History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Hey 296ardun,

Nice historic photos of some of the popular racers in So Cal. Those photos are clear and don't have copyright logos on them, that makes them easier to see and enjoy. In order for most that did not get a chance to see the two mentioned drag racing cars in action, here is a very short film of the Creighton Hunter/Hill Acala Roadster in action at Lions Dragstrip in 1959.
Creighton Hunter /Hill Acala Red Roadster

The next film was the restored red roadster in all of its finest at the 2017 grand opening of the original Lions Museum in 2017. I called it the “movie corner” as my films were playing continuously on the 80+ inch TV monitor above the Hunter/Hill/ Acala display. It was also on display in the current 2019 opening at the new Lions Dragstrip Museum, too.

Hunter/Hill/Acala red roadster in the 2017 original Lions Museum display corner…with some movies playing on the big screen.

The final film was a happenstance as a friend said that the Rakers Modified Coupe was coming to the line. So, I scrambled to get the movie camera ready. It was the only time I got a shot of it racing.

HERE IS THE LATEST ACTUAL SOUND FROM THE RAKERS BLUE COUPE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=zs5GDiEfUvY

FILM AT LIONS, RAKERS ACTUAL “SOUND” AT POMONA ALL IN 1959-60. THANKS, TROY CAGLE.

Rakers Car Club with Bruce Woodcock driving

Thanks for all of your historic posts and original information from back in those days. You were quite the drag racer, knowledgeable historian, and everyone needs to understand those facts.

Thanks,

Jnaki

 

You can say that again!

 

Won't feel too safe in that situation myself. That's a big hell no right there for me!

 

The jewels don't look to safe if that rear end just happened to grenade....

 

Some people are just braver than me I guess.

 

My thoughts exactly too.

 

As far as I can determine this is an early mock up of the Karl Krohn and Sonny Rossi driven Junior Fuel car of Bud Morehouse, most likely with Karl in the car as Sonny was only 4' 3" tall and did not drive the car until later in its racing history. The final configuration was not "legs under" as it would have been physically impossible for Karl to get in and out of the car. A legs under car had the driver set back further from the rear end and the only part of his legs that went under the rear end were his shins with the pedals mounted low just ahead of the axle housing.
Read more about Bud's creation here: https://www.hotrod.com/articles/res...ds-lightest-fuel-dragster-back-meet-underdog/

Roo

 

I thought this was a "Legs Under" RCS car. Notables are Jim Barnard, in the seat, Ed "The Ace" far left, and Sid Waterman ,tuning the "Barn Door" injector.

 

This one is still around and was for sale a couple of years ago

 

Marty. that looks to be pretty much the same configuration as the Waterman/Hampshire/Bradley car that was later modified to a legs over configuration. All of the legs under cars that I know of are quite a bit longer from the rear axle rearwards, the Freight Train being a prime example.

Roo

 

Marty, Roo, 296ardun, and jnaki sure nice to have you guys chime in with your knowledge on this stuff. Thanks. Not much of an autograph hound but I have an old tee shirt with three F.E. cars superimposed over one another with "SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY" under the cars. I bring it to the CHRR every year so some of the old warriors can add another signature. Feel pretty fortunate to have both Ronnie and Jeep's signature on that shirt.

 

Couple more fellas whose autographs are on that shirt. R.I.P.

 

The above picture with Ronda and Jenkins.

Kinda funny. In later years, Gas Ronda was the dapper, always dressed to the 9's as they say wherever he went, and Jenkins was a bit rough around the proverbial edges.
In this shot, it's Jenkins with the cool turtle neck and sun glasses, and Ronda in more daily dress.

Interesting how things change.

Mike

 

Here's a picture from back in the day!

This picture represents a couple of my favorite places back in the mid 60's. Covina Auto Dismantling at the corner of Grand Ave & Arrow Highway and Fontana Drag City.

 

Cool, I did not know that that wrecking yard ran a race car. It was a pretty big yard. Much larger than others in the area.
I grew up about two stones throws away in brand new houses about two blocks away. The junk yard later (about 1965 or 66) turned into a drive in theater, which later turned into a combination of both houses and condominiums and even a small apartment building at one corner of the lot. It was/is a big plot of land.

Mike

 

Freight Train was for lack of a better term "Legs Up To" the rear end - not over the top or under like the original picture that was posted.

 

I lived not far from there myself. 1955 - '62 near Cypress and Grand, 1963 - '64 on Bender behind the wrecking yard. I went to Charter Oak my high school years, 1962 - '66.

 

309 N. Bender Ave for me. Between Badillo and Ruddock. The favorite place for me between my home and the wrecking yard was Ed's Auto Parts. What a nice guy and great place for a kid with little money and big dreams!

 

Wow, we're old neighbors. I lived in the houses "just" West of Cedar Grove school. A chain link fence separated the school from the housing tract I grew up in.
When high school came calling, I had the opportunity to go to the "old" Charter Oak, or the "new", Royal Oak. Since I was one of the first class to go to Cedar Grove, grade school (or middle school as they are called now), I decided to go to Royal Oak High School. 1965 to 1969
Ed's Auto Parts was my "first" job as a growing kid. Ol Ed's gone now, but his kids still run the place. Still the same, not much has changed there. I go to other parts stores for most stuff, because Ed's doesn't carry that much "daily" need parts. But for special, or off the wall stuff, or needing a drum or rotor turned..I still go to Ed's Auto Parts.

Mike

 

My Father and I both spent alot of money, over the years, at Ed's. I used to work at the Mobile station on the corner of Grand Ave and Arrow Hwy., southeast corner.

The blue dot is where I lived on Bender. This is a newer picture than when I lived there, this one shows both screens and the bowling alley!

 

Nobody built a car in the configuration shown in the picture that started this discussion. It would have been physically impossible to get in or out of that car unless your knees hinged the opposite way to the majority of us. As I noted the legs under cars had the pedals just ahead of the rear end with the housing (or just axle in the "Train") pretty much above the driver's ankles. If you check out the known legs under cars the majority have the driver sitting very low with the lower rails closer to the ground than the legs over cars.

Roo

 

Spinning ain't winning, but it's sure fun to watch...

 

Glad I got to see these cars run at Seattle in the "old" days of nostalgia drag racing. Gosh were the 80's that long ago? The Bizio truck of Tom Willford with a lot of help from Marty, 554 Coupe with Gerry Steiner at the helm, Jack "The Bear" Coonrod, and Dandy Dick Landy's Dart. Seattle ran a Mopar event the same weekend of some their nostalgia events, hence Landy's attendance.

 

XXL -
Actually...that's a completely false statement. ALL nito fueled engines spun their tires back in the day. Sooo, one out of two spinning pairs of tire'd cars DID win.

As for today, you don't watch much drag racing on TV do you..?
From nitro fueled engines on down, except for maybe J/SA, a lightly spinning tire creates a faster car. I've seen the computer graphs from a friends D/ED (runs 7.25's regularly, has won several times). As I note above, his quickest runs have a faster wheel speed than the car is actually accelerating. When the wheel speed is closer to the cars actual speed, the E.T.s are slower..!
If you listen and watch Top Fuel and Funny Car closely, you "may" note the guy's talking about the tires NOT...spinning (lightly of course) and the resultant reaction is..."tire shake"..!

Pay more attention..!

Mike

 

I still like “If you’re spinnin, you ain’t winnin”. Rolls off the tongue.