I have the drivers door off that car. It must have been the first thing to come off the car as it's in great shape. It makes a very nice wall hanger. Jim was racing at Lions and they were racing the Willys at Irwindale. Jim saw them towing the remains home and took these pics that night. It was only the second time out for the Willys. It got airborn at the top end and rolled.
Stumbled across this thread while looking for something else! My name is Bruce Williams and was raised in the Ojai Valley and graduated from Ventura High School in 1968. I new Jim Fain back in the early 70's. I happened to rent a three bedroom house from him on San Nicholas street in Ventura. I was a member of the VCTA for a short period of time. These photos of Lions and Santa Maria really bring back great memories. I remember Jim's Henry J which was sponsored by Bill Hans Richfield on the corner of Main and Mill?? been a long time. Jim's speed shop started out on Palma drive just a block away from the shop that I and Don Chevington owned (B&D Automotive). Jim eventually moved his shop to Callens road I believe. I moved to Phoenix AZ in 1986 and have only spoken to Jim on one or two visits going back to Ventura. An interesting note on the crashed 40 Willy's gasser. It belonged to Charlie Brown, Carl Nitsche and (Russel?) Dyer from El Rio. It was driven by Jerry Blackwell on the night it crashed at Irwindale. I worked for Jerry Blackwell during that period of time at his fab shop behind Coggs tire shop in El Rio. I still have the moon tank that came out of the Willy's in my 58 Corvette. I knew of one person that had one of the Willy's doors. His name is/was Dick Nally, another old timer from Ventura. Man, small world. If any of you Venturans run into Jim, tell them that Bruce Williams says Hi. I'm still racing, just happy to still be on the right side of dirt!!
Just thought I would raise this thread from the dead... I just found out from a preivous owner of my '56 Corvette that Fain built the race engine that is in it. Fain built the engine in his garage in 1965 or 1966. He bored the stock 265ci block .060" over and replaced the pistons, installed a nasty cam, replaced the single 4 barrel with a dual quad setup, and converted the car from a powerglide to a stick shift. I'm just glad it still has the original engine. The car only ran once at the Mojave drag strip in 1967 before the owner sold it, then the car was stored for the next 39 years until I got it. The rebuild only has 4-5K miles on it if that. I just got the car running and have since put about 500 miles on it. Crazy the amount of cam this thing has. Anyway, I just thought I would share
I'm glad this one came back around. I have a friend that is from Oxnard and He always talked about Fain's Auto Parts and how great they were/are, now I know the story.
I've known Jim for many years,even before the machine shop days.I got into the VCTA not long before they disbanded.He has always been fair to me,if there ever was a problem with machine work he made sure it was corrected! I have some super8 films from the races at the base[now Camarillo Airport],they were supposed to have been added to a video compilation of Ventura County racing and racers,never got made.I'm still drag racing and his shop does my engine machine work.Racing was a lot more fun back then!!! ROY.
Does anyone have an email or website? I'd like to email Mr. Fain to see if he remembers doing the race engine in my Corvette in his garage back in 1966. Thanks!
Follow-up: So I made it down to Ventura to Fains since I never got an email response and I happened to be in Ventura for work anyway.... The guy there told me he bought the place from Fain a few years ago. He had me write down my name, info, and why I would like to speak with him and he said he would forward it to him. When I left I had the feeling the guy was just going to throw it in the trash and not do shit for me Does anyone here know how to get ahold of Jim Fain?
Jim;been trying to return your calls,they go to some answering service.I'll try your e-mail now that I have it!! ROY.
Jim is still around in Ventura. By the way the second post on this thread was from Ratbone, Ratbone was Adam Caldwell and he was on here a lot. Adam has since passed away and is missed by all that knew him.
Cool photos of the cars outside a Woolworth's department store,I wonder how they were talked into that. HRP
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