yes you would. nothing like it! like a million angry hornets.... he runs NE1 in all the VRA stuff. should be at the march meet.
This reminds me that you can never take too many pics. I have nothing from my first days at the strip.
I have been after a Dragmaster that I know of for years maybe someday the guy that is letting it ruin outside will come off of it.
God i love those chute pack bodies. Nothing sexier. Just wish i had the talent to build on for my digger.
One more....Al's canopy car...........He built this after "More Aggravation". There's a reward for information leading to the purchase of this body. Unusual for Al, this body is fiberglass although everything ahead of the firewall is aluminum....Mike
Although the fuelers of the very late 60's through the late 70's and early 80's were absolutely beautiful and even magnificient in their color and chrome, most were cooky cutter version of hundreds just like them. They screamed "fast", but, with a few exceptions, their wasn't much imagination shown by any of them. Very similar to today isn't it? There was the Pony powered fueler of Ernies camera shop, the Olds powered cars, Garlits, Karamsines (sp?), Tommy Ivo, Jimmy Nix and a few others, but mostly they were different colored Fuller cars. Now, fuelers of the late 50's through the mid 60's were also beautiful and were even more magnificeint in their ingenuity. There was no Fuller cars and all were either hand built at home or maybe a K-88 chassis or two hanging around. These were the true days of young men testing their abilities and ideas. Wow,,,what ideas there were too. Don't get me wrong, I love to deathe the fulers of the late 60's, but a relish the ones of the late 50' to early 60's. All hand built, each one different and powered by a variity of engines. Packards, Olds, Pony. Chevys, Fords, Buicks, Lincolns, Hemis and others. Hers is mine form 1968. Our last car, AFD,,,MEL powered.
The Smirnoff car has (from what I've read) been located...pretty much like it was back in the day. It's going to be restored, and I agree it's one of the slickest looking from that era. -Scott
Man that would be a tough one...Mike Sorokin, the driver of the group was killed in the late 60's...in a front motor car. Skinner and Jobe are around but I don't think either one is into racing any more. They walked away from it when the group broke up and never looked back.
Loved the early rails. That dual flattie job was something else. David Sanderson (an uncle) ran a caddy powered rail that he took to the Nats in Kansas in ~'56? did well with it. Thanks Hemi and the other contributors!
For twin engined slingshots I think you would have a hard time finding a "prettier" one than the Syndicate.
Don't know the detail but sure looks similar. I used to have the Drag Racing magazine with the Syndicate on the cover and featured inside, I was impressed.
That's it. I heard they were restoring it and it was close to a paint job. Can't wait to see it, she's a beauty!
Thought that with all the dragster talk going on the past couple of days, I would dig this thread back up. Here is a picture of a Tom Hanna body in the making. What a shame modern top fuel cars dont have such style that these old cars have.
On the Surfers - Sorokin did get killed in an accident and Jobe and Skinner moved on. They were recently feted, and were almost shocked at the reverence, that's how removed they were. Pat Foster is creating a replica of the car and I believe they may have Sorokin's son Adam sit in for a Cacklefest or something. If Gordon Tatum still has the Surfers II car, what is he waiting for? Beautiful car - if I had some scratch I'd be all over that thing. He's on the East Coast I believe, in MD or something?? I'm sure he has his reasons, but a car like that could command some big bucks given the provenance.
Ok, it took me 5 minutes to find out a little more - apparently Tatum owned a Lambo dealership and also owned a legendary Ferrari GTO known as the "BreadVan" - a Drogo bodied GTO. He's owned a few other Ferraris and may have "embezzled" an engine from a TestaRossa. In any event, the Feds seized his assets and I believe the Surfer's II car was part of that - I don't know when that occurred...
Congrats! Looks great - that must be a good feeling after pursuing it for so long. From the pic, you have some collection - before I leave this earth, I'll own a nostalgic digger, but realistically, I am WAAAYY off from that, but I can dream, right? Much luck - looks awesome!
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