I believe it was a GMC 8-71 but they also built Ingenue with a 8-71 (notice the theme,lol?) 430 Wildcat Buick and I think that was different. Here's info: Says 7.67 @ 198 right off the trailer in '68...here's the shorter 158" w/b "Blue Car",also 8-71 powered with dad's unique hand built scoop...this car was built in late '66 and they decided more w/b was needed: Comp dragster...circa 1965,Wedge powered and again...there's that 8-71...That's Steve Malise (who owned Mid-County Buick in Brooklyn) and was partners with my dad (tall guy in the middle) in Brooklyn,Speed & Machine were all the cars were fabricated: Steve wishes he had this car back...all their pieces were super sano: Here it is at Cecil County: Steve Malise far left,John Levins far right,his car is in the foreground and the Malise & Lipori car is behind: Don't know who's car but that's Billy Lynch in the passenger seat: Billy on the left,Steve on the right...Billy always had that far away stare going on... And here she is today waiting to come off that wall and make some noise...Tom Hanna magnesium body:
Tony Nancy's T/G Chevy. Originally powered by an Olds (Century Olds sponsored the car), it just didn't have the beans, so the Chevy went in!
IN 1965 Bolthoff had broken the national AA/GD speed record three times and consistently ran in the 190 range. In fact he held track records at Lions Drag Strip, Inyokern, Fontana and Riverside. On the national level he held the record at Indianapolis Raceway Park and Milan, Michigan.
The "Rat Now" dragster of Dick Hand, and driver Bernie Tumlinson out of Vancouver,Wa. Dickson chassis.
Pete Robinson and the Tinker Toy Too ran Top Gas in the mid 60's as well with his Cammer powered Woody dragster. It was also ran with Windsor Ford power.
I was kinda skeptical when I suggested it, figured it would get polluted. Seems to be working out pretty good though.
It was falcongeorge's idea! It's amazing and sad that the web has almost nothing on top gas racing. NHRA doesn't even have a list of 60's winners!!! Great cars and teams everyone knew fading FAST into obscurity. If we don't preserve this history it's lost forever! Interestingly, the ONLY history that remains is the printed word, magazines of the era. The vaunted miracle of the web falls flat on it's ass! Top Gas WAS a huge deal, right there with fuel.
There wasn't a minimum weight in the mid 60's. There were dragsters as light as 800 some pounds, WITH a Chrysler hemi.
From the Kent Fuller site: " George Bolthoff with his Fuller Chassis Blown Chevy Gas Dragster lifting the wheels @ Lions. Fuller hung the nick name "Bolt Loose" on George.
especially in the late sixties, when (twin engine) giants walked the earth... I just LOVE blown gas motors, the sound, and the black smoke when they blip the throttle. Alky motors seem so, I don't know, civilized I guess. Blown injected carbon burners are really primal beasts...
You could show a photo of a T/G car to (many)people and ask them what it was and more than likely, they would say "that's a F/E Top Fueler".
The Jalopy Journal
