Chassis build questions

I have been trying to find a chassis shop and it has been something else. I am getting prices all across the board, how do I know that we are both on the same wave length? What should I expect the prices to come in around?
Let me tell you what I want do and you tell me how much it should be around.

Chromemoly or MS
I will deliever my F150 without the front cap, interior and glass
build 10-12 pt cage (replace rubber cab bushings with steel and tie roll cage into factory frame rail)
trim dash and install
install seat
install throttle and brake pedals (mech trottle linkage, wilwood brake dual mc kit)
install & setup ladder bars and floater
c notch factor frame rail for rear axle clearance
fabricate firewall
Drive shaft safety loop


I will have the front suspension

It sounds like you have a good idea as to what you want the finished product to look like. Thats a good thing, but be open minded and let the chassis guy have a bit of freedom to put his touch on it. Whatever you agree to with someone get it in writing and take a copy with you. Over the process of building the truck there may be some things that come up that may need some special attention or things that you may decide you want to have done while the trucks already there. Keep an open mind and just let them know that nothing extra is to be performed without consulting you first. Keep in touch with the builder when they have the truck and ask lots of questions. Progress reports from the builder keeps both parties motivated.
As far as prices go thats a can of worms that has may surprises. Cheaper is not always better as with most things and more expensive is just money out of your pocket. Its all about the bottom line and getting a product that you are satisfied with. Most of the bigger shops around here that do mostly larger scale stuff like full tube chassis cars and such charge way too much for the smaller jobs in my opinion. But their experience and resources are far greater than someone like myself who does it part time. So in the end dont compromise your budget and or the quality of the finished product. Brian Spears

It just seems hard to get my idea through to the shops and of course any of their input would be greatly appreciated.

Example: acouple of the shops suggest I go with a funny car cage system which I would like as long as I can get in and out. My origonal plans where a full 10-12 point roll cage and then add a funny car cage later.

Another thing I am wondering about has been their welding skill.

Since no one is local it makes it hard to show up at the shops and just look around. unless ya'll think that might be a wise thing for me to do.

jones wrote:It just seems hard to get my idea through to the shops and of course any of their input would be greatly appreciated.

Example: acouple of the shops suggest I go with a funny car cage system which I would like as long as I can get in and out. My origonal plans where a full 10-12 point roll cage and then add a funny car cage later.

Another thing I am wondering about has been their welding skill.

Since no one is local it makes it hard to show up at the shops and just look around. unless ya'll think that might be a wise thing for me to do.

I think that is an excellent idea. Even though you might have to take a day or two to do it, I think it would be very beneficial to your peace of mind. If you don't like what you see, keep looking until you do. After all, it's your money. Spend it wisely. Nothing worse than getting a car back and being unhappy with the workmanship.

Josh,

I can go to 3 different "shops" here. Mostly it's just guys that have shops behind their houses and do good work. They'll all give me 3 different prices all across the board too. I'm talking an almost $800 spread!

Don't have much more advice other than pick a guy based on his experience, quality and skill. Pay his price...

We were quoted over $6000 on our last upgrade so I bought a Tig welder, and all of the other notchers/benders. Did it ourselves. .

whatbumper wrote:We were quoted over $6000 on our last upgrade so I bought a Tig welder, and all of the other notchers/benders. Did it ourselves. .

no shit.........and had lots of money left over.......................

There is a guy near me that has been building racecars for years. He is pricey and can be slow but his workmanship is better than I have seen anywhere. His shop is spotless and he is always busy. You often get what you pay for. Much of the price is the knowledge that is built into the job.

You need to see the work they have done and talk to past customers. Talk to other racers in your area too and see who they recomend.

Bill

I talked with another local shop owner today at the race track. He was busy at times but not just covered up to exchange information. Yet I got the cold shoulder. I just asked him if a project like mine is something he would want to work on. Because I don't want someon working on my project if they are not into or just feels like it's a pain in their neck.

jones wrote:I talked with another local shop owner today at the race track. He was busy at times but not just covered up to exchange information. Yet I got the cold shoulder. I just asked him if a project like mine is something he would want to work on. Because I don't want someon working on my project if they are not into or just feels like it's a pain in their neck.

Great customer service eh?? It seems to me you need to be able to get along and communicate very well with your chassis builder.

Bill

If you can't do the work yourself,most times it's alot cheaper and less headache to find you a chassis project that is finished and buy it.

What are your skills??
NOBODY, is gonna care about it as much as you. There is a ton of info online if you look around. buy a welder, some tools and go at it. We can help here for sure.

First ask yourself how fast you wanna go.
2nd budget.
Then design plan it to those parameters, engine/vehicle weight, and go from there.
Regards.
Al

My brother and myself have built a tube chassis car before, back in the 90's. It was a simple NHRA spec cage nothing SFI. We borrowed his employers tube bender and a little 110 wire welder.

I own a nice 220v mig welder and like to believe that I have possablility to understand what is needed to build the cage myself. The only reason I haven't attempted to do the project myself is due to the cost. Once I purchase a tube bender and die (JD2) that's a $1,000 pretty much gone. Then the wisdom part. I don't know and can't figure out the best way to tie the cage into the frame. I know I will have to replace the rubber bushings that isolate the body / frame with a soilid bushing.

Just seems like it would be worth the money and craftmanship to let a chassis shop do the work.

Here is a good video from this weekends 275 class I want to race in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbGTWXxoVfU


Here is the rules for the class
FORMAT:
This is an 1/8 mile heads-up class run on a .400 pro tree with a pro ladder. X275 is a qualified quick 8 field. Courtesy staging and autostart is in effect. There will also be another class called “The Shootout” for qualifiers #9-16, and it will be run on a pro ladder. This allows non-qualifiers to compete for additional points and a place to race. (at larger events 2 – 16 car fields or all-run format may be
used)

BODY:
The car must retain its original appearance, profiles, and dimensions. Factory roof and quarter panels must be used. Aftermarket fiberglass replacement panels are limited to hood, front fenders, doors, decklids, and bumpers only. All front ends must be of factory dimensions and cannot be stretched. Aftermarket wings and spoilers are permitted. Complete stock appearing front and rear bumpers are required. A hood must cover the entire induction system. Forward facing hood scoops/ turbo or supercharger inlets are permitted.

INTERIOR:
Factory appearing dashboard, door panels, and driver seat is required. Full Carpet is required on floorboards. Factory floor pan on driver and passenger side required. Bare inside frame of car cannot be exposed. Aftermarket steering column is permitted.

WINDSHIELD/WINDOWS:
OEM glass or lexan windows are permitted.

CHASSIS:
Complete stock chassis and frame rails must be retained. Back-halved cars are not permitted. Front core support may be modified or removed. Aftermarket bolt-on replacement front K-members/sub frames are allowed (if front shocks bolt to K-member then they must be in factory location). Mini tubs are allowed. Rear frame rails may be notched for clearance. Factory wheelbase must be maintained.

ENGINE:
Maximum displacement for all engines is 588ci. Small blocks are allowed any deck height. GM Big Blocks are limited to a 10.2 deck height. Ford Big Blocks are limited to a 10.3 deck height. Mopar Big Blocks are limited to a 10.7 deck height.

TURBOCHARGERS
Single turbocharger limited to 88 mm maximum. (GT55-88, Pro-Mod 88, ET-R88 or = mid/large frame turbo). Turbocharger size will be verified by measuring the housing bore at the leading edge of the impeller wheel and must maintain the contour of the compressor housing. The maximum diameter of the housing bore at the leading edge of the wheel may not exceed 2 mm more than the maximum allowable turbocharger size permitted. Inserts or reducers to achieve inlet or outlet dimensions prohibited. Any type of air to air or water to air intercooler permitted. Turbochargers w/nitrous oxide are prohibited except on 2-rotor, 4 cylinder, and inline 6 cylinder engines.

SUPERCHARGERS:
Cog or gear driven superchargers are permitted, must meet all factory inlet, outlet, and internal housing dimensions. Inserts or reducers to achieve inlet or outlet dimensions prohibited. Any type intercooler is permitted. Cannot combine with nitrous oxide. Roots superchargers are limited to a 10-71. Centrifugal superchargers are permitted. Screw superchargers are not permitted.

NITROUS OXIDE:
Small block is permitted to run any type multi-stage nitrous systems. Big blocks are limited to a single stage nitrous system (A single stage fogger is permitted or if using a single plate then your limited to 1 fuel solenoid, 1 nitrous solenoid, and 1 purge solenoid, purge must exit engine compartment).

TRANSMISSION:
Any factory style automatic transmission allowed. Bruno-Lenco transmissions are prohibited. Clutchless manual transmission and clutch assisted manual transmissions are permitted on naturally aspirated combinations only. Electric shifters or air shifters are permitted.

INDUCTION:
Small Block combinations may run any type induction. Big Block combinations are limited to a dedicated single carburetor with cast intake.

OILING SYSTEM:
Dry sumps are permitted on all cars.

EXHAUST:
Mufflers or inserts are required on all cars except for turbo cars. Exhaust may exit underneath car or out the front fenders but must not affect timing or staging beams.

FUEL:
Gasoline only is permitted. Alcohol or E-85 or other derivatives is prohibited.

STREET EQUIPMENT:
Functional headlights, taillights and brake lights required. All headlights, brake lights, marker lights, etc must be on car and not removed for any reason. All vehicles may be towed back from their passes.

SUSPENSION:
Stock style suspension cars only (See weights below for penalty for aftermarket suspension). Four links are prohibited on all cars. Aftermarket direct replacement components such as: front control arms, rear control arms, front coil over shocks, and rear coil over shocks are permitted. Aftermarket rack and pinion steering allowed. Rear leaf springs, springs, shocks, and coil-overs may be moved to accommodate tire clearance, and do not need to be mounted in stock location. Bolt-on or welded sub-frame connectors, rear sway bars, are permitted on all cars. Wheelie bars are prohibited on all cars. Torque arms are only permitted on cars that were originally equipped from factory with it.

TIRES:
All cars with power adder must compete on a Drag Radial type tire with the following sidewall designation 275/60/15. Naturally aspirated cars are permitted to run a 28.0” x 10.5” slick, no “W” tires permitted.

Minimum base Weights:
All minimum weights include the driver.

Naturally Aspirated (small block) 2600 lbs
Naturally Aspirated (big block with standard deck height and conventional head) 2900 lbs
Naturally Aspirated (big block with tall deck height and conventional head) 2950 lbs
Naturally Aspirated (big block with standard height and big chief head) 3050 lbs

Nitrous (small block) 2950 lbs
Nitrous (big block with standard deck height and conventional head) 3250 lbs
Nitrous (big block with tall deck height and conventional head) 3400 lbs

Single YSI / F1A/6-71 Supercharger (small block) 3100 lbs
Single F1C/8-71 Supercharger (small block) 3200 lbs
Single F1R / Xi/10-71 Supercharger (small block) 3300 lbs

Single 76mm T6 Turbocharger (small block) 3000 lbs.
Single 80mm T6 Turbocharger (small block) 3100 lbs.
Single 85mm T6 Turbocharger (small block) 3150 lbs.
Single 88mm T6 Turbocharger (Y2K or GT47-88 ) (small block) 3200 lbs
Single 88mm T6 Turbocharger (GT55-88, Pro Mod 88, ET-R 88 or =) (small block) 3300 lbs

* Small Blocks with single stage nitrous system: deduct 50 lbs
* Small Blocks (NOS only) with 23 degree Chevy heads, 20 degree Ford heads, and 18 degree Mopar heads: deduct 100 lbs.
* Small Block (NOS only) non-inline valve head with more than 2 nitrous kits: add 100 lbs
* Non-Intercooled boosted cars: deduct 50 lbs.
* Aftermarket rear suspension (Ladder bar): add 50 lbs.
* Buick/Olds/Pontiac Nitrous combos will be 3250 and not exceed 588 cu inches
* V-6 Turbocharged/Supercharged/Nitrous combos will deduct 200 lbs from base weight

IMO gonna be tough wit a fullsize truck platform to be competitive.

You need to find a professional that knows what it takes to put bars in your truck. Not someone who has to guess on what will work and do a lot of trial and error and then charge you for their learning . You should also know up front how much it is going to cost. It doesn’t matter how good of a reputation the person has or how well someone you know recommends them. Find out up front what the cost are. Get a finish date with discounts for delays.

Sure, there is a lot you can do, but you're not going weld CM with a wire welder and pass inspection or get the chassis certified. Your life is what the chassis is protecting; you should use someone that is competent.

Sometimes you are better off going with a brand name builder, because they know what it takes to do the project.

And, get it in writing.

Well if ya have done it before. You have a fairly decent experience then. Maybe you are looking for a excuse to blow your dough on having someone do it for ya?????

I have $300 bucks in my bender,that I built.(www.gottrikes.com) If ya got a welder, go take some classes. Heck you can be the one that welded all the scrap tubing together Remember, your not building a Boneville car.JUST DO IT!!

Yeah, I agree. If there are not any cage requirements (I didn't see any in the rules posted), then they don't think you'll go fast enough to hurt yourself.

richter69 wrote:IMO gonna be tough wit a fullsize truck platform to be competitive.

Not at first, but that is the class I want to compete in, if I get discouraged I can index race.
I don't want to lose the stock suspension. As soon as I lose the stock suspension the only thing I can do is race index, 10.5 outlaw or bracket race. Won't be legal for any of the fun races! I don't like Mustangs and i'm not going to own a Gm product.

72mav wrote:Well if ya have done it before. You have a fairly decent experience then. Maybe you are looking for a excuse to blow your dough on having someone do it for ya?????

I have $300 bucks in my bender,that I built.(www.gottrikes.com) If ya got a welder, go take some classes. Heck you can be the one that welded all the scrap tubing together Remember, your not building a Boneville car.JUST DO IT!!

No, that's the exact opposite. I don't want to get started building it and then come into a problem and it end up costing me extra.

Curt wrote:Yeah, I agree. If there are not any cage requirements (I didn't see any in the rules posted), then they don't think you'll go fast enough to hurt yourself.

Tech??? whats that??

Local tracks I wouldn't have a problem, but I enjoy going to different tracks in other states. None are looking for SFI just NHRA certification.

I'd get acquainted with my division tech guy or SFI chassis certification person and pick his brain. After all, the guy who is going to certify it should be able to tell you what you need to be legit...

Nevs wrote:I'd get acquainted with my division tech guy or SFI chassis certification person and pick his brain. After all, the guy who is going to certify it should be able to tell you what you need to be legit...

Good point.

you linked a video earlier. are those times competitive? if so you can be too but I was thinking with the rules presented that a 4.90-5.10 was needed.

jones wrote:

Curt wrote:Yeah, I agree. If there are not any cage requirements (I didn't see any in the rules posted), then they don't think you'll go fast enough to hurt yourself.

Tech??? whats that??

Local tracks I wouldn't have a problem, but I enjoy going to different tracks in other states. None are looking for SFI just NHRA certification.

just because tech is a joke is no reason for it to not be safe.................


honestly I'd like to see our local track start sending these assclowns home that aint got all their ducks in a row...............the book is cheap and easy to understand..........you know what you need to go a certain speed..if you show up without it its your own dumbass fault..........and I'm not pointing fingers here just some of the crap I have seen at my local tracks.

I pay to keep all my certs and stuff up so they should as well........just because they are considered "street cars" is no reason to not have the safety gear required........................ok rant off lol. I have to update my belts and license this fall so this is a reminder for myself as well.