Thinking About a Drag Coupe

Drag coupes on the mind today. Too heavy for competition? Not quite yet. At least that’s what Ralph Beer and Bill Castleberry thought when they were putting together their all-steel five-window for the B/Altered ranks in the early-’60s. The San Antonio, Texas-based duo ditched the fenders, running boards, hood sides, radiator and just about everything else they could to shave weight off their Deuce. The front axle was slotted and the split ’bones were too—questionable by today’s standards, but hey, anything to save a pound.

Underneath the louvered hood top, the team opted for a hot 347cid Pontiac motor of 1957 vintage. Highlights included a sextuplet of Strombergs, an Engle #123 cam, Moon timing chain cover and a Vertex magneto. The potent powerplant was linked to a LaSalle trans via a Hilderbrandt adaptor. Out back, the coupe used a solid-mounted Mercury axle loaded with 4.27 gears.

In the control room, the five-window was set up for center steering. The stainless steel firewall was custom built specifically for the task, while the black and white tuck-and-roll door panels must have been carryovers from the car’s streetgoing days (Oh, and that antenna too!). A Moon throttle pedal, Bell steering wheel and Stewart-Warner gauges rounded out the interior. Note the #3 pool ball shift knob and in-your-face tach placement.

There’s a whole lot to like about this car, but for my money the rolling stock is the main draw. The combination of American Racing spindle-mount 12 spokes with five spokes wrapped in M&H slicks simply screams ’60s. It’s a look that’s been duplicated time and time again on contemporary machines, and some pull it off far better than others.

At the end of the day, Beer and Castleberry dipped the coupe into the mid-11s at 124mph. Pretty “wappid” for a “Widdle Wed Waggon,” there’s no doubt about that.

—Joey Ukrop

 Photos by Don Klumpp, Car Craft, February 1963