The latest updates on our “common sense” bracket racer

By Jok Nicholson
5/5/05

The racing season is now only a couple weeks away here in Iowa. We are still trying to get everything done in time for the season opener but a new job, overtime and getting two cars done is a lot of work. We love it, but finding the time is the tricky part.

We have finished the wiring of the chassis. I have some photos below that show this is something you can do yourself and get great results. Just take your time, plan ahead and use the best supplies you can. If you are having a tough time finding good electrical components try this website – www.waytekwire.com. They have great prices and a very good online catalog.

We are changing to a 500” Mopar for the upcoming season and this means a new front engine plate and a new midplate. We found the “generic” plates at the Chassis Shop. In a “hard-tail” chassis it is critical the engine/transmission align perfectly with the rear end as the coupler from the transmission to the rear end is splined. There is no driveshaft or u-joints so it has to be right on the money. We are using an empty block and the race transmission we will be using to mock up the two mounting plates. You can see in the photos the final fitting. Now Andy can carve off the excess aluminum on the plates and when the engine is done at Roeder Performance Machine we will be ready for final installation.

Here we are fitting the empty block and transmission into the chassis. The motor plates have been trimmed to fit for height and alignment. Final mounting holes will be drilled into mounting tabs after the car is finished and sitting on the tires.

These are the front and rear motor plates before final trimming. The rear plate needs the center cut out for clearance so we can access the flexplate bolts and to allow more air flow.