AMT’s Piranha: The Missing Link.... Found with Big Daddy

Spent the day today with Jim Hunnewell at Garlits Museum and went in the backroom to catch some of Big's Treasures and latest restoration. I working on last tour on Swap Rat #34 dragster in 2003 with Jim and Don before his final retirement.

Jim is a master fabricator and has done most of the restorations at the museum and is currently restoring the AMT PIRAHNA and hopes to have completed in the next few months.

Here a some shots of the restoration and original build pics.

More info on the http://www.dragracingonline.com/nowthen/vii_4-1.html

 

.......

 

More of BIG priviate stash ....

 

Great, now everybody will want one!!!

 

Cool, and it looks like most all of the parts are/were there. I remember seeing the kits and a couple of magazine stories when I was a kid.

That back room most likely has a lot of stories to tell. The beam down the middle that I imagine was the backbone of the chassis jig is something in it's self

 

If I remember the story correctly a Chevy like that supplied the chassis that became Big's first "Rail"

 

Boy if that backroom could only talk !!!

 

Thanks for sharing! I would love an afternoon, in the back "office".

Oddball question. Anyone recognize the tires on that Chevy? I am looking for 18" tires, and those appear to be fairly nice. Coker cannot get me a match for 5.00 and 6.40/7.00.

 

That Chevy was in excellent shape BEFORE the restoration... I imagine it's perfect now.

 

Thanks Al for the behind the scenes shots. Great stuff. Slim

 

Great to see the Piranha is getting the attention it deserves. Saw it a few years back at CHRR and it was in pretty poor shape, but, it was all there.

I hope he brings it out to the next Reunion!

 

Here's another one: http://www.drivelineac.com/gm_crv_amt_piranha/index.htm
and http://www.c-we.com/piranha/index.htm
I vaguely remember these had a vacuum molded body, similar process to a Brubaker car.
Am I right or just hallucinatin'?

 

That is so cool!

 

Don Garlits to Restore Piranha Dragster

http://www.c-we.com/piranha/garlits.htm

 

Those were awesome pics, Al...thanks for sharing a little bit of history in the making!

 

Taken at Garlits Museum getting final details. Pics provided by BB & Eureka










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Cool.

 

absolutely beautiful.

 

Awesome!

 

WOW...that came out awesome...thanks for the update, Al!

 

Always amazes me when I see a piece of history transformed to the state it was in when it was first built. Almost amazes me as much as seeing how minimal the roll cages and driver protection these things had back in the day.

 

Thanks, way cool. Gotta love Big Daddy.

 

Bitchinn, thanks for sharing