This is a tribute to a beloved friend & mentor Jim Amole of spring city pa. I just found out about Jims passing on June & the tonight. I was saddened & shocked when I read about it, I live about an hour away from Jim so I only saw him 1-2 times a year at drag reunions or shows if he made it out. Jim had been fighting health problems with his lungs for the last few years but was still able to make a lot of shows to see and support his friends in the sport. For those of you who don’t know him Jim was a lifelong racer & fabricator, he was best known for his “tin knocking” abilities and was the chief sheet metal sculpture at S&W race cars with his best friend Walt Weney from its beginning in the early 1960’s till the 70’s when Walt expanded and grew and Jim focused on his other main job & raising his family.<o></o> Jim & Walt built & raced the famous S&W “Tired Blood” C/dragsters, they terrorized the north east race tracks taking on & beating all takers. They went to & won the NHRA US National at Indy 2 times, & set numerous local & national track records. Jim told me they used to match race fuel dragsters and beat them every time with their injected small block chevy set up! He said other teams hated to see them pull into the track, they knew there day was done.<o></o> Jim was responsible for hand fabricated the bodies of some of the easts best know cars like the Tired Blood rails, the Jade Grenade, The jersey devil, the Hemi Hunter , Joe Amato’s hijacker funny car, Dodger Glenns Frantic Ford Mustang II and countless other dragsters, funny cars & altered’s that rolled out of the S&W shop or Jims own shop behind his house. In the mid 1960's he created a v8 powered & customized VW that was so nice he was asked to lend it to the US Drag team to tour the country & the world as they visited troops over sea's. Jim also was well known in the dirt circles as his brother was a modified champion and Jim also made bodies for some of the area’s great dirt racers as well.<o></o> I met Jim Amole in 1990 and was amazed by him from the moment we met. Jim was an avid collector of racing memrobilia,magazines,photo’s,video,patchs,tropheys,parts from famous cars etc. etc. etc. ( he had so much stuff in the 23 years I knew him I never saw it all). He was the for most expert on north eastern drag racing history and knew every car & driver. He was always screening video’s for different nostalgia video companies helping to ID who was racing who & in what lane in old transferred home movies. 99% of the time he was able to supply actual track hand outs still pics or articles that supported the particular race in question. <o></o> In my eyes Jim Amole got the Lyndwood dragster restoration & recognition of the Lyndwood dragsters movement started back in the late 1980’s. If it were not for him I would not have such a show piece sitting in my garage. his knowledge,skill & keen memory helped guide me in my restorations and other car projects as well. I will never forget the things you taught me & I will always try to "pay it forward" to someone else. I am sad to hear of your passing my friend and hope you rest easy in heaven, You will be missed by all! If there is a sheet metal shop in heaven you can bet Jim will be in there turning out some fine work<o></o> <o> </o> Paul here is a pic of the flathead Lyndwood dragster that Jim restored in the 1990's as well as a pic of mine that he re-bodied for me in 1990 after finding it in a junk yard with no body in 1989.<o></o> <o> </o>
Nice tribute for a friend and fellow racer and hot rodder. Did not know of him but I feel I know a whole lot more about him after reading this very nice tribute. Very sorry for your loss and condolence to his family and friends. Rest in Peace Jim Amole.
The Jalopy Journal
