Vintage "Altered" cars

[mat777]

I've just been watching some youtube videos of 1960s "Altered" funny cars being restored and driven on the streets over in America. I dont understand the benefit of shortening the wheelbase to makie them altered though? Surely moving the rear axle forwards makes the car far more likely to pivot around it and wheelie under acceleration? Why did they not, if anything, lengthen it?

This is probably a dumb question, I know, but I'm intrigued to find out the answer

thanks,

Matt

[MotorPsycho]

The axles were moved forward for weight distribution to get more weight over the wheels to help traction in the days before sticky wrinkley slicks and prepped tracks

Edited by MotorPsycho on Wednesday 5th September 14:08

[37chevy]

mat777 said:

I dont understand the benefit of shortening the wheelbase to makie them altered though? Surely moving the rear axle forwards makes the car far more likely to pivot around it and wheelie under acceleration?

youve probably just answered your own question!....cos its cool! i know autograss do a similar kind of thing getting as much weight on the rear wheels by putting the engine over the rear axle and having a really short car....they wheelie a lot off the startline but it does get teh power down/help with weight transfer....

...im sure someone far more enlightened will be along here shortly to give the real reason though!

[37chevy]

MotorPsycho said:

The axles were moved forward for weight distribution to get more weight over the wheels to help traction in the days before stinky wrinkley slicks and prepped tracks

oh so i was right then!....first time for everything LOL!

[mat777]

Ah thanks for the clarification! Seems I failed to account for simple physics in my pondering

[37chevy]

mat777 said:

Ah thanks for the clarification! Seems I failed to account for simple physics in my pondering

typical bloke, most of us do that when missing the bowl everyday LOL :-)

[Upatdawn]

mat, if you mean the old FX cars (factory experimental) "altered funny cars" they were steel bodied (generally) and had nowhere near the power of todays AAFC or fuel altereds, i think they were even only burning petrol.....

[Flying Phil]

In fact the moving of the rear - and in some cars also the front axles forward to get the weight distributed more onto the rear wheels was why the name "Funny" came into use - because the looked "Kinda funny" with the altered wheel positions.