I'm looking for information about Curt Hamilton's BB/ Modified Fuel Dragster. What I know is it was an RCS chassis 150-190 wheelbase with 354 Chrysler and Pat Foster drove. I've only been able to find this photo. Curt Hamilton is the man behind Cali Automotive. Any info will help, thanks
Give him a call, he's still working. At least he was about a year ago. He's about 75 now. Hamilton Automotive Industries, 818.943.2323.
I just talked to him today. It was like meeting hot rodding royalty. I'm looking to see what photos are out there of the car and if it's feasible to re-pop the car.
Yes, he is a talker and super nice guy. Do you have a facebook account? If you do try Front Engined Dragsters & Glory Days of Drag Ricing. Might be worth a try.
I met him in 2010 when I was finishing up Dan Horan Sr's nostalgia top fuel car. We needed to weld a couple of things and Curley kept saying "We will go to Curt's and do it there". When we pulled up in front of Hamilton Automotive and I realized who Curt was I was blown away. I stopped in to visit him on the way to the CHRR last month--one of the coolest guys on the planet. Former Hot Rod Magazine freelancer, co-founder of Cal Automotive with Bud Bryan, the go to guy for Jag rear end installations--this guy has been there and done that. Roo
He also had a hand in SPE , neat guy for sure. I'm pretty sure my 23T body is a Cal Auto street body.
I think that you will find that SPE was pretty much all Roy Fjastad before he sold it to Dave Russell who later sold it to Ken Cox. Roo
Keith it was Bud Lang who co-founded Cal automotive with Curt. And Curt worked for Roy in the mid sixties.
Thanks mate, slip of the tongue there on the Bryan/Lang deal. Curt and I talked about all sort of stuff while I was there but the Roy deal never came up. He did get a call from one of the Cederquist brothers while we were waiting for a weld to cool and that is when the subject of his freelancing for Hot Rod came up as I had just scanned the story on their roadster for Jeff Norwell. Roo
I don't know how long he worked at SPE. He was there when the Car Craft magazine '23 T How to Build a Street Rod series of articles were printed around '66 or '67.
Hello, did you ever get the info you were looking for on this car? I have a business relationship/friendship with Curt and I know a little of the cars history... or rather lack of it! You see the car was not very old when it was stolen... and never found! If you have not done so you really should call Curt and talk to him about it. It was by far his "baby" and he was really hurt when it was stolen. If you ever get around to building a tribute car I can hook you up with a duplicate body from the Cal Auto molds.....
Wow, Curt's still around. Bought my first real "street rod" part from him in the 70's, disk brake kit for a 37 Chevy. My brother has a new, never used race weight Cal Automotive 29 roadster body in his attic I've been trying to talk him out of for years.
Yes he is and still pretty damn sharp too! He is a wealth of information on the early days of our sport and has been invaluable to me with his knowledge of the very early Hot Rod fiberglass industry. About your brother's attic dweller.... According to curt, nearly all of the A's they made (& they only made one, the '29) were made for race cars. These bodies lacked some of the refinements usually found on street bodies like trunk gutter drains, as making racing bodies was their intention. Protect it, it may be the last nos one out there! Last July, the '29 A mold was lost in a fire! When I acquired the remaining "Cal Auto" molds from Curt last year (along with his aforementioned technical assistance) there were a few molds that were on loan to a guy in La Grange, Ca. Make a long story short - he turned out to be a "less than honorable" (a quote from ME!) business person. While he was dragging his feet trying to keep my molds there was an 'accident" that burned them up. Thank goodness I managed to collect 90% of the molds before that happened. Sad but true.
Sounds about right about the body. I don't think it even had an opening trunk, molded in trunk lid. It does have separate doors but no hinges/ latches. As far as "protecting" it, that's a bit of a problem. The attic it's in actually is his ex wife's. Was still there last time I was but it's been a few years but who knows, maybe her new husband hauled it to a dump already. Do you have the molds for any of the T bodies? Making them?
Yes, we have 3 "original" Cal Automotive '23 T bucket molds - 2 from the "Curt Hamilton days", 1 from the "Tex Collins" era, flat or "tunneled" dash, bucket only, with built in pick up box and also have the turtle deck as well. We really have quite a few of the original Cal Automotive molds... 27 T, 32 roadster, 23 T "tub" Fiat Topolino, "Pure Hell" Bantam... More info on Racing Junk. & Yes, we are making them... have an order from Curt for 2 rite now....
Kennkat this is cool that your making these bodies. Haven't been over to Racing Junk in awhile, but may have to check it out. Thanks for the information. -Dave
Lol... Well no actually it was a "less than genius" individual using a Lawn Mower to cut weeds... According to Cal Fire.
The Jalopy Journal
