Anybody from Pomona remember this gasser?

I didn't read all the posts but here is what I would be thinking about the gasser .
With a school name on it , I would say it was a shop shop project , when schools actually had them back in the 1960's . Looks like a decent gasser to rebuild for sure . If that gasser could just tell the stories of a bunch of kids building it in shop class ! The great days of high schools back in the 50's & 60's .
Hope you can find out who did build it and get a picture to o by and rebuild it again !

Retro Jim

 

Maybe you should have.
Theres a great story there.
Lars

 

Sounds like a story for Huell Howser to cover

 

Well, a couple of days ago, the current Principal at Garey High told someone else the same thing he told 5W32; that there was never a race car at Garey.

I wonder what he will say when the motor sports reporter at the local news paper gets the story? I'm sure it will "hit the print" around the time the Winternationals hype begins.

Perhaps the intro will be something like "British Columbian steps in to resurrect part of Pomona's history."

 

Mr. Hunt, what year was that panel truck that you had,also didn't you have a bugeye sprint

 

here is my old nomex race jacket that i had embroidered with the early Advance Speed and marine logo , i also have the matching pants.

 

oops ,here it is......

 

WOW! This is a cool story and find. My father graduated from Garey in the 70's. I'll ask him if he new anything about this ride.
I graduated from Garey in the 90's. It would have been cool if we had a program like that!

 

Dogbreath,
The panel was a &#8217;57 Ford F150. When I got it, the 272cid Y-block engine was toast. I was working, after school and Saturday for Ed Taylor (nick name Dirty Ed, owner of E.T. Auto parts and machine) narrowing Oldsmobile and 9&#8221; Ford rear ends for dragsters. Also built custom drive shafts. He did not like to spend money, so I took a lot of things in trade for labor. He had a supply of used big block Olds engines (big in those days - 371cid motors) for top fuel dragster use. I labor-traded him for one in pretty good shape, freshened it up, added a solid lifter Engle street cam and Thomas magnesium adjustable rocker arms, plus a lot of &#8220;look pretty&#8221; chrome trinkets from Ed&#8217;s old used stuff. I had an old LaSalle (popular in the late &#8216;40s thru &#8216;50s) tranny and bell housing that would adapt it to the engine. Ran good, lots of fun, devoured fuel. One of my adult school students fell in love with the combination and brought his fireman dad to the next class. The dad was impressed and asked me what I would take for it. I said &#8220;what would you give for it.&#8221; The kid started to pull the engine and trans out that night. One of my friends had to come by to take me home that night. The next engine was a stock LA 318cid Dodge w/4 speed trans. Had acceptable power and hugely better mileage. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
As to the bugeyed Sprint. I can offer three guesses. #1 &#8211; I built my first dune buggy using a Renault engine and drive train. The original car was rather bugeyed, maybe that's what you remember. #2 &#8211; We did some work on another teacher&#8217;s bugeyed Sprite. That is the most likely the answer. #3 &#8211; I once more bought another tiny, weirdo French car, a Citroen 2CV (2 cylinders ). I was going to rebuild it and drive it around town as a joke. The French cars imported to America in those days pretty much sucked. The best thing I can say about it is that a tree fell on the garage I had it stored in, crushing it. I sold it to a Citroen freak for a parts car. Got 3 times what I had in it. <o></o>
Take your pick.<o></o>
Have you stayed in touch with Rick over the years? <o></o>

 

5w32,

Thanks for sharing and thanks to the rest of the HAMBERS and Mr. Hunt who have contributed to the great history of this great car. I am intrigued with your decision on what color/livery you will ultimately select! I realize that your opinion matters more than mine (of course it should!), but I would be interested in what Mr. Hunt and the other students would want given their original selction...the Great Balls of Fire. And as Mr. Hunt points out....put THAT in the paper!!!! Congrats to all of you!
Ebert

 

hay i remember this gasser , thats our old high school race car !
i was in mr hunts auto shop class in 1969 to 71 and had a great time!
i want to go back ! it is so cool some one found this car and is going to bring
it back to life. mr hunt was one of my mentors and is a great guy ! i have been doing stuff like this all my life thanks to guys like him and i still love it .
i built the first 64 corvair spyder with a 471 blower on it on a corvair eng
hay all you guys its Dave bolduc class of 71 remember bulldog
lets get going on this stude and make it live!

 

hears my blown vair

 

I just saw this car for the first time about 6 months ago. Believe me - it is REALLY trick !!! As far as I am concerned, it needs magazine coverage.

 

very cool car, great to hear from another student, i hope you can make it to the winternationals this year!

 

I thought the image was flipped but I guess those things spin the other way.

 

Wow, this is a really cool find! even cooler that you found some of the people who actually built it!

 

just painted the glass packs and exhaust pipes with vht white, the headers will be painted white after the new olds 455 is dynoed and installed in the car

 

This is all too cool!

5w32, you are going to bring tears to some guys that thought the car was long gone and they would only have the memories.

You are a gentleman and a saint...

 

Honestly, that's already happened to more than one person.

The fact that most of those who knew of the desire to build the original Great Balls 'O' Fire were certain that it would never come to pass, the current resurection is testimony to the old girl's character. Those of us who relish the minutes, hours, days, months and years of the original build, and immense fun at the track, wish 5W32's efforts will provide the same pleasure. It will only be fitting that, with current technology, she will demonstrate even better performance than in her first life.

 

this was my ride in high school....wish i had the stude back then, street racing would have had different results!

55 chevy p/u , 57 283, 4bbl, hooker headers, 3 speed, 411 gears

i bought it back from the guy i sold it to about 15 years later and stripped her for parts, she was totally rusted out!!

 

This has to be one of the neatest Gasser Tales I have read!

I'm diggin' it!

Keep us posted!

Sam

 

absolutely the best car story and ressurection i have EVER read/heard. . . . This is why we do what we do; laboring, spending and sacrificing for a collection of steel, aluminum, and rubber. .

I wouldn't trade this "hobby" (lifestyle) for anything on this planet. .cant wait to see it cackle again and i want pics/video of Mr. Hunt beating on it next spring. . .

 

hey 5w32, are you the guy i was bidding against on ebay for the stinger ignition decals ?

 

not me, i saw them but they are the wrong design for the age of the car

 

just test mounted the 11.00 x 16 vintage goodyear bluestreaks on the old crestline 16 x 8 1/2" five spokes .... looks pretty good, now i'll fully polish them to match the front crestline 15x4's .
the slicks are too old to use on the track but great for display. i will use the 11x33" x 15's on chrome reverse for the track

 

I definitely think several reunion pics are in order, complete with the teacher and students.
As for which paint scheme, how about taking up a vote with the folks who built it?
This is the coolest story on the HAMB I have read in a long time, made even better with all the new members logging in to check out their long lost creation! Simply amazing.

 

i built a shifter base/riser for the vintage series 60 b&m shifter today , here are some photos (sorry for the poor quality) , also made a removable access panel for the instrument panel that has dzuz wing nut head fasteners

 

Looking great, thank you for sharing updates with us all here ! look forward to seeing some more !.. Rob

 

I don't remember it, but I wasn't working at the strip after mar '64 when I enlisted in the Navy. 2 guys that were there after I left might know of it, Steve Earhart & ?? Greenwood

Read rest of story, great that everyone was found and all the information was brought out

 

If one looks at the very first picture of this thread, you can see an old war horse just begging to tell its story. Well it did and it told one of the best stories I've read on this site. Thanks to one and all that brought the life back.