Hot Rods Hot Rod Sports Cars

Amazing seat position (and roll bar) in this modified sports cl*** car!

- EM

 

Yes it is. That's Joe Lunati and the "Ant eater" he beat us at Indy in 65 and I think went on to win middle elim.

Pat

 

Thanks Pat. I have seen pictures of the Lunati car and just didn't recognize this one as being that same car. We would all enjoy seeing any pictures you might have of your car during that time. I'd love to hear about the MGTD in your avatar too. My oldest brother's friend in the early to mid 60's had an MGTF with a Hilborn stack-injected Studebaker that was running 135 at the time and was a national record holder. I often wonder where that car went and what might have happened to it.

- EM

 

Pat, I am with EM on this one especially after finding this photo which is evidently the source of EM's posted shot..


Roo

 

I found some additional information. It's the "Trouble Maker" car that was Joe Lunati's car:


Memphis, Tennessee’s Joe Lunati took this homebuilt, Devin bodied A/Modified Sports car to many Street Eliminator wins during the 1960’s. Lunati later formed Lunati Cams & Cranks. His AM/SP car used a small-block Chevy for power. Joe later removed the Devin body and dropped on an all-steel Corvair body to run as an early Funny Car before building a tube ch***is, blown big-block Chevy with a flip-top, fibergl*** Corvair body. This was shot at an NHRA World Championship Series race in 1965, at Palm Beach Int. Raceway. (Jim Hill Photo)

 

I stand corrected, I know there was one that looked much like the 543 car called the "Ant eater" (anyway I think I know, it was a long time). It's really good the vast collection of knowledge here on Hamb. Thank You.

Pat

 

Carroll Shelby is shown below with the three Cobra roadsters that would win the 1963 USRRC Manufacturer’s Championship. Venice, California, 1963.

 

First time a sports car with a 301 C.I. SBC for the street, shows up in So Cal…

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/interesting-comments-when-stopped-for-the-light.1116186/page-5#post-12737293

Hello,
Back in 1962, a friend had a blue, Henry J with a 409 motor in it. It was mean looking and the interior was pretty spartan. A couple of bucket seats, aluminum firewall, wheel wells cut in the rear, etc. The motor was powerful and lots of people gave thumbs up when we were driving around So Cal at night. On one Easter Vacation(SPRING BREAK), we went to Merle's
Drive-In, in Newport Beach.

We got a prime spot in the first, back row spot to be able to watch all of the guys in their hot cars cruise in front of us. This guy in a red XKE Jaguar came rolling by and revved up his motor. It did not sound stock. He wanted to race the Henry J, as it was the fastest, meanest looking hot rod car in the whole drive-in restaurant lot. But, the Jag was making some big time noise.

Well, it was hard to give up that prime front row spot, but duty called. So, we had to drive all the way back to Seal Beach to the 2nd St/Westminster Ave race course to race this XKE. Two out of three wins made the night. The XKE Jag had a 301 Chevy on steroids, as it sounded mean and powerful. We had seen plenty of stock XKE Jags on the street and if looks could be fast, it was the car for that purpose. We had never seen a Chevy motor in an XKE before, so it was an unknown for us. 301 vs 409? It did not seem like it was going to be a race, but we were game.

This was the Henry J's owner's first race and he was nervous. The Henry J won the first race, the Jag the second and the final race was all Henry J. I was the starter and my friend knew the start sequence with the T-level arm drop.

I would like to know if this blue Henry J with a 409 motor made it all of these years into someone's garage. It was a powerful racer and street driven car. A pure early 1960's street driven racer. Anyone purchase a blue Henry J from So Cal from 1962-70 (with an aluminum interior)?

Jnaki

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-tricks-and-tips.1066144/page-3#post-12134575 Henry J 409 VS. Jag XKE 301

 

Guy Mabee Special 1953

 

Anybody know what kind/make of car that 653 car is. Pretty cool.

Pat

 

I think I remember it was a Victress. Might have been a one off body. Quick Google turned up this. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=1248

 

If you are interested and have some spare time here is a site with several articles on it

https://www.undiscoveredcl***ics.com/?s=The+Mabee+Special&x=19&y=11

 

I can envision a road course race being announced with the Mabee car that would fit right in with the Abbot and Costello "Who's on 1st?' skit.... "Who" is running 2nd, "Mabee" is in 3rd, "Where" is falling way behind and "What" has pulled ahead to lead the pack!

- EM

 

Thanks LB, I checked it out. You are right it will take some time to read all.

Pat

 

The color photo of the Mabee Special reveals a very attractive car, an image marred only by
the roll bar. Being based in Midland, Texas, I wonder if Jim Hall had any input on this car.
Of course, I could read the article supplied by Loudbang. Nice find, LB.

 

I'd like to find and buy this one.

 

I'm with you. That car does it for me. I think there is a picture somewhere here at an event. If it's the same car, it's black and it's gorgeous.

 

Bonneville

 

Ak Miller

 

It is indeed a Victress roadster body, of which many were made. They also marketed a fastback coupe (see in last
photo), in various sizes, with a completely different style.



Coincidently, I was in an industrial section of a M***achusetts north shore town yesterday, to look at a sailboat. Went by an auto body shop, that had a surface-rusty Maverick for sale out front. It caught my eye, so I pulled in. Then I saw one of these Victress roadster bodies behind the shop. It looked like it was never used, but had some problems:

It was not properly supported in storage, and there was a crack in the 'gl*** from the top of the rear wheel opening, straight up to the top of the fender. The rear part of the fender was bent upwards due to the support location, consequently leaving some warpage in the area between the wheel opening and the trunk lid opening. (I was told once that frp becomes somewhat pliable when heated, and such distortion could be straightened, but I'm somewhat skeptical of this for a thermal-setting plastic.)

The hood and trunk openings looked like they were cut from a body that didn't have such openings. Although the openings looked fairly neatly done, they had no reinforcement layer applied inside, so looked a bit wobbly. Also, I didn't see any sign of the panels that were removed, so possibly these pieces would have to be made.

These bodies were fairly large; maybe Corvette sized rather than Triumph/MG/Healey.

Sorry it didn't dawn on me to take pictures or talk to the owner, but if anyone is interested, I can get contact info and pictures. It's a shame that this piece wasn't treated more respectfullly.

 

Body is an Almquist Sabre 1, which were originally intended for Crosley ch***is. Picture attached, in sports/racer configuration; this one was up-graded to use flathead V8-60 power

.

 

How about this one?

 

^^^I think that might be a bit more than I'm looking for.
I bet it would be fun to drive... if only a quarter mile at a time.
The other one greatly resembles one a friend built in the 60s and p***ed custody to me in the 80s.
54 Healey with 289 Ford built to Ford racing 289 specs with 2 four barrels, rock crusher 4 spd and narrowed Chevelle 12 bolt posi using Strange axles. Damn think performed like a go kart! I could slouch while sitting in the car and touch the ground! The PO and I have both been actively hunting the car for over 15 years... I suspect it got away from somebody and became junk.
The vin number ends in 88 so if anybody with a 54 Healey has a vin ending in 88; give me a call!
It had chrome wires Carrol Shelby took off a GT40 wrecked at LeMans and sent them to PO because he was so late on an order for plain steel wire wheels... heck of a story and PO great guy that built it in his Dad's one car garage!

 

Here's the one we had:
Previous owner driving it long ago. Had like 3.08 rear gears... could downshift into 2nd pulling onto the interstate and didn't have to look because nothing could catch you!! Awesome acceleration!

 

https://doverdragstrip.com

Disturbed

 

I love it, but what is it?