History Davis ~ Ingram Jewel "T" AA / Altered ... Lotsa Pics!!!

Found this artsy night-time B&W photo taken @ Irwindale:

Photographer Unknown​

 

Sure gives the impression of speed.

 

[QUOTEWe had set it up with the track announcer that when Chico pushed off in his A Dragster to start up for our match race I would run out waving my arms, pointing at a silver cylinder on Chico's chassis. The announcer say's Oh, Oh, looks like "Cheating Chico" has been caught "Cheating" again. The crowd roared. They loved it.


I know EXACTLY what Chico had in that tank, AIR! That can got more attention. It was an old propane bottle plumbed to the fuel pump. Tech pulled it off, shook it, smelled it, Looked inside it, Weighed it. Chico even showed them that the fitting at the fuel pump was welded shut. At the World Finals in Oaklahoma he was asked to remove it. "Tey didn't want any going home feeling they got beat by a cheater" He removed it. He was the only guy I ever met that had an MHRA top 10 jacket. not an easy thing to receive for anyone.
Chico went formula car racing in the late 80's and continued until his death a few years ago. I learned a lot from Chico, a very inivative guy. I think about him everytime I win a race. He had great stories to tell.
Not sure if the German shepard chained to his car to keep prying eyes away or the body guard that earned him the Cheating Chico tag. It was that or his "Creative" interpitation of the rules.

 

Our heroes @ Indy - 1967:

photo from the Richard McKinstry collection (TRJ #46, page 46)​

 

Photographer: Unknown

 

Photographer: Unknown

 

@skywolf ... great pics ... thanks for sharing!

You inspired me to do some diggin' through my '67 & '68 magazines ...

 

... here's a pic from the January 1968 HRM article entitled "TULSA THE END OF THE TRAIL":

'67 Tulsa World Finals photo by Pat Broiler (or Jim McFarland)​

 

... and a '67 Tulsa World Finals pic/caption that appeared in a 1968 Advertisement:

pg. 25 HRM March 1968​

 

To pass tech for AA/C or BB/D we would simply remove the radiator cowl and we no longer qualified as an altered. The records for theses classes were soft and we set them into the middle 8's so when we pulled to the line in Super Eliminator against anyone in the AA/C or BB/D class, they knew they had a problem. Nothing like having to give your competition a handicap head start and know he owns your record.

For BB/A we welded to pieces of solid steel on each side of the drive shaft that were about 4X6X15." The flooring was made of 1/8th sheet steel so it accommodated the extra weight easily. As I remember we set the record in the middle 9's, something we could reset at will but still a new record.

A fact only know to me & Joe and Wes was the Jewel T was capable of running in the sevens on gas. At a National meet we attended Joe accidently broke into the seven’s and Joe refused to take the timing slip. Wild Willie Borsch had run at that meet and Joe begged off that it must have been "Willie’s" time slip.

I may have mentioned this before but we were at a Winter Nationals meet, setting in line in staging. Cloy Fitzgearld and Bernie Partridge (NHRA Directors) strolled up and said they have a "Match Race" for us. Joe says "who"? "The car behind you", says Bernie. It was Don "The Snake Don Purdhomme" AA/F Dragster. I asked Bernie "How much of a handicap do we get"? Bernie says "None". We know you won’t let him beat you and we’ll find out just how fast the JewelT can go. Me thinks they were a bit suspicious.

 

Photographer: Unknown

 

man i love the jewel t

 

I may have mentioned this before but we were at a Winter Nationals meet, setting in line in staging. Cloy Fitzgearld and Bernie Partridge (NHRA Directors) strolled up and said they have a "Match Race" for us. Joe says "who"? "The car behind you", says Bernie. It was Don "The Snake Don Purdhomme" AA/F Dragster. I asked Bernie "How much of a handicap do we get"? Bernie says "None". We know you won’t let him beat you and we’ll find out just how fast the JewelT can go. Me thinks they were a bit suspicious.
[/QUOTE]

Was the car powered by the L-88 427, or the punched out 396" Chevy? Also, you guys seemed to be one of the few who ran a 4 port Hillborn on gas. Must gas burners relied on the upright Hillborns with the large air scoop sitting atop. Care to comment on why you choose the bug catcher style?

 

Re: the white "Colt .45" Mustang. I believe this is the same car I saw at the Oakland Roadster Show in 1966 and racing at Half Moon Bay later that year. Can anyone verify this?" I was 13 years old an this was my first drag race. How lucky I was to have witnessed this. The big draw was a match race between Don Garlits vs Don Prudhomme--best two out of three--Garlits won by a hair.

 

mooneye777 posted this great shot over at Tango's Ultimate Hot Rod House.

 

Whatever happened to the Jewel T?

Where is it now?

Sam

 

Indy 1969

 

@skywolf - Great find! ... Yet another pic of the Jewel "T" taken the same weekend it was stolen from the Zavarella family ... Thanks for posting!

 

I have a body like that. It is almost exactly the same as the original Jewel T. After reading this thread and doing other research I was a little worried but after doing some serious looking at the photos it can't be the lost car, although it is scary-close. The original had the drag link going through the corner of the left side body and was cut out to clear. Mine is genuine original Cal Automotive hand-layed cloth that you can see from the inside has never been cut. (whew, I wiped my brow.....).
It does have at least 3 paint jobs, like most old race cars. Under the one that you see there is another flame job that you can see vaguely tracing through. Below that it was medium metallic blue. I may at some point do a layer sanding and see what I can see....
I would like to have a clue to the history on this car, so if anybody recognizes it in it's present form please let me know? I can't find anything on the net. Of course there is the (IHRA?) number 6537 on the turtle deck, and on the top of the turtle deck above the removable panel is the remains of:

Driver: Becky Jordice
Wrench: Mike Jordice
Special Thanks, Dad, Mom & Brian

 

Got any plans to build a car around that body?

 

Nothing more sinister than those awful fuel altereds, so exciting. The altereds at the H.A.M.B. drags were mind bending awesome. Thanx for all the cool pix and info. ~sololobo~

 

Cool car!!

 

What a great thread!

 

One of my favorite cars!!!!! Hmm......gives me an idea!!!!

 

This post is towards Mr Ingram or individual that may have access to photos; I am embarking on the process of duplicating the Jewell T in 1/16th scale and need information about the vehicle. I really need information about the frame. All sources gleened from the internet or print sources give me everything I need in regards to the body, tires, engine, stance of the car, but no direct information about the frame and it's configuration. Were there any photos taken of the car without its' body on or in the process of being constructed/worked on between races. Any help in this matter from the participants here on H.A.M.B. will be greatly appreciated. Here is pic of the engine I have created in 1/16th scale for use in my endeavor.

 

Stolen Jewel T, as stated in some of the above posts the Jewel T was stolen after Joe sold it. Joe said he was at Indy , not competing and saw his old engine in another car. Joe had stamped his social security number on all the major parts. He contacted the FBI and they said that since he was not the owner when the car was stolen they did not want to talk to him. joe thought the the Jewel T was probably parted out, pieces sold and probablu used on other cars.

 

I was browsing through @49ratfink's shuffletown dragstrip North Carolina ????? thread ... and stumbled upon some artwork that sure appears to have been based on the Jewel "T":

1972 Shuffletown Drag Strip Ad (originally posted by @realkustom51)​

 

cool post, I have the 67 car craft and the 65 hot rod with the mouse thats roars....cool post

 

Although I was VERY young, I remember going to Fremont Drag Strip with my Mom to watch the Jewel "T" race.. I just thought it was the coolest thing because Jim Walraven is my Dad. We always felt special out there. We met Don "The Snake" Prudome, and Don Garlits. Didn't think I remembered that, huh Dad? I remember the Jewel "T" used to tweak the front end every time it would take off from the start line, and it gives me chills to this day to watch those old videos and see this pics here! What great memories I have from back then!
Thanks for sharing!!