Build your own derby HEADERS!!!

 Ok so you want to build a set of headers for your derby car,


        Things you'll need before you get started 1a welder perferably a mig 2 a sawzall or jigsaw wichever you like to call it 3 a welding table 4 Cardboard ( to make a template) 5 Sharpie or some kind of marker to mark so you can make your cuts. 6 header bolts ( found at the local auto store) 7 Header plates( which you can make yourself or you can have the weld shop make them for you since you will need about 1/4inch plate to  make the plates) 8 most importan 8 prebent pipes ( found at your local exhuast shop have them bent to a 45deg. angle, as far as size for the pipes i went with 2 1/2 inch)

        Things you should know before getting your pipe messure how tall you want your exhust to be at the bend. (If you can get prebent pipe elswhere feel free to do so im just giving the basic advice as simple as possiable)
        So asuming you have your header plate go ahead and bolt it to your car exhaust ports, take your card board and make a trace of 1 of your exhaust pipes and trim your template to fit into your engine bay. Now depending on what type of engie your working with and how you want your exhaust to go you may need to make some adjustments as seen in the video below. Once you have your template made go ahead and lay it on your exhaust pipe take your maker and draw your line, then go ahead and take your sawzall and cut your pipe, check to be sure your pipe fits before cutting your next pipe.Once the first pipe checks out cut the next 3 ( the other side of the motor may be a lil diff so you will have to check to be sure you template fits the way you want it to)
       So now you have your pipes all cut the next part may require a few extra hands and eyes. 1st person will tack your pipe 2nd person will stedy the pipe in the right location , and the 3rd person will watch from a far to see if the elignment of your pipe is straight or in the direction you want it in. (note to self the extra people just make it easier you can do with out!!!)

         So all thats left once you've tacked all your pipes unbolt your header and finish your welds on your welding table.

             Lastly bolt your headers on after cooling(you can put a cassgate on or not ) Fire up the car and enjoy your handy work!!!!


Check it out:    https://youtu.be/QyGMFK0qvm4

first things first!

    Ok so before i get to the how to things i figure you should know a lil bit about me. My name is Kole im from Leb. Pennsylavania and i have been doing demo derby's since 2005 wich ya you could say isn't a very long time but i have learend so much in that time period from upgrade's from previous build's to tips from other local drivers.

        what started me into demo's 2 things i have always been facinated by people who would purposly ram there car's into one another(bumber cars one of my fav rides at hershey park) One year before i started my Brother drove a 1987 ford crown victorio at the local derby and it inspried me to the point( hey if he can do why can't I ) As time went on i was i need of a senior project (which is a project that you had to first get approved and then prestent it as well before you could graduate) and it had to be something other then your job, there where kids who did car buliding baby sitting community service ect. Well befor i could submitt a project i needed to know that i had one, lucky for me I had a brother with an eye and connections to finding a derby car.

           Right around as school had started he call's me up and say's hey i found a car (1979 ford thunderbird) So my brother and I went to go buy the car it ran and drove wich was a bounus since i didnt have a trailer at the time we talked with the owner who said he will sell it for $200, (this is why it pays to know people) My brother say's give you $100 for it and we will put you on as a sponership. He agreed and sold to me for $100. the car was mine but now i had to get it approved by my senior advisor in order to make it a project.
            So now i had to write out a resume and submit it, after i submittited it all i could do is wait. after a couple weeks I had it returnted to me with the approvel stamp (I was about to do the cooliest project ever )

           As it goes when it came to presenting my project i passed and graduated the fowlling year ask for how did i do in the demo well see for yourselfs and you be the judge

                                                    http://youtu.be/rxC6OQHxYPA

Running a derby car without a RADIATOR???

           If your looking at the tittle your probly thinking Ya right! There is no way you can run a car without a rad. the engine would overheat. Well im here to share a tip with you that few driver's use probably becasued there affraid it wont work.
      Now there are 2 ways you can run a derby car without a rad, 1st way run on alcohol. Now of course that probably is the more expensive way of running with out that rad. 2nd and probably more ideal for the average driver would be to run what is called a hot box.

      Now a hot box simply put is when you bypass your waterpump pully and install a loop in place of the radiator   

   Next before you hook up your loop (and this is a homade one you can by something very similar at almost any auto parts store)

    Lastly you have to options either you can take your thermostat out or you can gut it (entirely up to you) now if for what ever reason you cant bypass the waterpump then you should only gut the thermostat.

   Now as far as fluids go you can go with anti freez or water, my preference is a mix of water and oil, but some people are affraid of a fire break out once your engine gets hot, but it works for me and sicne its used its' free typicly i use hydrolic oil but this is all preference. Just to note best part on runing with oil you dont have to winterize your car's engine in the winter and it lubricates your core rather then rusting it out.

Regardless what fluid you use be sure your rad neck has working over flow stem



As you can see 4.55 min.  THAT HURTS LIKE HELL!!! Scolding hot water shot on me because the rad hose exploded mainly becasue the water needed to go some where once it was hot and since apperently nothing was coming out of the over flow naturally it made its way out.

     Well I hope now to see some more of you guys runin these hot boxes I mean lets face it beats havein to wonder if your rad is gonna get punctured or not and it alows you to use the front end  of your car alot more (not suggesting you should only use the front end of your car but the font half is normally stronger then the back end.

  Well thats it if you have any comments or questions feel free to post on here im going to countinue to keep this stuff comin and let me know.