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History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Royalshifter, Dec 12, 2007.

  1. So, in this picture Danny’s on the gas? Lol
     
  2. Mike VV
    Joined: Sep 28, 2010
    Posts: 3,029

    Mike VV
    Member
    from SoCal

    Yeah, maybe not so much !
    That's a HUGE (3/4" !?) line for a fuel line back in those days, plus there needs to be TWO (one in, one out) lines to be a fuel pump.

    Mike
     
  3. yellow dog
    Joined: Oct 15, 2011
    Posts: 512

    yellow dog
    Member
    from san diego

    Looks like an Enderle Barndoor. Enderle set ours up w/ 3/4" inlet to pump (gas) in mid-60's.
     
  4. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    Actually there are three lines seen in the photo @Mike VV , the line from tank to pump, pump to barrel valve and the pump saver line back to the tank.
     
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  5. Woody Wednesday...triple-play!
    That's Kenny Bernstein in motion...his first dragster ride I do believe.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Speed Gems
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 6,433

    Speed Gems
    Member

  7. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    That front end is busy.
     
  8. 65pacecar
    Joined: Sep 22, 2010
    Posts: 16,801

    65pacecar
    Member
    from KY, AZ

  9. Speed Gems
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 6,433

    Speed Gems
    Member

  10. Speed Gems
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 6,433

    Speed Gems
    Member

  11. Ernie's Camera...what a looker!
    [​IMG]
     
  12. 65pacecar
    Joined: Sep 22, 2010
    Posts: 16,801

    65pacecar
    Member
    from KY, AZ

  13. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,752

    Deuces

    Looks like a Sears Poncho...^^:rolleyes::cool:
     
  14. Jimihawk
    Joined: Jun 2, 2022
    Posts: 10

    Jimihawk

  15. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    Ed Donovan’s Offenhauser powered dragster, judging by those slicks this is an early effort.
     
  16. old flopper
    Joined: Apr 23, 2013
    Posts: 633

    old flopper
    Member

    Damn ...... Was he hoping for a good 1/4 mile run or a very short flight? :confused::rolleyes:
     
  17. I read that Jocko was the genius behind the wing idea, Bret Kepner said the results weren't good.
     
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  19. echo ed
    Joined: Nov 30, 2013
    Posts: 170

    echo ed
    Member
    from fla.

    Looks like the Stellings & Hampshire, S&H stamp car on an early outing minus paint & lettering, It was a beautiful car. My favorite era for AA/FD's '64 - '65.
    Thanks to all posting some great pictures.
     
  20. bschwoeble
    Joined: Oct 20, 2008
    Posts: 1,015

    bschwoeble
    Member

    I never really understood that front end. It always looked too busy.
     
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  21. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    The Airline Auto Sales sponsored Porter & Reis Olds powered rail is parked by the sign.
     
  22. 65pacecar
    Joined: Sep 22, 2010
    Posts: 16,801

    65pacecar
    Member
    from KY, AZ

    Thank you for the history. I appreciate the knowledge in this group and love hearing the stories and memories.
     
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  23. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki










    Hello,

    Thank you for thinking I am the Long Beach authority. I just happen to grow up in the hot rod/drag race world in the whole Long Beach area during that time. It was very influential on my outlook on fast cars, faster cars and cool hot rods. Being a teenager was an enlightening thing, with sports, surfing world adventures, hot cars, cool looking girls that became our friends and the many kids we always hung out with in the different aspects of growing up in Long Beach.

    So, thanks again. As long as the brain keeps functioning and we keep remembering those great times, along with newly discovered photos and items for stories, it will be alright.


    Becoming friends with Joe Reath during our teenage years, my brother’s 51 Oldsmobile sedan, our Impala, and our build of the 1940 Willys Coupe for the B/Gas and C/Gas classes was instrumental in learning some great stuff. Retaining those tidbits that Joe Reath was famous for, during those visits to his shop on 1oth street was part of the whole culture at the time. Joe Reath’s earlier history goes back to when he and Joe Mailliard both worked for Douglas Aircraft on the Long Beach/Lakewood City border.

    Both of them were not open to their personal histories to us young drag racers and hot rod kids. They gave out speed secrets or what we thought of was a pot of gold in drag racing information circles. They allowed us to fill our needs in hanging around their shops, as they were within several blocks of our high school. When he knew our friends went back to their shops to buy things or get some services done, they both knew that the “talks” worked. Subtle advertising during the “prized” conversations.

    What we learned about hot rods and drag racing cars/building techniques came from the “talks” we got from each as we visited their shops. It does sound funny, but for an older guy to be giving talks to the younger teens was something. Why would he/they do that? It is a well know fact that talking to interested parties when they come into the shop(s) was good thinking.

    They knew their customers and kept the attitude of awareness when talking to us young teens. They knew we will come back again and again to buy speed parts while having them work on our motors, cars, builds and yes, even more information. It was a great way to keep the customers happy and continued purchases into the future.
    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/drag-racing-firsts.1091352/page-2#post-14372842

    upload_2022-6-5_4-6-3.png Reath/Maillard (a great combo) Altered Sedan
    Our first sighting of a name on the side of a drag race car was at Lions in 1957-58. The white Model A sedan from the Reath/Mailliard group was as fast as it was loud. That drew the attention of most anyone within hearing distance of the Altered Class race car. The motor being 25% back into the sedan body and the driver sitting in the back seat area gave the power and build to go fast. This sedan was fast and made believers out of the competition.


    Jnaki

    Joe Mailliard and Joe Reath started at the 10th and Cherry Avenue Shop after they left Douglas Aircraft. It was a well known place to all racers in Long Beach. As they began to see instant success with their builds, sponsorship race cars and through their “talks,” they build up a great returning clientele. Teenagers included. Not all teenagers were without money and those that did made a great effort to get speed parts or builds from Reath/Mailliard Automotive.
    upload_2022-6-5_4-17-49.png
    Within several years of working together, Joe Mailliard move to his next shop (and only speed shop in the downtown Long Beach area) for a larger shop space in a busy corner of the main street (American Ave.) that ran to the ocean. It was now, within 4 blocks to our high school campus. "Joe Mailliard's Automotive Engineering... SPEED IS MY BUSINESS"
    upload_2022-6-5_4-8-9.png

    upload_2022-6-5_4-10-6.png
    Before this address and building was taken over by Mickey Thompson Enterprises, it was the 3rd edition of the Joe Mailliard Speed Engineering that started with a joint effort with Joe Reath. Soon after Mickey Thompson moved their offices to the next big street over next to the Santa Fe Italian Import business, the remnants of Joe Mailliard disappeared and is hard to find in the history publications.

    upload_2022-6-5_4-11-27.png Mickey Thompson move
    EXTRA NOTE:

    The most famous of Joe Mailliard’s drag racing actions was to take the Paul Nicolini design, Sidewinder and make enough modifications to make it one of the most feared race cars in the USA.
    upload_2022-6-5_4-13-8.png
    Joe Mailliard with the cigarette and checked long sleeve shirt.


    Extra #2:
    upload_2022-6-5_4-15-1.png
    Of course, the Vulcans Vicky was sponsored by our favorite, local Westside LB neighborhood speed shop owner, Joe Mailliard. This speed shop had its hands in a lot of race cars that we saw at Lions. It was good business competition between Reath Automotive, Mickey Thompson, and Joe Mailliard.

    This is the history of Joe Mailliard as seen/remembered through the eyes of a teenager in Long Beach, CA during the hot rod/drag race years... YRMV










     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2022
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  24. bschwoeble
    Joined: Oct 20, 2008
    Posts: 1,015

    bschwoeble
    Member

     
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  25. Sky Six
    Joined: Mar 15, 2018
    Posts: 9,480

    Sky Six
    Member
    from Arizona

    I knew that you would have the information!:)
    Living in Orange County, I also had those "talks" that helped out. Dave Beebe was a service manager at Cone Chevrolet in Fullerton, Jess Tyree was at Courtesy Chevrolet, Ray Alley at Engine Masters, Rosebury at Von Fritch Engineering in Garden Grove.... all of them were kind enough to help a kid who didn't know Jack rootie poot about anything. Those were good times.
     
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  26. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki










    Hello,

    Thanks, guys... It was a long time ago and luckily my memory and photos/films are still around. The writing comes from what my brother and I used to do weekly from 1957 to 61. Since I was not old enough to have my own car until 1960, I hung around my brother and his older friends. At first, my brother raced and told me to use the movie camera to film him racing. That was exciting at first, but when he allowed me to race the Impala, upon turning 15, it was "Heaven on Earth!"

    Jnaki

    Here is another story from the combination posts and research.

    upload_2022-6-5_8-25-45.png Chuck Jones artist
    “Joe Mailliard, the Long Beach machine shop owner teamed with house mover Wayne Reed and graphic artist Chuck Jones, who raced a Fuel coupe before taking the reins of the "Automotive Engineering" dragster. This became the first of three sidewinder dragsters the team would campaign. Gone was the Chevy, replaced with a 550hp blown Chrysler Hemi, driving a solid axle by a stout double-row chain. A double-row chain also drove the supercharger. 70-percent of the weight was said to be biased to the rear.”
    upload_2022-6-5_8-27-8.png Joe Mailliard shop truck for the Sidewinder warm ups.

    “By 1959 it was reworked with a lengthened chassis and new bodywork incorporating a zoomy tail similar to their new "5 Cycle" car. 5 Cycle was a marketing term referring to a particular type of Isky cam.”

    Being from the Westside of Long Beach from 1948, we seemed to be in the area of custom cars and hot rods. Then in 1955 to 1972 Lions Dragstrip opened and closed. Throughout those times, we felt like we lived at the Lions Dragstrip every weekend from 1957-60. It was about 3 miles to the main entrance from our house. During our junior high school days, our baseball field went right up to the elevated railroad banks, to give us a ringside seat during our Saturday sports events.

    Of course, we had to cross the farmer’s plowed fields to get to the actual dragstrip, to get the real action right in front of us. This was at the midway and at the finish line where we heard the most powerful of race cars at their peak fly by us.

    Sidewinder at :15 sec mark in the pits

    One race car elevated both my brother and me, with a powerful sense of awe. It was one of the only rear engine race cars at any dragstrip in So Cal at the time. It was sleek, looked like a lowered jet on the runway, and made such a powerful sound that it was music to thousands of spectators and racers at Lions almost every week.

    The rear mounted Hemi motor was enclosed in a custom frame and they must have gotten the specs exactly right, as this race car always went straight. The rear engine race car was from Paul Nicolini and then, Joe Mailliard’s Speed Shop. By then, Jack Chrisman was the driver.
    upload_2022-6-5_8-41-13.png

    One more time from Joe Mailliard's Automotive Engineering and my films + editing:


    As mentioned earlier, I did not record any sounds. The recording tape machines were too large to lug around anywhere. So all of the original films were silent racing films. But, luckily, a pro company recorded the original sound of the racers at the 1959 Detroit Nationals on an LP record that my brother and I bought in late 1959.

    Since then, the original sounds of the Joe Mailliard Sidewinder in Detroit were edited to my original films from Lion's Dragstrip, to showcase the warm up, the push start and stomp on the pedal run. It was something all of us liked to watch for the racers starting up, prior to the races. My original films, edited, and the original sounds worked out well for consistency.

    This is as close to the 1959-60 era as it gets, since not too many films are still around for people to enjoy as a big part of history.



     

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