History going full circle [Photos added]

"an adrenaline rush is a blower screaming in your face and your nuts resting on a quick change whining like a cat with its tail in the door"
Very descriptive! I think I'll borrow this for my new HAMB signature..
And a flathead in a T-bucket turning 12.65s is "fair" to be sure. That's crankin for a flat motor.

 

I,m sorry I did not keep some better records back in the years however that,s hind sight. The 12.65 was at Sturgis ky. in the spring of 1964 My brother and I were some of the last to run a flatty in serious competition in our area. Spring of 1967 we had a .060 over 292 Chevy six in the T, Crane cam, Speed Omotive pistons at 13 to 1 compression,head modified by ourselves and a header-intake fabed by me, 5- 97,s and a Vertex mag.That engine was a killer for a couple seasons and then we built a better one. The 5 carb manifold is still in the family.I still have the Crane cam and the mag. Hang with me guys as my son ( with the flu) is getting a several photos ready and will try to get this done in the next several days.

 

This is really great stuff you are sharing. I too, want to know more about the Boss heads on the Chevrolet. Actually, everything there is to know about it. Thanks for sharing, christmas tree.

 

Sorting through some of the junk (old hot rod parts) the other day and I came across a failed attempt. I had a bright idea of turning a overdrive unit around backwards and using it as a gear reduction. After some fab. work, to the strip we went. With a feeling this might not work we took our full length drive shaft with us. Terre Haute Indiana was a 1/5 mile strip. our flatty at that time had an Isky 431 cam and it was good for near 7000 rpm. Brothers turn first, and it would only run about 81 or so, and next I had to try and another 80 . This shit ain,t going to work so we went to work and pulled it out and put the drive shaft in. Brother try,s to make a run and snaps low and second gear out. As the car would roll free we got on the ball and put the under drive back in and no more time as racing had started.The first out was another flatty and he lost a transmission and did not make it off the line, however we learned we could could take off in high gear(put street tires back on) as it would break the tires loose for about 3 car legnths lot of smoke, The car in the other lane, a Anglia with some sort of small European inline 6 and a 4 or 5 speed trans in it only managed to get about 1 car on me. Every time he pushed the clutch in to shift I would come up a few feet and by the end I had managed to lead be 3-4 feet. Next day car was jacked and getting a clutch put in and all that other scrap shit threw in the corner. The conclusion, if you have a brain fart on this, do not try this as it did,n work 50 yrs ago and it was a lot of work. It did work, but I did not know how to do the math correctly . Those were the good old days

 

Good for you, at least you tried..

 

Cheater slicks were availble in 1958, at the least in Florida. I used to run a '49 Olds with a well worked over '57 371 cu. in. Olds motor and a set of 7" inch slicks. This was at the Sunshine Speedway in Clearwater, Golden Gate Speedway in Tampa, and at the track in Oldsmar, I've forgotten the actual track name. The big names of the time were always at one of these tracks, probably because Don Garlits ran these tracks. Not many were there to see me! I am now 78 yrs old, don't do any racing anymore, but I still am into old cars, got a warmed-up '56 Ford Victoria with a 312 and a '50 chevy that is still pretty much stock but not for long.
Larry

 

NHRA started allowing cheaters around 60 or 61 could not be over 7 in. wide and must have two groves around them I think 1/16 wide

 

I know what you mean. I am Now 77 pushing 78. Still doing some minor items but full rebuilds are out of the question. The body just makes you slow down. Mercuryguy

 

Most stories have a good ending and there are some funny ending,s, although serious at the time. I was only 18 at the time and in the summer of 1960 a friend had an A fuel dragster (AA/FD) had not came around yet. He decided to go to Union Grove Wisconsin and a couple of us decided to tag along, Prep. for going was a new master cylinder. We used a lot of Ford MS at that time.Problem was The old cylinder had a retaining washer the same diameter as the piston and would move with it. The new one had a shouldered washer. The MS push rod had a square shoulder about 1 inch from the end. Put it on and had travel to bleed it and brakes (we thought) to push it around, fire it and stage. The car had a chute and ran about 165 on that run. Not bad. Driver releases chute and it wads up. No problem remember new cylinder. Driver pulls on brake lever very solid but not slowing down Engine was backing down but still running when hit a pile of straw bales.and drove in for about 5 feet and the blower was sucking straw and when we all got down there the driver was very dazed and smiling clutch pushed in motor still running.Driver was WW2 Vet. and had 2 hearing aids both of them threw out of his ears and he was not hearing all the shit going on. Shoulder harness bruised him a bit but put the aids back in. fresh under ware and possibly we gave him a beer or two.As I said brakes to stage and nothing else. The rules, pack your chute carefully, take a good look at your parts, and carry extra under ware.God only knows how many times I have looked back and laughed at this.

 

Guys I,v read all this several times and it dawned on me I left out my 23 T (drags only)C/SR with a 296 flathead and later a friends 301 Chevy. Ran decent with the flatty but evil as hell with the 301.

 

The upper photo was taken in 1967 at Chandler Indiana and if you look you will see what looks 5 air cleaners and it is.The lower photo was taken at George Field Il. at Day at the strip. The 23 T body has been on 3 altereds and has been in the family since 1963.

 

This is one of my old dragsters that had a flathead in it and later a 327 as you see it.

This is my 29 A with a 313 in. flatty in it.

 

Another view of the dragster.
Another view of the altered.

 

I might add these were taken at George Field Il. where the first national event in drag racing was held in 1954 by the Automobile Timing Assocation of America (ATAA) pre dating the U.S. nationals by a few weeks.

 

The top photo is my brother who is deceased taken in 1967 and the bottem fhoto was taken at Chandler In. 1967 and thee previously poster blue altered has that same body on it and has been in the family since 1963. I am currently preparing to restore the chassis to 1967.

 

The above dragster was the last chassis I built about 5 yrs ago. Car is now finished and will post some more pics. as I take them. Thats a 427 Ford Cammer engine in it

 

Great read and stellar pics!

And I just have to ask...any info on the twin-FED in the pic above??? I see my last name on the side and would love to know more of the owner/builder/driver...

 

I do not know any specs. however have a friend who may know.

 

Wild rides

 

The dragster with twin engines they are 500 in. Caddy with a auto trans of some sort. It will smoke the tires a long way and is a show off.

 

You have had quite an exciting life behind the wheel of your passions. I hope I still have the drive in 5 years that you do currently. I just think you should experience the ONE thing left in life that's missing from all your adventures, and that is owning a Deuce roadster. I will invariably catch flack from rodders who drive everything else, BUT Deuce owners will agree with me "en toto". I congratulate you on your past and wish the best for you until you finally "retire", if that is possible. You have bragging rights that many of us only dream of and if you stopped your activities today, you would always be considered THE MAN. What a exciting life !

 

As I think back there are some tidbits that I have left out and as they pop up I will post. Gary Thank you for your fine compliments.You are right on the Duce however check my 29 on Going Full Circle

 

Looking back life has been a lot of fun and adventure however there were a couple of tragic events, a very good friend was killed in a dragster in 1961. It still hurts today. Another friend was racing a motor cycle in some sort of a long race and had on the proper safety cloths and he got off,( very hot) walked a few feet and down he went, heat prostration, and they were not able to save him. I had raced with him and and at times we were opponents.

 

Guys I posted this in Drag cars and will put it here. This car was built I think in 58 or 59. 301 Chevy Racer Brown roller cam home ported heads and a Corvett dual point dist. and later a Vertex. It was a direct drive car. It ran 150 in the quarter mile and was owned by Paul Stevens of Lawrenceville Il. He was a good friend and mentor to me. The family has restored the car and you will see this car at some of the cackle fests. It uses Crosley front wheel and steering and 46 Ford or so rear with 4.44 gears

 

In 1966 one of the stories of getting hurt a little bit and getting a cheap lesion in safety as the requirements on scatter shields were not like today. Had a nice screaming flatty which was good for 7000 in second gear, problem was the pressure plate was only good for 6500 on that run and exploded busting the alunium adaptor and a piece of something got out and hit me on the bottom of the left heal. Not serious but painful. Lied to the wife and told her I sprained my ankle a little bit. 2 weeks later had adapted a Chevy Lakewood bell housing to the flatty and put a Hays pressure plate and disc in it. Lucky yes, Lesion learned the hard way.

 

Christmas Tree, I just saw your post with Paul Stevens in the 'Little Puffer'. We used to hang out at Paul's shop in the late '50s. I had a '50 Ford with a chev 265 in it and Paul helped me install a Duntov cam in it. I also remember going out to George Field, at night, watching Paul test a dragster he had just built. Such great times and Paul was a great guy.

 

HarryT check back every now and then. I am going to try and scan the cover of Drag Times with a photo of Joe Todd,s Fiat on it. It is the car that your brother went over all the welds and most likely saved Joe,s life. Harry, did you ever know a fellow named Bill Hankins who used to also hang out at Pauls and had a 50 Ford or so with a Caddy engine in it?

 

Christmas Tree, I sent you a "Conversation" (I hope I did it correctly).
Jim

 

Many of the conversations on here mentions the love for a flagman on the line. Love them old days and have a story to tell. George Field Il, 1961 a couple B Dragsters were on the line, one Olds powered and the other a Chevy. The flagman started them and something hit him in the thigh and he bent down to pick it up and realized the Olds had spit out about half a exhaust valve head. The Olds won any way.The flagman commented it was a good thing he was turned sideways as head on might have wrecked the family jewels. Within a couple years the X, mas tree was in use at the better strips. Love them old days of my youth.

 

Christmas tree, I can remember watching the flagmen at George Field. Some of them would put on a great show. Thanks for the memories.
Jim