History A Fuel Coupes - Don Montgomery '32 3w

Karl, That's why I think it was the same Jack Powers, not a lot of Arduns in the Midwest that I remember. My guess is that he moved to Iowa in the early '60s because I do remember that he lived there when I wrote him (I got his address from Kent Baber, who also ran an Ardun). This is the earliest Powers & Riley car I can find a photo of, in Iowa sometime in the '60s:



If someone knows for sure, let us know.

 

Hi Karl...I think that Drifters car was the one that crashed and burned. Well maybe not burned, but a total mess. Notice the number 231, that was morphed into 23jr for the 35 full fendered coupe... nes

 

Nes....a sad end for them.......

 

Hi Karl...I think that Drifters car was the one that crashed and burned. Well maybe not burned, but a total mess. Notice the number 231, that was morphed into 23jr for the 35 full fendered coupe... nes

Well not the end, but for that one car possibly.

 

I believe this was the Drifter's other car. 1958 OKC Nats.

 

Here are two more of the Drifters Coupe.

 

I wonder what engine and transmission combination would have been in that Drifter's coupe #232? Anybody know? So, it doesn't exist any more, as far as we know?

 

Although I do not know for sure, but The Drifters '35 coupe started life with a flathead,then a Hemi. I guess the 34 had the flathead first.

 

Here are the Drifters in 1957 when they were building the engine and car. I believe that it is a Dodge. It looks like it was set up for 6 carburetors. It would be nice if the car still existed.

 

When the Viet Nam "conflict" was still raging, a pilot at my air base got his orders to SE Asia and on short notice had to dump a radically chopped 33/34 coupe very much like the Drifters # 232. Because our base was a 2 hour drive from the nearest city, he offered it to me for $100. I tried my dangdest to figure out how I could stash it somewhere until after my military tour was up. Couldn't figure anything out and I've kicked myself ever since ( I got my orders to SE Asia just 6 month later, however). Anyway, I'm in love with that Drifters coupe. I, too, hope it's still out there somewhere.

 

I finally found a picture of John Sauer's coupe, not sure if it the one you have or not:

 

296ardun, I love the look of that car. What year would you guess that photo was taken? I am guessing that it is about 1956 or 1957 due to the widened rear rims?? Thanks for posting.

 

The John Sauer Coupe (see picture above) appears to have only 2 door hinges. I think the Fuel coupe in my shop has a bit more chop as well. Thanks for finding and posting the picture, 296ardun!

 

I think it was either '59 or '60. One of the guys who later took photos for Drag News was in my high school photo shop class, and he had a picture of both John Sauer's coupe and the Thayer and Trobee Bantam competition coupe, both taken at Colton. That was the class of '60.

 

I was looking aty an old popular mechanics small mag from 1954 with the article about souping up gmc 270's and there was the pics of the wayne manufacturing 34 3 window coupe that ran 158 at Bonneville fall 53.
the pic of the coupe and one of the engine with 5 carbs, another of howard himself trimming an oil pan to fit in a 50's chevy. I have seen another pic here in some thread that was shot at the same time as the ones in the magazine article from a different angle, but all searching threads has turned up nothing.
there was no mention of the 12 port heads that were being manufactured by that time--just that wayne manufacturing or mcgurk would sell anyone the goods to soup up their gmc .

 

ok I found another pic and the name---The Bill Millons coupe. in the nick arias story article in rod and custom magazine great pic of its glass track nose with only a tiny vertical oval front appature

http://www.hotrod.com/features/history/stories/1206rc-the-nick-arias-jr-story/

 

I'm recovering from surgery so I have lots of time to think about things and over analyze. Let's say I was building a early stripped fuel coupe circa 1952 much like Shinoda's chopstick special. Are there any examples of cars like those from that period that ran a bench seat?

I am looking to get back on my '33 coupe which has no fenders and will be powered by a 284" flathead, cyclone heads, cyclone QC and evans 3x2 intake. I have been day dreaming about the interior but I can't seem to find any examples of guys using a bench seat. Most use surplus aircraft seats but there has to be an exception to that rule?

Anybody have anything on Everett Isrealson's S&B 33 ford? Like interior shots?

This is one of my favorite threads on the HAMB recently. I love hearing about the early days of drag racing which I think is a lost era for guys today building cars.

@Rockerhead ???

 

You can google popular mechanics magazine and view all the back issues on line.

 

I love it love the engine set back

 

Hi Jeffrey James. I don't have any photos of a fuel coupe with a bench seat setup from back in the day. I'm sure someone was doing it like you say. I can visualize it in my mind too and it looks pretty cool. I hope you have a good recovery

 

Here a couple more pictures.

 

I know this is not a fuel coupe but it is too cool not to post here since we know that Don Montomerey's club was the Glendale Coupe and Roadster Club. One of the people looks familiar "Acmo" Mcgoughlin. Rockerhead, please feel free to post if you have more information to share. I like the whole look about it. It has a Cyclone quick change which is what Larry Shinoda also ran. A GMC.

 

The rotofaze coupe still exists today same owner same or better condition. Has an owner made front drive 6-71 , feeding a '36 Caddy V12.

 

97: that Roto-faze coupe is just plain awesome! Thanks for the scoop and pics.

 

What are the things in the rear of the Roto-faze coupe that look like mufflers? Also how many main bearings in that Cad V12? The rear axles don't look like they could take much. But then again traction was less then.

 

Could those "mufflers" be weights for running at the salt?