Daddy Dave rolls his Goliath Nova

EZ Nova · #11 08-26-2015, 07:45 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 68l30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Again, I find it disturbing. I will say I did see some things that unsettle me and would love to be able to see more of the work before I'd pass any judgment on the weldor. There are people that can weld and then there are Weldors. They comply with a certified welding process. Two entirely different skill levels and processes involved. I have failed many many flawless looking welds just because of what you see from the car in question. With proper qualifications, certifications and inspection it helps prevent and reduce failures. A good bit of what I look at is radiographed and or destructive tested prior to release. An ARTIST is one thing, a pressure holding, structural, load bearing joint is another. Pretty can be poor and ugly is "sometimes" pretty dang good...

I gotta go stare at more welds. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif[/img]

BIG </div></div>

Yes you are quite right. PRETTY don't ALWAYS mean good!

This was the issue I discussed with the builder of the chassis in my '67. Some people might know him, Fred (Fj) Smith. Seeing as the car has ran 8.0's and is a 2X4 mild steel car, we talked about the certs and faster, as HE is on the NHRA "DOOR CAR" committee that makes the rules. Funny that he did mostly 2X4 frames and told the rest of the committee that in his "experience" the M/S is just as strong and suited better for these cars then the C/M! He pointed to Nascar for an example that there M/S, heavier and run the chance of getting hit multiple times during a crash as well.

I asked Fred what he thought about running my car FASTER then 7.50? He reply was

"Without a doubt, I wouldn't think twice about being in your car running low 7's! How strong do you think a 2X4 .250" wall chassis is with all the reinforcing do is compared to the little round tube C/M? YES it weighs more, but doesn't your class (NMVA Nostalgia Pro Street at the time) call for cars to 3200lbs anyway, so why not run the stronger tube????"

As far as Dave's car, well the metal fatigue of constant bouncing on the street is NOT GOOD in C/M! Could have had 100's of cracks in the chassis/cage? I know with the Top Dragster, we support the CHASSIS with air pillows while towing........