Hot Rods T-Buckets Or Dragsters...

Where would be a good place to keep the front brakes until they are needed....?

 

Even if it had front brakes (which I can't see), locking them up would prove to be about as much as holding power as a popsicle to the ground.

 

At the time this was built, & for ~5-10+ yrs prior, it was quite fashionable(notice I didn't say safe) to run w/o front buckets, & even 28-34s' w/o front brakes. Again the drag look, not to mention that the m/c tires aren't really the best for stopping, or steering at speed, a full size car. Nor for that matter, are wires or 8/10/12 spoke magnesium wheels - doesn't mean I don't like them, but... Different time back then, & there weren't all that many econoboxes that could, & would, stop on a dime(directly in front of you after cutting you off) n give you 9cents change, just to see if you could be "enticed" into rearending them for insurance settlement(s). Again, a different time...
& that car had at least 2 sets of headlights later, mounted by the front of the mill, iirc.

As for current location, while I cannot tell where it currently resides, I absolutely can tell where it doesn't. ;( ;( ;( .
I still like it after all these years... .
Marcus...

 

You guys baggin' on this thing are pretty funny. Back in it's day, the car was fully featured in the big magazines. It was built by Bill Frederick, a serious so-cal hot rodder that also had the Valkyrie jet car. Bill spent a lot of time engineering his rail to work as a "street" car. The suspension worked, the cooling worked, (twin radiators lower rear), and the rest of it all somehow satisfied the letter of California's DMV laws at the time. In Janaki's head on color pic a single head light can be seen mounted on the engine. Not sure how that got a pass. As far as the front brake issue; think about the amount of stopping power a pair of brakes would've even provided. The front tires have the contact patch of a playing card, and there's probably less than 200 lbs. static on the tires-they wouldda just likely skidded at any real application. Obviously this thing was way outer limits, and I'm sure a Buford T Justice type LEO in anywhere USA would have scrutinized it to death, but to say that it never drove on a road or couldn't, is just not true.

 

This seems to be a pretty standard reaction to one off personal hand-built vehicles. If it's outside of your standard wheelhouse or beyond the reach of your Wallet, I'm going to look down my nose at it and tell you what's Wrong with it instead of letting it expand my outlook and my mind. Jealousy may play in a part of that outlook also.

 

If it has a SOHC in it.........you better believe it's the real deal.

 

This car was discussed in a post about Wisconsin and Illinois cars. This page and page 12 have some of the posts:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...n-se-wi-and-northern-illinois.1000780/page-11
I remember Tim Young’s Cammer powered car from Kenosha Wisconsin. (Home of R& B Chassis)
Here is a post that provides a short history:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...rthern-illinois.1000780/page-12#post-14654174
Jim

 

I'm sure it was very well built, and no-one could argue that it is not a very cool piece of gear, but to suggest that it is usable as a road registered vehicle is a big stretch. That is a very loose use of the term 'street driven'. The objective and inspiration for the build was obviously a melding of drag racer and street driven, and was executed perfectly, but to say it is fit for purpose as a street driven car would be taking things a bit too far.
No jealousy. I would own it in a heartbeat if given the chance, but the only 'street' use it would see is photo-shoot opportunities (which is what the pic in post #1 obviously is).......

 

Swade41 posted my shot of it from the '77 NSRA Nats at St. Paul. You'll see that it had headlights, turn signals, and bag rolls (behind rear wheel) for their stuff. Here's the other photo I took that day:

 

I always thought Fredrick's car was innovative and just 'bad ass'. It surprises me how many on this site are so close minded, isn't that the total opposite of what hot rodding is all about? I restored this old Street Legal dragster, so I can confirm these cars can still be legal & licensed for the street.

 

Former Mike Minette car.

 

That is correct! cover shot and as found. I remember when I was a kid, growing up in Oregon, I did not have an opportunity to see this car first hand, only in the magazines. I would have never have thought decades later I would own the car. The Minette 'Digger' is now back in Texas where it belongs.

 

There have been a couple of "dragsters for the street" threads on here over the years and they all invariably get shut down for "non-HAMB era content" or other some stuff. Here's a "period correct" (jeez I hate using quotes...) shot of the Dave Bracket (who used to be a roommate of Tom McMullen) stretched T:

 

I can see the resemblance, but I like the real thing.