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

@65pacecar

Hello,

Nice capture of a 40 Willys Coupe at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The similarities are too great to pass up with a question, when comparing the two photos, the first one on the left being taken in 1964-65.
Sorry for the blurry photo, it was the only way to process the lettering as clear as it could get before total fuzz.

This is as large as an enlargement (with processing) I could go without a total blur showing up. The name of the driver is still blurred, but says…. ----- BROS. The name of the speed shop looks like BROUGHER’S SPEED SHOP. So, is there or was there a shop called that in the Indianapolis area when everyone was still running a B/Gas Supercharged class? By 72 at the latest?

Atts Ono’s 40 Willys race car was shipped back to the “Midwest” in 1971 and his brother says the notes have been lost in transition since then. But, for such an immaculate build as done by Atts Ono, there has yet to be someone or someone’s family saying they purchased the red Willys from the So Cal family back in 1971.

Jnaki

Now that this photo seems like it might be a copy of, or the actual race car in a different lettering showing could be the one. Does anyone have information on this 40 Willys build or the BROUGHER’S SPEED SHOP? in Pittsburg, PA? Why PA?

A little search brought this up:

From old HAMB:

A recent post in another forum:

Can someone back there go by and ask about the Willys Coupe in the photo? or contact them? Thanks…

 

Sheffler Bros. built the Willys. Brougher's was a well known speed shop. The first location was in Lincoln Place, above Homestead, PA. "Woody" Brougher helped many racers in the area. The small speed shop at "Woody's" home, was moved to Pleasant Hills. I believe the Sheffler's worked/ran that speed shop. I could be wrong. If so, someone please correct me.

 

Don Shumacher, one of the legends and pioneers of the sport, passed today. RIP.

 

@jnaki I bought a coupe back half from him. Good dude, I think he is on here regularly.

I saw your reply to my post about Atts Onos coupe. It would be neat if your hunch pans out.

 

RIP Don...

 

Hey B,
Do you know if the WillysCoupe was built completely from scratch in the Midwest or did they start out with the red coupe from the Westcoast and then add to the build? The similarities are too coincidental and the photos are almost an exact match. Does anyone have build photos of the Sheffler Brothers Willys Coupe? Going over those photos would give us some insight.

Thanks for your information

Jnaki



Note:
Our 671 powered 292 C.I. motor was shipped to the Midwest in 1961. No one has mentioned in their family history about this motor. The big moving van left from our westside of long beach house. the owner was extremely happy to have such a build.

The 671 on the sbc was one of a kind during that phase of drag racing. No one had an Isky-Gilmer belt drive system for the SBC motor other than one from the Isky group in the Westcoast and us.

Since that is a mystery and no one claims their grandfather bought it and built a race car with it, then the Atts Ono connection is the other one we have some interest in finding out some history from the time it, too left So Cal for the Midwest in a moving van in 1971.

His brother told me that it was a sad time and no one still around, can remember that day when the red Willys Coupe rolled into the moving van container. YRMV

 

The first time that I saw the Sheffler Bros. car was at the 1963 US Nationals, seemingly well before the Ono Willys was sold.

 

I can't say for sure. I'll check with a friend of mine. Maybe he knows. I ended up with the American Racing torque thrust wheels the where on the back at one time. They were 8.5 wide with a 5" bolt pattern. Presuming that it had a Pontiac/Olds rearend at the time.

 

Dare to be different.

 

Hello,

I have scoured for any mention of that Willys Coupe in 1963. Out West, there were several other racers with their own versions of the Willys Coupe. Most were 41's with a single grille. Any photos or results in your files or research?

Thanks,

Jnaki

These days, the remaining folks from back then are still interested in the results shown as photos or information results. Photos are best, since the build in 63-64 was pretty meticulous in Atts Ono's red 40 Willys Coupe. I would like to include the sale result in my files and my research results for a library reference project.


Also, any new information or contact will go to his brother for his files.

 

Don Hampton...

 

November, '63 issue of PHR:

 

Mr. Eliminator Altereds:

 

Bob Sullivan in the Stuckey-built "Pandemonium" from the Sept., '63 issue of PopRod:

 

Beeline...Alan Earman photo...looks like Jim Nicoll far right.

 

Nitrobrother, do you remember Phil Johnson from Liberty?

 

Gary Gabelich Stardust...

 

From above -
Anyone have an idea what the "level" is doing, hanging from this car ?



Mike

 

Could it be a long traction bar to counteract the monkey motion of the X frame on a hard launch? I wonder if that car was a Z-11?

 

From
Here:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...63-plymouth-awb-car-and-others.1002654/page-2

 

It is a traction bar and yes it is a Z11.

 

Ha...thanks guys.
I knew a guy back in the mid 60's that ran a Z-11 powered 62 Impala. Always launched with the front tires about a foot off the ground. I don't recall now all he did to the suspension, except for installing a 57 Pontiac axle assembly, but I know that he didn't have one of those "long" arms on the car.

Mike