Help ID this crusty flathead dragster!

We just picked up this homemade built frame last night, and was hoping somewhere in the Hamb universe someone has seen a pictures of this little digger back in the day!

Story is, that it used to run a flathead (possibly injected?) back in the late 50's in southern California. He used to run it at Lions, San Fernando, ect.... It then sat in his barn since 1962.

There is a lot of homemade stuff on the car, but the upper bars on the cage do look like Chassis Research which you could have bought separately. Because of this bend I have to image that the rail would be post 58' because before Chassis Research I haven't seen the bend before.

It has the usual narrowed banjo, and Ross steering box. The front end is pretty trick though, haven't seen one like it before (or have I not been looking hard enough!) And it was chrome plated which surprises me, for a home built car a teenagers last thing on the list was to chrome it!

Now as for the body, we have no idea what style. But what I find interesting is there are no mounting brackets on the upper cage so I don't think there was any skin on it, But on the bottom rail I see two large brackets that maybe held a Sedan body? Fiat body? WHO KNOWS!

Unfortunetly the frame is in ROUGH shape, and I can see a few cracks, so I don't think we can get this one back to race ready condition (But maybe drive it down Eagle Field... )

If any one has any info that would be fantastic! I've seen the power of the Hamb before!


IMG_1588 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1582 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1581 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1580 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1579 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1578 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1583 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1584 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1585 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1586 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1587 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1589 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1590 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1591 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr


IMG_1592 by 1958AntiqueDoll, on Flickr

 

Has it been sitting for a while, or has it been flipped recently? I bought some rear wheels from a guy that had one like this....out of socal area

 

I wouldnt worry about getting it in race condition....Cleaned up, painted and would make a great static display.

 

I bought it from a guy that got it from the original owner, but he didn't have much info.

 

I'm not to worried bout getting it in race condition. I already have a race ready digger

 

Used to see stuff like that all the time at San Fernando in the early 60's. What good fun that was. Be shocked if I did not see it then. There were a lot of flaties and some bangers in chasis like that.

Tim

 

We are definitely putting a flatty back in.

 

That's what I've been doing all day!

 

Looks like it was gas welded? Might have it media blasted. It may be in better shape than you think. I like the front axle!

 

For a moment I thought it might be mine, (see avatar), but I had one main rail...I raced in SoCal at around that time but don't remember it, really different front end, might be TE-440 roll bar parts, but heavily modified...really hope someone here recognizes it, glad you are going to restore it...it may be too rusty to run but still would be cool with some cleaning and a flathead!

 

It's really a neat car. I am used to owning production chassis, but this homemade rail has a lot of charm, even the steering wheel was custom made! The upper roll bars I am sure must be Te-440. I compared it to our other Te-440's and its a close match.

 

IF you keep draging home old dragster chassis's and I'll have to start calling you Dimitri GARLITS!!! Nice find Tim Jones

 

I think I've reached my limit on front engine dragsters


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

Na don't think so D, always room for one more.......

 

Now that's a really cool find! I think I'd blast it and check thickness if it's repairable that would be awesome. If not I'd have to replicate the chassis and re use any usable parts

 

That is a way neat piece o history bro, man is that cool. I think some info will come up for you. Thanx for showin the awesome piece. ~sololobo~

 

Thanks everyone! Sure hope I can find some more info on it...


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

I was able to get the car to roll and and got the steering box unfrozen! The more and more I look at it I would love to run the car again, especially at Eagle Field!




Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

I'm gonna have to start following you around!

 

For some reason they have been finding me this year!




Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

Well Dimitri when I was still a drinking man, I used to say I was gonna stop for one, that one turned to a few most of the time, I think your the same with old dragsters , not that this is a bad thing mind you Tim jones

 

Well now I have the next foreseeable future locked down on what my projects are going to be!

 

To me that is a wonderful piece of American Hot Rod history that should be displayed... in your shop.... OR.. used to be an upholstery shop, as I recall, in the So Cal area in the late 60's early 70's that had a front engined dragster mounted on a sign pole.... was neat! I am currently considering building a similar type of "shop art" for my building....

 

The way I've always looked at it, and with our other rails, is that these cars were built for the pursuit of speed.

I can imagine some teenager in 1957 sitting in class and can't wait to join up with his car club and work on their new digger!

Now if this car ever sees a track again... Hmm would be great but who knows. But I would love to get the car back to its former glory with a roaring flatty.



Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

Yes, PLEASE DO... I had the POOR judgement in about 1977 - 78 to have bought a little rail dragster from a guy by the name of "Moon" in Norwalk...
It's nice, chrome tube axle was headed for a certain Deuce 5 window (that would be stolen before getting registered,!!!) and it's beautiful home-built frame rails and cage were cut up for who knows what??? The Nice, blue bodywork with a "1963 Bakersfield Fuel & Gas Championships" plaque on it became the "rolled aluminum" dash in a '64 chevelle straight axle car of the day... You see, a bad judgement call... I think even for the time...

 

It looks a bit like the later TE-448 that I see in some Chassis Research literature. it has the lower flatter cage and the constant width rails that those chassis had. That's the type I still want to copy. Still could use some dimensions, but I'd love them to be off that frame!

 

I bet you have...that's a cool find!!

I can't wait to see more!

 

Not sure if its a TE-448, at first I thought it was but the bottom rail is only 2 inches, normally the chassis research cars have the larger 3-4 inch rails with the smaller rail on top. But who knows? It could be a heavily modified one.


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

dude that thats so sick!!!