Anybody know who was the first to use an actual wheelie bar on a drag car? I mean with a wheel on it and not just a skid. Did a search and can't find a thing on here.
It was earlier than sixty five. Check out this commercial from '65 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWDprSdH2xQ&feature=youtu.be It is thought that the Ramchargers were the first, they used some slip pipes with valve springs inside one tube and casters at the bottom.
single large caster style wheels were used on bottom frame hoops of gas and fuel dragsters as early as 62. There is not a single "inventor" of the wheelie bar per say. Different regions of the country had different time frames for innovations. TH
More. Fairly certain it's off of Little Hoss Two (or is it Too?). The previous owner used it on his car and got it off another guy that aquired it sometime in the 70s.
Phew, i bet taht thing would give you a ride. probably act more like a rudder than anything else. esp on a short wheelbase. Sweet car.
it's "TOO" But how cool it that, some dude has Johnny Loper's wheelie bars from the very famous Anglia laying in his back yard!
Does look kinda sketchy. It is 2 1/2" between the plates on the front and the holes still look round. Also has a heavy piece of aluminum channel bolted down the center and may have been more rigid than it appears.
Guess it just floated around here after the car was retired and he went on to the Maverick. The guy says he has the spring too but doesn't know where it's at.
The story I heard was that he used a wheel off a shopping cart at Food City where he worked to make it, but the 8" diameter NALPAK wheel was most likely meant for a hand truck or dolly.
Found it hard to believe no one had done it previously but had heard claims of Loper being the first. Guess, if anything, his may have just been closest to what is used today? Still get a kick out of looking at it, wish the old man was still around to answer questions. I've never figured out if there were two anglias or was "Too" just a revamped version? I know one went to Hawaii but where'd the other go?
Lopers original Little Hoss was a Willys (Or was that Ol' Hoss?), Little Hoss Too was the Anglia. And as a side note I think it was Byron Stack (Gasser Madness-RIP) that said Skip Hess specifically built the original Skippers Critter to beat Loper's Anglia.
Other than his fancy tow rigs, that's about all I got. I know he had other toys (restored 60s Camaros), but nothing really as far as race cars.
"Skip met Jim Shores in 1964 and they got together to beat Johnny Loper's unblown A/G Anglia. In 1965 they pooled their funds and hired Don Long to build them their own Anglia. This car was equipped with a Hilborn-injected 375 small-block Chevy and a 4-speed transmission. Skip wanted to switch to a B&M Hydromatic due to the incompatibility of the 4-speed and the short wheelbase. Jim was strongly against this so, Shores & Hess broke up." according to Jr. Thompson
"I never had the opportunity to meet Johnny Loper. What I do know it that the reason Skip Hess wanted to race in A/Gas when the Anglia was first built was to beat Loper and take his National Record away. Not sure, but I don't believe either goal was ever accomplished. Byron"
The Jalopy Journal
