#134 '34 Ford AA/Fuel Coupe

another photo that was sent to me by a gentleman who saw car run in Milan, MI way back, - can't believe the young guy tuning the engine - what happened to his dark hair?? Maybe it was the blower explosion that happened shortly after this pic was taken!! Oh well, car still retains those "scars"!!

 

Good to see you got your coupe back! That is one nice car.

 

Congratulations Ted. I look forward to seeing the car in person again. I sure enjoyed owning it for a year or so. One of the neatest cars I have had.

Just when I was beginning to believe it was tucked back in a private collection to never be seen again it finally turns up. We both need to thank members of the HAMB for helping find it.

 

Very COOL car !! glad it will be smokin the tires again, and not in it's "final resting place" !! Chris

 

great to see, look forward to seeing more photo's and hearing about it's new lease on life, great to see it back and with a bright future, congrats again.

Cheers,

Drewfus

 

32 for me,here on the HAMB,restored the 554 car and ran it across the states in match races. He recently told me this at my cruise night,two weeks ago. He sent me two youtube videos racing it. One was against the Freight Train....
I would post them,if I knew how.

 

will follow this

 

Congrats! Hope to see it in Boing Green next June!

 

yes, Frank - thanks all for helping in the search - took two years but met a lot of great folks along the way - thats the real "payoff" and I sure hope when we do run/show, folks come up and introduce themselves in person.

Bad Bob - tell us more!! I ran my car with the 554 car at Indy at a Goodguys thing in the late 80's. Jerry Moreland owned it then and he had bought an engine from me and it was in the car. That same engine had been in the 554 when K&G owned it in the 60's - small world. We also were told that when they were searching for the 554 car (Roy Brizio from Bay area), it was found in Pittsburgh and had been run at Keystone Raceway Park (now Pittsburgh Raceway Park). It was just before that time I started to build my car. I used to run an A/fuel dragster, drove a Top Gas car but, got out of it for a while building a career and raising a fam. I thought it'd be neat to get in on the new "nostalgia" trend and created this car from memory - then, the "real one" showed up. Now, my car is an antique!! Time does fly!

 

Here's the race against the Freight Train...

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=3ddbb42d66675f20d3a5103dae5d4319&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jalopyjournal.com%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D9031055%23post9031055&v=1&libId=2e9f92ac-7da9-4c52-b6fb-535baa01aa96&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDz8MhmS8A20&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jalopyjournal.com%2Fforum%2Fsearch.php%3Fsearchid%3D7112209&title=Event%20Coverage%20ATTENTION!!%20SoCal%20HAMBers...Village%20Idiots%20Returns!%20-%20Page%204%20-%20THE%20H.A.M.B.&txt=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDz8MhmS8A20&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13731219757186

 

Here's the other video...think it's the same race.

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=3ddbb42d66675f20d3a5103dae5d4319&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jalopyjournal.com%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D9031055%23post9031055&v=1&libId=a8c683b5-d9a7-46cb-aa33-f170273eb32b&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDz8MhmS8A20&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jalopyjournal.com%2Fforum%2Fsearch.php%3Fsearchid%3D7112232&title=Event%20Coverage%20ATTENTION!!%20SoCal%20HAMBers...Village%20Idiots%20Returns!%20-%20Page%204%20-%20THE%20H.A.M.B.&txt=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDz8MhmS8A20&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13731221192656

 

oops - looks like a blower explosion! been there!!

 

car back with me now - after 23 yrs. Overall - looks good - not much changed - just a bit weathered - but, so am I!!

here's a photo from 7/14/13 in my driveway near Pittsburgh after it was delivered from Tacoma. Other car is my 69 hemi RR that I bought back in 2012 after 41 yrs! We were at the York Nostalgia show this weekend in PA with it - great time!

 

The #134 AA Fuel Coupe has been delivered to Teds home in Pittsburg Pa. So it is a done deal!!! The #134 is Back East !!! I am excited about this!!!
I was with Ted this weekend at the York Dragway Reunion and we are making plans to run the #134 again, on nitro, as we did 23 years ago.

 

Hey Ted; That is a great pair of Hemi cars you have there. Same color too!!!

 

Are you guys making the trip to Epping NH for the NHRA New England Hot Rod Renuion? This car would fit right in the cackle car program, without any of the updates that you will need to make passes.

 

Thanks for sharing this story. Always liked this car. In fact, this and the 15 ounce fuel coupe are my favorites. Congrats.

 

Tell us about Epping - when/where - ya never know, might make it!!

Roadrunner is B-5 blue - Coupe is 66 Corvette Nassau blue - close!

Making a list of things needed to fix it - blue grill insert (got it), throttle pedal repair (easy fix), steering dampener (easy fix), Childs & Albert starter (have the parts - just need cables, solenoid, batteries) etc.

We'll get it done!

 

NHRA has added a New England Hot Rod Reunion, along with the successful Bakersfield and Bowling Green events. Go to NHRA Museum web site for details, maybe some could add the link for us. The event is September 12- 14, 2013.

 

Cooooooool.......rich

 

I am soooooo happy to see it back with you Ted. Finally!!!!!!!!

 

Ted, I have a complete C&A starter for my AA/FD. Motor, cables, solenoid, button, handles, and batteries.

 

Ted: Here is a picture of the front of the blower where the starter mounts. There are studs and nuts on the starter that fit through the holes on the plate. Do you have the front mount for the starter to fit your set up?

 

it's the same set up Paul. I did find a C&A starter and got it - it's set up for a bracket on the blower though. I pulled the cage from the starter and am going to tap the starter for three bolts that go to the bracket on the blower. I'll make up some welding cables, get a solenoid and button and it'll be set to go. Nice to know you have a back up too. Got Lexan for the grill and will cut and tint it - shoulda done that years ago when I made the plexi one - it held up well - all things considered. Here is the engine as it sits now - same as your set up!

 

Thanks Frank - been a long journey huh - PA - NC - OR - WA and PA again - 23 yrs later. I think you said you started it twice and so far as anyone know, it's only been fired once since then - apparently on gas since the plugs had carbon. Missing some stuff - axles from the floater - that's weird as they were one - offs. Mag is different - now a Mallory Supermag. I have a buddy with a Cirillo (same as the Davco I had). It does have the mag offset drive though - that's like rare. Fixing throttle pedal (welding it up for now), making shifter handle (it's gone), got a starter and need a mag switch (gone) but, overall - it's all there and paint is still very good with most of original lettering even. Halibrands are a mess - oxidized. But, they get that way over night so, no surprise what 20 plus yrs has done. Car even has the remnants of blower explosion at Milan, MI way back. Back then, it was ugly but now, it's a "battle scar"!!
I've got some events committed for my Road Runner (Mopar Nats etc) but, we're gonna chip away at the coupe and maybe cackle it this year even. Next year, it'll be back on the track. I was asked to bring it to next years York Reunion and we'll likely do that. Also, will go to Bruce Larson's event in Harrisburg, PA in early Nov.

 

Actually, I cranked it about a dozen times in the two years I owned it on about 75%. People loved it.

When I delivered it to the new owner I cranked it on nitro and gave him what was left of the nitro in a 5 gal container. Sounds like that that may have been the last time it was cranked on nitro. It was exactly like I bought it from you at that time. I had zero problems with it.

 

I can't recall what mag it had on it when you took it over Frank? It now has a Mallory Supermag and some missing parts (floater axles - how they got left out - starter too - is strange since I'd guess they'd have gone with the car). Other than a broken/patched plexi grill (surprised it lasted this long), broken throttle pedal/lever (how someone did this is another mystery), missing wheelie bars, missing mag kill switch, broken steering dampener - it's all there. Pretty remarkable for 25 yrs. I have not un-packed the chute - wonder if it's moldy or if the moth's ate it. Better check before we get a surprise when deploying! (-: I was thinking of starting it or maybe getting it ready to run at the upcoming New England reunion. But, I learned NHRA would charge $100 to "cackle" the car. That's rediculous to pay to put on a show for them and why I stopped competitive racing decades ago. I wrote them about that and we'll see if they do something to attract the expensive to run cars that attract the fans.

 

Ted,
don't sweat it, once you get it running post some pics of it on youtube & on sites like this. Next thing you know NHRA will be inviting you to bring it and may spot you some gas money to get there, it's happened to buddies of mine. if they think your car will bring in a crowd they'll pay. Joe Vig is also glad to see you got your car back & said to have fun with it!
Paul

 

TKS Paul. I actually have some vids from years past, smokin' em in at Maple Grove and more. I should get them transferred from VHS to a CD and post. I'm just really opposed to spending my money so NHRA can make theirs. At the very least, they should welcome for free the cars that put on the show the fans come to see and that they (NHRA) are advertising. As you say, I know local tracks that will subsidize these types of cars and, once you make a good show, they'll ask you back and pay you to come - as it should be. If enough of the cackle cars would do this, they'd have to compromise. I'd have no problem going to a local track (no travel expense) to put on a show but hauling a rig 400 miles, overnights and more is just not right to do it for free. Say hi to everyone back east for me. I did see some old friends at York this past weekend with my Road Runner and they invited me back with the coupe next year and I'll do that one.

 

I also learned that NHRA has copy written the term "cackle", "cackle fest". I don't have that confirmed as a fact but was told by the folks at York they could not call their car start ups "cackle" since that was now the property of the NHRA - un-real!