Heres a pic of my non-gasser 55. Hey Moriarty, your 55 and your 61 are two of my favorite cars on this board! Beautiful cars, and hopefully I'll get to see them in person someday.
A great thread, and a nice reminder that the budget of the average hot rodder dictated steel wheels and (maybe) hubcaps. Not everyone could afford "trick" Torq-thrusts or Radirs.
Here's a garage find from Clist, parked since the 70s they say, looks like a nice car and a deal for $13k with a 396.
My Dad's 55. I'm not sure what year it was. Dad can't say cuz he's chewing out Boyd, or no I'm sure Dad went to heaven so he's bench racing with Smoky. Anyway Mom said money was tight and they didn't always get the film developed right away, so it could be a year or two before '67. If you are into customs and you are going for a period to build a car try buying some magazines from the period. Jeff
Great thread. 1965 was a great year for drag racing. The cars really started hooking up and flying when the wrinkle wall slicks came out. Mine wouldn't pass for the 65 period but it has some influence for sure.
My '55 210 "Locomotion", raced until approx. 1984, but originally built mid-60's. 1964 Ford Econoline front, '59 Pontiac rear, glass trunk lid, plexi-glass all around, roll bar, single seat, slots out back on piecrust slicks with Cragars up front, Moon tank and a set-back mill. "Swiss-cheesed" doors, interior panels and rear-half of the frame. -Dean
Dad's '55 Bel Air. This is set up from a little earlier time, say 1961-1963. All steal, black pleated interior with Corvette wheel and Sun/SW gauges. Chrome steelies up front and reverse steel out back on piecrust slicks. Mill is a stroked and bored 327 (358ci) with a SN60 Paxton supercharger, rear is a P-Case Chevy posi. 1963 409 Impala coil springs up front with ball-joint spacers. -Dean
James, I just joined. Thanks for you kind words. The 55 with blue plexiglass windows is mine. It's called the Spirit of San Fernando and is featured in the Jan. 2010 issue of Hot Rod Deluxe. I've been involved with drag racing and gassers since the early 1960s when I was a teenager. Now I'm as vintage as these cars. You have a wonderful community here, and every car is a tribute to the owners. Sincerely, Dave Miller
I need to get the car out of the shop for pictures......it at least has some junkyard cragars on it now, and the sidepipes and front bumper are coming off soon too. Unfortunatley, there's 3 feet of snow in front of the shop right now...... My current budget has a lot to do with the "plan" for this year, which is to make it look like an as found 1965-1968 Jr stock / street car. I can afford a few vintage decals, and to leave the body in it's already slightly distressed state...and the rusty Cragars came cheap.... It might actually have spent some time at the track in it's former life. I've found spring spacers in the front coils, and airbag / coil spring setup behind the rear axle on top of the leaf springs. Also, the driver side of the 327 is chained down to the frame.
I went with a John Mazmanian Willys candy apple red with a gold base paint job and an ivory top. Not sure if that says 60's or not...but I think so.
I had a yellow 55 Nomad just as high back in High School. I'll have to dig up a photo of it. Man, I loved High Boys!
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