History A Fuel Coupes - Don Montgomery '32 3w

No problem for me posting it ("Hippo" Brammer, one of the owners, was a mentor for me in setting up Desoto stuff; he is the big guy in the white t-shirt). The body of the Burkhart, Brammer, & Burns roadster went to Sadd. Teague, and Bentley after their #76 roadter body was destroyed in a Bonneville return road accident.

 

More '34's from other threads. One looks like the early 7/11 car.

 

The "Jay's Automotive" '34 belonged to Jay Cheatham, running an Olds. Later Jay put the motor plus a blower into a gas dragster. He died in that car at the first Bakersfield Smoker's meet in '59. I think he was also involved in the founding of Half Moon Bay Drag Strip.

 

296 Ardun,
When do you think that "Jay's Automotive" picture taken?

 

Here are some more pictures taken from and article done for Street Rodder magazine in 1985 by Don. I like the pictures of the GMC. Sorry they are so grainy but they are taken from a photocopy of the original article.

 

Howard Johanson

 

HRM October 1954.

Here are three more early fuel coupe/sedan. Taken at Paradise Mesa Pacific Southwest Regional Championship Drags.

The Drifters '36 Ford coupe

The Millwinders '35 Ford coupe

The Hylton Brothers 33/34 Ford Sedan

(It would be intersting to know if any of these survive.)

 

here are the photos

 

I remember watching the Drifters and Millwinders run at Santa Ana in the early 1950s. One or both had the trailing edge of the fenders either louvered or with a big slot cut. I think that is the first time I realized that even at the fairly low speeds aerodynamics/air drag could be a factor.

 

Here are two more early "A" fuel coupes. (Dec 1954 HRM)

Bob Woods '36 Ford / GMC

Archie Ary's '35 Ford

Something about these '35 - '36 Ford coupes that looks like fuel engines belong in them. Too bad too heavy to become fuel altered in the 60's.

 

Somewhere I have a picture of the Finn & Deeds 35 coupe, also powered by a G M inline mill from 1959.

 

The Deeds & Finn '35 at Bonneville in 1962. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. I snapped it with my Brownie Hawkeye camera.

 

Woud be great to see that.

 

Thanks for this photo, I still talk/email to Tom Finn on a regular basis.
He'll be so pleased to see another photo of one of his old race cars.

Thanks for that

 

The photo of Archie's coupe sure looks a lot like Colton. Don?

 

Dec. 1954 HRM

The Drifters - 23jr

The Millwinders - 96





Hot Rod Annual Trend book 190, 1960

The Drifters - 33/34 Fuel Altered coupe

Awesome.

 

Thanks for the picture. That is the first information I have about that car. Please share anything else about it.

 

I bet that was great to watch them run.

 

Wow! ... How did I miss this thread? ... Great stuff! ... Thanks Karl Knecht (KKrod), Don Montgomery (Rockerhead), et. al. for sharing all these cool pics and information!

 

Karl starts a thread, it goes down in history. The reason I love Karl...


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Wow! replies from two living legends! thanks Don and Dean for taking the time to answer my post.

I'm amazed by how much punishment these Ford banjo's and tranies can put up with.

What gear sets were usualy in those 'boxes back then..stock or lincoln close ratio?
was anything special done to them to handel the power?
Any close up pic's of the drive trains would be really helpfull too

I would dearly love to build a early fuel '34 coupe in the future and all this great info, pic's, stories etc from the men that were there running these cars is an absolute treat and extreamly helpful.

Thanks guys

Jay

 

Thanks Michael. I hope there is more to come.

 

I don't get tired of looking at the 554 coupe. This is from a rod annual about 1957. A really clean looking car. I guess the next step was to become was preparation for the altered fuel class.

 

It would be great to know what the progression of transmissions and rear axles that Gene Mooneyham used through the years and if he used closed driveline. Anyone know?

 

Karl, I would think around '57 or so, he had a dragster by '59 so that's my guess. I think the track is either Kingdon or Vacaville, but not entirely sure.

 

Don may know much better than me, but I think it was at a meet in northern California sponsored by CalNeva timing association, they normally ran lakes meets but ran a special meet at Madera (I think), and some of the SoCal guys towed up to help set up the meet. Harry Duncan and some of the PVTA guys were there, suspect Archie was representing Colton, as he was one of the founders of the track (along with Charles Scott (Don, do I have this right??). Note that it says "Colton Drags" on Archie's hood). If memory serves me at all, I think that Colton had more trees than in this picture.

 

Thanks for this shot of the 554. I will add it to my album.

 

I would really like to see some pictures of the trans crossmember and pedal placement on Don's coupe if anybody has those. The '32 coupe is so Awesome.

 

Archie Ary won the A/Fuel Coupe class at the Central California NHRA Championship meet in Madera. It was held a couple of months before the Southern California championships at Colton. I believe Archie's '35 coupe recorded a time of 109 mph, which the NHRA put down as the A/Fuel Coupe record. Note the Moon eyes on the side. I suspect that Archie's '35 coupe may have been run by Creighton Hunter, with Moon eyes, previously. Perhaps someone can advise about this.
The photo of me racing Archie was at the So-Cal NHRA championships at Colton.
The NHRA a little later merged the fendered and stripped cars into the Altered class, so Archie built a Crosley bodied car for the A/Fuel Coupe Class. The next stop for Archie was Top Fuel Dragster competition.
Don www.montgomeryhotrodbooks.com

 

Rizzo and Gray. Rod and Custom Feb 1956.