Projects NEW BUILD-OTIE'S AUTOMOTIVE B/A FIAT TOPOLINO TRIBUTE

great to see your progress with the build, and documentation of info as it comes to hand. Similarly, great to see the old body unite with the build, and even as a display piece, fits the package perfectly, and is compliments a great build.
Keep at it, enjoyed finding your thread.
Cheers,
Drewfus

 

WOW ! Must have been an awesome moment for him !

 

Great Job so far, can't wait to see the first pass! it will be 1962 all over again!

 

Yes it was, for me and the rest of the crew also. We've been talking about doing a replica car for over 20 years and to find the original was way beyond our expectations.
Bill has been out of the drag racing scene since the mid 70's and this project has brought back a lot of good memories for him and put him back in touch with people he hasn't talked to in decades. He is really surprised how many people remember him and their cars.


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

 

Thanks Banana Man, hope to have it at next springs Thompson Gasser Reunion making lots of noise, see you there!

How about posting that Fiat picture you took at the 62 Nationals again on this thread? Please!

 

Found a little footage of Otie's Chassis Research dragster. The story is that Otie only drove this car a couple times. Bill said one of the slicks came apart, flattened out the header and about beat him to death before he could get it stopped. It was the only dragster Otie ever drove.




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

 

Love the history and all the work you're doing to make this tribute car. Thanks for taking the time to document it. Keep up the great work!

 

looks like York US-30.

 

That's what Bill thought also, must be the place, thanks.


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

 

This is so cool. I will be watching the progress.

 

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otiesautomotive/
We now have Hats, T-shirts, original and replica decals for sale to help fund a little more of this project, all available at our new Square store. https://squareup.com/store/oties-automotive

 

Found a short video of Otie driving the 1960 Chassis Research altered.




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

 

What a great thread and fantastic job you are doing!

 

Thank you, hope to start working on it again soon. Have a couple more places to show it next month and it will be getting blown apart to get started on the roll cage. The good news is I've been talking to the local NHRA guy and since it's a steel car with OEM frame rails I can build it as a door car and make the 2-main roll bar hoops look as they did on the original car. I just have to add 2-down tubes and a roof halo and he claims he'll certify it for 8.50, not that I plan on going that fast or going NHRA class racing. The original car ran a 265 SBC and weighed 2650. Bill claims they had about 700lbs of lead over the rear axle. I'm planning on a 301 and we think the cars going to be around 2000lbs minus the lead, so the potential is definitely there. If all goes well it will be making a bunch of noise at next years Meltdown Drags!

 

Bitchin Jason. Thanks again for the Pic of the "A".

 

Making good progress again, a couple more tubes need tacked in and the main structure of the roll cage will be ready to burn together. After a long search I finally found someone to bend my large radius hoops. Thanks Tubular Techniques in Columbus, OH. Thanks Gordon Crow at Crowman Fabrication for letting use your equipment and teaching me some new skills to fabricate the rest of the cage.




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

 

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

 

Door painting just shouts "Sunday Sunday Sunday" like in the good old days of radio.

 

Look through this photo and there is a photo of the roadster left second row down



From the tweety thread:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...rs-kerville-drags.985495/page-4#post-11835904

 

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

 

Found this youtube from the 1965 Winternationals at Pomona. Has tape of the roadster in several spots starting about 2:20



from the video

 

posted by rudestude in the drag cars in motion thread

Found this a few years back some sort of trading card ? That hot rod magazine put out ...

 

Your first build??? Neat, you couldn't do any better. Love the story and topo as well, keep up the great job and the rest of us posted

 

Thank you, it really is my first. I've had several Mustangs, Camaros and Firebirds over the years that I've modified lightly, but this is my first build from the ground up. I'm a Journeyman Tool & Die maker and have built special machinery for years. Ive done the majority of the design and fabrication other than narrowing the rear end, the sheet metal work and the welding is being done by a friend. The paint is also being done by another friend.
We did take the car to local chassis shop to have the cage bent (Crowman Fab), my friend who's letting me use his shop doesn't have a bender or I would have tried. The biggest challenge so far has been learning to notch tubing. I have several good people helping and I think I've drove my local NHRA tech guy half crazy with all my questions.


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

 

The car looks great, well done.

 

Fuel pump mount is done.
My buddies dad getting stared on the roof repair. Figured out this body must have started as a coupe, someone cut it out so it didn't have the channels for the rag top. Purchased another roof from Sweden.

 

Great job. I'm loving it. Can you show some pics of how you mounted the rear end on that frame?
Thanks,
r

 

really looking good!!

 

Otie.
Didn't John Denslow from Brewster build most of the framework for this Fiat?


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

 

Loudbang, did you find the fountain of youth ? I felt a splash in my face from that video.