Money Hungry

mhTitle.gif (18777 bytes)

mh.jpg (24025 bytes)

Just to bore you to death, here's a bit about me.
I'm a 34 years old coal miner (yes there's still a few of us left) from Chesterfield in Derbyshire who has been interested in American Cars and Dragracing for about 15 years. I started dragracing in 1995 after getting fed up with getting too many speeding tickets (I still hate Traffic Cops) racing a stock 2.8i Ford Capri in what was then called Street E.T.(now called Sportsman E.T.) that ran 17.1 sec's @75 M.P.H.! After running this for a season the V6 lump was dumped to make way for a Small Block Chevy and TH350 'box donated by a 1985 Camaro and the car ran a best of 15.5 sec's @ 95 M.P.H. However,I wanted to go 100 M.P.H. So, over the 1996/7 Winter all the emissions stuff was dumped, the compression upped to 10 to 1 and the camshaft changed. Resulting in the car running 15,s @100 M.P.H. After a season of this, and constant engine tweaks the car hit an all time best of 11.98 sec's@ 111.11 M.P.H. and promptly broke the gearbox case. On having a closer look I found out that the gearbox split because the chassis had twisted around it! So I thought of having a chassis built for it. However the price (Ł7 000+ V.A.T.) made me change my mind and I bought a 1967 Camaro called "Money Hungry" and bolted in the Small Block and a new Powerglide gearbox and raced to a best of 12.7 sec's @105 M.P.H.

Just to bring you up to date (Oct 2000), the engine is out and gone to it's new owner, David Wyinjones who will be running it in a Dragster in the "Wild Bunch" and also crews for Derek Annabell in Top Methanol Dragster. So I must have screwed that engine together properly! The new engine is still on paper only but will be a Methanol (That's Alcohol to any old time Drag Race fans) burning 468 cubic inch Big Block Chevy, that should see me run a 10.5 sec's pass and let me run in the Super Street class.

Hopefully I will get the history of the car here soon when I have pieced it together (I've got to 1978 so hang on)

Dec 2000 - To bring you up to date with the car:

After having problems with the first engine builder I decided to take the plunge and commissioned Jeff Bull to build me a new engine.

As I write this the engine has arrived and I am bolting on all the "external bits" that are required i.e. Starter, Water Pump etc. and I am waiting for the Headers and Torque Converter to arrive from the States. The engine is a 431C.I.D. Big block that has been dynoed. at 650 B.H.P.@6500 R.P.M. and 450 ft.lb.@5200 R.P.M. so that should, in theory, run about 10.5 sec's. down the strip (using methanol as fuel).

The gearbox has been rebuilt and a pro tree trans. brake fitted, so that's waiting for the converter to arrive and then it can be bolted to the Engine. The car is having an S.F.I. cage welded in and a new Harness fitted at fellow racer, Martin Curbuishlys' house/workshop and should be done in the New Year, then the new lettering (don't worry, it's the same as the old lettering) can be put on the side then we may just find time to race it !!

As for its history, I just need the last but ones owners name and then I can get it on the site for all to see.

May 2001

I've now run the car in its first competition and thought you would like to know how the car and I went on. I ran the car's engine up for the first time on the day before going to Avon Park for round 1 of the Super Series (round 2 of the National Championship)and I now know how a new Mother feels when she hears her new born baby cry for the first time! and immediately found a big(and I mean BIG) transmission leak,which was easily cured.(must remember to put all the plugs in next time)The car was then treated to an oil and filter change and loaded up for the track.
      After unloading the car on the Friday I found that the starter motor had given up and I spent all the rest of Friday, and part of Saturday Morning, finding and fitting a new competion mini starter (not stocked in your average car shop) so I missed the 1st. round of qualifying.
      However, I was in the pairing lanes ready for the 2nd. round all apprehensive on how the car would run (alright I was s*****g myself !!). Then it was my turn to go up and run,I did a nice long burnout and went into stage,with the "Tokyo Toy" Datsun in the other lane, the lights went down and I launched for a steady pass to check the car out. This "steady pass" turned out to be an 11.02 @ 125 M.P.H. pass! with the car running arrow straight through the quarter mile, needless to say I was very happy.I had hoped to better the times by raising the launch R.P.M.(from 3 000) and shift R.P.M.(from 6 000) but there was only one more qualifying run to go, so I left everything the same and ran an 11.08 @ 124 M.P.H.(without the air shifter armed oops again!!)
      So onto the 1st round of elimination's,where,for my sins,I was paired against Brian Huxley in the "Top Banana" Roadster.I dialled in a 10.95 and Brian dialled in a 10.90,so it was going to be a close race (at the start anyway). Brian took the win with a 10.95 @130 against my 11.05 @ 125 with me
pulling a reaction of .75(Zzzz) against a .63.
      That was about it except for Paul Marsden having a spectacular spin in his P.T.Cruiser at the finish line. The driver and car are both fine however.
      That's all for now see you soon.
                                                Paul and crew.

June 2001

20/6/01

Hi Folks.
      Not much to report from the Main Event due to mechanical problems, but here goes .
      I dual entered the Main event, entering in both Pro E.T. and Super Street hoping to get some track time in,but this was not to be, as will be seen.
      Having arrived on the Friday evening I had plenty of time to sign on and get scrutineered, this done we unloaded the car and waited for the "Scottish Invasion" to arrive!
      Saturday started nice and dry with the racing actually running on time! Our first run in Pro E.T. was at about 10:15 am. when the car ran a very untidy 10.71@121M.P.H. on a 10.55 dial in (I can still see the Chief Starters panic filled look when the car launched to the right -straight at him!!) this put me in as 8th qualifier in a field of 12.I knew I could do better.
      As soon as we got back to the pits, we refuelled and were called down for the fist run in Super Street. this is an Index class where you need to run as close as you can to the index (10.90 in this case) but without going any quicker.As the car had run a 10.71 in Pro E.T. I decided to drop the launch R.P.M. to 3 000 from 3 400 to try to slow the car down.The car ran a
10.72@122 which put me in as the last qualifier as I had broke out,so so much for that idea!!
      There was a long(ish) break before the next round, so we took it a bit easy by picking up all the gossip from David and Gail,being introduced to some of the club members and re fitting my Trans Shield. Then disaster struck!!
            As we backed the car up to go to the next run,Julie stopped me as there was a huge trail of oil under the car. The oil was Trans.Fluid coming from a crack in the gearbox tail housing.the rest of the day was taken up finding a new one.At this point I would like to thank Phill Bennet in Super Pro E.T. who went home to fetch a new tail housing.
      The new tail housing was fitted on the Sunday morning but the crack had actually extended into the main case, so that finished my racing for the weekend.
      The gearbox was removed and the crack found to have gone all the way around the reverse apply piston, nearly cutting the case in two!
      When we got home I found out that Hauser Race cars had a cut out Powerglide for sale ,so I spent the Tuesday driving to Higham Ferres and returning with the box.Then spent a couple of days cleaning the case and swapping over the internals,so I now have a bin liner full of Powerglide parts for sale!!
      The car is now back together and I shall be taking the car to a R.W.Y.B. this Sunday (24/6/01) so I will send you word on how it goes.
       Anyway that's about it.so we'll see you at York when you may see the car run!!

                                                      Paul and Julie.

25/6/01

Hi Folks!!
      Sad news I'm afraid.
I took Money Hungry to a R.W.Y.B. today and the new Gearbox split in the same place as before.So it looks as if the Engine is overpowering the Chassis.
      So I have taken the very hard step of calling it a day with the car.I have had many happy times with the car but I don't want to chop it up to put a stronger Chassis in.So the car will be sold on(minus Engine and Box) and the money used to finance a new project for the 2002 season.
      To end an a better note I'll be at York to see you all and offer any advice or encouragement to any one ( and to wind up Chris) who needs it
                                                      See you there
                                                                  Paul and Julie.

08/11/01

           I am now back racing with a new car!!
      The car is Martin Curbuishlys' old car,which was called "Money Hungry 2".It is now called "Money Pit" and I have put my big block in it, so it should run in Super Gas (9.90 index).I took it to the "Flame and Thunder" show at Santa Pod and thought you would like to hear of my experiences.
      We arrived late on Friday and found out that the headers fouled the ramps as we got the car out,however all was sorted after some fine and delicate adjustments where made to the end of the collector (with a 7lb lump hammer).The car then sailed through scrutineering and we spent the next half hour getting Bike racer Barrie Gregory,who is,shall we say,rather big boned, out of the car after he asked to sit in"one of those girlie race cars".
      Saturday dawned bright and dry(if cold!) so racing got going on time.After warming the car (and me) we went to the Race Director ,who wanted us to do two observed runs, to make sure that both car and driver where in control.These completed we started to see what we could get out of the car.We ran a best of 10.22@135 M.P.H. using the gear shifter manually as we hadn,t filled the CO2 cylinder.However the car ran dead straight with only a sensitive steering action to get used to ( this car has a race rack and pinion, the old car had a steering box,which allowed the steering wheel to move two inch before anything happened).
      Needless to say I was knocked out in the first round as I was still getting used to the car(well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).So the rest of the day was spent drinking beer,watching the Fireworks and going to an End of Season party in Barry Sheavles' pits(yes we felt honoured to be Invited thank you Barry and best of luck next year).
      On the Sunday we had the CO2 cylinder refilled with air at 1200p.s.i. thanks to Jon Webster and tried to run with the shifter in auto.however the track had lost all its traction at the top end so we ran 1/8th passes at 6.70@110M.P.H.whch is spot on for Super Gas.
            Anyway that's all for now

Paul and Julie.