big sounds of the drags

i've got a cd i listen to called big sounds of the drags, the race is in pomona in 1962. my question is; the cars sound like they manually shift one time. could somebody please explain what trans setup they had back then. i listen to it over and over and the sound gives me a woodrow. i highly recomend it for working out in the shop.

 

if I get a woodrow in the shop I'll never get anything done.

 

Man does that bring back memories........I still have it on vinyl. The pictures are amazing. I used to listen to it as I fell asleep every night as a kid and young teen.

In and out box makes that sound. Screeeeeeeeeeeeemmmmm, wham...GONE!!

 

i've learned to deal with it.

 

that is the sound.and it seems like they wind forever.

 

Plus they are flying by the mic so that also plays into the sounds....

My favorite is the "freight train"

 

Used to have a rule book from that time also, that mandated that the fuel cars smoke the tires the lenght of the track......At least that's what I remember. Then the later years ones from like 65 or 67 were different.

Can you imagine? 2k horse blown nitro whatever at full tilt out and then WHAM!!!! IN!......poor old slicks didn't stand a chance

 

i would love to see runs made like that today.

 

My recollection is that early diggers ran two trans gears. Don't remember what the common trans was.

 

Where did you get the CD?

 

Most of the early gas dragsters, roadsters and coupes didn't have enough power to leave the line in high gear so they ran a trans with 2nd and high gear and actually did shift the trans once. In and out boxes were meant to be either in or out and once out couldn,t be put back into gear until the engine was stopped. NHRA fuel ban from mid fifties to early sixties...no power!

 

Had the album in my youth, about wore it out. I am interested in where you got a CD copy of it

 

I had it too..that and "Sounds of Sebring",the record cover had a list of who made all the runs if I remember right.

 

same here.

 

haven't seen the CD yet but did have the LP when I was a kid . Would listen to the record and sit on the floor and acting like I was in the drag car racing down the track ! Would like to get the LP again for my collection of LP's that I have . I have about 2000 or so LP's alone .

Retro Jim

 

Many of the cars were direct drive or high gear only. They would dump the clutch, spin hard to about quarter track, then lift enough to let the tires bite, then get back into it. It would sound like a gear change. The cool thing is it was not only a test of power, but a pedaling contest as well. The driver who did the best job of applying the power, not the guy with the most, often won.

I remember I had an album. Jan and Dean, Drag City. I wore the thing out listening to the dragster sounds.

I also build a model about forty years ago. It was Gas Ronda's Mustang gasser. It came with a crappy little cardboard backed 45 rpm record of an entire (in car) run. I played it over and over. I would sit on my bed and close my eyes and imagine I was him, working imaginary controls and getting pinned in the seat. it was so cool.

 

my step son down loaded it off the internet some where.just do a google search.i had the album when i was a kid, and i told my stepson about it. he found it and burnt me a cd.

 

man ,if you had surround sound , it WOULD sound great, i love hearing them way off in the distance.even the corny announcer is cool !

 

Right on!

 

The ban was lifted in 63 then? I could've sworn the freight train ran "fuel"

 

No fuel in the TRAIN...straight coal.

 

The way it should be. One of my heros the late John Wenderski killing the hides. He's also o the cover of the album.



By weslake at 2012-04-01



Heres a bit of video before E.T. became everything. Just watch the first 1:20 of it. After that it goes into the slipper clutch, burn out and back up BS.

http://youtu.be/KnHaqD_-9Ok

 

There was a post last year on here where a HAMBer posted downloadable mp3 files of the album. You might do a search and see if they are still available.

 

Thanks for the info

 

I have "Be There" cd, it's about the commercials for the drags and has some drag sounds at the end.

Be careful downloading it, there's some eurotrash techno junk with that name also.

Edit:
Try here, I just got it.
http://filetram.com/the-big-sounds-of-the-drags-1963

 

When I was way younger,about 50 years ago, I had the vinyl" Big Sounds of the Drags"
and two " Sound of the Salt Flats" records. I'm not sure where they went ,but there not in my hands any longer. I think one of my sons has them.
Anyway I'd love to find these on CD and hear them again.
..............Jack

 

I don't think so. It would be a hard rule to enforce. I think it was just the accepted norm with the clutch and tire technology. I think things changed when someone slipped the clutch (Ivo maybe) and ran quicker than anyone else. After that the slipper clutches were developed.

Also, lots of lower class dragsters ran 2nd and 3rd in a regular 3 speed transmission. And at least one dragster (Hanes Brothers from Fredrick, Ok.) ran a 2 speed transmission out of a piece of farm equipment. I think it was out of a hay baler. Yep, them country boys will try anything.
Larry T

 

According to Jim McFarland it was Roland Leong who installed his clutch disc backwards and started drag racing on the slippery slope of boring.

 

​

There was also a VOLUME 2:

​

 

I think I have the 1964 Big Sounds of the Drags somewhere.



Ago