History TRADITIONAL GASSERS, Gas Class cars and modern TRADITIONAL cars.

Chuck Stolze bought this and it became the bright red K.S. Pittman S&S car. One of my favorites, I really like this version of it

 

No, that's Jim nelson of Nelson & Martin Dragmastar fame.

 

Hirshfield is who I think it is.

 

My Olds I had a few years back.

 

“Coney Island Ralph” Landolfi was legendary for his series of ’48 Anglia G***ers. Here his chopped-top Anglia graces the cover of Drag Times, a weekly drag racing tabloid newspaper. Coney Island Ralph was nationally known for his tough compe***iveness in both A and B/Gas cl***es.



Coney Island Ralph’s second and final ’48 Anglia was the “Northwind” III. Here it sits ready for B/Gas compe***ion in the 1960’s. The PowerShift Hydro was later replaced by a manual four-speed. Power came from a Merkel-built, injected 331″ small-block Chevy. Landolfini’s cars were described by many as “meticulously prepared and tuned”.




Rochester, New York’s Bill Lindner perfected the use of a small CID Chevy with a 6-71 blower for C/Gas Supercharged. Lindner’s ’40 Willys was C/GS National cl*** champ at Indy in 1966 and a serious threat wherever he ran.



Harry Luzader started running his ’32 Ford in C/Gas, then added weight and dropped down to D/G, where he had his most success. Harry himself is standing behind the car, at left, during tech inspection at the big shopping center on 16th Street, Indy. That tech was one of the great parts of The Nationals, a huge, free car show of every bad-*** drag car in the U.S.! Anyone could get close, crawl under and closely inspect each car, without a paid-for pit p***!



this day running B/A



Maryland’d Ferd Napfel endured years of his first name being misspelled to “Fred”. His ’55 Chevy was one of the earliest and most successful “small engine, heavy flywheel, heavy car weight” G***ers. Ferd was many-times cl*** winner and frequent Street Eliminator champ in his famous “Storming Bull” ’55 Chevy sedan.



From Buffalo, NY came Jim Oddy and a succession of very fast blown G***ers. This Austin was an A/Gas Supercharged honker in its day. Here Oddy returns to the pits after a run at the NHRA Nationals, Indy Raceway Park, about 1965.



The Oehlert Brothers’ C/Gas ’41 Studebaker launches hard in this photo from Charles Milikin. Site is Cecil County Dragway, MD. Royersford, PA ‘Stude shows typical 60’s G***er spirit with straight front axle, Moon discs up front and long traction bars.



The Reinford Brothers’ Pottstown, Pennsylvania based “Moose” ’38 Chevy sedan was always good for a great show. Drivers Horace or Paul Reinford shared putting the large, moose-like car through its paces in D/Gas where it gained a great spectator following.



Although ungainly looking, Russo & Santo’s four-door, many-windowed Willys sedan was a bonifide C/Gas bad-***.

 

Hello,

In 1964, K.S. Pittman showed up at Lions Dragstrip with this red, Willys coupe. As usual, it was of a top quality build like all of his cars, dating back to 1959. This time, the motor sounded super strong in the tuning during the pre-race diagnostics. But, in the elimination race against Big John Mazmanian, he had some difficulties and could not get too far down the strip. BJM made a single run to advance.

Ks pittman Lions 1964 at an All G***ers Meet.

Jnaki

 

Did anyone notice Mazmanian's Willys (pre candy red paint) in the background?

Roo

 

Yep.Saw it first.I was thinking how cool it would be to be pitting next to...

 

Hello Rod,
Here you go in living color: BJM in the pits and a single run after K.S. Pittman had handling problems at the start line. The car smokes the rear tires near the tower...that is power.
BJM at the Lions Dragstrip All G***ers Meet in 1964.
Jnaki

 

Great time line Dave - you still look like the guy in 1962!

 

Hahaha....I wish! Thanks Vic.

 

The rims and slicks on the back of the '56, were on loan from Big John, they were off his Corvette, he carried them as spares. He even had one of his crew take them over, and put them on the '56 for Dennis!

 

Famed A/GS hero K.S. Pittman made the east coast his playground in the 60’s as part of the S&S team. Pittman ran several different cars during that time, including this blown 454″ Chrysler hemi powered ’33 Willys.



New York’s Eddie Sanzo ran this ’40 Willys entry with blown small-block Chevy power by Jack Merkel. Sanzo drove and the car ran both A and B/GS. The bright red, chopped-top, Willys pick-up was a fan favorite and high revving handful.



Pennsylvania’s **** Shroyer ran this beautifully prepared ’48 Thames panel truck in C and D/Gas and sometimes in D/Altered. Deep black lacquer, lots of chromed pieces and gold-leafed lettering matched the car’s record holding performance. Yep, opposite lane is Bill Jenkins’ A/Modified Production running Shroyer at York U.S. 30 Dragway.




When mega-bucks Rod Shop came offering sponsorship Shroyer said “Show me the money”. Part of the deal was a new, candy apple Rod Shop designed paint scheme. The car’s record holding performance matched its appearance as always.



East Providence, Rhode Island’s Tasca Ford has been involved in drag racing since the 1950’s. Bob Tasca, Sr., supported racing because it sold new cars, trucks and parts. This B/Gas ’57 Ford was built by the Tasca shop with 427 FE Ford power.



Dan Weis is known more for his role as promoter of Richmond Dragway, but he was also a compe***or with this ’55 Chevy Bel-Air sport coupe. The B/G***er shows “Joe Weis” as driver in this 1961 snapshot.




Niagara Falls, New York is home to Jim Zakia and his multi-decade drag racing legacy. Zakia’s long line of seriously fast G***ers began with a red ’55 Chevy 150 sedan running in C/Gas.



Zakia’s next effort was a ’33 Willys, running in B/Gas. Hedre Zakia leaves the line at Niagara Dragway. At that time the track was under NASCAR Drag Racing Division sanction.



The Willys was followed by Zakia’s ’48 Anglia, also Chevy powered and running B/Gas with a small-block. The car later got a chopped top, for aero improvement, and a big-block Chevy. It too was fast and sparkling.

 

That batch finishes the east coast now onto the southern faction.

Tommy Shinholster drove this chopped-top, ’40 Willys coupe to several wins in the 70’s, running CC/Gas. Shinholster, from ***usville, Florida, used a blown small-block Chevy for power with an automatic transmission. His blue Willys was exceptionally loud and equally fast, making it a fan favorite.



Four-door race cars may be scarce in drag racing, but M.A. Madden made this ungainly ’40 Willys a regular winner feared in NHRA’s Southeast Division. Madden’s Anniston, Alabama based “Chicken Picker” nickname came from his business as a poultry processor. Several different displacement injected small-block Chevys with four-speed transmissions powered the ’40 Willys in B, C and D/Gas and later in D/Altered, Compe***ion Eliminator. (Jim Hill photo)



Anderson, South Carolina’s Gene Cromer HAMB member began drag racing with this big-block Ford 427 powered ’41 Willys. Gene later switched to the match race Funny Car circuit with a ******* roadster he dubbed “Moonlighter”. It too was powered a a big FE Ford with injection and a healthy dose of nitro. Cromer raced on weekends, and within driving distance of making it back home to be at work on Monday morning.



Bob “Rapid” Dwyer ran this 301″ Chevy powered ’32 Victoria in A/Gas at South Florida area strips in the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Dwyer later gained fame as Ollie Olsen’s driver for the A/Gas “Wil-A-Meaner” ’40 Willys. Here Dwyer legs it at Miami’s Masters Field, USMC airfield drag strip. Dwyer eventually sold the Vicky to Ft. Lauderdale’s Steve Porter, who installed a 427 big-block for A/Modified Production. Porter called it “Rum Runner”.



Athens, Alabama’s Billy Holt was highly regarded for his supercharged G***ers. This ’41 Willys B/Gas Supercharged was small-block Chevy powered and a**** the east’s fastest



A tiny 292 CID small-block, Hilborn injection, Crane roller cam and heads, 8,500 rpm and hefty 3,700 pounds are what’s needed to run successfully in F/Gas. Bill Bussart lets it out in this photo at Miami Hollywood Dragway. Bussart and Dan O’Connell were Miami-Hollywood regulars and NHRA Division 2 Street Eliminator champs plus F/Gas cl*** winners at NHRA Nationals, Indianapolis



Ron H***el made a name as one of the original “Ohio G***ers” during his early years growing up in Cleveland. In 1965 H***el came south to work as Sales Manager for Crane Cams. Naturally he needed a race car to try new parts, and that led him to Ronnie Cox and Joe Garrison, who had a ’48 Anglia. H***el installed his 327 CID injected Chevy and Borg-Warner four-speed and the team ended up winning NHRA Nationals B/Gas cl***



Running Gas cl***es was labor-intensive as well as fun. Racing at major events such as The Nationals required patience, as shown here as Bill Carroll (left) and Roger Taylor (right) wait in the staging lanes for C/Gas cl*** eliminations. Driver Carroll and tuner Taylor won C/Gas cl*** at the Nationals with this homebuilt ’40 Willys.




Russ Barfield’s South Florida “Russ’ Auto Service” was home for many area racers. Russ’ machine work, race engines and precision tuning were legendary and he was always ready to help an aspiring young racer with honest and solid advice. Russ ran a long string of G***ers, including this ’55 Chevy C/G***er, shown leaving under the flagman at Masters Field, Miami. The South Florida Timing ***ociation bus in the background held all the timing equipment for drag racing at the three different airfields used by SFTA in the 50’s and 60’s. (Jim Hill photo)



Here’s a cl***ic G***er match-up for B/Gas trophy in the early 1960’s! Larry Crawford’s ’34 three-window coupe (left) and Dave Boyd’s ’34 five-window show the heart of hot rodding from this era. Crawford’s three-window was powered by a 389 Pontiac with twin AFB carbs. Boyd’s car sported a Hilborn injected 301 CID Chevy. Both used Hydro-Stick transmissions. Boyd and Crawford were members of the Cabriolets Road Club, a premier Southeastern hot rod club of the 60’s. Location is Masters Field, Miami. (Jim Hill photo)

 

Pretty sure Fred's first g***er before the Barracuda was this Willy's

 

right on!

after the end of the era, Fred mounted a Barracuda body to the Willy ch***is. His crew chief, Big Jim, did a great job of fabbing the body mounts.

That very car is part of my friend Mike Etzkorn's estate. Who knows what will become of it.

 

Moving on to the Midwest

The Hill Brothers, Bill and Pete, were charter members of the famed 1960’s informal group known as “The Ohio G***ers”. They built and ran a series of very successful, traditional G***ers. Each Hill Bros. race car was known for its beautiful paint, chrome and workmanship as well as blistering performance that made all fan favorites. The Hill Brothers’ ’33 Willys, “The Red Baron” has since been skillfully and strikingly recreated by Ken Kull, continuing its crowd-pleasing tradition while appearing at nostalgia G***er events across the nation.



Jerry Ault chose a uniquely original Ford Model-T coupe for this early B/Gas project. Ault’s sponsor was his family business, Ault & James Speed Shop, a popular Dayton, Ohio speed parts and race engine builder still operating today! Ford T carried correct period equipment including injected small-block Chevy, American mag wheels and M&H Racemaster “Pie Crust” rear slicks. (Bob Rogers pic)



Cleveland resident, Gene Schwartz made a name in two distant careers. Schwartz was a regular and popular Midwest drag racer with his two E/Gas ’52 Chevys. His first was a ’52 Deluxe coupe (above) lost in a crash. It was replaced by a second car, a ’52 sedan, with psychedelic airbrushed paint and a “Strawberry Fields Forever” scheme.



Schwartz’s “Strawberry Fields” ’52 sedan was hastily built to compete in the Nationals. Schwartz won his favorite cl***, E/Gas often, and held both ET and MPH cl*** records in NHRA. The late Sam Gellner, also a Cleveland native, was Gene’s favorite engine builder.



Most drag racing fans know “Farmer” Arnie Beswick as an early Funny Car driver and currently a nostalgia match racer with his “Tameless Tiger”. Here’s Beswick’s earliest hot rod, a ’58 Pontiac C/G***er for the Morrison, Illinois legend.



“Ohio George” Montgomery remains as one of G***er racing’s most compe***ive and successful car and engine builders as well as a cutting-edge innovator. His Dayton, Ohio “George’s Speed Shop” has been the starting point of many successful racers. George’s original ’33 Willys A/GS coupe was baby blue and Cadillac powered.



George’s faithful ’33 Willys underwent its next transformation with ch***is modifications and blown small-block Chevy power. George gained the name “The Easter Bunny” because he rarely traveled to the 60’s A/GS stronghold of California, and only ran at the Nationals. The likes of Stone-Woods-Cook, Big John Mazmanian and K.S. Pittman all saw the backside of George’s Chevy powered car during those years called the “G***er Wars”. (Jim Hill photo)




The final configuration of George’s fabled ’33 found it again receiving ch***is modifications and updates, this time to handle the huge power of a blown 427 SOHC Ford. The car proved to be evil handling, forcing George to build a new Mustang with blown SOHC Ford power for A/GS. This change to late-model bodies also heralded the end of A/GS. as blown G***er racers switched to Funny Cars and the lucrative money earned with match racing.




The “First Lady” of G***er racing remains Barbara Hamilton. Barb was the first woman licensed by NHRA to drive a supercharged race car in compe***ion. Her bright-blue ’37 Willys remains like the last time it made a run at the Nationals.



Barb Hamilton found plenty of compe***ion at home in Ohio, but often traveled to major events. Here she’s getting ready for the next round of Super Eliminator at the NHRA Springnationals, Bristol Tennessee. Blown AA/Altered is Ronnie Spiller in the Spiller & Boyd roadster, from Hialeah, Florida. (Jim Hill photo)

 

Still in the midwest

E.L. Williams built this Henry-J B/G***er and gained a reputation for being a strong runner in Michigan Modified Eliminator racing. The “J” was powered by a 426 Hemi and boasted car show quality paint and appearance. Here he hammers it off the line at the Popular Hot Rodding Championships, one of the Midwest’s premier events, held annually at Martin, MI.



Bill Gorvet drove the “Vitamin C” Willys in A/Gas compe***ion across the Midwest. This was an early G***er to use the power of the new ’64 426 Hemi in a cl***ic ch***is. Sadly, his became one of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. RIP Brother



Mike Marinoff’s B/Gas Supercharged Willys was a familiar runner at upper Midwest tracks. Marinoff’s Willys ran this car for many years and was always a strong contender.



Dale Moody & Sam Jones ran this ’37 Chevy coupe for several years in C/Gas Supercharged. A 283 Chevy with a 6-71 blower and Hilborn injection powered the I favorite M-J Chevy to a Street Eliminator win at the 1962 NHRA Nationals and at the World Series of Drag Racing, in Cordova, Illinois.



Another Michigander, Warren’s Al Maynard. Maynard’s first G***er was a ’32 Ford five window coupe, followed by this well-known E/Gas ’57 Chevy, here on the pits at The Nationals. Next came a ’67 Camaro and then a Dodge Challenger. Maynard’s race cars were all winners in cl*** and Eliminator. He was also known nationally for his photo-memory of hard to find performance parts, and as a supplier of such rare NOS items.



Lutz and Lundberg ran in the upper Midwest states, always successfully. They started with this many-door Willys, running B/Gas. Their cars were always show quality and feared a**** Midwest racers for their performance.



Lutz & Lundberg next ran this A/Gas ’48 Anglia, also with considerable success using an injected, small-block Chevy for power.



Years before he made a hero reputation as driver of the Chi Town Hustler and Hawaiian Funny Cars, Illinois’ Ron Colson got acquainted with serious hot rods in this ’41 Studebaker. Running a small-block Chevy in B/Gas, the Colson & Wood ‘Stude was tough car to beat at tracks in Illinois, Wisconsin and the upper Midwest.



The Stoltz & Velasquez ’40 Willys coupe ran out of Paul’s Automotive, in Dayton, Ohio, one of the many blown G***ers that made an annual appearance at the NHRA Nationals in the 60’s.



Old Chevy Tri-Five G***ers never die! That is never better illustrated than Peter Broadrib’s restoration of the original, NHRA Street Eliminator World Champion Moody’s Garage ’55 D/G***er. Originally from England, Peter grew up loving those American hot rods. Now a U.S. citizen and long-term Arizona resident, Peter carefully returned the historic ’55 to its glory. Vic Cooke’s pic at the California Hot Rod Reunion shows off the results.

 

Bad Banana, FANTASTIC STUFF! THIS is what I'm looking for!

 

I have probably posted these a dozen times on this site but people keep giving me venues! Have had this since '64, on the road in '95 in this condition, my daily driver.

 

Great pictures!!