Hot Rods First time out in 61 years...survivor NHRA dragster

I can't call this a barn find because it didn't need to be found. It's never been lost. It's been with the original owners since day one.
I'm pretty thrilled to be the steward of this one. It's a 1960 Scotty Fenn/ Chassis Research K-88 with a 1960 Oldsmobile 394 with Hilborn Injection, a side shift LaSalle Transmission and an open conversion Banjo rearend with 4.11 gears. The car ran 9.71 on gas at 147 MPH in 1960.
It's got magnesium Halibrand Starbursts in the front and Magnesium American's in the rear. Eelco tank, Moon timing cover, Chassis Research valley pan, and what appears to be an old WWII surplus US Army parachute to help slow it down.
It is called the Mi-Di-O in honor of it's builders, Mike O'Brien, Dick O'Keefe and his brother Jim O'Keefe. Mi for Mike, Di for Dick, and O for O'Brien/ O'Keefe.
According to Dick's son-in-law, Bill, who is one of the nicest people I've met, Dick raced his 34 Ford five window coupe from 57-59 with an Olds 303 with an Offy 6x2, 39 LaSalle 3-speed, and an open conversion banjo rear end pretty successfully around Ohio. Then in 1960, in true "WE'LL BE HEROES IF WE LIVE" fashion, they upgraded to the world of front engine dragsters.
The car experienced some sort of engine problem during the 1960 season and parachute was unceremoniously thrown into the drivers seat, the car was towed back to the dealership, rode the elevator to the second floor and stayed there for years. When Dick retired, he brought the dragster home to the farm, where it outlasted at least two different barns over the next 50 years or so, but was fortunately moved to the new barn each time.
Other than the sticker from the NHRA Championships at the Detroit Dragway in 1960, I don't know where else the dragster was run yet. Bill said he has some old photos somewhere of it running and possibly even being built. I hope to get them, or at least copies and help preserve and show the dragster with it's history.
I'm taking the engine apart this evening to see what damage might have been done and the plan is to make it run and stop again, clean it but do no cosmetic restoration, and probably spend a lot of money on a car that serves no practical purpose whatsoever other than to be a cool piece of history. I'm very grateful that I was given the opportunity to be it's caretaker. I thought you guys might dig it too.

 

Cool, I saw Paul posted it on FB the other day

 

That is very cool.

 

How cool is that!

 

Oh my! Congratulations. No practical purpose? Oh contrare, Lifestyle, man, lifestyle.

 

Nice...

Need some more pics!

 

Neat , neat and neat.

 

Awesome.

 

Oh man that dragster is cool. Whats up with that 5 window? Will that make noise again as well?

 

That's a Find, barn or not! Keep us posted, Please.

 

It looks fast just sitting on the trailer.

 

Your one lucky dude! Thats awsome! I love old original drag cars! Gassers and front engine dragsters are my favorite! Nothin like 60s style! Hope to see it cleaned up soon!


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Excellent score! And I love the part about spending a lot of money on a car that serves no practical purpose! Your the perfect guy for it!

 

Is that the original trailer as well? Cool cool cool!!!

 

Doc approved

 

Too cool...but how did it find it...and make it yours?

 

Bitchin!

 

what dreams are made of - never give up looking

 

Uh...ok.


Holy crap!

 

Congratulations on such a great find UncleScooby

 

I got everything except the Hilborn and actually quite a few extra things. The Hilborn was pilfered for another race car years ago but fir some reason they left the timing cover and fuel pump


Wanted! Olds 394 Hurst motor mount and dual point distributor

 

I sold a set of wheels to a guy and ended up meeting him at the state line to do the deal. Super nice guy and we kept in touch on social media. I posted a picture of a Chassis Research replica I was building with an Olds engine and he told me about this one sitting in a barn and gave me a phone number. I called and was invited to look and neither of us really knew what it was worth so we did a best guess and made a deal.
I think he wanted to see it get enjoyed again and I wanted to be the one to do it. It worked out nicely for both of us I think (I hope so anyway). It just happened that I have a similar patina on my 60 Plymouth and it happens to have a trailer hitch so I think they’ll look good together.


Wanted! Olds 394 Hurst motor mount and dual point distributor

 

Hey Unclescooby , I have a set of Hilborn's for a 394 Olds. and they were off a dragster. There for sale .

 

It's funny how things work out in such unobvious ways Cool story...thanks for sharing it.

 

WOW! What a find. Just curious : Is that a period picture of the '34 coupe, or is it still around as well?

 

You have the injected version of the Albertson Olds, what a find ! It looks like they used a different steering wheel, than the standard Chassis Research.

 

That was a picture from a few years ago. Bill pulled the body and is building a street rod out of it which won’t be popular here on a traditional site but it looks like he’s going full tilt to make it what he wants.
I bought the rest of the car, engine, transmission, drop axle, banjo rearend, wheels, tires, etc, so it will live on with a different body.


Wanted! Olds 394 Hurst motor mount and dual point distributor

 

It’s funny because I have Chassis Research friction shocks that came with it but they went with a single parallel friction shock and I have a cast aluminum Chassis Research valley pan but not the cast steering wheel. This one appears to be custom made, with good knife handle grips.
The Albertson Olds is the coolest.


Wanted! Olds 394 Hurst motor mount and dual point distributor