i think it would be pretty cool to race as is basically get it running driving, throw a fiberglass nose on it and go do some circle tracking
Ah the glory days of stock car racing when folks cut up, beat up and destroyed the neat stuff we treasure today all in the quest for a $100 purse, a $5 trophy, and a kiss from one of the local sweeties.
Like a lot of boys, i used to dream of driving dirt. Ironicly, my first "daydream" car , in my head of course, was yellow with a black top and #27! But it was a '56. Wild to see a real race car was like it. Very few of those exist since they were considered junk, fix er up man, she is right enough already!
I'm glad you guys are diggin it. My cousins name was Joe Mulinix and the odds are it was raced at the Rome Speedway. At this point we're still talking with his sister about the fate of the cars. As long as she feels like they're scrap and is going to let us just load em up...I'm going for it. I was wondering if this car might have been ran without a front clip due to the yellow paint on the firewall. Here's another one that could give up a clip if we decided to go that route. The 2dr post that's sitting next to it. Last tagged in 67. Nother more door... When I saw this truck my first thoughts were whoever was driving it had to of been killed in this accident. My dad told me that it was his cousin that was driving when it was ran over by an 18 wheeler that was moving at an insane rate of speed. Joe had pulled up to an intersection and looked one way and it was clear, then looked the other which was also clear and began to pull out in the road when he got hit. They said that he got busted up pretty bad. Couple trucks... Random parts... And this... I'm sure that there's something worth saving out of all of this. Once we determine exactly what they'd like us to do, we'll start coming up with a battle plan. The 2dr post car seems like it's been missing the windshield for quite a while...no telling if it's going to be worth saving or not...but it's still a 2dr 57 Chevy for god's sake! We saw evidence of where some trees had been freshly cut in three different places. It looks like someone has already helped themselves to a couple cars. We're going to try to move fast before anything else sprouts legs.
Reminds me of the junkyards that use to be in my area years ago. A lot of times the guy that had the junkyard would also have a stock car on the side. One guy a few miles from here had at least 20 55-57 Chevy dirt track cars in various forms of destruction. They were all in the woods out in the middle of nowhere like your pic. It almost looks like the same place! All that stuff is gone now, plowed under new housing developments.
Cool pics! The chevy truck in the second picture with the hood up almost looks like a ghostly image there(I think it might be a seat?).
kool pics.hope you can save some of that old metal.there looks like there is alot of potential there.wish that was my yard!!!!
To answer your question about running without front fenders is "yes". They did that to keep the fenders off the tires when they would be battling it out. They also used 3/4 ton truck axles rear and 3/4 ton front end parts also. Watched them every weekend at Peoria Speedway in Peoria IL in the early to mid 60's.
Looks like your cousin had a stash of tri-5 stuff handy to keep the race car going. If it was me, I would try to get all the tri-5 stuff,and I would definately look at fixing the race car. If the owners are thinking there is some value there,perhaps you could offer to sell off the O/T stuff (power wagons, vette) for them.
there is abunch of stuff in those pictures that i would love to have. what i wouldn't do to get my hands on that vette........
Wow! Very cool! It would definitely be cool to "restore" that race car to something like it would have looked like in its racing days, even cooler that a family member raced it. I love seeing cars like that at shows.
The general consensus seems to be get the hardware and cobble together a working car. If you can get it at the right price then even better. I'm shure a "mulleteer" would give prime dollar for that vette.
There are some bucks in the dodge military (m37 3/4 t gen purpose) and the power wagon. Quite a bit of interest in those I would bet it they can be dragged out.
I'd get everything they'd let you take. Get all the best pieces together to form one car...and sell the rest to fund the project.
Looks like the front clip off the 4 door 55 maybe scattered on the ground, I would take the 4 door if the floor was decent and maybe the quarters off the smashed 2 door................ but then again I like the 4 doors also so?
I say Save It, and here is the reason why. The guys who originally built these dirt track cars are still around, but they are up in years and they are dropping off the planet every day. Get them to help you. They'll do it (they helped me with mine). I spoke with one of them this morning, as a matter of fact. You'll do them a world of good and you'll do yourself a huge favor. It will be one of the best experiences of your rodding life. But this is your last chance. In a couple more years, they won't be around anymore.
FUCKIN a , i've DROVE worse, now get to it, get her back on the road or the track, and be a credit to the lot of us.
The Jalopy Journal
