History Stock-S/S-F/X 1959-1966

Great car in all it's forms. I belive that it started out as a 4-speed car. Bob Plumer has a neat early shot of it at Aquasco, MD in the pits with the rear jacked up.

Joel

 

The first of two magazine pictures of the VA Twister T-Bolt.

Joel

 

Another magazine shot of Kenny Warren's VA Twister T-Bolt.

Joel

 

I might have a drag paper/ad shot of it somewhere ... poor quality though. Paul Vanderly drove it. Give me some time, remind me if I forget it ... pretty busy lately.

Joel

 

I think the Ramsey Swiss Cheese car was sold to Larry Johnson Pontiac in Clinton Iowa. Beswick worked there and was sponsored by Johnson for some period of time. Larry himself got into the race action in '62 with a Super Duty Beswick prepped red Catalina. When they got the '63 they altered it and it became known as "The Funny Tiger". It even had a plexiglass hood scoop. A friend of ours Allan Ranz owned the car from the mid 70's til the early 80's when he sold it to Bill Blair. Allan also owned Beswick's '61 Ventura from 1965 to 1998. We helped him restored it in '96 back to the way it looked when Arnie raced it. It sold last spring for $170,000.[/quote]

I used to visit Bill Blair each year on my trips through the South ... somewhere I have pictures of his shop and the "Cheesers" he owned including the AWB car or Larry Johnson. Bill sold it a few years ago.

Attached is Beswick's '61 car when it was pretty new ... from a Florida based drag newsletter put out by Ernie Schorb. Beswick was a big winner at the NASCAR Winternationals for a few years.

Joel

 

Here's the first of two Mopar shots ... both from May '64 at Cecil Co., MD NHRA points/record meet.

First up is Bud Faubel's wedge '64 car on the return road awaiting the fuel check I imagine, don't recall exactly. Note the single headlight hemi grille!

Joel

 

Second Mopar, another Dodge at Cecil in May '64. This one is the Strickler-Jenkins '64 wedge car. Another hemi grille in a wedge car.

Joel

 

Joel
Thats it Vanderly Racing engines father ran it for the Mercury dealer.

 

First of two Chevrolets ... in 1962 Dyno Don Nicholson made a big move from Southern California to the deep South and Atlanta, GA to be in the center of the growing S/S-F/X-match racing scene where the big S/S cars were king. This is a drag paper (Nat. Dragster) copy from the Covington, GA strip ... note the "Southern Style" setup ... much more radical rake to the suspension, big slicks (no 7" tires), jacked-up-in-the-rear hood and air ducts to the carbs in the inner headlights. Love this stuff!

Joel

 

Last one from me for tonight ...

One of Jere Stahl's early stockers ... a G/S '56 Chevy wagon. Again at the May 1964 NHRA meet at Cecil Co., MD. That's Stahl to the far left in the striped pants. Nose of Faubel's Dodge to the right.

Joel

 

Hit "quote" at the bottom and write your reply then click on the paper clip to post you picture/scan. "Browse" to go where you have the scan filed and upload it ... be sure it's not too big of a file.

Hope that helps, may be too brief ... my apologies if so.

Eager to see what you have.

Joel

 

Man, i should of never sold my 61 Ventura - Black with tri-tone blue interior 389 Tri power,4 speed, 3.90 Posi !

 

I used to visit Bill Blair each year on my trips through the South ... somewhere I have pictures of his shop and the "Cheesers" he owned including the AWB car or Larry Johnson. Bill sold it a few years ago.

Attached is Beswick's '61 car when it was pretty new ... from a Florida based drag newsletter put out by Ernie Schorb. Beswick was a big winner at the NASCAR Winternationals for a few years.

Joel[/QUOTE]

Pretty good for a '61 that was drove from Illinois to Florida to race!!

 

Race Artist. Can you post some pics of Darrell Drokes 65 T-Bolt, or maybe Les Ritcheys 65 Fairlane

 

I think I only have magazine pics of Droke's '65 car, nothing new. I'm sure I don't have anything on Ritchie's '65 Fairlane ... it was a small block car if I remember correctly.
Joel

 

Great stuff on the Black Arrow! Thanks Dean. I met up with Doc Burgess by accident at a car show and tractor pull in Winston-Salem, NC about 6-7 years ago. He was involved in tractor pulling at the time. I had my art set up and he came over. We promised to remain in contact but we didn't.
Here's Jenkins driving the Arrow at Cecil Co.,MD at the '65 CARS magazine meet. The car was slightly altered here, just the rear and I believe was running injectors, maybe fuel. I dig this shot. My apologies for the poor resolution.
Joel

 

Here's one for Dean ... from the TACH, the1965 AHRA Nationals program edition which I don't have but wish I did! Note that the car is a Dodge, not a Plymouth.
Joel

 

Another from the AHRA Nationals program ... Grady Bryant's Dick Harrell engined and setup 1965 Chevelle. Harrell was instrumental in a number of Chevelles, Novas and match race Chevrolets before leaving the NM-TX area.
Joel

 

Anyone have any lightweight Galaxie photos to contribute??

 

I think those wheels might be Motor Wheel Fly's.

Here's a picture of my Z-11 look alike.

 

Motorwheel Fly's are a "star" type design, almost like a Weld Pro-Star. As far as I know "Fly's" weren't around in '63 either. Nice looking '63.

 

I was just guessin' on the wheels.

Thanks for the compliment on my heap.

 

Can you post them ??

 

That was a great era in drag racing that in my opinion was destroyed when the altered wheel base cars and then all out funny cars started to come about. The Super Stock classes were relatable to the average guy and hot rodder. It was not uncommon to have a friend or at least know someone who owned one. I grew up in the Detroit area where we had Detroit Dragway and Motor City Dragway. They often had match races or weekends where they would bring in several SS cars and run eliminations. Names from Detroit I remember being common in the SS ranks were Bob Ford" dealership, Ramchargers, Gold Commando's, Color Me Gone, Serbay Motors, McCullough Ricci, Packer Pontiac just to name a few. After the NHRA Nationals moved from Detroit to Indianapolis the weekend after they would always have a huge SS show at Detroit Dragway where the Super Stocks would number in the dozens and all the famous names from around the whole country would be there. It would be late into the morning before they would finish running. To me the Super Stocks, Gassers and Altereds were what drag racing was all about. We have a guy locally that has a 63 Plymouth with a 413 Wedge that is set up like the old Super Stocks. Sits rather high, big slicks headers in the front well wells, ect. Well you know the look! Everytime I see it it brings back great memories.

 

Amen!

 

What 'pirate' said

Damn I miss the good old days!!!!

 

Mike,
Your '63 looks great ... has the right look. Period perfect lettering too. I really like it. Wrinkle up the front end a little and it'll look like an aluminum nose!! Just joking, thanks for the picture.
Joel

 

Source of this is unknown and I apologize for the low res but I found this on the net a ways back with no caption or credit. Aside from that there's no doubt that it is Yellow River, GA Phil Bonner in one of his '62 Fords vs Arnie Beswick's '61 Passionate Poncho with either him driving, Joe Venable or Larry Johnson. These early Southern Style cars, pictures and history are great in my opinion.

Joel

 

Here's our two:

 

The Rice & Holman '63 lightweight at Atco, NJ in summer of '63.

We went ythat night to see a match between The Greek and Ivo in their fuel dragsters and went nuts over the S/S-F/X money runoffs that topped the fuelers in my opinion. All brands running heads-up to determine the $$$ top stock eliminator. A/S 409's, S/SA Mopars, S/S Fords and Pontiacs on a regular night ... great stuff.
Note the doors ... they must have just gotten 'glass doors on the car.

Joel