Crate Motor Class

[Birch motor cars]

Originally Posted by Brandon Peterson

I've never understood why NHRA stocker drivers hate us crate motor cars so much.......its like we aren't good enough we are the poor people that can't get into the good resturants.....not trying to start anything just wondering why all yall hate it so bad

Im with you brother, they act as if we are not worthy. If they think they dont have crate motors they are kidding them selves, there motors are as crate as ours ours. They built them just like we built ours, with a parts list from the same rule book. The complainers must want the class to die the way I look at it. Im building a 350 330hp crate right now and proud to say it !!!

[Rory McNeil]

Really?! You think NHRA Stock Eliminator will die without allowing crate motor classes in to muddy the waters?
According to my most recent Nitro Joe Stats book (July 2017 edition), IHRA Stock total car count for 1/8th mile events was 116 cars, of which 37 were crate engine classes. For 1/4 mile events, there was a total of 54 cars in Stock (all classes), with TWO crate motor cars! (by the way, at 1/8th mile events, there was a whopping FIVE Pure Stockers and in 1/4 mile ONE Pure Stocker.
By comparision, the same time period showed a total of 1081 Stockers were entered in NHRA events. Maybe a bit lower than in past years, but hardly withering on the vine, even without Create Motor, Pure Stock, Stock GT, or seperate FI classes.
Also, saying that a Crate motor is exactly the same as NHRA Stocker engine is ridiculous. Although NHRA has allowed SOME combinations to use approved aftermarket cylinder heads, or similar configuration carburators, and in a few cases intake manifolds, it is hardly the same as IHRA Crate engines which can be mostly built from aftermarket pieces right out of the Summit or Jegs catalog.

[KEN BUGAJ]

Xx

[Birch motor cars]

Originally Posted by KEN BUGAJ

I had the 350/330 crate motor, the short block is the same as any 350/255 or 290 NHRA . I bought the heads and intake from Jegs. It had a Holley carb. Did a valve job and added springs. That was it. Believe me it was a lot more stock than those $5000.00 head and intake jobs running in NHRA. lol. You can bet if GM,Ford & Mopar told NHRA they would like to see create motor cars out there, They would be out there !

Amen !!! I bought a complete 350ci 330hp crate from Jeg's and all I have to do is add my cam, springs, lifters, intake and carb and its ready to go. Still all this bickering needs to stop, grow up tighten your belt and go race your car and enjoy yourself.

[Larry Hill]

Love the top stock days until it got sold, never was much of a player but did have lane choice on occasion. You got a good start on an engine just need to finish it up with a little factory cast iron. Its amazing what can be done in your own shop. "All the experts don't live out of town"

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Larry Hill

You got a good start on an engine just need to finish it up with a little factory cast iron.

A little factory cast iron? Oh,oh,oh,yeah, we're talking about a Chevy.

[PozQB14]

Originally Posted by Rory McNeil

Really?! You think NHRA Stock Eliminator will die without allowing crate motor classes in to muddy the waters?
According to my most recent Nitro Joe Stats book (July 2017 edition), IHRA Stock total car count for 1/8th mile events was 116 cars, of which 37 were crate engine classes. For 1/4 mile events, there was a total of 54 cars in Stock (all classes), with TWO crate motor cars! (by the way, at 1/8th mile events, there was a whopping FIVE Pure Stockers and in 1/4 mile ONE Pure Stocker.
By comparision, the same time period showed a total of 1081 Stockers were entered in NHRA events. Maybe a bit lower than in past years, but hardly withering on the vine, even without Create Motor, Pure Stock, Stock GT, or seperate FI classes.
Also, saying that a Crate motor is exactly the same as NHRA Stocker engine is ridiculous. Although NHRA has allowed SOME combinations to use approved aftermarket cylinder heads, or similar configuration carburators, and in a few cases intake manifolds, it is hardly the same as IHRA Crate engines which can be mostly built from aftermarket pieces right out of the Summit or Jegs catalog.

10 years ago the 350/330 was using a vortec head that you can literally find on Craigslist for a couple hundred bucks. 10 year from today, the 350/330 will be using the same head. As a current CM racer, I can promise I'll never ask IHRA or "maybe" nhra to approve a bogus aluminum cylinder head even though there is the 350/385 that runs one but the specs of the engine are much different. Only aftermarket stuff you really need is maybe a block which is very unnecessary (mine is a stock 350 .060 4 bolt main, nothing special) Actually bought it off Craigslist for $250 then had it decked and honed. Got lucky it was a decent piece. most use a victor jr and a holley 750. Some guys might get crazy with the trick ring package, not me. Way to expensive and not worth it. These are not fancy or special engines. At farmington this past wknd I literally rolled off the trailer, put gas in and went to staging cause I was in a hurry (barely had time to check tire pressure which was a little low) to make a pass and still went low 6.60's.
It's a low maintenance engine that can go 100's of runs before a freshen up, as is the 350/385 with aluminum heads with a larger cam ect...

It's very simple, guys that have 25-30k in there rockets can't handle getting put on the trailer by a low budget CM. It's a pride thing. But really, when the light turns green, are you not going to go because the other guy has a crate motor?

Funny thing is, the best sportsman racer in the history of drag racing has no problem mixing it up with IHRA guys as well as numerous other guys that were even at Indy this year in stock, some who were even class winners. Simply put, if you're a racer then strap up and race regardless of your opoonents combo. If you build a car for the prestige, go to Barret Jackson.

[Rory McNeil]

A Victor single plane race intake and a Holley 750 (likely a double pumper too?) Sounds like about 2/3rds of the cars in Pro Bracket. I dount that too many NHRA racers are concerned about one of the dozen or so crate motor cars putting them on the trailer, since they are not NHRA legal anyhow, and I doubt they ever will be.

[KEN BUGAJ]

Xx

[goinbroke2]

Stocker:
Aftermarket rods, pistons, crank, cam, chain, lifters, roller rockers, valves, retainers and locks, headers, waterpump, damper, elec fan, batt...should I go on?

Crate:
Aftermarket rods, pistons, crank, cam, chain, lifters, roller rockers, valves, retainers and locks, headers, waterpump, damper, elec fan, batt

The difference? Crate motors have a different # on the intake/carb. The head is still a specific number and needs to fit those specs.

I have the parts for a M/CM if I ever get around to building it, but I'm also keeping an eye out for parts to build it as a U/SA. (of course one of those contentious 302 2bbls lol)

There are NO older cars/parts here in the rust belt. I had to drive 2 hr's to meet a guy at a truck stop to get my GT40P heads!
79 302 heads/intake and carb? Are you kidding me??? That's ebay or ordering from the States. And cast iron heads and intake ordered on line?? no postal fees there huh?