this summer im running in my first demo derby, ive watched demos all my life since i was a little kid but this is my first time running in one. ive got a mid 70s buick electra with a 400 in it for 40 bucks and it runs. ive been told i have a good car. i was just wondering if anyone could give me any pointers for before or during the demo. thanks.

 

Make sure to bypass the heater core. My uncle didn't do this once and part of the heater core broke open during the race. The hot coolant came flying through the vents and left a few burns.

Also, if the event will allow it, pre-dent the metal around the tires. Hammering it in now could avoid the chance that someone hits a fresh body panel and pierces a tire.

 

You will want to weld the rear gears up so they are posi (if it is allowed), I found that you may want to notch the top of the frame behind the rear wheels with a torch, this will allow the rear to bend upward instead of down and plowing into the ground.

If possible, after notching the frame, put a chain behind the rear window, hook a truck to each end, and pull it really tight. then take a hi-lo or some other piece of heavy equipment and bend the rear of the car up a little to be sure that it goes up when hit and not down.

Take the mechanical fan off and add an electric fan, remove the brackets holding the radiator in and replace them with some rubber straps...this will help keep the radiator from being destroyed when hit in the front. also double clamp the radiator hoses so they dont blow off when you overheat it.

Thats all I can think of right now, good luck.

 

It won't be called a posi when it's welded like that. Posi is chevy's term for a limited slip differential (Ford's is called traction lok). If you weld the gears like that it'll be like a spool and both tires will have to spin at the same speed. Since your on dirt I assume, good idea.

 

Naturally, protect your front end. This means cooling and steering. Use your back bumper to take out the competition; go for their front wheels to disable steering and to drive their radiator into the fan. Olds Tornados make good demo derby cars, but again they are vulnerable to being smacked in the front tires, so if ya back into one make sure you hit it extra hard to hopefully disable the FWD and kill it.

If allowed, open up the area around the tires to get the metal away from them. Also, if allowed mount your raditor on top of the car with an electric fan. If the derby is such that everyone starts with their front to the wall, hold back a few seconds to let some "targets" get into the arena and create some chaos. However, be aware that you cannot hang out forever while the competition get's eliminated and then you go for the kill; I've always seen a time limit.

 

Watch out for the "Melachi Crunch"...!

 

Car and Driver magazine had a good "how to" article I think last summer for demo derby preparation.

May be worth digging up a copy.

Good Luck and wear your helmet.

Jim Henderson

 

Buy a lot of bengay or similar item. You are going to need it. LOL.

 

When the Buick's dead, replace it with an Imperial. These cars are legendary around demo derbies. In fact, a lot of the midwestern tracks have BANNED them because they kept winning and no one could stop them. Best years are '64 through '68.

 

I always weld the doors, trunklid and fenders all together. It makes the car a lot stronger. I use 5 1" bolts to hold the hood down, 1 in the center front, 1 at each side on the front and one one each side half way back on the hood. With the bolts you can suck the hood down below the tops of the fenders which makes the fenders a lot stronger. I remove the stock rad mounts and just use bungee straps so the rad can move a bit without breaking. I also put a bunch of stop leak in the rad before it needs it too.
Old 6 or 8 ply winter tires are a lot better than car tires.
Two batteries and retarding the timing makes it start better when it's hot.
Crank up the idle speed a ways.
Get rid of the stock shifter linkage and just use a rod through the floor. Put a 90 degree bend on the end of the rod so it cant hurt you
I add a second ignition and starter switch too in case the key wont turn.
The foam out of one of the seats you remove makes a good cushion on the driver's door. I usually just silicone it on.

 

If you can find them to fit put 16" rear wheels on. Use 7.50 -16 bias ply truck tires, the kind with the real deep mud lugs on them. Run about 60 psi in them, better traction and not so prone to blowouts.

If not at least put tubes in your back tires, won't go flat as easy, use good ground grips. I would still recomend bias tires, they have stronger side walls than radials.

Have fun, great way to spend an afternoon.