#134 '34 Ford AA/Fuel Coupe

This is a car that was built in about 1987 by Ed Quay and Ted Brine. It was built to capture the spirit of the '50s-'60s era when the Mooneyham & Sharp AA/Fuel Coupe and others were smoking the tires through the clocks. Ted drove it at nostalgia meets for a couple years doing smokey runs on about 85% nitro and sold it to me in about 1990. No, I didn't have the nerve. I showed it for a couple years doing Cackelfests before they were called that and then sold it to a guy in Portland Oregon. I have not read about it or seen any pictures of it since.

A couple days ago Ted called me wanting to find it and try to buy it back. It was the first time we have spoke in over 20 years. There are only two cars like it that I know of. The original Mooneyham & Sharpe car which resides in the Garlits museum and this car. It is so sanitary it can't be mistaken for another look alike....if there is one.

If you have seen this car in the last 20 years please post here where it was at the time you saw it.

 

Well I saw this one at the Langley loafers old time drags in Mission BC. A couple months ago.
It dosn't quite look the same, but its so close i figured I'd post it up for your consideration.



It could be the same car changed around with new paint and a few componets?

 

That is a beautiful car but I thought the original 554 from So-Cal was orange, although I have been wrong once before.

 

Original 554 was blue. K&G (from Philly) later bought the car and it was yellow then (see photos). My car had an engine from the K&G car that a friend of mine then owned (Paul Gold) and we rebuild it and was the first engine in my 134 car. That motor eventually was purchased from me by Jerry Moreland (who then owned the 554 car) and was put into the original. Both cars were at Indy at a Goodguys meet in the late 80's. (see attched) photos. Thanks for helping us out Frank - that one car from BC is close - Halibrands and all! It has an I beam front axle too!. Mine had two roll cages - a perimeter and a funny car drivers double hoop, Also had a Pete & Jakes four bar front, Dana with floating strange axles. Front panels were of handmade aluminum with "dummy" chrome handles and Dzus buttons to hold in place. Hood was glass with center hinge to facilitate opening to plug aircraft starter on to blower. Frame rails were boxed and clipped/rounded in front. Fuel tank was a cut down Moon you could see inside the blue plexi grill. I am kinda on a quest to locate a few of my favorite old cars. I "stumbled" into my first car - a 69 hemi Road Runner about this time last year. It was a car I ordered new, raced in B/MP and then sold (see pics). Got it back after 42 yrs and made it presentable again (original paint and 7800 miles). It was displayed by Chrysler at this years Woodward Dream Cruise. The coupe is next (maybe). Thanks to all for helping us out here.

 

Good luck with your search Ted! A friend of mine loved the 334 so much he built this one. Races it with a Brodix sbc.

 

I'm pretty sure that is a tribute car built by a rodder/machinist out of North Vancouver. The amazing thing is that the coupe body started as a four door sedan!

 

This is GORGEOUS no matter what!

 

niiiiice!

 

That makes it even cooooler! IF thats possible! Never seen that steering set up????

 

Super looking coupes - both of em!! Thanks

 

Great stories, I hope you sell it back to Ted !

 

Thanks Glen - that's not it but a nice car for sure. I did buy back my 69 hemi Road Runner (bought new in 69) just last Feb. Long story but kinda neat.
Now, I'd like to locate my old coupe and do some more qtr. mile tire smokers!!

Kids are gone so, I now have the time!

 

anyone interested in the Mooneyham car will really enjoy this old video of when K&G owned the car and ran at Atco. http://bangshift.com/blog/video-196...s-a-kid-gassers-garlits-nitro-perfection.html

 

Good news to report. After nearly a year of searching Ted has finally found his '34 Ford Fuel Coupe and has been given the opportunity to buy it back.

 

So when do we get to here the whole story and future plans? Don't leave us hangin man!

 

negotiating now with the owner. he said he'd sell as he has no plans for it. I have a carrier lined up to pick it up. current owner states it's not been started for the years he's owned it. said he never had the valve covers off. he's going to take some photos to veryify it's not been "cherry picked" for the good parts and that the starter etc. (aircraft style on nose of blower) is still with it. said it was last started by a previous owner some years ago - on gas! got another report from someone saying he saw it run in Seattle a while back. don't know if it was that car or another clone - there's a few around these days. we'll know later this week. I'll go through it, see what's what, check the engine, brakes, safety stuff etc. and then get it fired back up - alcohol and then back on nitro. Here's the photo of it exists now - looks pretty much the same except for my name on door - someone along the way took that off as would be expected.

 

Cool, why fire it on alky? It's a nitro engine right? LOL. C'mon. Hit her with the gas bottle and turn on the fuel. Leave the fuel system alone, check her over and.... Lippy

 

exceptional, that's quite a bundle, and look forward to it being put back into service, going to be great to watch.

Congrats, super-stoked for you,

Drewfus

 

The Mooneyham and Sharp car with Gerry Steiner was probably the one running at Seattle and that was over 20 years ago. Not sure if theregas been one run since.

 

I would warm on alcohol and then switch over to 75% nitro to make sure all was well before making a pass. Alky is way cheaper a fuel - waaaaay cheaper! Plus, it's always fun to watch people back up, tear up and run when the nitro starts firing. It sounds like a war compared to alcohol! From what a few have told me, the car was only started a handful of times over the years since I sold it. And, for it to run on aa track would be a costly proposition - fuel, firesuit, license to drive it, chassis certification. I did all that when I owned/ran the car and will have to again if it does anything other than cackelyfests. Here is a newspaper photo from the 80's - hope I can remember how to do that again (-: I'm sure with some help from my old buddies, we'll figure it out once more. Thank you for the interest. I love these old cars too! If all works out, I'll hit some of the old time drag stuff - York, Mopar Nationals and others in the mid-west - PA, OH, MD, IN, KY, IL etc.

 

Ted, No problem on the figure it out part, I never stopped playing with this stuff all these years. Gee, I can smell the nitro already !! Goldy

 

I am glad it is returning to life ! Steiner told me he had a chance to buy the 554 on terms and sheepishly admitted the he had to have a TF car which by the way was impressive in it's own right, 'member the waap-waap-waap ! burnouts ? Sadly Gerry got his bell rung in the Steiner-Berger TF car and is still recovering , the 554 car is in a collection. What could have been ? Could have been the 15oz. coupe vs the 554 vs. the Rat trap vs the "Wing" + the 134, would have been bitching !!

 

Congratulations finding it, that really is a sweet car. Is Ed still around?

 

Ed retired, sold the business and is in FL. I ran into one of his fabricators, Tim Hain at Bruce Larson's get together in November. Tim builds cars himself now in Pottstown, PA.

Hey, Goldy - glad your current on these old fuelers! I gave away my hydrometer (given to me by Dan Knapp - Ramchargers way back in early 70's - I can get it back though - ha, ha - from a friend). Still have a leak down to set the barrel valve and Mallory buzz box for timing so, guess we're set!! I got the equip, you supply the brains!! I've had some interest in maybe running the old car again. Good thing is that it was so well built back then (chrome moly, perimeter plus double roll bar funny car cage etc) that it can easily be certified for 8.50's (plenty for old time smokey runs) and maybe 7.50's (that'd be scary to put on good tires, slip the clutch and start in low gear - scary!). I did talk with Walt Austin today and he said that his son wanted him to go through the car and run it - just did not get to it. He said Pat would have liked to drive it. Maybe I'll see if he'd come east - that'd be fun. Here's a photo from Indy way back - check the car in the background - has your old engine in it remember! Also, who's the guy in the beret?? The young guy with his back to the cam is Mark Vinson - he has one bad "a" Fox Mustang now - turbo'd 360 small Ford on alky. Runs 7.50's at 195 with a 5 speed Liberty and 10.5's - quite a ride. He's pumped about the old coupe likely to return. Hard to believe he was in his teens then and now in his late 40's - Where did the time go?? The trailer is long gone now - same with the girl - as you well know - oh well. But, we're still here and so is the car. Just goes to show, the more some things change the more others remain the same! (-:

 

wheww....flat towing the coupe with a Hemi RR.....wow - just think how bitchin back then that would be....hell I'd be loading my stuff up fer sur....just sayin'....

 

Ted, I still have the beret as you know but the girl in the back ground, Kathy, left me a long time ago. Also if you notice that cigarette in my mouth, I got rid of them too. I still have the red Chapparrel trailer, needs some work but it could be dedicated to the #134. That thing tows like awesome, I don't mind putting some money into it, that thing is the Cadilliac of trailers.

P.S. email me that picture with the 554 in the background and the one of the Maple Grove paper. thanks.

 

Any updates ? I remember that #134 Fuel Coupe running at Maple Grove. It smoked the tires so that you could not see the car from behind the starting line. The nitro fumes burned your eyes, and you had to hold your ears! Kool Car!!

 

Neat story

 

car will be shipped from Tacoma, WA on the Mon after the 4th holiday. Should be back in PA in 10 days or so after that. I've had a request to put it in the PA Racing Museum near Harrisburg next winter - we'll see. I'll check it out - leak down engine, check fuel lines, valves, timing etc. Get a starter modified to spin it, pick up some alky and nitro, change oil and "light er up" if all works out. Next year we'll freshen up the engine/driveline, get it certified for exhibition runs, find some new tires (40 yr. old M&H's are not a good idea most likely), clean it up and return to track. Thanks for the interest and to friends Frank Spittle (NC), Paul Gold, Walt Austin (who owned it and graciously agreed to sell it back) and those that helped to track it down - three years - seems it should have been easier but hey, it worked out!

Current pics as car is today - after 25 yrs away!

1) Walt Austin with car in Tacoma (alum hood side panels are off but are same as made 30 yrs ago)
2) front (same blue plexi grill I made on my kit table nearly 30 yrs ago)
3) rear - same lettering, same chute
4) drivers compartment - Spartan - but cage inside a cage constuction - chrome moly, center steer - one gauge - oil pressure - that's all ya needed on a blown fuel motor!
5) engine - a bit tarnished , but arn't we all after this much time. We'll polish it up!!