Lets see your Low Budget ..... Bracket / Drag Cars...

Where's all the stock shortblock type builds at?

Thought maybe we would hear about some of those?

HOw about 1985 Shelby Charger with 422 cid small block with x heads, 2x3 tube chassis, ladder bars, 8 3/4. Bought for $6500 and was running around 10.60. Switched to E85 and put in a spare converter ran 10.12 at 135 mph.

Everyone's version of "cheap" varies I'm sure. But here's my low dollar hauler from back in the day...

69 Dart
OE 68 440 w/parts store tank, hone.
OE 67 heads, parts store VJ, not ported, 2.08/1.74 stainless valves
MP .484 hyd cam w/OE stamped rockers
OE electronic dist with 6AL
OLD Eddy Torker
Holley 750
Pro Parts headers (2")
OE 727 with MRVB
OE 11" converter
3.91 SG

Weighed 3340 with me in it, on a 9x28 slick, went a best of 11.84/114 in good air.

Added a glass 6-bbl hood and 9x30 slicks and went a best of 11.64/115.

Added at 240* -ish Crower hyd cam, 850 Holley, 4.30 gears, an old J converter and glass bumpers...went a best of 11.43/117

Always ran pump gas, NEVER broke...fun car! After a garage paint job, I had $4300 total in the car. Won back about $1000 over 2 years and then sold it for $4500 turn key. Yea, I'd like to have it back...

1990 Dodge Dakota
Stock short block 360 Magnum
R/T 2.02 heads 1.7 RRs
Air gap intake 750 hp
Reground cam .223@50 .565 lift
727 rmvb PTC 9.5 converter
8.8 rear end 3.73s 275/60/15 drag radials
best pass
60 ft 1.68
1/8 7.56
mph 90.00
1/4 11.91
mph 112.00

Has been in the 10s on nitrous

Here's what I used to have.

73 Duster bought for $900
stock 360 bottom end with KB pistons and a comp 280h cam and lifters. One X head and one J head that when I got them had been port and flow matched. Had about a total of $1200 in machine work and parts.

904 trans with turbo action manual valve body about $400 in having it built and parts.

8 3/4 rear with 3.91 open carrier and drum brakes about $350 in parts and set up.

Front disc brakes off of an Aspen from a salvage yard and new calipers and pads and turned the rotors. = $250

Converter was the stock converter out of the /6 904 I took out of the car.

Bought wheels and tires. $750

Leaving in second gear the car would run

9.18 @ 84mph in the 1/8th
13.94 @ 104 in the 1/4

This was on street tires with an open carrier on cheap gas leaving in second gear (it would spin too bad leaving in 1st). 2.62 60 ft.

If I would have kept it and done a little more to it I am sure that it would have gotten much better.

Enough said, has dragged the RR home from the track more than once and Michelle has won money with it:

OK, I can't post all the costs, I just don't have the time to look all this stuff up.

'73 Scamp, nearly rust free that came from Arkansas purchased from an impound lot for $300 here in Florida
W5 heads bought new but I've had them since around '94. I spent $600 for port work back then.
M1 W5 tunnel ram, $250 used
TR linkage $150
2 Demon TR 750 carbs, bought brand new $1500
Titanium retainers $200, had the forever
Used Crane SS roller .700 net lift with 1.6 rockers $75
HS rockers $1000, thanks to Todd at Competition Wedge
BPE 4" stroke crank can't remember the cost.
2.08, 1.60 MP valves ?
Eagle H beams that came from my old 340
'72 360 block, free
machine work and pistons incl balancing and hard block $2200
discontinued Canton oil pan bought from Muscle Motors on a deal $125
Had to make my own pickup tube
Hughes girdle w/studs
Melling pump
HArdened oil pump drive shaft with a Comp Cams bronze gear
Crane roller lifters
Valve springs used and set up from Cab Burge $100?
Trend pushrods $200
I had additional port work done in trade for the pristine sheet metal floor and trunk from the Scamp.

904 trans with the standard ratios.
TA transbrake valve body I think I paid about $600 for way back when.
Built myself with mostly stock parts except for the pump upgrade to the A500 style. Also had the TA 4400 8" converter ($800) gone through at FTI and the CM flat drive hub welded on. ($150)
I had to buy a reman A500 pump for the parts $180 from the dealer IIRC but I get parts at 10% over cost since I worked for them for 26 years.
The rear is an MP aluminum 8.75 case, what are those $700? I've had it for a long time, much of this stuff was in my Duster. 4.86 pro gears from Strange. With bearings and all that's at least $300-400.
Richmond 30 spline spool and Moser axles with of course green bearings and 1/2" studs.
I bought a prewelded back half 4 link frame with the QA1 adjustable coil overs, we shortened the rear housing ourselves but paid $50 to have it jigged and the ends welded on.
We bought a 12 point cage kit from ART and some 2x3 tube to make the frame to the front
I paid $3000 for the Strange 6" travel SS/GT strut set up with brakes which comes with the cut and weld control arm kit.
The rack, mount kit and steering column came from ART as well as did many brackets and tabs.
I bought a Jegs universal door and quarter tin kit, wheel tubs, trans tunnel, firewall and all other aluminum, mostly just flat sheet stock also came from ART.
* gallon Summit fuels cell I've had forever as was the 2 Holley blue pumps. I probably spent about $200 or so on steel braided and aluminum fuel line plus fittings. I already had the regulators.
The master cylinder was an MP unit, the check valve from ART as was all the mounting and pedal hardware.
MSD 7al ignition with a blaster 2 coil, MSD wires, Painless 8 circuit switch panel and harness, Mezerie water pump, ART motor plate, no mid plate, man this just goes on and on.

Weld wheels on the front, you know the the freekin $450 a piece kind. I can't remember the rears, but the company is out of Bunnell Florida, I got a deal on them, brand new but the guy ordered the wrong offset. Since I hadn't cut my rear yet it didn't matter to me, 2 15x15 wheels for $500. That was probably the best score of the whole build for me.

As my sig shows what the car runs, and it would hook in a car wash, it's not even sorted out yet. It's fat and the timing is very conservative (like me) at 30 degrees so I know there's more in it.

Budget my ass.

This is what I started with



And this is what it is today

Shhh... The wife thinks it cost next to nothing

It dosent matter if you win or lose as long as you look good doing it. That needs to go on a T shirt.

I don't have this car anymore but it was definitely low budget (less than $3000.00 into the car including tires) it was ugly and it ran pretty good.
My 360 started as a .040 over Napa rebuilt short block. I took it apart to check everything. I had the block decked (deck .015 head 63cc., gasket .028, compression 10.51)reversed the cast dished pistons on the rods and put in good rod bolts and had the rods resized. I put in an old Manley cam that I had. 443 lift 224@.050 I don't remember the lobe seperation but I think it was around 108. I used J heads pocket ported with 2.02 int. valves and 273 adj. rockers an LD340 intake with a 1" 4 hole spacer and a Vac. 750. For exhaust I used heddmen 1 5/8" headers, 3" exhaust with ultra flows ending at the axel. I used a 904 with a Dayco 2,400 stall converter and an 8 3/4 with 3.91's the slicks were 8"x 26"x 14". Suspension consisted of 6yl. bars and comp. eng. adj. shocks in the front and 002/003 superstock springs with Mopar perf. 50/50 xtra long shock in the rear. The car was a 70 Valiant 4 door it weighed 3,320 with me in it. With an electric water pump drive, 5/16" fuel line with holley mech. fuel pump and a homemade fresh air intake (dryer hose and a dual snorkle air cleaner)the best run was 11.96/113 but it typically went 0's and teen's in decent air at Atco and E-Town. Typical 60'was low 1.70's. With a looser converter maybe around 3,500 stall it probably would have gone 11.70's or 80's.

I agree the four door valiant is priceless. I have a 72 340 air cleaner and a set of 74 e58 exhaust manifolds for a version of this car. A mid 11 stock appearing version of that car would be more fun than the law allows.

Paid $1500 for the car with 455 Buick running high 12's. I added a spool, rebuilt the trans, an 8" PTC 5000 stall converter, rool bar. Motor is a 440, deepened truck pan, Autotec flat tops, CNC edelbrock performers, 337 intake and a used .060 block I had. I bought a used JW bell to convert to the TH400, motorplate to bolt it down and made my own headers from Summit J-bends. Runs high tens if it's below 80 temp.


I have a 1972 GS I plan on moving the driveline to so I can get 10.5 tires to fit. I love the Mopars but the bodies are just getting too expensive.