History going full circle [Photos added]

Guys I,m 75 and it has been a good rodding journey of 60 years and not over yet, however things are slowing down a lot.The journey for me begins around 1956 as a helper to my older brother and I had to have A model sedan (1931) and had to have a 59AB in it and at that point the trip started. Next car was a 1928 A Ford sedan with a 286 flat head in it and had a blast with this this one little over 90 in the quarter at around 15.25 et. not fast but fun. Remember .this is the very early 1960.s Next car our version of a K88 with a 265 Chevy in it and that was a sour attempt. Next car was 23 T altered with a fair flat head in it. Ran best at 109 mph 12.65 et. . Next a Hudson 6 in the same chassis 99 at 13. 40 et. Next 1965, a 292 Chevy six in the same chassis at at 125 and 10.65 et and held some AHRA records with this.Time far a slingshot with the old flatty in it .Ran 112 with it at12.11 et and then we put a 394 Olds in it and around 130 with et in mid 10s. Time for some more Altereds, this time we ventured into a grey world by building a 310 cu.in. Chevy with a Boss 302 head head conversion.Ran this only in the eighth mile at 118 and 6.32 et an later a 327 in it. 1991 built another altered with my brother with a 383 Chevy . Never drove this car due to work, however was a helper and tuner. This was in the 1990s In 2000 started looking at retirement from mining bought a Ford 29 glass roadster body and built a roadster of about 1960 era with a 313 cu. in. flathead in it, with a a powerglide as us older guys do not like to push a clutch pedal.High 12s and 105 in the quarter and still have this car. currently Also in 2004 or so helped a young friend build a slingshot with a small block Chevy in it. about2007 built a chassis for a sling shot with a 427 Ford cammer in it with blower and Enderly injection on top. Due to the value of the engine this is only a cackle fest car I am involved now with restoring our 1965 chassis to itself in the good old days The glass 23 T body is still in the family on another car. Shit man I need a snooz.Will update on the restoration.

 

You have made a very interesting life adventure..... God Bless You !
I hope you can upload some pictures of any of your Hot Rods for us to see.

 

Well Mr Christmas Tree, you've got a year on me, but have enjoyed reading your post.
There was a thread I began, some time back, named "Mature H.A.M.B. Folks". Click below.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/mature-h-a-m-b-folks.1035405/
Comments in that that thread simply state that at our ages, we still have fuel left in the tank, along with a brain that still knows how to best use that fuel.
Hang in there, keep going strong and God Bless !

 

great stories/history - yep, need some pics - keep having fun - oh ya, 75 ain't that old when you look around at what the well known are still doing

 

I hope I'm still at it when I'm 75!! Sounds like it's been a lot of fun, keep us updated, I'd love to hear more!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Left 2 cars out . A Olds powered 31 pickup set up as an altered and in 1967 a dragster with a borrowed 409 Chevy in it. Looking back several of these engines we would love to have today.The 310 cu in engine with the Boss Ford head is out in the garage yet and I start it every now and then. My brother has passed however we had a ton of good times.

 

I Love Altereds

 

Dang! Quite a fast life you've lived! Keep going faster!

 

Guys I left out the part of getting banged around a couple timed, nothing too serious that a new front section on the dragster fixed. The other was a clutch and fly wheel blowing all over the place. The funniest was a plug wire coming off in a dragster and it was long enough to keep biting the piss out of me. No gloves in those days

 

It does sound like a good trip. But two questions:
What is a K88? and can you post up a photo of the Chevy engine with the Boss 302 Ford heads? Thats a new one for me.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/original-1959-chassis-research-k88-project.834044/

 

A K88 was a dragster chassis company ran and owned by Scotty Finn if I remember correctly in California As we could not afford one we went to work and did our version of it. Chassis was OK but the engine was a failure. My son and I plan to do a little video of the Boss and post some pics as soon as we can figure it all out.

 

I too, am interested in the 310 Chevy with the Boss 302 head. I thought I had heard of everything, but this is a new one on me.

 

Good thread, enjoyed it, keep it going!!

 

Building it was quite a challange but we were early in the attemp. Jahns did us a set of pistons with the valve relief in the right spot and Crane ground us a roller cam and we made a special mag drive and cut a set of Hilborns up for injection.

 

Christmas Tree, enjoyed reading your story. You've had an amazing journey and it sound like there is more to come.
I'm 74 and building a lakes style roadster. I intend to keep doing this stuff as long as I'm able. (I don't know if you recall but some time ago you and I did some reminiscing on the phone about the good old days and drag racing at George Field. I'm the guy from Lawrenceville, Il. )

 

I want to see the 29 roadster that you still have . Pictures ?

 

Harry And Kan I do not have all of this figured out as you can tell however as soon as I can get some photos rounded up we will post the Cammer dragster the Boss headed engine ,the 29 and whatever I can round up. Harry I have often thought about our conversation and if you were still building something.

 

Cool, someone five years older than me is out there thrashing in the shop. There is hope yet.

 

With all that thrashing there is a lot of rocking chair time however if you work a little it adds up.

 

We work a little and then we sit in a rocking chair CAREFULLY planing the next move as I cannot waste very much energy. I wish a couple of you young pups lived close. We would do something.

 

Part of this circle of stories takes place at the Old Terre Haute Indiana drag strip (1962) with the 29 sedan with 286 flathead in it. You could enter your class and pay an extera fee and run the next higher class.H Gas was our regular class and we could also run G Gas which was full of OHV cars and about half of the time we would win it also. My brother and I would take turns at the OHV cars. Today a good mini bike most likely out run us but shit man, we were having a blast. Remember, ( an adrenaline rush is a blower screaming in your face and your nuts resting on a quick change whining like a cat with its tail in the door)We did not go very fast by todays standards but we had a ton of fun.

 

An interesting story took place at the old Terre Haute strip I think the summer of 1958. My friend Joe Todd had a Fiat with a Corvette engine in it set up as an altered. Joe turned 120 and then things went to shit with the throttle stuck wide open and at about 140 he hit the straw bales and a lot of the car desinigrated, however the chassis stayed in one peice,seat intact, belt and harness held. Next week we were running 1/5 of a mile instead of 1/4, 1/8 mile had not came around at that time. One of the members here Harry T, his brother had went over all of Joes welds for him and Joe told me it was a good thing. Joe is 85 and still riding a Harley. We are about to post some pics in the next few days.

 

What was the width of the cheater slicks in the mid-to-late 50's?
Do you remember whose slicks you bought?

I really have enjoyed your stories, now bring on some good old black-n-white pictures for us to see please !

 

Glenn In the late 50,s I do not think cheaters had came around yet. Early 60s I think. In those days we ran Bruce slicks and Englewood slicks. 7 inch width was common and 8in. as for more powerful cars, Around 1960 Racemaster tires were gaining popularity and 9 in. width was common on more powerful cars. Hope this helps.

 

Thank you !

I was thinking that the 7" was the width in the beginning based on research I have done.

Did you see many Hot Rods on the street driving on recap slicks back then? ... or were they using the Atlas Brucon tires?

Did you guys ever weigh your cars that were ran in the altered classes?
Very curious what say a fenderless Model A Coupe would have weighed in at with say a 265 or 283 Chevy engine.

 

Slicks on the street was against the law almost anywhere - no tread made the tire illegal. The two grooves in cheeters pass the legal terminology test.
Of course, everybody that had access to a pair of real slicks had to show them off. I've got a couple old friends with some stories involving late fall, early snow & dagoed '40 coupes.
The Atlas Bucrons were more often seen on the later model fast cars, at least in this part of the country.

 

Englewood made a 6in slick. I had a 296 flat head in a friends dragster with the 6 in tire and I have taken many a ride on them best time was 117 in the quarter at Sturgis Ky. By 1959 or there abouts Rracemasters were the the desired slick however the Bruce and Englewoods and others were recaps. The recaps were half the price. Good Year, Hoosier and others had not came on the seen at that time. Not a lot of slicks ran on the street in my area. Model A coupe the way we built them with a small block around 2000 to 2100 lb As to weighting them all of your comp. classes were cubic in. divided into your car weight, B altered class, A model Ford, 301 chevy engine 2408 lb with out driver. 8 lbs per cu. in.

 

This shot was taken in 1960, not "cheaters", but I would guess these are 7" wide. Thanks for the great stories, Christmas Tree !

 

Almost all of the cars such as the one above took off in 2nd gear and too much tire did not work as you had to break them loose and spin for a fair distance. If your competior was taking of in low (3spd.) when he pushed the clutch in to shift you would pull away from him.