I figured I'd throw this idea out and see if anyone sees any holes in it.

I currently have a tube chassis 1973 Vega Super-Gas car. It was originally an Alston-built back-half ladder bar car (stock front suspension augmented by cage rails), but I changed over to an Art Morrison tubular A-Arm front frame. With an iron-headed BBC it weighed around 2250 with me in it, but I usually ran about 150 lbs of ballast for traction. It hasn't been down the track since 1993. I am in the process of putting it back together with a moderately mild (700-750 hp) aluminum head BBC. The rear has plenty of space for 16x33" slicks.

I am thinking of building a Duramax for it. I would still race NHRA Super-Gas with it, but would also take it to the various diesel events.

I would shoot for 800hp or so, and would try to continue using a Powerglide trans (probably one of the built units they offer for Pro-Mod racers these days).

Any thoughts or advice? Where is the best place to find a core Duramax to start this project?

Regards,
Michael Pliska

Michael, you are nutz, but in a good way. What a wild idea. I didnt think you could top racin' a Uhaul.

Core Dmax? Maybe a junkyard and look for a torched truck? www.car-part.com can be very helpful.

Would the torque be almost impossible to manage with such a short wheel base?

im thinkin wheelie king....

do you think the d-max will handle the powerglide only 2 gears it seems the rpm will be off the chart for a d-max im not sure thjough?

do you think the d-max will handle the powerglide only 2 gears it seems the rpm will be off the chart for a d-max im not sure thjough?

No diesel like gears... plus how do you plan on bolting one up?

No diesel like gears... plus how do you plan on bolting one up?
it will bolt up need flex plate but other than that your golden....

built motors have no problem shifting @ 4,000+

running tall gears will help put a load on the motor...

Tom, Thanks for the link. Looks like they have a few on there, unfortunately none very close to home, but I guess that's what shipping is for. If I get to see the core in person, what are the things to look for? Assuming I will go with aftermarket rods & pistons, does it matter what block, heads & crank I end up with?

BTW, here's a photo of the car from 20 (yes, 20!) years ago when I first built it. I called it "Student Driver" since I was a college kid at the time.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/galts-gulch/SG-Woodburn-02.jpg

It pulled much better wheelstands after I lightened the front end up.

As far as the 2-speed aspect, I was hoping to soften the launches with a taller first gear, and just pick my final drive ratio to match the engine's rpm capabilities. After reading a bit more, I see that Scott & Dustin Bentz's Cummins dragsters and Greg Hogue's Duramax dragster are all using Powerglides with Gear Vendors overdrives added to the back. I'll research this a bit more, but that may be the route I go.

I will definitely need to swap the existing 8-3/4 Mopar rearend for a 9" Ford, both for ratio availability and strength. I figure a Fab 9 with aluminum center section will be lighter than the current rearend anyway.

Thanks,
Michael Pliska

it will bolt up need flex plate but other than that your golden....

built motors have no problem shifting @ 4,000+

running tall gears will help put a load on the motor...
Are Duramaxes the same Chevy bellhousing bolt pattern which has been around forever? I was hoping so, but figured I could make an adapter if necessary.

Thanks,
Michael Pliska

Shoot Michael, I just sold a complete LLY engine, minus turbo, for 1200.00.

I'll keep my ears open. Some decent deals on ebay from time to time.

Are Duramaxes the same Chevy bellhousing bolt pattern which has been around forever? I was hoping so, but figured I could make an adapter if necessary.

Thanks,
Michael Pliska

I believe so Michael, trans should bolt directly to the block with no issues. I'm not really sure about the flexplate though.

Shoot Michael, I just sold a complete LLY engine, minus turbo, for 1200.00.

I'll keep my ears open. Some decent deals on ebay from time to time.
Crap! My kinda luck, you're even in driveable distance and I could've afforded that one! Please let me know if you come across another one. I should have time to wait for a good deal. I plan to get the car back out with the gasser in it by June or July, then start working on the Duramax, hopefully to debut it next season.

Thanks,
Michael Pliska

Are Duramaxes the same Chevy bellhousing bolt pattern which has been around forever? I was hoping so, but figured I could make an adapter if necessary.

Thanks,
Michael Pliska
yep the standard 6/7 bolt pattern is still there... just gm added more bolt all the way around

flexplate will be the issue... dont know if the allison tc bolt pattern is the same as the large BC the come on the 350/400 trannies

yep the standard 6/7 bolt pattern is still there... just gm added more bolt all the way around

flexplate will be the issue... dont know if the allison tc bolt pattern is the same as the large BC the come on the 350/400 trannies
Since I plan to have a custom torque converter built for it anyway, hopefully I can just have it made to whatever bolt pattern is available for the SFI-approved flexplate I can get for the Duramax. Which brings up another point - does anyone make an SFI-approved flexplate for a Duramax? Presumably Banks has one on their truck, but I wonder if it was custom made?

Thanks,
Michael Pliska

Since I plan to have a custom torque converter built for it anyway, hopefully I can just have it made to whatever bolt pattern is available for the SFI-approved flexplate I can get for the Duramax. Which brings up another point - does anyone make an SFI-approved flexplate for a Duramax? Presumably Banks has one on their truck, but I wonder if it was custom made?

Thanks,
Michael Pliska
get a hold of either trippin or mike l ATS might be SFI rated as well

iirc you only need SFI if you plan on turning more than 6,000 rpm.

get a hold of either trippin or mike l ATS might be SFI rated as well

iirc you only need SFI if you plan on turning more than 6,000 rpm.
Thanks. NHRA requires SFI rating for anything going quicker than 9.99 or faster than 135 mph. Aside from shakedown passes, I would hope that every pass exceeds both of those!

Thanks,
Michael

Thanks. NHRA requires SFI rating for anything going quicker than 9.99 or faster than 135 mph. Aside from shakedown passes, I would hope that every pass exceeds both of those!

Thanks,
Michael
didnt knwo there was a time limit on it... grannted never need it... never been faster then mid 11s

Also check with Steve Cole (Diesel Tech) or with MikeL about SFI flexplates.

I'm wondering how the Vega front suspension would handle the Dmax weight? What special things can you do to that little car to hold up ~1000lbs?

Tom,
It is an Art Morrison tubular A-Arm front suspension, and it is currently set up for an iron-headed big block Chevy. Does anyone know exactly what a Duramax weighs? One article I found listed 800 lbs as the weight for a Duramax, and also mentioned that it is 100 lbs heavier than a iron-headed BBC. If that is all the difference then it will just take a few turns on the coil-overs.

The car has a fair amount of engine setback (although on crappy tracks I wish it had more). The front of the block is just about aligned with the front wheel centerline. The firewall is back quite a ways.

Thanks,
Michael

Scott/Dustin Bentz (sp?) run a powerglide/GV overdrive on their cummins diesel rail. Also Greg Hogue (sp?) is building a Dmax Rail with a glide/GV combo as well.

Hop over to compD there's a bunch more information on that subject.

dry they weight about LB7 wieghs about 850-900 with stock trubo.. minus CAC, radiatior, and assorted plumping
wet most likely will push 1000


LB7 turbo is darn near 50 pound itself:eek:

See? shows ya how much I know about a Super-Gas car, and how much I remembered from the first post in the thread. LOL

It just dawned on me that I could also race the car in NHRA Sport Compact brackets and quick-16 classes (since it's a Japanese engine brand)! Wouldn't that be fun to spew smoke all over at a ricer race?!!!! Damn, I've gotta save my money (or win some money at the races) to fund this thing!

Regards,
Michael Pliska

just a thought but might want to look into a lenco drive or lenco/bruno, both run converters but changing gear ratios is very easy and with either one you can add more gears to them making them 2 to I believe 4 or 5 speeds and would also look at ptc for a torque converter have dealt with them many times and they now have bolt together converters like a neal chance and are usually cheaper and easier to deal with hope it helps

Whitewhale, I was thinking of the Lencodrive as an option (especially since I used to know Gary Sumek, and his son Dave used to hang out at my pit area at the races). The Dr. Performance Cummins rail & Banks S-10 Duramax are using the Bruno/Liberty combination, and it sounds like it is much more compact and lighter weight. If money were no object, I would definitely start out with one of those choices, but since I have Powerglide stuff already I'll start with it.

Thanks,
Michael Pliska

hows it coming along?

I'm pretty sure he put the car together with a gas engine for now.

Yup, it's got a gasser which I thrashed together from parts laying around. About to pull that motor back out, as I think I spun a bearing. Unfortunately it looks like I still won't be able to build a Duramax for a while. The good news is that I've gotten to see the results of others experimenting in the meantime (including the DirtyMax truck which I drive part-time). In DirtyMax we have discovered that the factory Bruno/Lenco trans brake will NOT hold up to the low RPM torque of the Duramax, at least when it has a decently tight torque converter. I have talked to Jim Hughes of Hughes Performance, and he swears they can build me either a Powerglide or Turbo 400 that will work (including the trans brake) with anything I want to throw at it. I'm probably going to try a T400 when I get around to doing the diesel, as I'll probably have to change my driveline anyway to use the big U-joints front and rear (and change my rearend from an 8-3/4 to a Fab9).

Unfortunately I was just starting to get the car sorted out and winning rounds, when I spun the bearing (and the season was over around here anyway). Hopefully I can pick up where I left off next year, and win enough races to afford the Duramax!

Regards,
Michael Pliska