Blog Title: Project Superman: Building my first drag race car

This project details my first attempt to build a 1G DSM drag race car.

Rate this Entry

Superman Update

Posted 10-04-2011 at 05:31 PM by Superman

The build lives on. Let me get you guys up to speed. Ok, the cage was completed some time ago. The seat had to be modified to give me more head room. This required the floor to be modified and the E-brake moved to the other side of the Shifter. Nate tells me that I should have all the room I need. Then the issue of the rear end came up. Like most guys the only option I had was to buy those DSS rear axles for 2,000 and rebuild the rear. But guys still break those and I didn't feel like stock piling 4 bolt rears. I was walking around Nate's shop and was checking out a camaro that he was adding a ford 9 inch in. I think it was a four link setup. Just for fun, I asked Nate if he had ever installed a ford 9 inch in a DSM. He said no. I didn't press the issue because I didn't have the extra money in my budget to afford a custom rear anyway. Then Nate calls me and says he would like to try and install the solid rear. I told him I didn't have a lot of money so he would have to reuse the Megan coilovers I had already purchased and keep the factor rear brakes. Well this is what he sent me. By the way, this guy is not an amateur. His previous job was building Top Fuel dragster chassis from scratch. So the guy knows his stuff. So he sends me some pics. At first the car looks normal on the ground. Then you see it in the air and surprise no more IRS.

He is still working on some things. He is replacing some bars, but everything looks good so far. The Drive Shaft Shop will be making a custom rear drive shaft to mate to the ford 9. Things are coming together. I will have some more pics shortly. Let me know what you think.

Posted in DSM Project Car/Build Updates

Views 2333 Comments 21

« Prev Main Next »

Total Comments 21

Comments

	Now that's different. Interested to see how this works out going down the track.
	Posted 10-04-2011 at 06:18 PM by 4G63_n/t_GS

	One things for sure.you won't have to worry about breaking that bad boy. I had a 9 inch behind a big block chevy
	Posted 10-04-2011 at 06:44 PM by TMAC

	wow.. very interested to see how this works out! That is one H3ll of a simplistic design
	Posted 10-04-2011 at 07:36 PM by noV8undrDIShood

	I like it! Looks sick!!
	Posted 10-04-2011 at 10:17 PM by evileagleawd

	Send me 1 :-D
	Posted 10-04-2011 at 11:35 PM by DWR-DSM

	why a 9 inch? they are junk... you could have done the same thing to a 12 or 8.8. a stock car 8.8 would have been more than enough stock.
	Posted 10-05-2011 at 10:37 AM by whe3ls

	When you say they are junk what do you mean?
	Posted 10-05-2011 at 10:50 AM by Superman

	A 9" junk? ... That's why all the chevy and ford guys upgrade their 10bolts, 12bolts, and 8.8's to 9's right? Along with various other brands... Lmao be quiet
	Posted 10-05-2011 at 11:41 AM by KazooGS-T

	how much does that cost? I'm interested.
	Posted 10-05-2011 at 06:47 PM by rhamlinii

	whoever says a 9" is junk is absolutely clueless. a 9" is an upgrade from a 8.8, not the other way around
	Posted 10-06-2011 at 05:54 PM by evil tsi

	at the track everyone with a 9 inch breaks them. real racers go with dana 60's. all the super stock people to atleast. a 10bolt would be more than sufficient. btw a 10 bolt has a bigger pinon shaft than a 9inch. in motor sports people stay away from 9inches. its cheaper to build a 10 bolt 12 bolt 8.8 or any dana.
	Posted 10-08-2011 at 06:59 AM by whe3ls

	The dana 60 is an awesome rearend. are you refering to a gm 10 bolt being better than a ford 9 inch?
	Posted 10-08-2011 at 02:01 PM by doubleclutch99

	yes. but only the 8.5 10 bolt. which is more less a small 12 bolt
	Posted 10-08-2011 at 02:39 PM by whe3ls

	go to your local dragstrip, 90% will be on a 9". the actual drag cars, not street cars
	Posted 10-08-2011 at 02:48 PM by evil tsi

	i go to my track there is 2 people running 9 inches
	Posted 10-08-2011 at 03:18 PM by whe3ls

	Dude, please don't fill his blog with a 9 inch vs Dana 60 debate. He went with a 9, so be it, it's proven across the country. How did he mount it to the floorpan? If there is a crossmember, I must have missed it. How much do the ladder bars allow the rear to articulate in this car?
	Posted 10-09-2011 at 12:57 PM by Bricktop

	Awesome!! I think I've heard of a couple guys using the 8.8" IRS rears. I'm thinking about doing that, myself...
	Posted 10-09-2011 at 02:39 PM by Black'95

	This rear should be more than I need. It has a Strange pro center section with 35 spline axles.
	Posted 10-09-2011 at 05:13 PM by Superman

	I'm interested on how much I would be looking at to switch to an 8.8 swap. Crossed the mind a few times.
	Posted 10-16-2011 at 07:17 PM by 96awd

Haha, 9" are weak.... Ya maybe a 28 spline open in a galaxie on slicks with a big block.

Pretty much anything decent would be more than enough for even a hard running dsm.

The only reason an 8.8 would be better is because it has less parasitic loss, the 9" is pretty hungry.

Can you post some better pictures of the ladder bar mounts? Why did he put them so far forward? I would have guessed they would have put them closer to where the fwd trailing arms go. I seem to remember the guy who has buschurs old RWD car having traction problems becuase the rear suspension wasn't done right, but I don't know how it was done. I have seen pictures of sheps car from like 06 and his ladder bars are mounted farther back than yours. I'm not hating, just trying to gather what is right and wrong, as I have one of these in the future. Whats your plans for the drive shaft? Are you just replacing the last piece with a custom one too hook to the 9"?

Posted 10-16-2011 at 09:43 PM by bastarddsm bastarddsm is online now