Gary Ormsby's StreamLiner 1987 (1 Viewer)

[my friends call me Zappy]

BK is right. nhra has stifled inovation, and that stops progress in both preformance & safety.

 

[Bob K.]

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TEN-FOUR!!!
I had a Kent Fuller AA/FD in the early 60's, but I figered ou real quick that door slammers were safer

 

[Bob K.]

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TEN-FOUR!!!
I had a Kent Fuller AA/FD in the early 60's, but I figered ou real quick that door slammers were safer. I think a Top Fueler could be built toda with a small block, twin turbo, maybe even with a converter

 

[Bob K.]

. .~

TEN-FOUR!!!
I had a Kent Fuller AA/FD in the early 60's, but I figered ou real quick that door slammers were safer. I think a Top Fueler could be built toda with a small block, twin turbo, maybe even with a converter! would be MUCH
LIGHTER. Oh well, never would pass tech!! BK 4.20's????

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Yer right, it would never pass tech, like above said, "COOKIE CUTTER" cars is what we have today.

I would love to see the great minds of today (Alan Johnson- Coil-Jim Head- ect) start with a clean sheet of paper, as they say, and RE-design a TOP FUELER. I just bet they would come up with a MUCH safer, and quicker car if they didn't have the rule restrictions to start with.

 

[Mooseman]

Yer right, it would never pass tech, like above said, "COOKIE CUTTER" cars is what we have today.

I would love to see the great minds of today (Alan Johnson- Coil-Jim Head- ect) start with a clean sheet of paper, as they say, and RE-design a TOP FUELER. I just bet they would come up with a MUCH safer, and quicker car if they didn't have the rule restrictions to start with.

I read an article somewhere from the 80's where garlits had drawn a car that he thought would be great if there was no rules . I think it had 3 wheels or something really streamlined bigger capacity engine .

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

See thats what I mean. T/F is supposed to be the ultimate drag car. Not a Ford, Chevy, ect. but an ALL OUT ACCELERATING machine.

I mean who say's it has to be 300in long?? When Amato came out with the rear wing, it wasn't 7 ft. in the air. Change can be good. Let the masters come up with something, ( I'm sure they would put include safety concerns)

 

[Mooseman]

If you watch this video , its quite interesting how they talk about how nhra wants to go down the spec route .

1320 TV

 

[The Counterfeiter]

The Rodine brothers were instumentally involved with the Gary Ormsby Streamliner of the eighties at EG Composites. These men later started Aerodine Composites Group which has been involved with many of the changes that is now industy standards. Aerodine is currently working on new safety innovations for Top Fuel and Funny car as well as providing key aerodynamic and structural components to a majority of the pro teams.

Kyle - thanks for the history on Aerodine. We were there a couple of weeks ago and got to see their carbon fiber "firewall" for the Mopar FC bodies and some other "stuff".
If you consider the huge improvement in carbon fiber technology in the past 20 years, what these guys could do with a TF body would be amazing!
Obviously, that isn't going to happen because . . . 1.NHRA rules freeze and
2.By the time you paid Aerodine for R&D, a half scale model for wind tunnel testing, molds and production, that really cool body would probably consume
most of your budget for a year -
We can always dream about what could be done!

 

[kd]

The Ormsby streamliner had a few aspects that are now illegal under current TF body rules. The biggie is the complete front-to-rear belly pan...even though said belly pan could have a number of safety functions today. The 2008 fuelers have a defacto belly pan from the driver's feet to behind the engine to protect the driver and retain debris/fluids. By allowing a carbon/kevlar or even titanium belly pan to run from the nose to the tail could help keep a chassis together in the event of catastrophic failure if it were fastened in the right spots.

I recall the lower body lip being rather pronounced on the 'liner. Current rules allow for much less lip. The 'liner's could be construed as "ground effects."

The fairings in front of the rear tires would also fall under scrutiny. The rules call for a 17" x 17" flap. I'd bet the Indy-car style enclosures on GO's body would not fit in that box. I even think in one version those fairings had ground effect tunnels in them.

Check this one out....

Does anyone have a photo of Jim Head's enclosed back-half?

AWESOME RESPONSE!!!!!!.....Mater need more of YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember that car coughing the blower...bouncing of the pavement on parker ave...AND HITTING and WOWWING the top bar off the chicken fence!...Lee's Indy car pals had alot to do with that car!!
GREAT POST DUDE!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

If you watch this video , its quite interesting how they talk about how nhra wants to go down the spec route .

1320 TV

Thanks William, great video, I hadn't seen it.

 

[kd]

I read an article somewhere from the 80's where garlits had drawn a car that he thought would be great if there was no rules . I think it had 3 wheels or something really streamlined bigger capacity engine .

'Blood did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[kd]

The Rodine brothers were instumentally involved with the Gary Ormsby Streamliner of the eighties at EG Composites. These men later started Aerodine Composites Group which has been involved with many of the changes that is now industy standards. Aerodine is currently working on new safety innovations for Top Fuel and Funny car as well as providing key aerodynamic and structural components to a majority of the pro teams.

Danny and Randall Rodine started their business by building Dave schultz' Eagle One Kawasaki motorcycle body which raised the level of construction to what other Pro-Stock motorcycle body manufacturers still can not rival.

As for no one doing off the wall wierd stuff. Sponsors want to be in winners circles not DNQ columms. Jim Head knows how expensive the experimental stuff is he has forfitted many competative years to chase design dreams.

Awesome Quote!...another guy we need to hear more from!!!
Excellent!