who knows a lot about Woody Gilmore front engine dragsters?

Or maybe I should ask who knows anything about Woody Gilmore front engine dragsters?



I ask because I came across this front engine dragster at a guy's shop last week. He said it's a 1961 and it's a Woody Gilmore car. Outside of that, he knows nothing about it.




I figure somebody on here knows something about Woody Gilmore cars or can at least point me in the right direction. I've got an email in to the Front Engine Dragsters of America club, but haven't yet heard back from anybody there.

More photos at http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/...ther-i-could-make-it-street-legal-in-vermont/

thanks,
dan

 

it looks newer than a 61, but .... whats the wheelbase ? and are there any numbers on the cage or that area....?

 

yeah, I'm just going on what he told me. Wheelbase is about 137 inches. He said he's gone all over it looking for chassis numbers, but found nothing other than the chassis cert. from '02



thanks,
dan

 

Are there any better pictures of the body panels than in that blog?

I'll ask my boss. He's got all kinds of that stuff (I trip over a woody car and a sour sisters car every damn day) so he might be able to help out with figuring out what it is.

 

Rooman knows all.

 

Did it have body panels arount the cockpit / chute. Some Woody cars had swoopy aero tails designed by Steve Swaja (sp?).

 

Sorry, those were all the body panels I saw. Well, those and the ones you can see in the first picture on the blog post:



If I'm back in his area anytime soon, I'll get better pics of the individual body panels.

thanks,
dan

 

I don't think that it is a Woody car as the lower frame rails are not Gilmore style.

Here is a in-construction pic of Pat Fosters recreation of the Beebe & Mulligan car that has the distinct shape that Woody cars had. There was another tube that ran horizontally between the upper bends in the lower tubes.

 

Think there would've been a SEMA tag if a gilmore. Been modified a lot if it has a NHRA chassis sticker. Gilmore chassis would've been smaller tubes and a few less in the cage area. Got the shape tho.

 

When did SEMA start ?

 

all of the woody cars I've seen had a steering bell crank located over the center of the torsion bar? I have a mid 60's original fold out woody gilmore chassis brouchure I can scan and post up later if needed?

Paul

 

The whole back end of that car is way too awkward looking to be from any of the principal chassis shops I can think of.

 

I thought the same exact thing....newer d/t wheelbase and as mentioned I don't think it is a WG because of the rear section......but if someone rear clipped it they could make it longer and lose the WG style at the same time.

 

1963

 

Probably no older than around a '64/'65 vintage chassis.

 

That actually looks more like a Fuller or RCS car to me. But, it could also be a Logghe Bros. chassis, but not a Woody.

 

Isn't Woody Gilmore still working in the San Raphael area. He was at the CHRR a couple of years ago. Why don't you try to contact him about it. My two cents says its not a Woody car.

 

My guess is it's a Lynwood or Bilbo chassis

 

i think the term "woody or gilmore " car is thrown around a lot with the fed cars....sorta like all mag wheels are halibrands when they are for sale...even when they are marked ansen or fenton or made in japan

 

I have to agree with the guys who don't believe it's a Woody car. I have what is believed to be a '69 Woody FED, but it could just as easily be someones clone. Lots of that was done in the 60's.
My chassis is the black one sitting on a dolly. It has had a 5 point cage added to stay NHRA legal, and was front halved back in the 90's.
All the other photos are ones that I am positive are legit Woody chassis that I've collected to help document my car.

 

Even if it did start life as a real "Woody" car there is not much left of the original tubing aft of the motor plate if it has a recent NHRA certification sticker. As noted by a couple of other posters the tubing around the seat area is way too "clunky" to be from the reputed era. There was some ugly cars in those days (as there are now) but anything from Woody, Huzar (RCS), Long or SPE would have a little more "style" than this piece.
At this point it is just an old dragster that may be raceable under the current rules (or maybe not).

Roo

 

thanks for all the input guys. It seems to me there's a golden opportunity for somebody to publish a work of reference showing who built what cars and the little things that separated all those cars. Unless there's already one out there that I don't know about.

dan

 

Have you talked to the guys over on the WDIFL site? I think FEDs are their specialty.
Larry T

 

I'll post the pics and ask on the Std. 1320 group

 

Could it be a T-Bar from out of the Dallas area?

 

thats no bilbow chassis, I promise you that

 

Surely no Woody car. One guy on the Standard 1320 called it a YSE Chassis. Yard Stick Engineering. Sounds like the seller has no clue what he has and i sure don't either.

 

Good point. I think I have an email address for one of them guys buried around here somewhere...

thx,
dan

 

Foul...use don@wediditforlove.com to contact Don Ewald.

 

Email sent.