Circle track mopars?

[ChargerRT440]

Hey guys. I was hoping someone might know some details about a kit I heard about chryslers kit circle track cars. I was thinking about building a mid 70's dart as a street stock(racing as kept pretty clean and cars are usually in decent shape) mostly because I want to represent mopars and it gives me opportunity to have fun building small block's.

Does anybody have experience circle track racing our leaf sprung cars? I've heard it can be done but is very difficult but when done properly they can really run good.

[pettyfan43]

Hey guys. I was hoping someone might know some details about a kit I heard about chryslers kit circle track cars. I was thinking about building a mid 70's dart as a street stock(racing as kept pretty clean and cars are usually in decent shape) mostly because I want to represent mopars and it gives me opportunity to have fun building small block's.

Does anybody have experience circle track racing our leaf sprung cars? I've heard it can be done but is very difficult but when done properly they can really run good.

That was the Mopar "kit car" program, it wouldn't be legal for a street stock car and was quite the track terror in its day! You LITERALLY got EVERYTHING but the tires and oil! Check out the picture toward the bottom. Like a 1:1 scale model car.

More info  http://www.mopardealer.com/chrysler.htm

I know a guy who is working to help restore the red white and blue #8 Volare and they also own that black #0 Challenger, it is now bright blue with #74 on it, as it was last raced in ARCA that way.

[RallyeMike]

The bad thing about running a Mopar street stocker is that there will be nobody to share parts and experience with. You can also expect to pay 20% more for everything you buy, and there is virtually zero support from the racing vendors like Day, Speedway, etc. The good thing is that the tech guys won't know what they are looking at.

[Ghoste]

The bad thing is, at some tracks, the tech guys will play it safe and just ban all kinds of stupid things.

[RallyeMike]

If youre not the track promoters kin or pal and you start winning, youll face selective rule enforcement no matter what your driving.  In racing theres more politics than in congress, more drama than a soap opera, and more bullshit than a stockyard.  ..... yet I wish I was still doing it !

[Ghoste]

All You Need Is Cash (blatant Ruttles ripoff) 

[supserdave]

We've been doing it for about 15-20 years now. Put up a list of the rules for your class and I can maybe give you some pointers. Torsion bar front ends are a serious disadvantage though. (imho)

Right now we have a B-modified.

[Chargerfanatic]

When my brother started racing we raced cudas, challengers. Making horsepower was not a problem, getting the car to handle through the corner was. Back then cars were plentiful to get body parts off but not today. My brother still races a Dodge but only in a Modified. 408 keeps up with the chebbies. I guess the best thing is no chevy guy would claim your motor.
There is a guy on Moparts that his family races a challenger and does well. Don't remeber his name but I think he was from Tenn or Kentucky.

[ChargerRT440]

We've been doing it for about 15-20 years now. Put up a list of the rules for your class and I can maybe give you some pointers. Torsion bar front ends are a serious disadvantage though. (imho)

Right now we have a B-modified.

the jist of the rules:
Engine
Motor completely stock other then maximum overbore of .060" on a 360, stock bottom end, can replace camshaft with a purple shaft(something that was available when your car was made from what I gather) stock air cleaner and base, stock 2bbl carb, stock 2bbl manifold, mopars can use an oem aluminum waterpump according to rules(far as I know thats all we've ever had right?) Oil pan can be any type that doesn't require modification to the frame, oil filter has to mount in stock location, stock fuel pump. Stock exhaust manifolds, with mufflers that they mandate, fan must be driven by water pump and made of plastic.

Transmission
I can run basically any transmission I want. One guy in the "pro truck" class runs a chevy 3 speed behind a 367 ci and has had nothing but problems I may try and find a 3 or 4 speed mopar.

Suspension
Stock susension only no mods allowed other then slotting of the camber adjusting holes? on the front and stock front leaf spring mounts must be used
threaded adjustable spring spacers allowed on the front, no weight jacks allowed. stock rear end, gears must not exceed any ratio that was stock up to 4.88 C-clip eliminator kit optional(applicable?) tires cannot extend out more then 3" from the body minimum ride height of 5" measured from the lowest point on the frame. maximum P235/70R15 tires mount on steel wheels or aftermarket steel wheels(aero, bassett, etc.) Subframe connectors are recommended

Roll Cage and frame
6 point cage minimum made of 1 1/2" sch. 40 pipe minimum. That or a kit cage. minimum 3 drivers door bars and 2 passenger door bars. Must have dash bar and cross bar behind driver Aluminum racing seat with head support mounted securly to cage is required. 2" bar allowed welded behind the bumper mounts to the frame. Stock bumper mounting may be replaced with maximum .095" tubing. Radiator may be remounted but in same basic spot as stock.

General Rules
Car must be North american built 2 door 108"-116" wheelbase. body panels must meet factory specs and made of steel except for maximum 5" clearancing of the wheel opening from the outside diameter of the tire. Boxing of frames and subframe connectors reccomended. Frames of stock dimensions, engines in stock locations, no interior subfloors, windshields ether full width safety glass mounted properly with 4 locations of safety clips of 1/8"x1"x6" metal. Or 1/8" Lexan mounted with 3/16" rivets with 1/2" heads mounted maximum of 8" apart. Must have 2 safety rods with every windshield 1/2" mounted minimum 10" apart. All burnables removed. Front driveshaft loop to be 12" from front ujoint, 1 1/2"x 3/16" steel minimum bolted to the floor with minimum grade 5 bolts. rear loop of 5/16" chain. battery must be mounted outside the driver compartment an only accessable from outside the driver compartment. battery fastners must be of 1/8" x 1" steel plate. Minimum car weight of 3200 pounds maximum 55% of weight on driver side. Weights taken with driver seated in the seat holding the steering wheel(I weight 200 lbs so car weight should be around 3000 lbs

Thats pretty much the jist of the rules other then the flags and the lighting in the cars. which is pretty standard. Hoping someone can point me in the right direction with getting a oval aspault track mopar going.

[supserdave]

First off,  you need to find how strict they are at enforcing the rules. Your going to need to play in the gray area as much as you can.

Engine,

Is there a compression rule? We always had good luck with KB pistons in our race motors. Cheap, and they hold up well if set up right. We always ran stock bottom end 360's, balanced of course, with KB pistons.  We used solid cams, I don't know if you could get away with that since technicaly a 360 never came with one. If you can, and can't run roller rockers you'll have to find a set of 273 rockers, and a good solid cam. I would pick the cam based on your gearing and what the track length is. Try and find a set of 340 manifolds.

If you can run a 500 holley that is what I would use. Lots of aftermarket options. Speedway makes a good holley for roundy round cars.

Trans,

We always ran 3 speed mopars. Run as light of a clutch and flywheel as you can. Does it have to be stock?

Gears,

Depends on the track. We ran 3.73's and 3.91's, and ran the tranny in second gear to get around 5.80-6.00 or so. This was on 1/4 to 3/8 mile tracks.


One thing to remember, cost goes up exponentially with how well you want to do. Take what you figure it will cost for a year of racing, double it, and then you might be close.

One last thing, does the make of the engine and body have to match? You would be way ahead of the game if you could run a GM metric frame, with a dodge body and engine. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.
later
dave

[ChargerRT440]

Ok I emailed the tech director for that class and he said I can run aftermarket pistons and switch around a set of 273 rockers with the stock 360 rockers. I can use those rockers as long as they switch with no modifications.(Should I switch right to 273 heads or put 273 rockers on 360 heads?) No holley carbs allowed has to be a 2bbl carter. Cam has to be hydralic(sp?). Also have to run a clutch that is of stock dimensions. I have to run the stock frame that came with the body as well. It'd be nice to switch over to a gm coil spring frame because of the pure experience that there is with them here locally.

Also curious what does one want for torsion bars/leaf springs. I found a company that makes leaf springs for abodies in specific spring rates and was looking at a set of .960" torsion bars listed as performance handling.

[supserdave]

The gain of running 273 rockers are to be able to run a solid cam, if you can't, no big deal, stick with the 360 stuff.

Is there a compression limit on engines?

As for springs, what type of track is it?

[ChargerRT440]

no compression limit. It says flat top max and 64cc chamber volume minimum. It's an asphault track. with 6-8-10 degrees banking. wider then daytona so we've actually had 4 wide in our ministock class.