This is the first version of the 15oz coupe with a different number. I first saw it at Colton (where I think this photo was taken). It was sort of a baby blue at that time, carburated Chrysler. Don't know who the guy with the helmet is, but next to him with the beard is Lyle Webster, then Les Hawkins, not sure who is standing next to Les. It's the same car as the orange version with the blown 354" motor that is better remembered, you can tell by the forward slant of the top chop. At one point the late Mike Bartlett drove it; Mike's mother-in-law was Jim Busby's mother, and she provided the funds to keep the car running. Some of the later pictures show "Speed Parts by Ma Z" painted on the quarter panel. That was Busby's mother.....
I thought that some of the younger guys might enjoy seeing more of the 15 oz coupe. I got these early 1960s photos from Dick Tower, who had obtained photographer Jim Kelly's archives. Jim Kelly was one of the best of the early 1960s drag race photo guys. I used one of the photos in my "Those Wild Fuel Altereds" book. The night photo was taken at the Fontana drags, long before there was the Fontana Speedway that we have today. Note the " low buck" two-holer Hilborn injector that the car ran. By that time most of the Fuel Altereds had transited to four-holers. This coupe, like the Mooneyham 554 coupe, was a real crowd pleasers as it competed with the smaller roadsters and Fiat coupes. I am not sure where the daylight photo was taken. It could have been Fontana or Bakersfield. Perhaps someone can tell us. The CF/AC letters marked on the car indicated the class the coupe was running in that day. The C meant it had a small engine - perhaps a 331 or 342 cu. in Chrysler. Larger engines moved up into the A or B classes. The F showed it was running on an alcohol/nitro fuel mix. The AC indicated it was running in the Altered Coupe class. Even though the car was running in the C class it would typically end up racing the "big" engine guys at most events. In fact most of the Fuel Altered events in the 1960s had no rules on engine displacement. The Fuel Altereds were perhaps the most exciting cars to watch on the drag strips. I have always said that with the Fuel Altereds "you never knew which way the were going to go". It was truly a great time. Don www.montgomeryhotrodbooks.com
Rockerhead: Thank you for sharing a bit of your knowledge. It's not falling on deaf ears. Could you shed any light on the Road Dusters '33 Wllys,seen 2nd from left in the group pic? Is it the same car Harts ended up with? It doesn't get any better than true hot rod history!
The Road Dusters' Willys was campaigned by Gil and Robert Martinez. My initial contact with them was at the Broadway Custom Shop in Chula Vista (just south of San Diego). Later my contact with Robert was at the House of Customs in San Diego. I believe that they were good friends with the guys in the Bean Bandits group. Unfortunately for the Road Dusters the flathead engine in the Willys was no longer competitive racing againist the bigger overhead valve Olds, Cadillac and Chrysler engines. Re: The Hart's Willys - I assume you are referring to the Cadillac powered '35 Willys that C.J. and Peggy Hart purchased, and Peggy often raced at the Santa Ana drags. That Willys was built and raced by Ward and Taylor before the Harts purchased it. It was probably the fastest true gasser to race at Santa Ana at the time. It was not the '33 Willys that the Martinez' were racing. The Road Dusters were ahead of their time using the early Willys for drag racing. Don www.montgomeryhotrodbooks.com
Don, do you remember a [I think] pale green '39 Century coupe racing at Colton, around 55 or 56, thats when the Buick bug bit me. I recall a dragster also. was it Jarvis Earle??
I do not recall the green? '39 Buick coupe you mentioned but I think most of us were most interested in the cars in our class and the fastest cars, so we didn't pay attention to the other guys. I noted that as I researched for my books I found lots of guys were involved earlier than I remembered; in many cases in places where I had been also. I did not know they were there. As you know there were guys like K.S. Pittman and Doug Thorley that were Buick straight 8 racers in their early drag racing days. The dragster with the straight 8 Buick engine was Jarvis Earl. Jarvis was from La Canada, as I was. When I first ran into him in about 1950 he had a Buick Century (I forgot the year). In 1951, I believe, he ran at the Santa Ana drags with a Buick sedan (either a '37 or '38 Century). He then built a lightened and partially stripped '36 Buick Century coupe. He was recording speeds up in the 107 to 110 mph region, as I recall. The dragster was next. It was a fast machine and it led Jarvis to move on the the new Buick V-8 engine. Jarvis Earl's next move was to disappear. There were rumors of where and why he had gone but I never heard an answer. He was an interesting fellow. Don www.montgomeryhotrodbooks.com
Another picture of the 554, I believe in the Freeman and Son's back lot. The orange Simca bodied comp coupe next to it is another famous car that was built and run by Paul Sutherland. Letting historic race cars sit in disrepair like this confounds me. At least times have changed, and old race cars now get the respect they deserve.
Anyone know how the 554 and 15oz got their names? Also, there was another thread on the HAMB inquiring about the location of the Hyder '34 Ford Fuel Coupe. I did not know about that car when it was being raced in California but back in the mid '80s I got a call that Hyder had moved to Asheville N.C. and brought the car with him. Soon, I heard it was for sale. Sometime later I heard the Fuel Hemi engine had been sold but I never heard anything else about the car. I don't have a picture of it I can post but it was a good looking car.
Thank you for all the history, this is very interesting reading. Rockerhead, I am looking forward to reading some of your writing in the near future, thanks for sharing.
The team of Mooneyham-Johnson-Baker went to Bonneville in 1953. Gene had been running his '34 Ford at the Russetta meets that previous season in Russetta Class B Sedan. They were members of the Rod Riders club in the RTA. Since the guys were not in the SCTA, they were assigned the higher number that non-members were given. The Mooneyham-Johnson-Baker entry ran as no. 554 at Bonneville. Apparently Gene and Carl thought that 554 was a good number and used it thereafter. Don www.montgomeryhotrodbooks.com
Thanx Don, I didnt know that Pittman, and Thorley raced straight 8 Buicks. I read in a "little pages" magazine pix and an interview with Earle, who turned 140 with his straight 8 dragster, and he said he had a special fuel that would break his record ??? NOS maybe??. I met and talked to his son Jim Earle, who was racing the 38 Buick in around 1982.
The story I got from Gene about the number was that the paint they used for the 554 numbers, even after being sanded off, showed through the paint when the coupe was painted silver. So, they just had the same number repainted over the old one. When gene painted the car blue, the number was painted over again. Here's a shot of the coupe at Bonneville in '53, before the top was chopped.
Do you know when this pic was taken ? In one of Dons earlier posts he said that the fuel coupes were pushed off the track by NHRA rules, had no place to go, no class to race in and had little value because of the work required to change classes.
This photo was probably taken mid to late 60's, before the coupe was sold to K&G. Gene made good money with the coupe defending the #1 spot on the 1320 Jr. Eliminator list after NHRA decided they didn't need these cars in it's show anymore. When he and Larry teamed with Ferguson and Jackson in the top fuel car, he sold the coupe to Emmit White. When he blew it up, it went to Freeman & Sons.
"The Road Dusters' Willys was campaigned by Gil and Robert Martinez. My initial contact with them was at the Broadway Custom Shop in Chula Vista (just south of San Diego). Later my contact with Robert was at the House of Customs in San Diego. I believe that they were good friends with the guys in the Bean Bandits group." Great History thank you for sharing. In addition to that, the Martinez Brothers were and still are Members of the Bean Bandits. Robert being well known for being a custom painter. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Yes, Doug Thorley started out with a straight-8 Buick, which he raced at places like Santa Ana. Here is a picture from Rik Hoving's site showing Doug, far side, racing Gil Ayala's chopped '42 custom at Santa Ana, 1951.
Here are several more photos of 554 from Drag News April 9,1960. Looks like a fresh update of the car. The cowl is now cut out for the injectors. It looks like an early Ford rearend with stock axles?
Here is Jack Chrisman's A Fuel Sedan from HRM August 1956 with a Willy's coupe in the background. I don't think this could be the Road Duster's coupe due to this picture being taken before the photo of the ineup of cars at the Fuel Coupe Invitational.
This is from Drag News July 27, 1956. Jack Chrisman's "A" sedan looks really clean. Sounds like Jack and Don put on a really good "show" for the fans that day. Would love to see more pictures of Jack Chrisman in action.
The Jalopy Journal
