Author Topic: What mower to get nuts with...  (Read 5625 times)

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Offline LonnieD

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What mower to get nuts with...
« on: August 23, 2006, 07:43:11 pm »
At our motorcycle club (Reading Motorcycle Club) , We have a winter party and to kill time , we are going to have lawn mower races . we will be having 2 classes , stock (up to 20 hp) and modified (up to 20 hp and must start with a stock mower and motor. I am planning on using a vanguard v twin motor but am not sure what I should be looking for as far as a lawn mower . Heres a couple I have found locally for 50 bucks or less..
old Ford LGT 17 twin cylinder mower w/4 speed
Craftsman 10HP w/36" deck
Murray 16.5 "wide body" mower 42" deck 6 speed
Murray 12.5 38" deck 5 speed

Modified class , really anything goes , soooo Im looking at putting on micro sprint tires and rims and a 500cc roots style superchager with a 16 hp vanguard v twin motor .

whats the suggestions everyone !!!!
There is at least 5 or 6 of us that are going nuts , one buddy is adding nos to his .....

Offline mowdak1

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What mower to get nuts with...
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2006, 09:43:57 pm »
IMHO!

The old Ford would likely be the least desirable... probably have a heavier chassis, as in possibly too heavy. Most likely to have an undesirable Manufacturer Transaxle. Also probably the highest center of gravity.

Craftsman - dependent on age could be a good one, if it's a newer AYP Chassis, the older Craftsman mowers again get into an issue with higher center of gravity.

The Murray wide body is a fairly popular chassis among some Lawn Mower Racers. Others don't hold it in quite as high a regard because it's built a little on the light side.

The Murray 12.5 I assume is a little older machine, has a very durable stamped chassis, and offers a great deal of potential. There are a good many of them running the lawn mower circuits around the country. However, in the USLMRA they wouldn't be seen with the V-Twin as it didn't come as a stock configuration.

If you guys are going to build you might consider building to a local clubs specs however, so you can join and run with the others! Once you start it gets in your blood, and you'll want to do it all the time!

Offline mowfast1

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« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2006, 11:40:55 pm »
AMEN, Modak1 said it all when he said it gets in your blood.You'll be a mower racer in no time!!!!!!
Get R Done!
Mowfast racing #32

Offline LonnieD

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« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2006, 11:29:10 am »
Well , for now this is just for fun to waist time in the winter , I race a blown injected 1500cc kawasaki car tire dragbike on alky , my 18 year old son races a car tire 1260cc dragbike and my 11 year old daughter races a junior dragbike with a 16hp vanguard v twin, so there isnt much time in the summer to do anything else (dont forget we need to do a few family weekend not involving racing) to keep the wife happy !!! :O)
So the wide body so far is the best to get nuts with? Machining or fabrication is not an issue I have plenty of equipement to do what needs to be done , just point me in the right direction !
Thanks everyone and keep it comming.
Lonnie
www.DeTurckRacing.dragbikecentral.com

Offline TooTall

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« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2006, 02:55:02 pm »
Mowdak....doesn't the USLMRA rulebook say the engine has to be in the original orientation?I can't see where it says you have to run a combination that was factory original.I.E. a v-twin in an older Murray chassis in a prepared class wouldn't be allowed.

Offline Steven J

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« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2006, 03:46:11 pm »
i would run the craftsman thats what i run for my racer in soltra's modified class with a 6.5 inch pulley to a 3 and it goes 53kph with a transaxle with a locked diffrential

Offline mowdak1

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« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2006, 05:33:21 pm »
Quote from: "TooTall"
Mowdak....doesn't the USLMRA rulebook say the engine has to be in the original orientation?I can't see where it says you have to run a combination that was factory original.I.E. a v-twin in an older Murray chassis in a prepared class wouldn't be allowed.


You would be correct TooTall...  Must have been an older rule that has since been modified. When I bought my pile of craftsman parts that are lying under my bench in the garage, the guys told me the 11 hp in it wasn't real good for an SP build, but the same model mower was available in a 12 hp so I could move up. My Bad!!

The only thing that would likely prevent using it would be that you can't chop the body panels, nor can you alter external appearance of the engine, aside from breather, exhaust, and of course the flywheel, and I don't know if you could squeeze a V-Twin under an old Murray hood.  :wink:

Offline TooTall

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« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2006, 10:01:55 pm »
Never say never...actually I was only using that as an example Mowdak 8)

Offline LonnieD

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« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2006, 05:40:09 pm »
Just picked up the Murray for 69 bucks off of ebay , and its only 10 miles from home , looks really clean . Cant go wrong....

Offline mowdak1

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« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2006, 07:34:31 pm »
Well there's nothing saying you can't build 2 - 3 of them either, you know!