HISTORY OF A HOT RODDER- Tom Masa Part 2

[KING CHASSIS]

This is the second part of the story of my friend Tom Masa's hot rod life. The first part can be found here. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=223062 In the fall of 1958, I went to work for Barford Chevrolet in clayton. The general manager, Mack Yates was racing a corvette in SCCA sport car series. In 1959, he asked me to go with him to be his mechanic. We went on to win the midwest championships in 59,60,61,62,63. He was offered a Ford dealership and bought a Shelby Cobra. I went to Denver with him and Shelby sent me an envelope to the hotel where we were staying with jets, timing specs. We cleaned house. I got to see a lot of the midwest traveling with him.
Bought this roadster with out an engine and transmission. At the same time, I changed jobs and worked over time every night. Did not turn a bolt on that car. A guy bugged me to sell it to him. Made a lot of money on it. Today, after two owners, it is finished and beautiful. It lives in south county.

{About 1962 Tom went to california and stayed a few days with a friend. During those few days they went to Dragmaster.. ordered a car, Hilborn... bought a injector, Halibrand ....bought some wheels. And so on. A couple of months later the dragmaster was shipped to him. KING }

This is the car as it was when I first ran it. It had a 283 on gas, Howard flat tappet cam, Hilborn, Vertex mag. It ran around 130.00mph with a two speed Lasalle transmission. Later I built a 331" engine with an Isky 505 roller cam, 12-1 compression. Ran 145.00 mph. Getting better.
Picture taken at Wentzville in 1964. Bob Fischer on left, me, Dick O'Mara, John Stephons. This is taken at Wentzville in 1965. The engine was a 307" with a 671 blower and two hole Hilborn, direct drive. It ran about 150.00mph, but the et was real bad. It bogged real bad. The next night at Alton, we took out the gas injectors and installed the alky nozzles. The first run was the most thrilling ride I had ever experienced. When I launched, there were two giant pillars of white smoke to try and look through with the blower in front of me. I felt like I was shot out of a cannon. AS I hurteled down trak into the darkness,( Alton was not lit up very good down track). I pulled the shute and quickly realized I had gone pretty fast. When the guys came down to retrieve me, they were yelling, "180.00mph" What a night to remember.



{side note on this phot, John Stephens on the right raced at the H.A.M.B. Drags 2007 in a orange/grey primer 32 roadster that had lettering reading ''Stephons, Masa and Convey'' on the doors.}


Here is the car smoking the tires. It was on alky, direct drive. Ran in the high 180s. We were starting to have trouble with the front wheels coming up as the smoke died down and it was hooking up. We took it apart a few weeks later and sent it out to be lengthened.


{Before they sent it out to be lenghtened, they were in the middle of building this car, but didnt like the way Tom fit in it. So sent out the dragmaster car for lenghtening . KING}
This picture looks a lot like Zorbas Ghost don't you think?
{Next picture is after the dragmaster car came back from being lenghtened. KING} These were at the nationals in 1966. That's Bob Fischer on the left. And the good shot of the hood. There is an album called Zorba the greek. I took the hood and the album cover to a sign painter and he hand painted it. No computer generated stick on signs back then.

{ In the elimations they found out that the next run was going to be against Don Garlits topless Dart that Emory Cook drove. And Fischer told Tom "I have been drafted and have been keeping it from you till after the nationals were going to be over" So they decided that since it was the nationals and Fischer had to get out of the team, that they would dump in 10percent more nitro in it. Well it worked and they beat Emory Cook, BUT melted a hole in the front of the head. And was unable to go to the next round. (There is video footage of this pass on wediditforlove.com in the rare film section 66 US nationals) This was the last time Tom drove a dragster till a few years later when he was hired to drive a car for a couple of weeks. KING}

[52 HenryJ]

Oh wow please say there's a part 3!!!!!!

[Royalshifter]

Man this is getting awesome...I love the Dragmasters.

[55 f350]

c'mon finish it !!!!!!

[scotty t]

more!MORE!!

[bones35]

If that dosent make you feel very insignificant, man how did they find the time, the money, the tecnology. we have everything at are disposal now and still we dont come close to guys like this. And the few that can more power to you. i know i work hard, play hard but dont hold a candle to people like this. something to aspire to.

i have a 671 a 394 olds in the garage and it sits. these guys got it done. now i am building my own house right now and that is pretty much my life. that and the 2 kids and my business. its enough to make you go arghhh. but im sure the troubles have always been the same. sure makes me feel like a wanna be. cory

[biggen]

Just think ,all the old guys you see at the car shows. How many of them have seen this stuff in person.. what I would give to go back in time to see 200 mph pass tire smoken all the way down the track..OK KING HAMB DRAGS 08 200mph ...

[OLLIN]

Wow! what a cool story. I hope there is a part 3 also.

[THE235KID]

More, I need more!!! Great story.

[malkintent]

like i said before, bed time story.

i gots my milk!
amazing
i read this to my 2 year old and he jut sat in my lap
saying hot rod to every pic .

[Dirty2]

Too cool !!! Thanks again .

[jerry]

Please, p;ease. please, more sir.


jerry

[bobblehead]

awesome story! keep it coming.

[Rusty]

It just keeps gettin better

[independentcustoms]

I really dig this car-what did he wind up doing with it? Awesome work on the stories man

[jonzcustomshop]

I don't know what I like better, that fed, or the black 60 elcamino in the background thats almost new.

[KING CHASSIS]

Originally Posted by independentcustoms

I really dig this car-what did he wind up doing with it? Awesome work on the stories man

They sold it to a local guy, then it disapeared. Tom and I have been looking for it. Have had some leads. But Tom has a real hot one right now.

[independentcustoms]

Originally Posted by KING CHASSIS

They sold it to a local guy, then it disapeared. Tom and I have been looking for it. Have had some leads. But Tom has a real hot one right now.

Any pics of the one he has now?

[KING CHASSIS]

Originally Posted by independentcustoms

Any pics of the one he has now?

I meant that he has a real hot lead on where the old car is. sorry

[DirtyDan]

King, Great story... it is awesome hearing about the people and places that shaped Hot Rod history. Especially when it is local, as I'm in St. Louis also.
I am friends w/ one of the guys in the '64 Wentzville pic, Dick O'Mara. He is in his 70's and still going strong. He has recently joined the 200mph club in a lakester he built from scratch. He has built some amazing cars and motorcycles out of a small 2 car garage in S. County. Like Tom, Dick has some great stories about the way things used to be.

Can't wait for part III