Hot Rods Top Banana Style Slingshot Dragster- Marty Strode-Chris Kopp.

I sent some photos out to a bunch of folks, heard back from Jim Strode, (no relation) just someone I had looked up to since I was in Junior High, reading Hot Rod Magazine. Jim and his brother Bob built this National Record Holding A/MR in the very early 60's, and set the record around 62-0r 3, are from Washington State, two amazing craftsmen, and very nice guys. They both drove, Jim went 174 with this 96" car, on gasoline ! Jim seemed to remember the Top Banana had an aluminum frame ! If you look at the first photo, you will notice the bolt on front spring perch, and radius rod brackets. Check out the Strode Brothers Roadster !

 

Love that roadster. Thinking bean bandits & speed sport cars

 

That roadster is pretty darn slick, I’ll admit it.

 

Jim built the nose section out of a 50 Olds hood !

 

Marty and I are 45ish miles apart. I generally take 500 plus photos when doing a body, Marty will have plenty to post once shaping starts.

 

I went to Chris's place today to see the final mockup. I shot lots of photos, but am having problems with my photo program. I will show these 3 shots for now, more later. BTW @chriskopp if you are watching, you could post some of the ones you took. I am more than pleased with the shape !

 

That’s looking very cool!

 

I’m coughing up saw dust, but in a couple days will be ready to start shaping aluminum.

 

Sweet looking rail ( covered )

 

I got my photo program fixed, but yours are great. Thanks for posting those.

 

Chris is taking a few days off, so I thought I would add a few shots.

 

Took a few minutes to admire Chris’s wood work. See smoothed edges on plywood & all those lighting holes. Tail pieces lightening holes even follow shape of wood. & all those little metal brackets all bolted together. Obvious takes pride in his work does beautiful work

 

Yes, I noticed that right away last night. I immediately thought wow, I can’t even work that well with wood, let alone be able to shape an aluminum body.

 

^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^

 

I agree! It's one thing to make a throw away pattern, but this shows that he likes to have function - rounded edges for his own handling and to keep from marring the aluminum, plus holes to reach in and hold the parts in different areas PLUS form - make the stuff to a high visual standard too.

Those bucks could easily be stained and sealed to display next to the completed dragster!

 

You must have installed surveillance equipment in Chris’s shop. The mockup will be totally finished and stained, and will be elevated beside the car in our display.

 

I can't even keep track of stuff in my own shop! Don't worry, I ain't spying on his or yours!

 

what an incredible craftsman, bravo!

 

Chris, I have a question. Do you save your wooden bucks on the slight chance that duplicate parts will be needed in the unforseeable future, or are they one-and-done then dispose of? Or does the customer get them?

EDIT: I see they are going with the car. Is that common?

All those holes are not just for lightening. They allow metal skins to be clamped to the buck while the part is being made. Very useful with large DeStaco clamps or equivalent.

 

Aside from Chris's talent as a metal shaper, and mockup maker, he could have easily built the chassis better than me. He spent considerable time building Midget, Sprint, and Champ Car chassis, at multiple manufactures, before moving to the Indy fab shops of Patrick Racing and Chip Ganassi, where he did double duty as a Spotter ! The best part is, he is having fun with this project, and we will both be able to race it.

 

The outstanding craftsmanship and experience really shines through in these pictures and this thread is only going to get better! Thanks for sharing.

 

Just googled destaco clamps & read some but do not see how Chris will use with lightening holes in wood. Look forward to more of his build pictures & maybe a video of fitting some aluminum & welding few pieces together. Awesome build keeps getting better. Tks for educating us

 

I am super impressed with the plywood bucks/patterns. Now this is getting good.
Mick used the same approach for the Donovan car we built but with our short body it didn’t require near the detail and contour that yours does. Impressive indeed.

 

Depends on the project and customer. Most of the time they’re mine and get hung from the rafters (15’ ceiling). A few customers want them and display them with the car. I have a Kurtis midget set that I’ve used multiple times.

This mockup is a little nicer than most because we’re going to show it with the car and I knew that going into the project. However 90% of my mockups get routered and sealed.

 

When the individual panels/pieces are shaped I clamp them to the mockup using hand spring clamps to check fit using the cutouts / lightening holes. Before final trim clecos are used.

 

Very Nice. The previous mentioned idea that in case of a boo-boo /damage gives the ability to repair is Good.

 

Got a new photo from 1958, courtesy of Dave Wallace Jr. George Santos is alongside.

 

Marty, have you looked at Bonneville 1954 video posted by jivebomber? At about 1:50 mark looks like streamline dragster making a high speed pass. Should give you some ideas

 

I will have to look at that. Thanks

 

Hello,
Here is the clip of the streamliner. It is the "Glass Slipper" if anything. It has been modified to accommodate the latest post.


Jnaki




Hello,

@lurker mick has it right. If it was not taken in 8mm and for having that useless printing ruining the whole archive, it may have been easier to get better overall view of the race car. As it was, adding in popular old “Glass Slipper” photos into the overall comparison photo proves it to be the “Glass Slipper” during perhaps the Flathead stage, not the SBC stage.

Jnaki



I was able to find a similar photograph and in the insert comparison, my eyes accept the “Glass Slipper” version over any other streamlined racer at the time. (including the "Top Banana")

note:
I could not get through the whole thing due to the intrusive lettering... not good. But, as usual… YRMV