TBirds vs vettes and the glass slipper at kingdon

Here is the description from an email forwarded to me

"In 1956 I was a member of the Pacific Pacers Car Club in Manteca, a farming
community in Central California. As I recall it was in the winter or early
spring of 1956 when our club went to the Kingdon Drag Races near Lodi. I
took my 8mm movie camera along, and got shots of the Glass Slipper from
Sacramento making a few runs. A couple of 3 speed 1955 Corvettes (from L.A.
I was told) were there, and they raced against T-birds several times. This
had to be early in 1956, because the newest Corvette there was a '55. Just
imagine- all of the Corvettes (okay, there might have been one or two '56s
somewhere) in the state were the same body style with screens over the
headlights!!!!!!!!!!!! The club member wearing coveralls is Walt Silva, who
still lives in Manteca. My friend Russ Uzes put this old film on You Tube.

Good Gravy, that was 54 years ago, if my math is right!!!!!!!!

Enjoy, Noland Adams"

 

Great stuff Mike. I wonder who the first digger was in your film. It's about the biggest dragster I've ever seen, even for the mid-50's.

 

I know what you mean. It looks like it almost has a trunk on it. Maybe that was some kind of streamlining with that section aft of the rear axle.

Just to be clear, it's not my film. Someone told me about it. It appears to be made by a Nolan Adams and a Russ Uzes who write books and maintain a website about vintage corvettes.

http://www.earlycorvettes.com/

 

Man! Thanks for the post way cool....I was 11 years old in '56.

 

sure looks like a twin engine dragster...

 

Wasn't that the "Bustle Bomb" after the full body was built? I beliv it ran an Olds engine in front and a Cadillac in the rear.

Mick

 

Dig the cat on the motorized unicycle!

 

Cool beans! Thanks.

 

That is the Bustle Bomb. At first it had a Merc in front and a Chevy (six of course, what else?) in the rear Then the Olds/Cad set up. The idea was that the rear engine was direct coupled into the R&P. With just a in out coupler. They would start the front engine. Stage the car. Engage the rear engine and turn on the ignition. When the car left the rear engine would start at WOT. Lugging a lot but trying. When the front engine was pretty wound out the driver shifted, but all the while the rear engine is pushing as hard as it could, and is getting into it's torque curve. From here to the finish both engines are geared the same and pulling for all they can.

 

Cool film. The Corvettes blew the doors off the T-Birds.

 

Cool

 

cool stuff. that motorized unicycle guy should go on "America's Got Talent"

 

Love it! I was 9 and already hooked! Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks for posting this cool piece of history.

 

We will be running our Lil Chevy II out there again next month Sept 6th

 

Thanks for sharing. Glass Slipper was a beautiful car.