History Drag Roadsters............picture thread

Another great Texas racer, from Pasadena, TX



I think this is the ex-Tony Nancy flathead powered roadster, at this point in Central California, running a Potvin-blown Olds


Forgot whose roadster this is, but think picture was taken at Madera Drag Strip, after it just opened. Guys from the Pomona Valley Timing Association went to Madera to help the Madera Clutchers set up the track. Harry Duncan's '34 competition coupe is behind the roadster.



Glass Chariot, I think Dick Lahaie (sp??) drove this one..



Gotta love the homemade blower ducting on this one, maybe Santa Ana?


Brammer, Burkhard, and Burns, "Hippo" Brammer in the white t-shirt. Mike Burns, who used to run the counter at Weiand's, drove. Hippo passed away a few years ago, was a great guy who was never too busy to help out dumb kids like me make our engines run better.



Dennison, Arlansky, and Knox, strong runners from the midwest, took no prisoners when they came out west.



From the beginning...think this is in Arizona?


Reed Brothers at Pomona, maybe mid-50s...sometimes they ran Art Chrisman's injected fuel Chrysler



Fred Larsen's roadster, normally ran dry lakes, looks like this is at Riverside?



I believe that this is Jerry Norek's gas burner, track looks like Fontana?



Another picture of Larry Shinoda's roadster, think it was hemi-powered at this point.



Fred Dobney, Roll, AZ. Fred was a high school principal.

All these pictures I just posted came from the "George Klass Remembers" collection. Thanks, George, for letting us post them, his collection grows every day, so well worth checking out!!. This is the "altered" section:

http://georgeklass.net/altereds.html

 

I snapped this picture at Pomona right after this roadster became the first ever fuel altered in the 9's. They were running Frank Cannon's big motor this day. Also the first time anything except a dragster ran direct drive.

 

This guy seems a little adventurist type with this set up. I wouldn't get under that.

 

our roadster at the drags, just for fun

 

that's awesome ^^^^

 

X2! You have this very close to traditional while still meeting modern safety standards, great car!

 

Two more from the George Klass collection, George just keeps adding, so keep looking at it...don't know who owns either one of these, but in both cases, the track seems to be Half Moon Bay, bottom one is a rare Dodge roadster body...

 

That car is "Beautiful"

Pat

 

just finished going through this thread AGAIN looking for my car lol... figured I'd bump my previous request while seeing if anyone had anything new??

 

Very early version of Willie Borsch's ride, the Harrell Engines roadster, notice it says "Willie" above the number. I'm not sure what track this is, maybe staging lanes at Lion's? In the rear is the Pacific Auto Body coupe owned then by Fran Goodyear, once Harry Duncan's "Jitterbug." it ran in the mid-late '50s, so I am guessing that that is the date of this photo. Harrell was already Chrysler powered by that time, ran 130s on gas. I first saw it at Santa Ana in the summer of '57.

 

Great pic of Willie's roadster! Looks like a really nice car.

 

296Ardon posted this on post 632, Not Arizona but Albuquerque. Legal drags held on a city street believe it or not.

Some of these pics are from previous posts but these are all the same car as it evolved over the years, thought I'd put them all together.

At the 58 Nats, running a 56 SBC.

Parked in front of the owners gas station, the SBC replaced with a big inch olds.

Sold to the Caldwell boys from Socorro, NM. Their folks owned a Chevy dealership so another SBC in it. They added the roll "cage' and turtle deck. The Olds motor was put into a K88 FED.

As it looks today sitting in a Socorro wrecking yard. With a little luck we hope to retrieve it in a few days and restore it to it's heyday with the Olds.

 

^^^wow^^^^.....good with getting it and starting a build!

 

I had seen the pictures of the roadster when it was maroon, but never knew until this post that it was the one that I posted, thought it might be in Arizona, thanks for the correction, I would have never guessed Albuquerque (got your PM, thanks!)

I got the photo from the George Klass site, lots of pictures, and he adds some almost each day, it is a great collection! I searched through it and there is another picture of the roadster:


The site is:

http://georgeklass.net/altereds.html

Really glad you are are returning it from the dead, really looking forward to seeing it with the Olds as it was in its glory days!.

 

FWIW, pulled from it's 25+ year resting spot. It's no longer sitting and rotting, quick 100 mile trip and it's sitting in my shop.

Maybe a little OT for this thread (it is a roadster though), this Austin Healey was sitting next to it. Had a straight axle and hot 409 in it I was told. Interesting the driver was Roy Hicks of somewhat later USAC & Nascar fame.
Might go back and try to save it too, the guy said everything left will be crushed if still there at the end of summer.

 

If you have the space and can do it, save the Healey. It would be a shame to see it die.

 

awesome save man! can't awit to see some work started!

 

bump fpr the Healy! somebody must want it!

 

Yeah, I wish someone needs the Healy, I don't have room for it too. I'd be glad to nab it for someone. If it comes right down too it I will get it before the crusher.

 

This is the best thread out there in my opinion. Here's my drag inspired roadster. It's got a 322 Nailhead with 6 Holley 94's, a 9" rearend, Radir slicks and soon a rollbar. I'll have it at the HAMB Drags this year hopefully.

 

I'll get some better photos of it posted soon

 

my Drag Roadster build 590 HP @ 6500 rpm


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Will you be racing it at this years Detroit Dragway Reunion at Milan?

 

I'll have it there but there's some issues to passing tech with it hopefully I'll have it at battle of bunker hill


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WOW. Nice looking build. Gary

 

Thanks


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Lets see some more of that?

 

Bolt in cage like limefire roadster and the boyce asquithe roadster....

 

If you can save that Healy,I'll buy it from you.
That is just too cool to let it go to hell in a hand basket!

Scott


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