Hot Rods Mystery land speed car from 1956 Iowa car show

I found these pics of a car I've never seen or heard mention of.

I'm sure it won't take long for someone to nail this one down. It is a really wild looking setup with mid engine and independent rear suspension.

These pics were on Kustomrama so credit them, but no mention of the cars history or future.

Kevin

 

I have no info on it, but that motor is kickass!

 

wish i knew way cool...jeffrey

 

Solid mounted, blown flathead! This thing had to be pretty mean. Club plaque says Ignitors.

 

I've got a feature on the independant suspention around here somewere in a trade magazine from around 1949.

 

If I`m not mistaken--Kustomrama photos were taken in eastern Iowa at a local car display.I found this info from the thread Photo album Kustoms started by Twochops. Cars from Iowa, Minnisota, Wisconsin and Illonios were there. Look on pages 47-48 on that thread for comparrison shots.

 

Stude hubcaps too... I wonder if this was a Bonneville car or maybe a drag car?

 

I am lost, looks like a solid axel not independant?????

Just went back and looked again didn't think about the rear.

 

Better check that rear axle out a little closer,that's about the third one I have seen in my 60plus years.

 

Look close... The center section is mounted soild and it has some sort of CV joints on the bells. The spring is mounted to the top of the banjo then out to the tubes and it kinda has that Volkswagen look with the wheels canted out at the top. VERY early IRS right there.

 

I believe there was an article on that car in HopUp not too long ago.

Built as a drag car with independant rear. Blown flatty.

 

I bought a pair of Thickstun head covers out of the Quad Cities last fall. Wonder if they were from this car? Naw.

 

Could be? How many sets of Thickstun head covers could be floating around that area? Wouldn't that be cool to know they came off that beast.

 

Two words: Hillbilly go-cart.

Four more words: "Hey. y'all, watch this!"

Seven more words: "Damn, that's gonna hurt in the morning."

 

Is that the same car on the Drag cars in motion thread?
(edit)Nope...that car had a Hemi in back.
The back axles are basically torque tubes, right?

 

Thats a coyote chasing buggy . Nothing in front of you so you can get a clear shot.

 

That is one wild ride

 

About the same deal that a Triumph Spitfire has; cross spring/swing axles. Back in 51 Ak Miller used a true IRS using a q/c center in his REMR.

 

My roadster (seen to the left) has the same rear end. it was fairly common in the '50s. I think the Kenz and Leisle car had the same. I know the Markley Bros tank did as well as Bob Herdas 'liner. All very well known cars. Mine has a V8 quickchange center section with stub axles splined to accept torque tube Lincoln u joints. The bell is also from a Lincoln torque tube. Mine uses '56 olds outer axle housings along with the half shafts and backing plates and brakes. The system is known as Swing Axles and a version of it was used on VWs for years as well as the Corvair which was one reason Ralph called them Unsafe at Any Speed.

 

Thats the Glenn Kimbell and Vern Bauer digger. It was written up (with lots of pics) in Hop Up #4. Cool new pics thanks for posting them Kevin, and Kustorama for hosting them.

 

And it looks to be this one from the Quad City Ignitors .....

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Can someone scan some shots out of the Hop Up magazine? I'd love to see this thing with the body on it.

Thanks for the info on the rearend Rich.

 

No body. it's an early rail.

 

Looks very much like the "Spitfire" although I would call it a Herald since they came first.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Those photos came from an old photo album i bought with photos from a car show in Iowa around 1956. All I knew about the rail job was that it ran a "Quad City Ignitors" plaque. I haven't been able to confirm it yet, but I think the photos were taken at the first GSTA show that they held at a Red Owl parking lot. Would love to see some scans from hop up showing the car

 

So I was able to locate that issue of hop up, and you were right Scott Miller, it was the KImbell/Bauer dragster The story also had a photo taken on the same location as my photos. The caption says that it was a show at a shopping center in Davenport, Iowa in 1956! The independent rearend on the car was made from a 1947 ford axle!

 

Wow... No bodywork? Most of the '50's rail jobs I've seen had some sort of a body around the driver. Either way it's cool and I'd like to see more pictures of the car if anybody has them.

 

I believe Halibrand sold a kit that could be used with their quick change with all the bits and pieces to accomplish the swing axle design. The market for these was the modified sports car builders/racers.