Hot Rods Just how fast were they, back in the day?

Hello,

The OP requested information from the early days of drag racing, like 1955. Not in the 60s as that was a new ballgame. Definitely not in the 70s, as that is not HAMB. So, here are some results directly from some research back into the1955 files, despite the fact that I was only 11 years old. The results were always posted as top speeds, no E.T. at the time. so, that is why it is different than the 60s or 70s.

1955 at the Santa Ana Dragstrip in So Cal had most of the West Coast early racers that were setting speed records in those classes. Gene Adams, Chuck Porter, etc. in the Overhead Valve Classes and the FH symbol was for Flathead classes.

Gene Adams as we all know had some of the fastest coupes and sedans in the Gas Coupe and Sedan Classes during the 1959-61 era. Chuck Porter had several builds and topped off the class win at the 1958 nationals in his yellow custom pickup truck. But, like everyone else at the time, we know who they are because of the results and magazine coverage, who knew they were racing in the 1955 era.

One of the first drag races at the Los Angeles area Saugus Dragstrip by put on by the Drag Racers, Inc.

Another So Cal dragstrip with different classes in 1955 had some unusual names of the class champions.

Jim Cassidy in the street roadster class, Kent Enderle in the hot roadster class, and Eddie Thompson with his 55 Buick before the latter day 55 Chevy in the stock class. Wait…Doug Thorley racing his 56 Buick in a stock car class? Will wonders never cease.


Jnaki

At the same time period, the two famous dragstrips were just beginning or being in the construction phase. The Bakersfield Smokers event and the beginning of the Lion’s Dragstrip in West Long Beach/Wilmington, CA area.


By April of 1955, the times for the street legal hot rods began to climb…


Another So Cal dragstrip in Colton,CA began their weekly events and here is a result page for the Gas Coupes/Sedans at the time.

Finally, when Lion’s Dragstrip opened in October 9, 1955, the place was packed and the gates had to be shut due to the overflow. The timed runs were limited and the speeds for the Gas Coupe/Sedan Class had risen since the early days of Santa Ana Dragstrip, an hour plus, of street driving away. 1955 had its early developments and as the experiments went on, the racers were able to get their street coupes and sedans running better and faster.

There were plenty of dragstrips where the “little guy” could take his daily driver and run with the “big boys.” As techniques and better equipment became available, the higher speeds for the quarter mile increased, even during 1955.
Oct 1955

The top speeds were the only thing recorded at the time. When the Crocker Timing System came to the dragstrips, then the E.T. times were also included in the results. So, comparing what anyone did during the later E.T. times is moot. Each era had small increments of better speeds and as the development of manufacturers of speed equipment got better, so did the fast times in 1955 season.

So, any comparison of even the 1959 years to 1955 is not part of the facts. Drag racing developed fast every year. So, there is no comparison of 1955 to any other year, including 1948-49 Goleta or the early 1950 Santa Ana Dragstrip. Even after the flagman starts compared to the green light starts were completely different results due to the intricacies of the flag dropping versus the delay of the green light.


We all have our results from the years we raced. It only makes a difference to ourselves. But, comparisons to the old days, like 1955 is interesting, but literally useless. Apples to oranges and other fruits, too. IMHO

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hot-rod-truck-thread.1049210/page-95#post-14150413

 

Yes, Vincents were rare, a Triumph was common like a Chevy or Ford. Best info on a stock Vincent says acceleration was about the same as an Iron head Sportster, Mid 13's to low 14's depending on tune and bullshit, lol. Modified drag race Vincents were much faster of course.
Today a young man with 10 grand can buy any number of late model used Sports bikes that can run high 9's -low 10's @150 mph totally stock on an unprepared track. And have a top speed of near 200 mph.. It does take a lot more skill to control a bike than a two pedal car with traction control...
I find early auto drag racing extremely interesting. The crude cars and drivers in T shirts was a piece of time not to be forgotten..

 

That’s because you were in fact going sub-sonic speeds.

 

My old high school hot rod,was zero to 60 about 4 sec. to 4.5sec to 60,depenning road an tire PSI. state of tune.
That was fast in the very early 1960s. I never ran it at the strip,but the story's told by others about my rod that I got to hear about, through the grapevine,were ether much faster or lots slower. LOL
1800lbs. hot rod and about 300+ HP was an still fast.
I've rebuilt the old Ford Thunderbird Y-block over the years a few times,as I keep the car pretty much as when I drove it to highschool,I like it that way. But did add chrome headers finally, vs BBQ painted headers.
Between 1959 and now,I had 2x4 to start with ,sold those to a guy in 62 for more then I thought they were worth then. Used a 4bbl,built myself a 4X2,sold that,,but after running the 4 bbl again,built another 4X2 log< still run that one.
Zero to 60 was about the same,except my younger head still thinks 2x4 Thunderbird set up with Cady carbs was a little faster feel wise.

 

That's still fast today.

 

1/8 mile?

 

Like @D-Russ My old T ran 14s flat at Mokan with an early 60s W motor, solids, Isky 425 horse cam, 3.89 rear with 29" tall cheaters. It was the year the track was freshly resurfaced. Spun all the way 100 hundred feet out. GV got it sorted out and even with traction it runs 14s. I know I could get it to dip under 14 but I would be hammering it HARD and would maybe break something. In fact, it ran hard enough Carl @MoKanMan kindley asked George to put a roll bar in it.

I was bummed that year at Mokan that I could not get below 14. @Ryan set me straight when he pulled me aside and said something like "dude, 14s is a FAST street car. There are only a handlfull of cars that are faster here today" He should know, he has been upside down faster than that!

The real braggin point on the HAMB is the Yayhoo Cup at Mokan. Drive it there and take em all down Top Eliminator style "just like the 60s bro tm". Very few cars can do this. The bar is set HIGH.

 

I was at Lions drag strip the day Cook and Bedwell went 166.97 in their dragster breaking the record by 11 mph. This was in 1957.

 

Considering some of the jalopies we use to drive. Going down a steep hill flat out and everything in the car was threatening to fly apart at any moment. Plus the old Fufu valve working overtime it felt like we were flying. In reality, just cracking the ton.

 

Turned 110 MPH In 1954 At 4600 Ft Elevation...

 

I think you nailed it. The biggest difference I can see really is in chassis and transmission technology. 300hp now is basically the same as 300hp then. Except now that power can go much further with the mechanical advantage of better gearing and more net power to the ground through more efficient transmissions. That power is more usable and far more controllable through better chassis and suspension design and configuration.

From a seat of the pants perspective, it's more fun to go fast in a slow car than go fast in in a fast car.

 

I'd say the biggest difference or change, was tire technology! In the early days guys ran either street tires, or street tires recapped to make slicks. They were very poor traction, and the most powerful cars overpowered those old tires easily. The full 1/4mile burnouts were not intentional, but rather a result of tires not hooking up.
Once tire technology got to the point of companies like M&H building brand new drag slicks, the speeds immediately got much better! And frontends immediately dropped lower since they didn't need them high for weight transfer.

 

You're not wrong, but I wasn't really referring solely to racing applications, but more general street tires you'd see on a daily ride. It's not uncommon to see a 275 or wider tire on a basic daily driver, and that's assuming they're only 2wd, many cars today are awd. The stiffness of modern unibody construction cannot be rivaled by basic body-on-frame architecture.

 

http://www.348-409.com/literature/582sci.jpg

 

Street Coupe...

 

Get ready for the 10,000 rpm 301 stories.

 

Haha

 

I ran a 52 Ford 2 Dr with an original Ford 6 and 3 speed in it at San Fernando in 1959, only changes were Ansen floor shift, 54 Chevy Carb and pipes, it went 72 in 17 sec.

 

a 12 second car was fast even into the '60s. Here is an example, the 409 Biscayne (the car that the Beach Boys sung about) the way that it came from the factory was a 13 second car.

I hope that helps a little bit

 

Dad set a National record, back when they were setting new ones every week.

C/Gas 12.16 @117

 

My old t that was raced by the former owner!

 

Yes sir, 1/8mi. The Mustang runs out the back door at 12.24@114 so I assume the A will be close to that.

 

In my day, every 57 Chevy could hop a Coors beer can, just ask the owner. Of course we had to go out of state to buy Coors. There have been tales told of some bandit hauling the stuff in by the truck load.

 

That's pretty smokin'!

 

I remember when the first pro stocks began dipping in to the 9s. Late 69 ish.

 

My dad was racing back then and has this to say,
" Even the newer (55-60) not being terribly fast/quick are true. I won the AHRA 1/8 mile S/S class with my '60 348 HP Catalina with a 1/4 mile equivalent of approx 14.95. Jim Wangers won the 1960 NHRA nats in a 363HP lightest weight full size car at about out 14.00/100 and he was running cheater tires he and Milt S. had had made ,and with some factory help. " Jim Hand

 

Motor trend had a road test of a 62 409-409 off the show room floor with 14.9

 

Hello,

I am not sure if the results of any article printed would say a 1962 409 ran a 14.9 in the quarter mile. If it did, they just happened to get an “outlier.” “Those that are detached from the main body of a system” Most of the 409s from 1961 and newer ran in an average of low 14.s 14.9 is one that just does not have much from a 409.

The day must have been rainy during the test, the driver was not getting maximum performance from his (the 409) car and/or, that 409 was a outlier… one that is just “Something that is differing from all other members of a particular group or set.” In this case a normal fast 409 powered Chevy sedans from that time period.

In the early stages of 1961, the 409s were the biggest thing to hit the S/S classes all over the USA. Most were fast straight from the showroom floor. Some were tweaked using racing set up knowledge with the idea that it was tuning and not more cubic inches or porting/polishing those huge heads. So, the top dogs were even turning in times in the 13 second bracket by 1961. (comparison to the 335 hp 348 Chevy in 1960)


Jnaki

Then the big change was shown to the drag racing world. The times and the prepped “stock” cars began to dominate the scene. That was it for the average cruising Joe, even with his 62 409 powered Chevy sedan.
May 1962 York, PA
By 1962, the top s/s 409 Chevy sedans were sponsored to the brim and going way to fast for a “street legal” stock car. But, that is the way drag racing classes began to change and it was not for the little guy competing with his Friday night Chevy sedan, anymore.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-baddest-car-in-town.1204624/page-3#post-13754885
1957-58
NOTE: our E.T. times for the 1958 348 powered Impala 280 hp averaged high 14s and low 15s during our runs at Lion's Dragstrip. We were not in the top S/S class where the 315 hp and then the following two years of 320 and 335 hp 348 motors dominated the class.
1959
NOTE 2:
If the result of all 409 powered chevy sedans were listed at 14.9, we would have had a field day running against our friend's red 1961 Biscayne with a new 409. that was a beast and very powerful. The fun races we had during his "learning period" on how to drive the 4 speed 409 were interesting.

At any time, my C&O Stick Hydro, Racer Brown Cam and modified heads, 1958 impala could easily get out in front of the 409 by a car length. But, usually, when he got his stuff together, he was gaining on me just past the 1/8 mile. So, I gave him the 6 red taillights to show him, I won and it was over.

The 348 was now powered similar to those early S/S Impalas and if 14.90 was the time for a 409, the 58 impala with the added horsepower, could have a field day for the whole 1/4 mile races anytime of the day or late night. But realistically speaking, there was nothing to compare to the power of those 409 motors in any stage of development.

Luckily, for the time we were teenagers and doing our usual Friday/Saturday night cruises, there were only a few 409s on the streets of Long Beach. Plenty at Lion's Dragstrip, but for some reason, only a few here and there on the streets.

 

The biggest ten year advance in performance was from 1948 to 1958. At the start of that period the typical car had a flathead six of 100HP or less. 0 - 60 time of 15 to 20 seconds and top speed of 90. The first OHV V8s were not out yet, probably the fastest stock car was a 150HP flathead V8 Cadillac. Or Ford flathead V8, in the low priced cars.
By 1958 all makes offered an OHV V8 and the fastest car was something like a Chrysler 300 with 400HP 392 hemi V8. A full 5 passenger hardtop that would do 0 - 60 in under 8 seconds and topped out around 140 .
You couldn't get anything very much faster for the next 40 years except for a few racing specials that were never meant for regular transportation.

 

I found the artical the car was a 380 hp single 4 barel with a 370 gear The 8.00 14 tires were the limiter http://www.348-409.com/images/cl624094.jpg I had a 300hp 327 with headers wiend intake and a cam that was very close the L79 cam good idle intake painted engine color That was hard on 409s with street tires