History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

This is one great shot. Four in the air, attitude and primer spots.

 

SoCal coupe, built by Alex Xydias and driven by his brother-in-law, Dave DeLangton. The car ran a blown Ardun when it drag raced, ran 135+ at Pomona, pretty stout for the mid-50s. Unfortunately the clutch blew on one run, cutting the fuel tank that was mounted inside the car, Dave bailed out, but was burned too badly, and died several weeks later. Alex sold the car, which went on to be campaigned by several owners, usually at the lakes or Bonneville., It has now been restored to this configuration. Photo from the Norm Grudem collection. He was a caddy at the golf course at Pomona's end, and started taking pictures around '53.


Jim Travis would later run the SoCal coupe, normally at speed trials, but here it is at a drag strip, not sure if this is San Gabriel or Irwindale.


From George Klass: Bill Coburn's Fiat competition coupe. Bill ran a torque converter behind his fuel Chrysler. This looks like Riverside.


Very early dragster. This was Otto Ryssman, very crude but ran hard


Same car as above with a Crosley body on it to run the coupe classes. Santa Ana


Ivo at San Gabriel, '62.


No ID on this Ford powered car...anyone? loudbang: This Ford powered car is Tom Dunn's out of Wrentham, Mass (thanks also to Bangkok Dean and 55 Nomad)



I missed this first Smokers meet but made the rest of them until '65....


Only info is Great Bend, maybe the '55 NHRA Nationals there?


Photo captioned "Midweek matinee Santa Ana..." no other info


Rod Stuckey lining up at Half Moon Bay...he would blow the engine on this run and suffer bad burns.

 

Takin' a break until I can find some new pics, the thread has been heavy on repeats lately, sometimes repeating within days. Repeats are inevitable,, but if you haven't started your viewing with page one and gone to the end, you are really missing out! I'll be at the Days Gone By thread!

 

296Ardun
This is Irwindale
San Gabriel Valley didn't have those fancy-ass guardrails

 

Thanks Gary for all of your input on this thread, I appreciate the time you, and some of the other major contributors commit to keeping these threads "alive" ......... This has become a fantastic collection, I hope it can continue to grow.

 

You're right, I now remember several cars getting off the track at San Gabriel, it was very rocky off the left side, and often tore up both car and driver.....guard rails at Irwindale were an improvement

 

Yep Dave plus at Irwindale if you went too far off course you would go into one of those very big holes and be lost fore ever LOL

 

I'm curious about the hood scoop on this '40 Willys. It appears to be the same as on a '63 Super Duty Pontiac. Those used on the Pontiacs were purchased by Pontiac from Ford's heavy duty truck line. Not being a Ford guy, I have no idea which year's they were used on the Ford trucks. Wud they have used that scoop on the Ford trucks as far back as '55?

 

That Willys looks to new to be from 55, I would guess 62 or 63 looking at the M&H slicks.

 

Did you notice the '59 Chevy in the background. I agree the size of the slicks, was the first tip off for me.

 

That makes more sense.

 

Well, I guess that and the slicks seal the deal. Geez, I didn't notice the '59 Chevy, and me of all people. I have a '59 Chevy sitting in the garage right next to my coupe. These old eyes are getting worse than I thot. Thanks for the input, guys!

 

Shot gun.

 

One from Vargo Dragway in Perkasie PA. The Retribution 55 Chevy, owned and driven by John Sprouls and Bob Grasso. Class was either D or E/MP.

 

Before their "Mr Gasket Company" day's I believe.

Jimbo

 

Joe was making exhaust gaskets for his car and his racing buddy's in his garage, what he tried were leaking so he tried different materials till he found the good stuff and the rest is history

DND

 

I think you guys are right...I wondered about the scoop myself...missed the M&Hs, though, and I still can't see the '59 Chevy...but eyes are not the same after cataract surgery

 

Notice the front..."springs" (air shocks). Interesting idea. Can tune the suspension easily this way.



Mike

 

I saw those too Mike, like "tuning" the rear wth AirLift's.
Now for you guys that didn't catch it, that's not a Chrysler Hemi, that's a Boss 429 Ford.

 

Bowtie Coupe : I think the Super Duty scoops first showed up on the 1961 Ford body. I do know our family well drilling business had a '59 or '60 Super Duty under a Schramm rig that did not have one.

 

I certainly can understand that. After the alert from Marty, got my big magnifying glass out. There's a wing and cat's eye taillight to the left and just below the top of the rear fender.

Thanks, bowie, for the update. I figured it was prolly early-mid '60s. Just don't know the Fords that well, especially those heavy duty models. Kinda interesting that those heavy duty Ford models are also known as "Super Duty." I wonder if it was that name that drew the Pontiac engineers to them for the scoop?