History *Austin & Grassi Fuel Cuda* Whats the history?

Just wondering if anyone knows the history of the Austin & Grassi fuel Cuda? I came across a picture of this comp coupe a few years ago and immediately fell in love with it. If anyone knows the history of the team or car please contribute what you know. Does it the car still exsist today I wonder?

This thing is just flat out cool to me. I'd love to see it in person if it's still out there somewhere. I'd give half of my left nut to sit in it. The other half was already given up for a Zephyr years ago.

Thanks for any info

 

Kick ass!

 

Don't know the history but the Austin name here in the PNW is legendary. For several reasons; not all good. Famous just the same. Walt, Bucky, Pat etc..

 

taken a few yrs ago at the Austins shop

 

Oh my lord! That is Awesome Boones. Thanks for posting the pics. Looks like it's getting freshened up a bit.

 

Coolest thing I've seen all week....

 

Body is painted and remounted, awaiting for the headers to be made as of 4 weeks ago in Walt Austin's shop. Interesting to see in these photo's that there were two different length headers being used, the first set (out beyond the tire) are currently on my front engine car as found at a garage sale 20 some years ago.

 

Thats too cool Vintage Dragster. Do you know what year the car was run?

 

Built in late '63 by Jim Keeter (Long Beach), body by Kruse, raced only in 1964 with Harrell Amyx at the wheel.

 

I LOVE that car! Have admired it for years...was actually thinking about a street version!

 

Thanks guys I appreciate the info. I'd like to do something similiar as well. Not really an all balls out rail with a body over it but I'd definately want to be seated in the back like that. What an awesome ride!

 

Very Cool!

 

That Cuda is badass! I like how it sits, and what's so cool about it is that in the era that it ran, nobody ever ran anything that low. The guys were definitely on to the aerodynamic thing before anybody else.

That car is closer in theory to a modern Funny Car than it was to anything it ran against back in the day. Very cutting edge for the time.

 

From the Edmonton Journal, 1967. Unfortunately I haven't yet found out what happened that weekend. The pre-race date was online. The Monday edition wasn't. It warrants a trip across town to the university but...well, I'll get to it.

 

Don Ewald from "We did it for Love" said the car met its demise when it flipped over backwards racing at Arlington years ago. That had to be a hell of a ride.

Thanks for all the info

 

Really cool !

 

Was it a one-piece 'glass body?

 

Yes it was a one piece fiberglass body. I received a message from Dale whose a brother of the original owner along with Walt Austin. He said it was a pretty heavy fiberglass piece set over an fed fail. He believes it to be the first true funny car even though Garlits gets credited with the first.

The car has been completely restored as is drop dead beautiful. You may be seeing some new pictures posted up soon. Dale did all the paint and body work. He said after the car was retired it sat out in a pasture for years.
I for one would be willing to drive anywhere to see this thing run again.

 

with the 3 point cage it has,it won't be able to compete.It would be a cackle car.I remember seeing it run at Arlington Wa.

 

fucking car is badass

 

I think your thinking of Hemi Cuda of Tom McEwen that went into flight and came down hard. I have no info on the Fuel Cuda art below, but it is bad ass and I just had to post it!

 

The art work is Bad Ass! I'd love to find out more about it. Thanks for posting it. As for the demise I really don't know. Just relaying info thats been passed down to me.

Here is a picture of the restored version with pait work by Dale. I hope he doesn't mind me posting this. Dale is a HAMB'r (65choptop)

 

If I remember right this was a glass 66 Barracudda body dropped on Dave Grassi's obsolete top gas dragster. These dragster type "funny cars" were eventualy banned as they weren't really FC's. I saw them run several times at Woodburn, against The Super Ford, Shroeders Bad Bossa Nova, the Northwest Night and other local cars. I think it ran low 9's, high 8's. That was a great time!

 

For some reason or another I just can't get this this crazy little car/rail out of my head. I was contacted by a fellow HAMB'r Dale Grassi whose older brother is Mike Grassi, co owner of the Fuel Cuda. Dale has completed the paint work and restoration on the car. He was kind enough to bless me with a few pictures and I thought I'd post them here for those who are interested.

Thanks again Dale. What a killer ride!

 

If the debut was at Puyallup drag strip,I believe it.A lot of bottles were thrown by disaproving spectators at that place

 

Definitely a '66 body in those pics. The tail light housings are one year only -66. The "grille" is 66 style too.

B.

 

i remember seeing it run at puyallup and i think boyd wylie is correct.

 

You are so right there where lots of bottles thrown. those where the days and the car was based out of puy.the fans might not of approved but thats where funny cars started