Is there any way to ID who built this frame or an idea on when it was made? It has an Olds rear end. I didn't measure the wheelbase. There's no known history on this. I guess my main concern is that its claimed to be from the 1960's. I don't want to race it but build it into a nostalgic display with a blown sbc.
Awww man. My testicles shiver. I can't even think of hanging my ass over that axle for a run. Some wild eyed rip snortin' fuel junkie probably rode that beast every weekend. With snow tires even. Amazing find. Dunno' who made it ... but that IS awesome.
Awfully small tubing was used. You sure it's an Olds/Pont rear; I'm leaning towards a 55-64 Chevrolet rear end just by the fill hole location, and the ring gear bulge in the housing. It was probably someone's home made Junior Fueler. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
This dragster has no known racing history because it looks like it never had any. To me it looks like this chassis was welded together and has never been run. I wouldn't get too deep into this. The way the chassis sits right now, this whole thing looks to be extremely unsafe. The tubing used is too small in diameter, the chassis rails look to be too far apart, and almost all of the front end mounting points look weak and fragile. This chassis would need an absolute rebuild of just about everything to pass any tech inspection of today's standards. The dragster looks to be 1960's vintage,is homemade and poorly constructed. Could have started out as a Fuller or Lakewood kit.
That looks like it's to small for a 4 banger, and to wide for a V8 Maybe a VW bug turned backwards. But that doesn't look like it's a well build frame. But it's hard to tell from those picks, but I can be destorted, or off in the pic. It looks like it's build from water pipe and frame is very tall, and wide. It's strange, but for a display case, run an odd motor. Not something that's driveable, like a cracked flathead block or a hollow SBC. But not too heavy, incase you got a bad frame.
The guy told me the last person who bought it wanted the back rims and thought they were magnesium. (The truck wheels on the back were put on to roll it around) Poorly constructed came to my mind also...But I don't want to race it. I didn't know they sold kits to build these, I guess its very possibly it was a kit. Thanks for the replys
I am with Butch, it looks like a home made deal from the era prior to the Speed Improvements (and other ) "kits". Kellison did some early kits prior to their popular body/frame package but this looks nothing like the info that I have on even their "prehistoric" frames which were typical of the era big tube style. Roo
Nice find! Make a great mancave decoration. Having lived in MN for ten years, I thought all upper midwest race cars had snow tires.
I own two early 60's front motor cars, one 135" wheelbase (originally 120") the other 147" (originally 125") and this chassis looks typical of construction in this time period. Both of my chassis were professionally built, one builder is still building race chassis. One I occasionally run at nostalgia events, the other is one that I really don't feel comfortable with as it was apparently rode hard and put to bed wet. However, clean it up, paint it, put in an SBC and take it to shows, you'll have a lot of fun and people get a kick out of these older true drag race cars from the beginning.
Well I bought it. Parachute mount on the back? Any idea what this rear end is? center section is stamped Thompson
Congrats! I think I would have bought it too. I am a sucker for something like that. It's a blank canvas, have fun with it.
It is what it is, not all late 1950's early 1960's rails were well constructed things of speed and beauty. When I had the Lyndwood project I had a lot of vintage photos and era magazines of cars that ran in that period, you wouldn't want to sit in some never nind race them. Good luck with this one, have fun. Bob
UOTE="Edelbroke, post: 10989109, member: 69638"] Well I bought it. Parachute mount on the back? Any idea what this rear end is? center section is stamped Thompson[/QUOTE] It's a Mickey Thompson magnesium housing. Depending on what you paid for the whole thing you may have gotten a good deal. That rear is worth about $500 and up depending on what's inside, as in posi or spool or open. To bad the Mag rear wheels weren't still with it
Most, if not virtually all, of the early rails were open differentials. No one wanted "that ride" if an axle snapped. Definitely a 55-64 Chevrolet housing, and the Mickey Thompson Magnesium third member is worth a pretty penny. If it's just going to be a display car, sell the third member, and use any old thing that's available that will bolt in; you can probably rebuild the rolling chassis for what you get from the third member. Interesting that someone had't snapped it up with the MT rear long before now. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
U want it for display - looks like a great start. Everyone sees lots of blown chev - put a flathead 6 ( or 4 ) in it with 3 speed. Paint, headers, homemade log manifold with couple carbs; not much power but rare & if track lets you, slow enough to run without getting into trouble. & a hell of a lot cheaper then blown chev. & after building it I would sure want to drive it around a little - big guys toy; enjoy.
I would take it home and do some sort of an interesting assembly to it. Maybe a nailhead or a rocket. Then I would make it run and use it as shop deco.
Been awhile and now we're back up on the HAMB Been busy building and running our Slingshotd and getting ready for next season Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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