I was told he sold the car to Dave Wren, who I believe was the original owner, then Lyle, then Jim, back to Dave, sold, repurchased then sold again. If '63 Belvederes gave ya wood, the car I was involved with at Van Isle would probably soil yer pants!
I should probably elaborate more on the Mother Trucker, as I was pretty close to it, Bob was my mentor. When I first started pushing a broom around Bobs shop, it was still green, with Cragar SS's and an enderle injected 302, dropped thames front axle with a cross leaf, 12x30 rear tires sticking out of the wheelwells, and a pretty substantial rake. Very shortly after that, the car underwent a major revamping, in an attempt to keep it competitve with the Gen 2 Corvettes and Vegas which were dominating the gas and altered classes at that time. The ride height came WAY down front and rear, coil-overs were installed all the way around, the olds rear was narrowed to tuck 14x32's under the body, the original radiused rear fenders disappeared, it was tubbed, and got a 4 link. The injectors got the boot in favour of a pretty heavily worked over TR-1Y and a pair of 660s, Super tricks went on, a moroso 5" windshield snorkel scoop went on the hood, and it was painted medium metallic blue. Rocket88, you actually probably saw this incarnation, but didnt recognize it. It ran this way for a couple more years, then it was sold as a roller to an unknown street racer, and fell off the radar.
maybe Keith can clarify, I was under the impression that when Carl was running it as the Black Bird, it was an injected FE wedge. When the Kremyr Bros were racing it in Comp in the seventies, it had a Pro-Stock style (dual dominators, exhaust port plates, gas-ported BRC's, aluminum rods ect.) Boss 302, and IIRC, usually ran D/A. At this point, it was tubbed with 14x32's on super tricks, and was painted dark metallic brown with orange pinstriping. It was very fast, and won frequently, against some VERY tough local Comp eliminator cars, Like Tom Turner, the Joint Venture Corvette, Lynn Welfinger, and Mike Ferderer's national record holding C/ED. When I shot the photos of it in primer, it had just had a major update, lenco, struts, and if my memory is correct, a full round tube chassis, and was VERY low, like Pro-Stocker low. I believe those changes happened just before the track closed. According to Keith, they are currently putting the car back together with a cammer.
Come to think of it, I think Dave told me that a few years back, and I forgot. Got any pics of the '63? I love seeing Van Isle stuff.
Bob Crosbie, that's it. We used that car for a parade once as well, I remember looking out those green windows, or was the plexi insert in the roof green? I bought a 48 Anglia off him when I was 16. The Blackbird ran an injected hemi as well, Lueger's grandpa built the motor back then, he still has it today. Found a pic of the Mother Trucker, your's truly standing there.
Anybody have pics of the Kremyr bros version of the T-Bird? I have a couple, but they are on my ancient old shop computer with my Engine Analyzer software, I have no easy way to t=get them from there to here. Thing is so old, it doesnt even have a USB port!
Keith mentioned something about an injected early hemi as well. I was just assuming it was an injected FE, I could be totally out to lunch on that one.
That photo of you in front of the Thames is SERIOUSLY COOL!! I think you might be right on the roof insert. I think it was tinted plexi...
Further to the Kremyr Bros/Black Bird stuff, I am rooting around on my shop computer (There are actually a shitload of pics on there pertinant to this thread, I found a file labeled "Abbotsford airport drags'53" that I'd forgotten about, it has half a dozen fuzzy color shots) and there is a B&W shot of the Kremyr Bros car after the strut front end, with the car painted but unlettered, running at Mission. I gotta figure out a way to transfer these shots to this computer, theres some stuff on there that needs to be here.
I was always a Chrysler guy so I didn't pay much attention to much else, but I do remember a black 55/56 T-Bird with a cammer, I can only remember seeing it once at Van Isle, I was at the top end, it was on the return road, didn't have a hood, stack Hilborns year was about 1968. I have next to nothing in the way of pics from back then other than some from Gonder's deal. The car was called Gehemini.
I thought that I had some of the T-Bird in the Brown paint scheme Circa 77-78 but I cannot find them...... I will keep looking.
Hey you cannot say that our team was not looking out for me, getting all the important Pics. Yes, this the first place I went when I found out I was driving the FED for the first time! After all it was a Community Fire suit...
Terry McCardy Vs. The Iseli Bros. Murray said he always waited till about 1000' and then he could hear the Blower Screaming as Terry hunted him down. The races were usually pretty close, with each having a chance at the win light. A Picture of the Iseli Bros. Car when new. "The King Rat" Top Fuel Car Chevrolet Powered.
Thats plausible. Couple of things, when Bob sold the car, the rear fenders were gone completely, the body was radiused following the the arc of the outside of the rear fenders, so it would have taken some bodywork to get it to look like the Little Shaker. I believe that when Bob sold the car, it still had the stock rear doors as well, which are missing from the Little Shaker, so there are some notable differences, but its not impossible. I will say I have looked fairly closely at the Little Shaker in person, and haven't felt any flash of recognition. But it has been more than 30 years since I last saw Bobs Thames, so whos to say?
This 56 Bird ran a Cammer, it belonged to Larry Kalsch from down here in Oregon. He ran it in B/G and C/A with and without a top, and he raced it at Mission. The car was destroyed at SIR around '73, this pic is from Portland. Great thread you have going here, thanks steering me on to it George!!!
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