Current photos of modern day "Nostalgia" race cars

BILL and MARYANN HARMON, San Jose, CA competed at the Baylands events from the beginning. For years their Model A provided the fun. A steel 41 Willys with blown BBC, on gasoline, kept them busy for the next several years. Maryann drives, and one Father's Day, a leak (understatement) took out the flamed steel fenders. Before long, the steel car was back out w/flamed black primer fenders. (Pictured on grass at a Pleasanton Willys Roundup, primered after crash, and in it's new role, as tow vehicle for their new Chris Alston chassied glas 41.)

 

here are a few of me and westexgasser during dragweek...

 

rfraze, I must commend you on your postings, you are doing a thorough, much appreciated job, telling the history of the race cars, owners/drivers and times that gave me some great memories! The restoration of the Bizio truck was quite a challenge, Tom was a stickler for details, he knew just how it had to be. He allowed me to make some minor upgrades for safety, and as far as running gasoline, it worked out well from the maintenance aspect. You didn't have to drain,flush and lubricate the fuel system after the race, and it didn't contaminate the oil, like alcohol. With Gene Adams setting up the injector and pump, and Jack and Wayne building a great 398" Chrysler, Tom ran it for 6 seasons I believe. Tom was gracious enough to let me drive It at it's unveiling at Fremont in 87, and later that year at Seattle. It couldn't compete with the "alky" burners with the wide tires, however Tom ran 9.20s at over 150 and had a great time. Tom sold it to our friend Wendell Poulson, who had me upgrade the cage and install a 400 Turbo trans. Wendell was going through the steps to get a license, but decided to sell it to Jeff and Jerry, who are taking great care of it, BTW it runs on alcohol now! I stepped away from "Nostalgia Drag Racing" around 1990, to do a little "Dirt Oval" racing and appreciate you covering some of the cars I missed. Here are some more pics.

 

Sorry, here are the pics.

 

Thanks Marty, for your comments, the GREAT PICS, and for the beautiful truck. For those who do not know Tom, he was a helicopter pilot, who fell out of the sky, a couple of times, then built this truck.(and a LOT of other stuff) A great guy and example for all of us. Does anyone have pics showing the truck as described by WCD above? How about some of now from Jeff Cryan.

 

Along with the "Bizio"truck,this is the other half of our 2 car team in 1988, a AA/FD, at that time they were limited to a 150" wheelbase. It was 1968 Don Long chassis with a Tom Hanna body, my partners in the car were Tom Willford, and Bobby Mead. When Tom bought the car, it had been run as an Econorail and was a "well worn". Bobby and I (friends since 1958) "front halved" the chassis, replaced the cage, and saved the "Hanna" cowl and lower part of the seat. We put together a 421" (392) with 55 331 heads and some select Anson rods and Venolia pistons, and an Engle roller cam. It was painted candy regal blue to match the Willys PU. These shots were taken at Fremont (Baylands Raceway) by Tom Willford, the last one shows my old friend "P-Wood" along side,I was the lucky guy behind the wheel!

 

I am having a time loading the pics!

 

Here's a couple in this thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=718959&highlight=gold+cup+empire&page=7

 

these two go beyond reasoning!

 

Such fantastic photos and stories, THANK YOU to all, I (and many others) are truely enjoying this!

 

Heres mine

 

Man that car is absolutely beautiful. Love it.




So is this. Nice!!!

 

Stick City used high performance car lot in Whittier, Calif. is where Bizio would leave the car to sell. Charlie O'neill (same current day owner of the beautiful nostalgia funny car called "Fighting Irish") who happened to work for Rabbit at the lot first bought the former Willys truck left it in candy blue but did paint the words Mindbender on both doors and stuffed in a blown Rat for power. Before selling to the siblings Charlie had the truck repainted in the various shaded tones of brown & silver metalflake with snow flakes thrown in for added touch. In the group of photo's from Marty Strode you can see the truck prior to the restoration. The boys got is some sort of trouble and offered the truck back to Charlie/Stick City and eventually sold the car to Tom Dillard in the early 70's. I would buy the truck with a 440 wedge and twin dominator carbs on a tunnel ram in Dec. 1985 just down the road from Pomona Raceway.

 

So my weak memory didnt fail me. Glad I didnt look foolish!

 

You have kept many of the treads alive, always enjoy reading yours and others reporting events that those of us that lived in S. Calif were fortunate to have experienced.

 

I agree completely about WCD's knowledge and input. Thanks from all of us. Thanks to Tom for filling in the blank about Stick City/Rabbit and Charlie O'Neill. Watch for his name when I tell you what Troke and O'Neill did with the Herrera and Sons flip-up Austin and later as a partner with Tommy Thompson in a Chuck Finders, then the Burgundy Bandit 33 Willys coupes. Gathering photos.

 

Hey, my pleasure.

 

Love these Threads. I took these fews pic's last month at the Bakersfield Reunion. New Mazmanian Tribute car driven by no other than Bones himself.

 

These are two great examples in the long line of beautiful gassers built, and raced, by ROCKY PIRRONE, Penn., and his team over the years. He got lots of practice building and restoring the cars that his father, Joe, and he raced thru the years. See some on Drag Cars in Motion and Willys threads. Bones beside the NEW Mazmanian tribute car.

 

I'm very proud to say that Freddy Bear and Bones are good friends of mine and i love them alot.
Gasser Girl

 

Since we are talking about tribute cars and I am trying to make my way thru the early years of nostalgia racing, how about a red one and a blue one. In '88, JOHNNY ROCCA, Virginia, restored K S Pittman's last 41 Willys coupe, which he had owned for 25+ years. Set up to run on gasoline, the blown Oldsmobile and B&M Hydro combo was brought out to run Bakersfield and surprise KS. This car made appearances in 89. NHRA would not allow the last Stone, Woods, & Cook car to accept a challenge, so ROCCA built a new blue team car (identical to Swindler A) to tour in "The Last Great Shootout" in '90. With the able help of Dusty Wetzel, KS and ROCCA matched these two at 52 tracks that year. Pics by Dean Court. 470" BBCs w/Olds valve covers hooked to 400 turbos made 176 passes. The SWC tribute car ended this period of it's life at the Texas Motorplex. Final pic shows it as run at Indy in 2012.

 

Here's my Old's from a couple of years back. Not real fast but a lot of fun.

 

Could'nt help but seeing the 68 roadrunner, 68 chevelle or lcamino and 64 caliente in the background... You all have lots of old American iron over there! Your Olds is "cool" its not all about going fast.....Al

 

Your Old's is one of my favorites....Very nice...Always loved it.

 

Thanks guys.

 

This series of posts about nostalgia gassers started with a pic of BRIAN STAIRS', Placentia, CA (p18 #353) Anglia 1/4 ton panel. His first blown gas Anglia (Popular) was called the Beatnik. A steel body hung on a Tom Medlock/Specialty Cars (Artesia, CA) chassis. Noise was supplied by a Hampton blown SBC and power was transmitted by a real B&M Hydro. Debuting shortly after Fore's Willys, this match-race nemesis played a large part in NDRA's final southwest series races. COLD conditions at a Phoenix event helped this car become a beautiful black Anglia flounder. Brian sold the body to SoCal header builder Mark Sexton, but still has the doors, and grille (with the Groovy Bongos lettering). Pics coming.

 

Here is a '33 Willys coupe that was built not long before this time period by CHRIS LYTLE of Rock Island, WA. Blown Hell lived up to it's name, as the blown alcohol BBC made enough horsepower for this one to leap completely off the ground. Chris built the black beauty out of a car previously owned by Mel Bryson/Gibson and later Mike Svoboda, Puyallup, WA. Most often seen at Seattle and other NW nostalgia meets. Currently owned and raced by Brent Harris, Edmonton, Alberta. Please post pics, if you got em.

 

Old Time Drags/Funny Car Reunion 2010. Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ