Features Hots rods WITHOUT headlights

still race with no headlights.

 

Cars without headlight were usually called racecars spelled backwards.

 

This should fit the bill, complete with Divco wheels.

 

Here is another.

 

Makes a statement.

 

Got tired of people asking him what year his car is.

 

A few years back there was a coupe or roadster featured in one of the rod magazines that had quickly removed/installed headlights for the no headlight look with stock grill for daytime driving. I'm thinking that is the way the roadster with the gold wheels is set up.
The plugs/covers on the side of the grill shell pop off and headlights plug into them and away you go in a couple of minutes being able to see and be seen in the dark.
With these idiots on the road around here it would contribute to the "I didn't see it before I pulled out" syndrome in the daytime though.

 

I think they are hiding...

It's a aesthetic thing and of course racing rendered them of in many cases...

 

Could be an advantageous camera angle.

 

He liked tucking them in and low...

 

Don't need no stinkin' fenders or headlights...but by all means box the frame...

Credit to Photographer, Owner

​

 

Looks are deceiving…


Hello,

The bright purple 1932 Vicky Sedan has the look of a cool street hot rod with the wheels and white wall tires. But, those two circular tubes must give folks some inclination as to what is underneath for power.

Then, of course, no one or at least most real hot rod folks and drag racers did not put on speed shop names unless there was something going on with the whole car. Mainly, in sponsorship or the actual build. Real speed shops for real drag racers was the tie in for this “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Why the difference in looks for this 32 sedan?

Here is a color photo with a similar set up in a fairly recent photo.

Not your normal street engine... The Vulcans 1932 Vicky Altered in living color.

The most unusual updraft carburetor system was a Reath Automotive item. It got moved from race car to race car as a way to get the most out of a supercharged motor. A lot of the race car builds from the stables of Reath Automotive from Long Beach had the set up. Including the Rakers Car Club Compe***ion Coupe.



November 30, 1958 as posted in the December 13 Drag News issue.

So, it was no wonder that the 1932 Ford Victoria of the Vulcans Car Club was one of the top builds in the area. This is a story about the unusual carburetor system of those early drag racing builds. The shared motor builds and parts moved from compe***ion race car to different compe***ion cars. The automotive build group in Long Beach back then was a tight, small knit group.
Updraft aircraft carbs on supercharged Hemi motor, circa 1962-65.

In hot rodding/drag racing, we have all seen many different combinations of induction on the race cars. When I was doing my research for facts on the Gary Gabelich Tribute, I came across many different looks and ideas for his short, but extensive history. They came together to make a nice contribution to the Historical Society of Long Beach’s “Legend of Lions” day.

One of the photos uncovered was the time at Lions Dragstrip driving a blown Hemi motor with some familiar, but rarely used updraft carburetors. (similar to the motor in the Vulcan’s 32 purple Vicky)
photo from the Rae Gabelich Collection
Gary Gabelich was game to drive just about anything with a steering wheel and powerful motor. This was one of his early forays into the Top Eliminator FEDs with an extremely short wheel base. We were out of drag racing at this time period, so I do not have any action films of this unusual FED. Thanks for the rare photo, Rae.

Similar updraft carbs on the Vulcan's Car Club 32 Vicky Altered sedan.

Everyone seems to be more familiar with aircraft carbs on the Vulcan’s Car Club 1932 Vicky Altered. There were others using them, too. Courtesy of the Joe Mailliard Shop in Long Beach. But, it was just not a common thing seen at the drags. YRMV

Jnaki

Did I mention that this cool Altered Sedan was loud, really LOUD?

 

IIRC, it was probably a Thom Taylor sketchpad with hideaway lights on hood sides. Porsche 914 would work

 

The Sunday Stripper Coupe, Hot Rod Mag. March 2012 Photo Credit Wes Allison.

 

A Trio of the Rolling Bones Hot Rods! The Dennis Varni Coupe along with Bones 406 and 591
Thanks to Liz Leggett, and Opposing Cylinders for their Photos.

 

Think my "Ford Mostly A" applies;


Edit: more photos added.

 

Pretty sweet.

 

I agree with your point for the most part however, you are basing your statement on what you saw in your part of the country.

I remember talking to an old 1950 hot rodder from Long Island he was talking about his misadventures with his first hot rod.

(Now before people start walking what about the police? Don’t forget Long Island was much different than then it is now. It wasn’t wall to wall people it was rural and at one point was a lot of potato farms.)

One of the first things he said is it never had headlights he talked about another car that ran around that way.

Why did they do it? Because they thought it made them look cool like race cars!

Was the a common occurrence probably not however it did happen, the same thing with 39 Ford truck grills I have heard old times form other parts of the country rant and rave it never happened.

While it may not have happened in the Midwest or So-Cal it most definitely happened in New England.

 

I will expand on this with some modern history-

In the late 1970’s early 1980s dirt late models were a common weekly racing cl***

I believe they raced under D.I.R.T (Driver’s Independent Race Tracks) rules.

According to the rule book you could run a 1 inch carburetor spacer.

In western New York this was read as a 1” spacer plus the thickness of the gaskets, however locally it was read and enforced as the total thickness of the spacers and the gaskets.

Which lead to a major controversy at a big end of the year race at Fonda speedway.

When they went though tech all the western NewYork cars failed and had to remove the their spacers, some guy bought a thinner spacer some went without.

Dad talks about guys running to the speed shop digging into boxes looking for enough parts to make their throttle linkages work!

Now this should have been worked out long before that race but is it a good example of how things very regionally.

 

No headlights cleaned up some aero drag at the dry lakes and strip.......
But lights were required to get plates, registration, and maybe even insurance for street driving.
In the '60s, when I was drag racing current model cars at the strip, I removed side-view mirrors, windshield wipers, and radio antennas.
I removed everything I could from inside the car(s) to save weight. But I considered eliminating air drag as the other side of that same coin.
But cruising was also a big part of my lifestyle, so I always had to put all the gingerbread back on for the street, after racing.

 

This one was running at Pendine.
Gotta admit, it's a tough lookin' look

 

Kinda different, my champ car will be street driven. It has quick-release headlight stands so I can drive it sans headlights. They fit into sockets in the frame rails.

 

Beach rule?

 

how could we forget St Christopher Coby's masterpiece.

 

I built this one. It ended up getting a small set of Farmall tractor lights to be legal.