Hot Rods Front Engine Dragsters of the 50's

Let's see some front engine dragsters from the 50's like the ones from Calvin Rice, Bobby Langley's "Scorpion", The Dragmaster dart, Glass slipper "Purple People eater" etc. I'll start off with these two from Omaha Ne.

 

Looks like @Jive-Bomber already did a thread on the subject. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/sexiest-dragster-of-the-50s.1059082/

 

The slickest one of them all, Hank Vincent's Top Banana.

 

“The slickest one of them all, Hank Vincent's Top Banana.” Well said... !
1960 Bakersfield Smokers 2nd annual March Meet

Hello,
That is a great statement for a well designed, sleek FED race car. It went fast, set records and the slightest mishap demolished the beautiful race car in a run, during a later race event.

We were at the 1960 Bakersfield Smokers 2nd March Meet and we fortunate to film the Top Banana in the pits, the staging area and on several runs during eliminations, including a strange one. Watch at :18 to :19 and see what happens.

Hank Vincent Top Banana total

Jnaki
strange things at :18

 

Check out the Fiat in the background.

 

I don't see much of a seat pan, of not, he is straddling the rear upright tube, with the crack of his ass !

 

I think maybe I see a bicycle seat down there?

 

That's what Bill Burke used in the first Belly Tank.

 

@Jive-Bomber Do you have this one?

 

Cyr & Hopper

 

Kenny Lindley's "Miss Fire"

 

Dick Guyette's "Isky Clown"

 

I thought that his fire suit was hanging down over it. Maybe if it was tucked into his pants, you would see the seat………

 

Hello,

Great photo of Kenny Lindley’s Potvin Supercharged FED… ( by @Dean Lowe ) Don Hampton of the historic Hampton Blowers fame was the driver. When we saw it almost weekly at Lion’s Dragstrip, it was considered one of the most beautiful, full bodied streamlined dragsters in competition. For a young kid, I liked the way it sounded and always had an attitude when running a single run or in the eliminations.
https://www.hamptonblowers.com/superchargers

“During the 1950’s, Hampton gained recognition as not only a driver, of such vehicles as his; ’29 Roadster, a Ford flathead, a “rear engine” Buick V-8, a Top Fuel 354-cid Chrysler belonging to Chet Herbert as well as Kenny Lindley’s beautiful Miss Fire dragster, which he drove at the ’59 NHRA Nationals in Detroit, but also as a mechanical engineer, manufacturing blowers “Hampton Blowers” in 1957.”

“Partnering with Eldon Dye and Kenny Lindley, throughout the 50’s brought Hampton opportunities to drive award winning vehicles, as well as be on the front lines of mechanical innovation for the early years of drag-racing.”

The history of this build goes back plenty of years and versions.

Jnaki

I was fortunate to be at Lion’s Dragstrip trying to be a teenage, professional photographer with my dinky 16 mm movie camera. Here is one of the most interesting films that I took when I was standing in the Pit area, Class Lanes road. “Here’s coming at you…”

1959 Lion’s Dragstrip Class Lanes “fire up lane” to the staging area/starting line.



P.S. One of my favorite films from this era with the Miss Fire FED from Lindley/Hampton was a compilation version with the sound of the actual Miss Fire FED racing at the 1959 Detroit Nationals. The Summer of 1959 I filmed the run in August. Several weeks later, the recording took place in September in Detroit.


For you early drag racing folks, here is the Miss Fire FED racing against some of the best racers on the Westcoast during this time period. The Kenny Lindley/Don Hampton Miss Fire vs. the top So Cal racers.

Kenny Lindley/Don Hampton Miss Fire Total 1958-60