I'm not sure the cabrio is a '34, isn't that a hood latch towards the front of the hood? I agree that each photo be scanned and posted one at a time so we can discuss what we're seeing, these are all treasures, thanks for sharing. Oj
I got all pictures professionally scanned at the highest resolution possible. I'll email you the pics of car 22. Just need a little time as I'll be away from laptop for a few days. I already started making posters/banners.
This pictures and information are awesome. Thank you for sharing..Land speed history is the best especially someone that grew up 15 miles from elmirage...
Don Gallant purchased this hot rod in 1953 from Albert Quagliaroli of Glastonbury, the same year he opened his Speed Shop on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington CT. Don passed away in 2020 at the age of 90 and was still active in New England hot rodding until that time. Don’s son Paul is now the caretaker of the car, and also operates the Don’s Speed Shop, now the oldest operating speed shop in New England. Originally built on a 1927 Chevrolet chassis, the car was powered by a 1941 Chevrolet engine. It was exhibited in the 1951 and 1952 Hartford Autorama. The first Hartford Autorama was held in 1951, the car was pictured in the 1952 program. Don rebuilt and modified the car, eventually installed a Chevrolet V8 engine with a 1939 LaSalle transmission. The best report “et” for the car at Charlestown RI drag strip in 1957 was 13.04 seconds. The car was actively raced and proved to a winner on the track and on the show floor! The original Don’s “Atlantic” Speed Shop was located on the East side of the Berlin Turnpike. Many hot rodders stopped there and after the visit would speed out on to the Turnpike and check their speedometers as they passed under the bridge, an official one quarter of a mile away. Don moved to his present location on the West side of the Turnpike in 1958. He was a founding member of the Connecticut Street Rod Association, which is still a very active club today. The car has been shown and used extensively since the 1950’s, on the Street and the Strip. This is an example of a very early New England Hot Rod that still retains its 1950s appearance.
Hello, We all know the history of the SWC Willys Coupe saga. The coupe and team had broken into the drag racing scene, while nearly taking over the whole Gas Coupe and Sedan Class competition for many years. They were still at it in the end when the overall class competition was eliminated and the popular race cars were now just exhibition cars at various drag races across the USA. But, before the hoopla for the final days of the SWC Willys Coupes in the mid to late 60s,we all knew the final days were here and soon, that popular class would disappear from the drag racing scene. The popularity and direction being Top Fuel race cars and FX cars as well as the altered Funny Cars. Two out of three still call it drag racing, today. No one else competing, just million dollar groups and builds racing for sponsors. The first words being: “I like to thank my sponsor…. Over thanks to my wife and family, etc…” Jnaki So, since we all are stuck in this new direction of so called “drag racing” lets step back a bit. Can we see a different look from those fun days when we all could get our daily drivers to go a little faster with some modifications we could actually buy. For Doug Cook, anything he had built up was a trophy winner. Starting out as a real street car as we all did. Three legends of drag racing in So Cal history... When he hit the scene with his daily driver 37 Chevy Coupe, it took on other builds from a gaggle of street hot rods. The variety of modified hot rods was amazing as one did as much or as little to a stock car from the factory to go a little faster and perhaps get that shiny trophy for the class win. YRMV A little history from So Cal drag racing circles 1950s-60s: From the family album... Thanks, Mike Cook... For us in 1958-60, we saw a ton of modified street cars all competing in various classes Very early Lion’s Dragstrip competition in Street Class Coupes/Sedans... ( look at the variety of competition waiting their turns to race...) Ahhh…the good old days of hot rod/drag racing in So Cal… new 4:56 gears... from January 1957: Drag News weekly from 1958 in So Cal:
The Jalopy Journal
