optimum, but that's what I've got so that's what I put on this list.

I'm guessing Jeff Speegle has more and better data on this topic. Maybe he'll chime in.

Steve

Note: Modified on 1/26/21 to add car 550
Note: Modified on 2/02/21 to add car 521
Note: Modified on 2/04/21 to add car 725

Rocket

550 has rubber boots  Ron
Original owner of 6S550. Owned since 1967. 64,000 Miles, all body original except hood and front valance. All glass original except windshield. Still has aluminum 4 speed. Has replacement Mico.  Also own 1966 Mustang convertible. They are drivers, not trailer queens.

hertzz350

Forgot to mention: #689 does have the fiberglass covers covering the pieces of rubber seal.
current owner of 6s689
Previous owner of 6s1855 ,6s1297,6s731

Plajoie


TLea

Quote from: SFM6S087 on January 25, 2021, 01:54:11 PM
With the possible exception of the 4 factory drag race cars. I don't have good data on them.
Factory drag cars had 2 options. With factory traction bars or with the weld on AFX rear lift bars.  5s327 did not have the optional lift bars but the factory traction bars were made adjustable by Ritchie by cutting a section out and welding in a threaded shaft on one side and a nut to receive on the other. 6s018 had the AFX lift bars and factory bars were removed and duct tape but over the oval cutouts (yes duct tape). All 65/66 drag cars had inner tube style originally

gt350hr

   5S360 MIA now had the weld on lift bars with the override bars removed. Axle housing brackets were still there when I saw it in '66 at Lions. I don't know about what was under the glass seat delete. It was still in place.
Celebrating 46 years of drag racing 6S477 and no end in sight.

SFM6S087

Quote from: TLea on February 01, 2021, 12:43:37 PM
Quote from: SFM6S087 on January 25, 2021, 01:54:11 PM
With the possible exception of the 4 factory drag race cars. I don't have good data on them.
Factory drag cars had 2 options. With factory traction bars or with the weld on AFX rear lift bars.  5s327 did not have the optional lift bars but the factory traction bars were made adjustable by Ritchie by cutting a section out and welding in a threaded shaft on one side and a nut to receive on the other. 6s018 had the AFX lift bars and factory bars were removed and duct tape but over the oval cutouts (yes duct tape). All 65/66 drag cars had inner tube style originally

Tim, did the factory drag cars get standard overrides initially, and then AFX lift bars were put in at customer request?

For 6s018, did that happen before or after delivery to first owner?

Any info on the other three 1966 drag cars?

THANKS!
Steve

TLea

Steve, as far as I know there were 2 options available on drag cars. AFX lift bars and camshaft. I don't have any evidence of this but I'm guessing when a customer purchased car he chose and Les built it to that spec. 6s018 had lift bars and cam and I have notes that purchaser (City Motors) picked it up at factory, I'm assuming that is SA not Performance Associates. 6s018 also had roll cage added and was done at Bill Stroppes shop prior to owner picking up. Not sure if Les or SA orchestrated that. I believe all the 66's got the 2 options. 011 and 021 still out there, 6s182 in landfill about 2 hours from me

gt350hr

   Steve ,
       I think I see where you are going. In other words were the drag units "pulled" from regular inventory or "purpose built" from "base cars"?  My "guess" as Tim alluded to is the factory bars were "there" and if the "optional''  "lift bars" as we called them back then , were added , the factory "bar only" would be removed. If left intact the two would work against eachother because of geometry differences.
   Randy
Celebrating 46 years of drag racing 6S477 and no end in sight.

mac

car 725 Hertz has kinked override traction bars with rubber boots.