Projects Hillman Husky Drag Car Survivor "Pure Hell"(Really...another weird drag car?)

I received this email last night from my good friend Craig.....


"I saw Kenny at the gas station the other night, and he told me he'd picked up a Hillman station wagon that had been an old drag racer. Kenny owns Major Muffler, and the Hillman had been sitting behind his muffler shop in Harlan's Diesel Service lot forever, buried amongst all the derelict cars, trucks, and buses. He wasn't even aware it had been there until, looking through the chain link fence one day, he saw the Hillman being hoisted up out of it's resting place on a fork lift. They were cleaning up some of the junk, and the Hillman was destined for the crusher. Kenny went over and asked if he could buy it.

Now that it's at his place, Kenny cleaned about 50 years of dirt and mildew off the car with his pressure washer, and he put a newer pair of truck rims and tires on the back to replace the old truck lock rims and slicks that had been on the car and had gone flat. He's got too many cars and projects himself to keep this one, but he couldn't stand to see it go for scrap metal. Anyone want to adopt a project? It can be yours for **** bucks and Kenny will deliver it locally for free.

Here's the only poop on it so far: One of the oldest Harland boys drag raced it, probably in the early 70's. It had a small block Chevy in it when raced, and has a narrowed 3/4 ton truck rear axle. It still sits on the original chassis, which would probably best be replaced with a new rectangular tube frame, and perhaps one of Speedway Motors' gasser front straight axle set ups. All the glass is good (the rear windows have a lot of old speed equipment decals), but the front section of the floor is rusted out. Don't know exactly what year it is...probably early to mid-fifties. The tow bar and original lock rim wheels with slicks come with it, but are only good for laughs and garage art. Kenny will get more of the history on it when he can, because the guy who raced it is still around town here somewhere. Come and get it...
Craig"

Rewind the clock six years ago..... I had actually been friends with Harold Senior, and had bought several trucks from him in the past. I had talked to him about this car, and it was so buried in mud and junk....he told me to wait until it dried up and he would pull it out for me. Semi truck trailers actually had to be moved first. Well, Harold had a stroke soon after and passed away not so long after that. I visited him a couple times after the stroke, but never bothered him about any of the cars. It seemed like everyone was after his shit, and I didn't want to be one of those guys. Before I knew it, he was passed, and the place was fenced in.

Anyways......It's in good hands now, and should be back on the track soon! I know there are a bunch of cars called "Pure Hell" .....not sure if the name will stay. I'm going to get as much info and history on the car as I can.

R.I.P. Harold Hareland.


Here's the car in 2005 when I discovered it.











Here's the car now:

 

thats is awesome!

 

Cool story!
I had a Hillman Minx at one time. Those are an integrated frame car if I'm not mistaken. It took some major nads to put any horsepower to one of those things if it had the stock frame under it.

 

Awesome story.

I think you should keep the name!

 

Killer find -hope somebody gets it running again.

 

Very cool.
Another husky that was built in England this time, a bit more 'pro street', but you still don't see many. (excuse pic, screen grab!)

Will you be updating the build?

 

Is Winnipeg Manitoba considered local ???
I so want that thing... Project number ????

 

Awesome find.......gotta get that baby running again!!!

 

Sweet! I'm diggin this little "Hellman" wag! Betcha don't see two of those at once

 

A period correct word for that car.

BITCHN'

 

I am leaning toward leaving the name...but "Hellman" sounds pretty cool!

 

Good save! Don't ya know that little short bastard would need a careful hand on the steering? Still, i'd try it on for size.

 

that frickin car is awesome! all the metal looks good too! hope it gets back to the track. maybe with a hemi,or 409,or 427 or something!? keep us posted with pics.

 

Very cool! Put a nailhead in it!

 

Abso-lutely Cool! You gotta post updates. It'll be great to see this coming back to life, and any more history you find on it.

 

small block chevy in a roller skate ... should be fun to drive ... if you can get it to go straight ...

 

I'll post a full build thread on it when I get to it. Right now I have a ton of customer stuff to get out of the way first. The only things that will be the same are the body and the rear axle. The factory uni-body is completely wasted, so it will get a new floor, and a full ladder frame complete with 44" straight axle and a very slight rake to the rear. I plan on keeping it about the same height, just a bit lower in the back. I have a fresh 364 nailhead and a blower at the shop, but I think this one will get an injected 327 with all the period tasties.

 

check this out, found in thread titled stick city....

 

Very cool. Look forward to updates.

 

----------
Wow!!! Way, way, cool!!! About the
engine - an injected 327, with other,
also 'period-correct' goodies, will be
cool for sure. But somehow, (to my
twisted mind, anyway!) - that Hillman
is just screaming out for a blown 364
Nailhead!eek (Also, blown nailhead-power
would make it a good stablemate for
"Strange Bird" too!!!)

Mart3406
---------------
P.S. Any updates on "Strange Bird"?
What did you finally settle on for
tranny for it?
=====================

 

That Hillman for sale at stick city is wild!

 

Great find Chuckles, It's in the best of hands now. I can't wait for the build to begain.
Kevin

 

A fella here in So Cal has one of them Hillmans.

http://www.dragracingonline.com/raceresults/2004/vi_7-gg-4.html

 

I've seen that car! Its awesome. Been around since the 60's

 

There was a black street-driven panel with a BB chevy from So-Cal, got a lot of ink in the mid-seventies. Was subject of one of Baskervilles "Rod tests' and was in PHR as well.

 

Awesome find! This is gonna' be a Faaar Out ride!
...

 

Too Kool ! love it

 

Bitchin!
It would be hard for me to not drop a nasty 283 or 327, Muncie in it, headlights and plates and drive it to work for a month or so. It'd be such the tire roaster!
THEN bust it down for a complete build.

 

I'm glad to see the Hillman went to a good home (also glad to see that it stayed local here so I can be entertained by the resto/build). Here're a few pictures of Scott's "Strange Bird" Falcon gasser that I took just recently on set up day at the Suede Palace in the Sacramento Autorama. He did a great job on the Falcon, so you know the Hiillman will really be cool when he builds it.
Craig

 

Craig, you are going to have to come turn a couple wrenches on this one!