Dragmaster Dragsters....Post pics here.

Like one above said. How did I miss this thread all these years ? These things are so cool !

 

1959
Hello,
Back in August 2016, I had started to organize my recently digitized, old drag racing films that I took as a teenager. They were mostly at Lions Dragstrip from 58-60. In between racing the 58 Impala (from 58-late 59) and our home built 40 Willys 671 SBC C/Gas coupe in 1960, wandering around the pits/dragstrip allowed me to take some 16mm color movies from that era.

Since my movie camera a simple point and shoot, silent film camera, there was no sound to these old films. I remember the sounds of most of the racecars when I watched these films from the 16mm reels and in the 80s, VHS tapes. Then, recently, I got the idea that old drag racing LP albums had some sounds of these racers at various dragstrips, namely the U.S. Nationals from Detroit in 1959. My brother and I had journeyed to Wallach’s Music City in Lakewood,CA. to buy our own version of that recorded 33 1/3 LP album back then in 59.

The early hi-fi/stereo set that my dad had bought, gave us great sounds when we turned it up rather loudly. Of course, we did not do that when my mother was around…she just hated all things hot rod/drag racing. But, the sound filled the small study room/den to our enjoyment. Now, they were about to get a new lease on life.

Jnaki
I found the old LP album and had a guy digitize the whole thing on a flash drive. Now each track was separate and could be placed anywhere or altered in any fashion. (If anyone is doing this or having it done for your own albums, have them digitized on flash drives, not CDr OR DVDs)

I had to find the 1959 Lions Dragmaster race, then find the Dragmaster race in the 1959 Detroit Nationals Tracks. The fire up/warm up was exactly the same as my films, so I had to find the one that would fit closely, with as few alterations as possible.

Remember, I filmed them in the Spring/Summer of 1959 and the sound was from September 1959 at the Detroit Nationals. But, added together, it makes it look like I filmed and recorded live sounds directly from 1959 at Lions Dragstrip !!! The wonders of digital recordings and our modern computers are eye opening. They make new visions of old stuff come to life, just like standing there along the wire fence, looking at a top name racer make a run down the dragstrip…but in 1959.
Original Dragmaster 1959 sound

P.S. I am looking for the following LP albums from your files.
If you have these albums in digital forms that would be the easiest…(most cities have someone that can make digital copies on a flash drive, not CDr) There are also LP record players (sold anywhere) that allow a plug in USB cord directly to your computer for and easy digital conversion/download of those sounds.

Transporting a digital file, despite the large size is easy and safe. But to keep the flimsy 33 1/3 LP records safe from breakage or scratches in the U.S. Mail or even UPS is not the answer.

Let's have a conversation. We can make a trade of my finished digital HD drag racing films (not the You Tube versions) for the digital LP album copies(above). They would be my gifts to you and your family/friends.

From an earlier, different thread post:
Hello,

Finally, I am in the search pattern for someone that has these 2 LP albums and or digital copies. (Bakersfield Smokers and the Rods and Rails LP albums.) There are some recordings that would be of interest to me, if not for preservation of history’s sake.

LP albums degrade over time, unless they are stored in a temperature controlled room. Digital copies are stored in the cloud, on your computer, or on flash/hard drives, etc. They are preserved for a very long time. CD/DVDs are good, but they are the modern equivalent of the old LP albums. They degrade over time, in addition to the scratches upon continual play and storing away the discs. So, external hard drive, digital files preserve much better.

 

Hello,

When we first saw the Dode Martin-Jim Nelson Dragmaster at Lions Dragstrip, it was an impressive build. It was put together quite well and reminded us of ones we saw in the local car shows at the auditoriums in Long Beach/Los Angeles. We have all seen photographs of the detail work that they put into the famous Dragmaster Chassis.
1959 Lions Dragstrip

Not only did it look nice, but it was a contender in every race it entered. My early 1959-60 films were all silent films as my movie camera did not have sound capabilities and I did not want to carry around a portable tape recorder. Inconspicuous is how I wanted to look when taking movies with the small camera. After the films were developed and we all sat around watching it on the huge roll down screen in our living room, it was pretty nice. We all had the sound built in to our brains from being there seeing the action. Now, here it was a week later and we are seeing the racers again in motion.


In putting together several clips from all of the different race cars that we saw during our So Cal drag racing time period, many racers got their starts using a Dragmaster frame and components. We have all seen the different versions posted on the internet from different areas of the USA and these are the ones that we saw almost weekly at the different dragstrips in So Cal.

DRAGMASTER VERSIONS AT Lions, Riverside, Bakersfield 1958-60

Jnaki
December…Riverside 1959
Rarely does it happen, but in late 1959, a lot of power made the wheels come up for a race at the Riverside Raceway drag meet.

1960 March Meet at Bakersfield… FIRST RACE

2ND RACE VS another 671 on top, DRAGMASTER


INTERESTING NOTES:

One big surprise was that the team of Cyr and Hopper went from a big hemi powered FED that won almost everything possible in drag racing, to a Dragmaster chassis with a Potvin supercharged SBC motor.


(including, Cyr and Hopper, Dragmaster, World’s Fastest Chevy powered FED. DRAG NEWS 1959-60)

The new challenge was a Potvin styled 671 in front of an SBC motor, in a lighter, Dragmaster frame. Instantly, it became known as the “Worlds Fastest Chevy.”


Note #2:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/dragster-chassis-id.1122907/#post-12749472 DART CHASSIS COMPARISON

 

I see a old thread got woken up ..well I just happen to have a old Car Life magazine laying here with some info.
I don't think I have posted it here already, I looked and didn't see it, anyways if it is ...sorry...

Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I'm going to try and bring this thread back to life!

Here are my projects.....
This one was ran by the Kieland Brothers and later by Kurt Johnson who ran it with the 348 out of the M&M roadster. It has always lived in the Pacific Northwest and was owned by the same guy since 1972.
I bought it just to save it and eventually put it together with tubing and just build a wall hanger out of it. It's too far gone to save.

 

My other project/obsession....


The Dragmaster Dart Six

Took me 13 years to track down and buy the original Hilborn unit (#101 their prototype for the slant six).
I already own most of the original engine parts. I am still trying to track down the original chassis but Dode Martin told me that they pulled the slant, traded or sold the engine parts (some went to the team my dad was on up in Seattle and others went to Wilford Day in Utah where he set Bonneville records) and the chassis was lost to history. It does have some things that might help identify it (mostly added weight and thicker bars).
I did manage to buy a chassis out of Oregon that I am working on tracking down the history on before I start restoring/recreating the Dart Six rail.

 

This was just a random one I found.

 

Like I said, this one turned into a bit of an obsession. Dode Martin told me "It sounds like you know more about that one than I do". He was going to put me in contact with Steve Layton who Dode said was the driver but unfortunately that never happened.

 

Some info on the chassis I'm looking for that originally had the slant six in it....

Built around late 61 and ran until mid 64 when the slant was pulled and it possibly got a big block. Ran at the 1962 Indianapolis nationals.

Dragmaster Dart chassis built out of .090" wall 1½" tube.

All gussets were 1/4" plate

Halabrand quick change shield was 1/2" plate and chrome.

Frame was painted red.

I know it isn't alot to go off of but if I can't buy it it would be cool to know what happened to it and where it is today.

 

Killer stuff @123 good luck with your search.

 

Hard to find a better-looking Front Engine Dragster than the Dragmaster.

 

So you’re saying he’s got some splainin to do?

 

My buddy just dropped this off for me.

 

Rod & Custom
January 1960

 

Random articles and shots while thumbing through early 60's Car Craft.

 

Found a show picture of the old Kielland Brothers Dragmaster. This is the one I bought what was remaning of the chassis. Sad to see what it has become but cool to see how it was!

 

Popular Hotrodding
Volume 1, Number 2
July 1962

 

Popular Hotrodding
Volume 2, Number 5
May 1963