Maybe remove the front bumper, but otherwise this thing is my idea of a dual threat machine. Molydate Orange, love the color!
I knew both Eric and Rex and considered them both friends. When I built my 1st gasser Eric spent many hours teaching me how to rebuild a Muncie, how to set up a Pontiac rear axle and modify a stock Delco distributor. He was a true genius and great source of information. Unfortunately he passed way too soon. The sixties were a true period of great drag car innovation and both Eric and Rex were right in the middle of the action.
Hadn't seen that one before; thanks a bunch for putting it up here. It's perfect. I think somebody needs to build it.
Yeah, just a perfect combination of performance and looks. Now onto my usual question; Does it still exist??? It would be quite a garage find-if someone doesn't already have it.
My dad and his buddies used Rex Carson's 400 HP chassis dyno to tune our old Panneton Christensen & Jones B/Gas 56. Eric's 56 was B I T C H E N! I wonder where it is today?
Generally the '56s don't get the lovin' the other trifives get but it's my favorite and this one was just right. To me the '55s were a little on the plain side and the '57s were a little too fancy for me - just my opinion.
I'm just a little biased, but I still think the 1956 Chevrolet is the best looking car of all time. OK, I've only had 10 of them. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
"by 1968 the car was running the dual-quad 412" Timing is interesting and gives some background on how long it took BBC to come into favor. Maybe these guys just liked the W engine better. I wasn't around but am interested in hearing when 396, 427 really took hold with racers.
Interesting that you mention this. I've been keeping a close eye on this thread where a similar question was raised. I'm anxious to hear some more input from the guys who were in the thick of things in the mid-to-late-'60s.
It is interesting, I think that the bigger is better mentality came into play when the 396, 427 started to be easy to pick up. However there was and are W engine die hards, even today. I would also like to hear some history on this subject.
This car is perfection....not over stated.not gaudy,simple clean and mean.10 out of 10. Performance and beauty are walking hand in hand
The 396/427 "Porcupine" engines as they were also called, (because the canted valve springs looked like the quills of a Porcupine, with the valve covers off), were popular right away. The 1963 Mystery Motor that Smokey Yunick ran sealed that. However, the first year of the 396 (1965) was plagued with valve train related issues, so the engine made some a little gun shy, but by the time the 427 showed up in 1967, most would take 1 427 for 3 409's. Just like there were many who didn't want to abandon their flat heads when, the small block Chevy arrived in 1955, many came around when their souped up flatties got whipped by stock 4 barrel 265's with dual exhaust.
Yea the 409s were a very popular swap. As I remember the Rat motors came in around the late 60s early 70s. You could get a 409 alot cheaper.
What's not to like about that one. The clean look comes from the radius job and minimal lettering / decals. Plus the wheels!
In 69 I was 21..[sounds like a Jackson Brown song lyric] and where I lived on the west coast, the 409 had been supplanted by the "new" big block chevy motor. I remember Eddie Brown had a straight axle 64 malibu with a 409/Powerglide but my buddy Monte had a 56 chevy tudor with a cammed up 396/400 turbo that was lots quicker...jus sayin. BTW, my 56 150 tudor [1970] was as straight as the one in the photo but mine had a 235 with an iron 'glide...not a wailer.
Why do I want to say I've seen color photos of this car in another thread here on the HAMB? Don't know if it is in the Jr Stock thread or one of the many tri-five threads... hmmm. Maybe the head-cheese between someone else's ears works better than mine at knowing where it was...
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