I'm hopeing that afew of you out there in the HAMB family can pass on more info and pictures of the " Golden Rod" chopped 55 gasser. This is the only picture I have but would love to learn more about this very kool ride from the 60's. Thanks in advance. Cheers, F.E.
J. C. Sizemore owned the car it was more of a A/FX than gasser. Ran super fast and was quality all the way.
Thanks brother......thats a great picture, where did you find it?? Hope afew more HAMBers can provide more info on this old 1/4 mile warrior. Thanks again!
The car is definitely an Altered, look at the bottom of the front fenders, where the rear wheels are and the over-all length of the car. I really love the way it looks and I bet it did run like a bat out of hell.
What sort of info are you looking for? JC is still around, or at least he was a few years ago. He's my Moms cousin so I guess that would make him my second cousin. I haven't seen him since my grandmothers funeral many years ago but he was still living in GA a few years ago. I was way too young when he and his friends would stop by my grandmothers house. I mostly remember he had an old school bus on her property. He was using it as a big storage unit. It was gone by the time I was old enough to realize what sort of automotive prizes were probably inside it.
....good to hear from you Ronnie.....I was hopeing to learn more about the car (how it was built?, how long did he have it for?, where's the 55 today?). You say he's still alive and well.....does he have an email address.....are you able to know where abouts in GA. he's living now?? Thanks again for the help......it was one cool ride.
I remember seeing the car race several times and I think it ran nitro. You can contact Sol Stewart Old Drag Racers' Reunion 251-246-5588 he should know how to contact JC or David Dilbeck at Georgia Drag Racing.com Hope this helped.
There were numerous incarnations of the Golden Rob but that is definitely the one people remember most. JC purchased it stock in 1961 and modified it to run it in several different classes but it finally ended up being an altered wheelbase funny car. At that point, he was mostly running match races over a period of about 10 years. The name Golden Rod originated from the Alabama State flower. He claims it was the first car in the area to do wheel stands. He took the front end out and put a Willys straight axle and a Ford pick-up truck steering gear in it. He set the engine way back in the firewall which was all aluminum as well as the floor board. He shifted the rear wheels and rear end forward 15 inches. It used quarter elliptic springs. He used fiberglass doors, deck lid, front fenders and hood. He extended the front wheels and axle 12 inches. He used to do construction and finished building the car while he worked on the max security prison down in Atmore, AL. He chopped the top 4 inches and used plexiglass all around. He eventully installed wheelie bars and a parachute. It used a B&M 400 auto transmission. I think JC is 85 years old now so I doubt he has e-mail but who knows. My Mom had lunch with him and his wife last November when they were in town. That's where most of my info came from. His wife had printed up little history books since he was getting up in age and he wanted Mom to give it to me since he wanted family members who would respect what he did to remember. If I ever get my scanner working again, I'll try to scan a few more pictures I have. They're not great quality to start with but I'll see what I can do. I know he still lives in GA... I think in Rome, GA but that part I'm not sure of. I couldn't find a number for him, although my Mom probably has one somewhere. The number nite-flyer gave is probably a good start. He was quite proud that he was the first person inducted into the Old Drag Racers Hall of Fame in 2002.
Thanks for your help brother....I'll certainly drop Sol Stewart a line for more info on Mr. Sizemore and his "Golden Rod". In the future if you recall any info of the 55 and how it ran or pic's I hope you'll be kind enough to pass them along to me. Best regards, F.E.
Many thanks again my friend for the update on JC and more info on the "Golden Rod"......Mr. Sizemore sounds like someone you could sit down with and learn alot about how they raced in the day. Nice to see he's well and still going strong. I've added a early pic of the "Golden Rod" before it was chopped........do any of you remember the 55 looking this way?? Thanks again Ronnie.
The first time I remember it was at a match race at Green Valley drag strip in Alabama and it had the chopped top.
.......I saw that pic .....thanks for sharing .....found this pic of J.C. from the 2002 Drag Race Reunion.......and another picture of the Golden Rod at the drags.
I'm sorry to post that JC is no longer with us... here's the obit Mom forwarded to me yesterday: JAMES "J.C." SIZEMORE Mr. James "J.C." Sizemore, age 84 of Hawthorne Street, Rome, passed away on September 14, 2009 at his home. Mr. Sizemore was born in Tuskegee, AL, on August 7, 1925, son of the late James Cheatum Sizemore and the late Rosie Sizemore. He was preceded by his brother E. L. "Bubba" Sizemore, sister Lillian "Boots" Cooper. He was a retired Plumbing Contractor and drag racer, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Survived by his wife Norma "Peg" Sizemore, his sons Clay Sizemore and wife Starr, of Rome, James Huett of Chickamauga, his daughter Lynn Huett and fiancÂ? Robin Hartley of Rome, grandchildren Jordan Huett Marsh, Karee Marsh, Sydney and Carson Sizemore, brothers Jack Sizemore and wife Pat; Bobby Sizemore and wife Sylvia; Johnny Sizemore and wife Brenda, sister Helen McCarty, several nieces and nephews also survive. At Mr. Sizemore's wishes, he will be cremated and later laid to rest with his beloved wife Peg. Visitation will be held for family and friends at their home on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. A celebration of his life for family will scheduled in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to Heyman Hospicecare at Floyd, who are true Angels here on Earth. The arrangements are by Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home of LaFayette, Georgia. I'll work on my scanner right now to see if I can get those other pictures posted...
Thanks for the condolences everyone. Here are a couple of the individual pictures from the montage with some descriptions... JC's racing career started in 1953 with a '33 Hudson Coupe (#92) that was modified for dirt track racing in Alabama and Georgia. It was powered by a 1953 Hudson Hornet twin H-power engine. He continued to race dirt track until 1956.
Sorry to hear about his passing It seems kinda fitting, and a tribute, for this thread to be started up again about the man and his machines. God bless.
In 1956 he purchased a black 1956 Chevy. It was a plain, four-door, stick-shift, powered by a 265 engine. This started his drag racing career. He was very successful with this car for about two years but then he had the urge to go faster. Eventually he purchased a complete, modified 327 engine from Billy Holt. He started running C/G and was very competitive in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Like everyone, he wanted to go faster and quicker. He built a 352 inch Chevy motor and started running B/G with the same 1956 Chevy four-door car.
There is a chopped 55 in car craft magazine in the artical about cruzing. I wonder if its the latest version of this car.....JOHN
Not trying to change the subject from the 55, but the nova Golden Rod, was about the time Ernie Duckett had his nova F/C I believe. I owned Ernies old nova and Phil Elliot has the body now. Those two nova's were REAL close in design. Lippy
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