2021 DB RACECARS FRONTENGINE DRAGSTER

HE HAD A HEALTHY REPUTATION FOR DESTROYING REAR TYRES — SOMEWHAT OF A FAMILY TRAIT

ENGINE: 509ci big block Chevrolet, grout-filled bowtie block, 6.38-inch Brooks alloy rods, 4.5-inch Arias pistons, steel four-inch stroke blower crank, Dart 360 alloy heads, PSI valve springs, custom roller cam, Harland Sharp roller rockers, BDS blower manifold, 14-71 Kobelco Superman blower, JBR carbon-fibre four-blade hat injector, alloy fuel tank, cam-driven Enderle 110 fuel pump, K-style barrel valve, Speedflow fittings, Mallory Super-Mag III magneto, Mallory coil, PSI rev limiter, MSD 8.5mm leads, custom zoomies

DRIVELINE: Dedenbear SFI-cased Powerglide, 10-pack clutch, transbrake, SFI-rated 14-inch 168-tooth flex plate, shortened nine-inch diff, Romac floating hubs, 35-spline Romac axles, Strange nodular iron head, Mark Williams quick-release coupler SUSPENSION: Solid welded Mark Williams front axle, Strange spindle mounts, solid-mounted rear end

BRAKES: Custom pedal, Wilwood master cylinder and reservoir, JFZ twin-pot rear calipers, Romac brake rotors, Simpson parachute

WHEELS/TYRES: (F) 17x2-inch Hayden Enterprises, Kenda 17x2¼-inch; (R) 15x10-inch Rocket Injectors, 33x12x15 Hoosier slicks

EXTERIOR: Custom alloy body, Harley-Davidson tail light, 3M vinyl wrap CHASSIS: 175-inch chromoly chassis, SFI-spec cage

INTERIOR: Custom seat, alloy butterfly steering wheel, B&M shifter, Auto Meter tacho, Auto Meter gauges, custom fuel shut-off lever, custom parachute lever, custom pedals, DJ Safety five-point harness

During the ensuing eight years, the car would progress sporadically as life allowed and things like house purchases and the birth of daughter Heidi took priority. During this time, Dion also owned more than his fair share of decent street cars, some of which had a healthy reputation for destroying rear tyres — somewhat of a family trait. Slowly but surely, the FED progressed though, utilising plenty of help from family members and friends alike. One of those friends was fellow drag racer and Lower Hutt local Aaron Thomas. Being known as the go-to guy for any aluminium fabrication work, Aaron was called in to create all the aluminium body panels that the car now wears. At first glance, the bodywork may look simple, but the compound curves around the nose cone, screen, and parachute area were anything but.

“The day I picked it up happened to be my birthday and what a birthday present it was! He got the body exactly the way I had envisioned it,” states Dion proudly. Although the build took much longer than ever imagined, the vision remained the same the whole time — although

somehow the power figures that Dion was aiming for did take a dramatic jump along the way. The key to this was being offered a deal that was simply too good to turn down — something to which Dion’s partner and car co-owner Zara will attest. That deal was for the Kobelco Superman blower and carbon-fibre hat off Bert King’s Top Alcohol dragster — yes, his six-second dragster — and saw the old 6-71 and Hilborn hat removed from the 509ci big block that Dion had pieced together with Gary and family friend Grant Benvenuti in the shed.

Although the engine was purchased with the original chassis, not much remains of the original combo apart from the grout-filled bowtie block. During the freshen-up, the guys filled the bores with 6.38-inch Brooks alloy rods along with 4.5-inch Arias pistons and a steel four-inch stroke crank. Atop these are Dart 360 alloy heads filled with PSI valve springs and Harland Sharp roller rockers that work in conjunction with a custom roller cam.

That giant supercharger on top is now matched with a Blower Drive Service (BDS) blower manifold and uses a cam-driven Enderle 110 fuel pump with K-style barrel valve for fuelling.

IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE HE’S RUNNING THE NUMBERS HE’S ALWAYS HOPED TO

The ignition utilises a Mallory Super-Mag III magneto, Mallory coil, and MSD 8.5mm leads for optimum spark, and, like the rest of the car, was wired up by Grant. The finishing touches to the engine combo were a PSI rev limiter, Speedflow fittings, and a set of custom zoomies that, while not quite what Dion was after, came with the original motor. To make them look the part until they can be replaced, the zoomies have been ceramic coated by Elite Powder Coating in Christchurch to give them a shiny look. Dion laughs that they are too old and pitted to be chromed, but for now, while money is tight, they’ll simply have to do.

Sometime during the build, the idea of running a clutched gearbox was dropped, and a much more sensible Powerglide auto was decided on. Local Hutt Valley drag racer Allan Harvey had a Dedenbear SFI-cased ’glide for sale that was soon converted to a ‘shorty’ ’glide with a short-tail housing to work within the car. The back of the trans is connected directly to the front of the car’s shortened nine-inch diff through a coupler system. While the diff is filled with 35-spline Romac axles, a Strange nodular iron head, and Romac floating hubs, the most important part is apparently the cover that sits across the back to protect Dion’s crown jewels when he’s seated just behind it.

Throughout the build, the car retained its raw aluminium body, but all along there were far greater plans for it before it hit the track. With Dion being a painter by trade, you’d think he would paint the car, but since he and brother Aidan are both currently working as signwriters at Dzine Signs, they decided to vinyl wrap it instead. The design itself was created by fellow drag racer Jason Robertson and uses a purple 3M wrap film called Gloss Plum Explosion as a base. On top of this, the lads applied a printed graphic scheme that was topped off with gold pinstriping. Plenty of work went into the design, printing, and application of the graphics to try to give it a paint-job look, and it worked perfectly. Thanks to the colours that have been used, Zara christened the car ‘The Siren’ due to its mermaid look and, of course, the fact that it’s loud.

It wasn’t until March this year that the car finally made the right noises on the track. Dion self-proclaims that he was a bit rusty behind the butterflies — although, having raced dragsters since age six, we’re sure it won’t be long before he’s running the numbers he’s always hoped to. Now, with the car complete, he’s got time to get back in the garage and get a car sorted for the next generation of Crook racers! It’d be only fair, after all.