Projects One More for Frank Morawski... Updated...

So if you happen to own a few well known cars such as

The Bell super Coupe ( and NO, he doesn't own that sweet looking T coupe )



Or Maybe The Carrillo Roadster



Or maybe the famous Curly's Merc



then you might feel the need to build another stunningly correct car or maybe even a dragster that has sat in your garage for the last 20 years. Based on the other vehicles, you can bet this one will be correct down to the last detail. And speaking of details....................enjoy these from the old guy himself

Frank Morawski ( I could have found and shot bigfoot several times while trying to get this one picture )






























Yeah, that's me in the pilot's seat .........making engine noises

 

So what are we looking at ? This is a dart series DragMaster Ch***is from 1961. We have no idea who campaigned it or any other information about it. We knew it was Orange at one time. We are not sure on the engine but as normal, a small block bolts right in. The transmission is a Cadillac LaSalle unit using 2nd and 3rd gear only. The rear is a quick change unit with a live axle and one brake which is on the right rear wheel. We are hoping maybe someone might recognize it and fill us in on some of it's history. The same shop that helped Frank with the Carrillo Roadster is once again helping with this one ( lucky for me I now work there )

 

What sissies put the shield over the axle? It sure wasn't there when it was built. I have pics of a sister car, it has a front mounted moon blower and calipers on each wheel - the caliper is ch***is mounted right? And that isn't a champ style rear, champs are much larger. Does it have quickchange like the sheet metal suggests?
No starter?
Nice project, oj

 

Really looking forward to seeing this done. No time before Jalopyrama this year but I hope next year for sure?

 

and Frank brings us eclairs....

 

Sort of a guess, but I wonder if this was once Pete Robinson's '61 NHRA winner? Pete drilled everything he could for lightness, and then sold the car...new owner was staging it when the throttle pedal broke off..turns out that Pete even drilled out the bolt that held it on and it finally broke...just a thought.

 

Frank is a HERO!!!! A true treasure to the hot rodding community and his dedication to hot rods is second to none. Can't wait to see this one finished!

 

I think he did have this car in the Jalopyrama 2 or 3 years back, didn't he? Neat piece.

 

That seat doesn't look too comfy.

 

Frank Morawski is my hero.

 

Great. Thanks John. Slim

 

this is going to become the official restoration thread..........lots more pics to follow

 

Thanks for the info on the project. I love those old dragsters! Besides, they don't have fenders!

 

A few more details before work

 

Yet another project Frank purchased with me at his side. We went to the first NHRA Reunion at Bakersfield in 1992, and this piece was in the flea market. It was owned by Bob Opperman, who was/is an officer in the SCTA. He had purchased it in California as part of a larger pile of go fast stuff which included a straight 8 Buick motor he wanted for a Bonneville project. There is no evedence that the Buick was ever in the ch***is.
Having flown out for the Reunion we had no way of hauling it back to Maryland. I knew that Bob Summers was trucking go fast parts from the California manufactureres back to Summit in Ohio, so we arranged for Bob to add it to one of his loads. Frank went out to Ohio, met him at the Summit loading dock, and brought the car home.

For those who seem to be confused about what a "live axle" is, there is no housing around the one piece axle, it's right there spinning at several thousand RPM in the air! It's design is also the reason for only needing a single caliper. It's been standard spring car stuff forever, just unsusal to find on a dragster.

Two other unusual features on this car. It has both a hand and foot brake. Both are engineered to work the single master cylinder. Possibly the rarest feature is the all mag body. Dode Martin indicated that only a couple cars were built with mag bodies.

 

Another rail that will be finished before my Lyndwood! I'll check my Pete Robinson photos tonight to see if it may be his old car. Great find, sure would be nice side by side on the Hershey show field with "Alley Oop" Bob

 

And he's a nice guy too- patiently answering all my questions about the Super Bell coupe when he brought it to the Jalopyrama a few years ago.

 

true, but with as fast as it is, you wont have to sit for long

 

That's what Sonny Routt said about the tiny seat on his drag bike..."how uncomfortable can you get in 10 seconds?"

 

Late for work, but here are two of Pete Robinson's rail at Dover Drag Strip, Windale N. Y. in 1961. NOTE the Moon tank change, the one on Franks car has a weld bead, it has been narrowed, ID clue?

 

So these keep your jeans from getting caught up in the axle and ruining your *** life. When men were men.

 

Bob...those are two different Dragmasters. The one on the left is the early design, and the one on the right is the later "Dart" design.
Not saying that they are not both Robinson's, but just that they are not the same car.
Actually the one on the left looks like the Hells-a-Poppin car that was at the York Reunion about a month ago.

 

So I spent the afternoon with Frank looking at the picture from above. Frank is almost certain that his car was not one of sneaky Pete's cars but this picture sure had him questioning his own judgement.

It's tuff to have so many well known cars and not know where the dragster came from...Frank has a hard life

 

This is Hellsapoppin, if you look close you can read it om the cowling. I do have another color photo of the Robinson car. I'll post it as soon as I can find it.

 

Sorry that I can't remember off hand if the dragster was in Jalopyrama; but I'll check the archives and get back to ya'.
Frank has had the Merc, the Superbell coupe and the Carillo roadster all in the Jalopyrama and if Frank's dragster hasn't been in the Jalopyram it will be eventually, I'm sure.
Co-incidentally there will be a FED 1960 100 inch Ch***is Research TE-440, with the original 324 ci Olds and original Micky Thompson fuel injection unit on top of the original Weiand blower. It also has a M/T magnesium 3rd member in the rear, the original magnesium Halibrands. This dragster was in the NHRA Museum for a while some time ago.

 

Frank is the man, he did some fibergl*** for me some years ago I think I had the first 53-54 stude frt one piece it was mint and fit like a glove but man did it stink up the shippin warehouse it was still pretty green but on time Frank it was a pleasure doin bizness with ya ....your the best!!

 

Just comparing the mentioned photo to the current photo's, it doens't appear to be the same one as the period photo illustrates a main cage hoop that is notably lower to the top of the cowl than the current, at least from my perspective.

Great to see, out of curiousity, what is the wheelbase of this one?

Look forward to seeing the transformation,

Cheers,

Drewfus

 

It was there Mike, I've got a photo, so it must have happened!

 

I've been doing a ton of research on which Dragmaster Dart Frank has been storing for 20 years. The photo of the red car Bob posted looked to be the Danny Ongais AA/Gas car he ran in 1964 when he won the Winternatinals. But on closer examination, it looks like both that car and Frank's have a shorter wheelbase then the Ongais #7 car.
What that indicated to me is that Frank's car was probably built in '62, before the cars grew in wheelbase.

 

Yup, Mike, it was in 2007 at Glen Burnie. Rich has a memory like a steel trap.​