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tbran 
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Paris Tn
Points: 3409
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 Topic: Billet Blocks
Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 8:38am |
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Saw an interview with a NFMS New Holland tractor owner. Pro-stock. Mentioned billet iron and aluminum blocks. Max CI per rules. Wonder what the cost would be for a billet block - customer cylinder head, crank, rods, pistons etc ? Component chassis, the limited pro had to have only an IH bell housing. And this is 'tractor pulling' ? Would suggest it is simply modified class with tractor sheet metal. My argument is from the 'stands' the folk that pay, it was much more entertaining in the '70's and early 80's over today - at least to this fan. It is like any other sport - money, money and more money over individual talent.
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When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money..
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DrAllis
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Points: 21036
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Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 8:46am |
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I remember talking to Dana Monson 25 or more years ago. He used to pull an IH twin Turbo Super Stocker on the NTPA circuit. He finally quit because of the $$$$ required to keep up. He said that most fans in the stands couldn't tell if a tractor was turning the rear wheels 45 mph or 75 mph, and that's all the more $$$ and HP did.
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tbran
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Paris Tn
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Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 10:22am |
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My point exactly. Like story with NASCAR.
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When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money..
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DrAllis
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
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Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 11:07am |
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Today's heavy weight Super Stock diesel NTPA caliber tractors have to make 4500 HP to be a winner. Then, there is the Ross Family tractor, a McCormick looking sheet metal tractor called "Triple-Bypass" (3 turbos) that is reportedly making right at the 5,000 HP number. And when you see him run, you would believe it. They have to have billet blocks and cranks !!! Google: Colin Ross Triple Bypass in the sand NFMS
Edited by DrAllis - 19 Feb 2025 at 11:07am
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PaulB
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Rocky Ridge Md
Points: 4858
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Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 3:06pm |
Calling them Super-Stocks is about like putting puppies in the oven and calling them biscuits. Truth is they are modifieds, there are hardly any "TRACTOR" parts on them.
I'm not saying they aren't impressive, they most certainly are. There's just nothing except the hoods and a single 6 or 8 cylinder engine to resemble a TRACTOR. Back in the early 80s the rule change to allow a "component tractor" should have never happened. I understand the desire to build some reliability into them, however making everything work within the constraints of a true "tractor" is impressive in its own right.
Also the big money factor has killed the individuality and ingenuity as most everyone buys their ready to run or parts from the same places.
This started in the late 70s when many also-ran racers got into pulling. Here locally we all were putting a junkyard V8 into a fencerow tractor and we were all having fun. My last year of running a modified I had 2 blown injected engines that needed to be rebuilt and then add a 3rd just to keep up with the the east coast region of NTPA.
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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY
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HudCo
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Joined: 29 Jan 2013
Location: Plymouth Utah
Points: 3667
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Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 8:50pm |
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i have to agree with everything every one has said, pullers from the the 70s trips my trigger because they are still farm tractors that were souped up with tractor parts. but race on sunday and sell on monday is gone. even this antquie pullers is getting way out thier cost wise with billit this and billit that
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DaveKamp
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Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Location: LeClaire, Ia
Points: 5850
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Posted: 21 hours 39 minutes ago at 5:38am |
I have no idea why people use the term 'billet' for so many 'performance' parts...
There's ingots, blooms, billets, and slabs... all part of the raw material metallurgy process, and production of materials in the EARLY stage, they'd never be used raw...
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 32336
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Posted: 19 hours 20 minutes ago at 7:57am |
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Local farm near to here, was big into pulling and drag tractors, got so far into that had to be sponsored to achieve enough cash beyond where he could impart, sad part is it all fell apart, bad year at farm, at crop recovery, barn fire, so many machine debts lost it all. Went to Auction mid month and all has left is a small house a pickup and some odds and ends. Not certain if the family went or if still around.
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DougG
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Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Location: Mo
Points: 8198
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Posted: 15 hours 12 minutes ago at 12:05pm |
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I hear ya Dave- back in the 80,s I seen a sale bill in the paper of a complete farm auction - had a hot ONE EIGHTY on it- was around your area- ran all over the country as the farm fell apart,,
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