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Midwest gasser guys need info on this old Model A gasser/altered from Ohio!!!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Gasserdriver, Sep 22, 2012.

  1. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Any info will help to restore this car?

    I got this car from the Akron, Ohio area 6-weeks ago.

    The man I bought it from has had it for 25 years, said he bought it off of the guy that raced it back in the day. It's pretty much untouched since then. Ran fenders in the gas classes and later ran as a altered.

    Here's what he told me:

    It ran under the name tasmanian devil at dragway 42, quaker city and magnolia dragway. It probably ran at other local strips as well.

    It has a olds rear with 5.57 gears, plexiglass windows with original front window glass. Hurst front plate motor mounts and a hand brake for rear wheels only. It also has a hydralic clutch pedal so the car had a 4-speed at the end.

    Any info will be great!

    Thanks, Fred
     

    Attached Files:

  2. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 2,789

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Looks so bitchin'. Good luck!
     
  3. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Thanks, here's a few more pics!

    Fred
     

    Attached Files:

  4. 37willysgasser
    Joined: Jul 24, 2007
    Posts: 775

    37willysgasser
    Member

    so thats the new edition??!! awsome gasser Fred!!
     

  5. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Hey Vince,

    I've got fenders, splash aprons, eelco tank etc, etc, etc.

    I'll start a build thread next spring, just wait this model A will look just like it stepped out of 1963. LOL

    Fred
     
  6. usmc50lx
    Joined: Oct 3, 2006
    Posts: 711

    usmc50lx
    Member
    from St.Louis

    Holy shit axlearmada sent me the link on Facebook...looks almost exactly like my coupe! I dig it!
     
  7. Rocky Famoso
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,000

    Rocky Famoso
    BANNED

    What is the name of the guy that raced it back then?
    I might remember, having attended races at Dragway 42 from '58 to '63.
    .
     
  8. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    I'll send out a link of this to some guys, someone has to know about the car.
     
  9. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Rocky F. i dont have the name of the guy who raced it. the guy i bought it from was older than me, LOL. he coulden't remember either.

    anybody have hot rod mags from the early 70's, maybe somweone could find the write-up that would tell who the owner was?

    Is there a hot rod archive of old mag articles? plug in tasmanian devil maybe something will pop up?

    Thanks, Glen as much as this car was raced someone has got to know something?

    With the wheelie bars you know it was a wild and crazy ride. This car weigh's maybe 1500lbs, I bet it put on a hell of a show!

    Thanks again for all your help guys.

    Fred
     
  10. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Amybody know if there is a hotrod magazine archive on line?

    Thanks, Fred
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Update!

    I spoke with a guy from Ohio this afternoon about the model A.

    He said the car came out of a town in Ohio called Mifflin. He dosen't know who raced it or who the owner was.

    Anybody in that area know any old guys who raced back then?

    Thanks, Fred
     
  12. Algon
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,129

    Algon
    Member

    This is really funny we were joking about this car a few days ago. Everytime my buddy or I fix somone's failed attempt at suspension this car comes up. "Let's just bend the springs that'll work.....:D

    That car sold 11 years ago from a small ad in the local paper for something like $300 or so... The guy who had it in Hartville actually got it from another friend of ours who beat him, myself and at least ten others to the car the same day but by around 9:00 it already changed hands a second time.

    The person who listed it in the paper was supposed to be one of the original builders but I don't have his name and it was leaving due his age then so I doubt he is still with us. From what I was told from calling on it and later talking to the friend who bought the car first it ran a Hilborn on a 283 and had earned a few class trophys at 42. What I was able to find back then was it running the return road at Akron airport. Also the car was called and lettered "The Tazmanian". Many people in the Akron area do remember the car itself so you might be able to dig up some more on it.

    So what are your plans for this thing?

    Goodluck, Dan
     
  13. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Update!

    I spoke to Algon on this board about The Tasmanian.

    He has a lot of info about this car. Pics and more info to come.

    He also said there was a 8 millameter movie on the Alron airport return road dragstrip from the late 50's.

    Fred
     
  14. GlassThamesDoug
    Joined: May 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,527

    GlassThamesDoug
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I would suspect that this car was running in early 60's, stance is too high to have been competitive by mid sixties. Fiats's and Willys's would have tore it up later to be a class winner. I think Harry Luzader had the most competitive Model A back then.
     
  15. 1lowbuckrodder
    Joined: Mar 5, 2008
    Posts: 362

    1lowbuckrodder
    Member

    there is a local tv show each sun. eves. all car stuff [handy randy], bout a yr ago or so he showed some homemade videos silent, from the akron municipal airport drags,50's n early 60;s that car may have been in that,?????? u could google handy randy??????? cant say i remember that car, at any of the mentioned drag srips, but im a little foggy, thats longtimeback
     
  16. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    From what Algon told me about the car is it ran from 1958 to 61/62 (about the length of time Akron airport was open) with a hilborne injected small block.

    It had a banjo rear when it was first raced and they eventually tore it up. The 57 olds was installed at that time and it was all over the track, see the wheelie bars in the pics.

    After looking at it I can see why, it's kind of a early 4-bar set up that used the stock olds bars on top and home made bars on bottom, done all wrong but absolutely way kool lookin'.

    But it was still kinda high tech for the early 60's. In today's era of technology we can make it work by changeing the 4-bar angles, adding panard bars, coilover shocks etc., while still keeping the period look!

    Fred
     
  17. Algon
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,129

    Algon
    Member

    It has been a long time and with the recent move I have yet to find anything I once had about the car but I'll keep looking.

    Any of you Ohio guys attending the Geezer Gathering could be a big help to Fred. In years past The Tasmanian was caught in the home movies played there from Akron Airport aswell as in photo albums so keep your eyes open. There may have been more than one version but I've seen the car with "the" in small script and TASMANIAN in block letters inside individual squares on the door.

    While I doubt it was ever tied to any well known team, owner or driver it is a piece of local history that ran with all the big boys that the masses claim to know from studing modern print. It's a crude dose of reality in the way things really were early on except with the highest quality of rigs.
     
  18. raprap
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 768

    raprap
    Member
    from Ohio

    Well, since "Ohio George" Montgomery still lives in the Dayton area, I'll send him the photos and he will know exactly who, what and where about this car. He was the king of all that was drag raced around here at that time and the pioneer of altered's and funny cars. Could it be Big Bad John Mazmanian's Tazmanian?
     
  19. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    I got lucky yesterday when I searched the NE Ohio geezer gathering on google.

    There was a 2008 post from Paul Suloff about that year's gathering with a phone number to contact him.

    I called him and he has the dvd (he is sending one to me) of all the old 8mm film of Akron airport dragway that handy randy showed on his tv show.

    Lowbuck, I searched all of google about this tv show and coulden't find anything on it. I talked to Paul and he gave me this web site: akronbuzz.com and also said it's on public access tv. Search this site for times and stations in your area.

    Without lowbucks post on handy randy I woulden't know to ask Paul about this film.

    Paul also told me about the blue angels dragster site. These guys find and restore old dragsters, I believe they are in algon's area. Anybody know these guys?

    Thanks everyone for all your imput and keep it comeing, the power of the HAMB is truly amazing!

    Fred
     
  20. 1lowbuckrodder
    Joined: Mar 5, 2008
    Posts: 362

    1lowbuckrodder
    Member

    thats cool u have handy randys site,, like i said he had the akron airport drags on one of his shows maybe ull see the 'a' on that clip,,,,,,good luck,,,,,,,havent heard of the blue angles restore guys???
     
  21. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    I posted up a handbill for Paul on the NE Ohio Drag Racers Geezer Gathering on the message board today. Check it out!

    Paul also has a lot of kool old DVD's of drag racin' in that area from back in the day. Check it out on the message board.

    Thanks, Fred
     
  22. grazy
    Joined: Jun 21, 2008
    Posts: 223

    grazy
    Member

    I know several older locals who ran there for years and a guy that was the tech inspector for years I will see what I can find . Mifflin is very close by a very small town will try to find a car guy from around that place for you also wish me luck.
     
  23. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Good luck grazy!

    Fred
     
  24. Gasserdriver
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 430

    Gasserdriver
    Member

    Update: I received the video from Paul and with the help of Algon the coup is on this video.

    Algon told the model A was a robin egg color in this time period which really helped!

    Fred
     

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