Story of labor, dedication and fun!!
In late '64-'65 my friend Bill Rogers inquired about building a HEMI(R) powered dragster and having built about 4-5, I already had most of the required equipment and material on hand. This first picture is of the roll cage and the bending required, but only tack welded. operated; I will draw, scan and post a sketch of the bender if anyone wants to make one. Below is a link to the cage picture:
I have added this link to show a sketch of the bending apparatus:
The next shot is of the back end of the car. The scatter shield was made from a steel, 1/4" min. thk. 14" pipe cap with a flange welded on to fit the engine bolt pattern.
The next shot is also the back and also shows the 392" HEMI(R) block. The object between the scatter shield and rear end housing is a homemade lineup jig made from pipe and machined to fit the main bearing saddles, scatter shield bearing housing and rear end pinion bearing housing. The rear end is an Oldsmobile, junk yard variety that was narrowed by torch cutting and welding. A lineup jig was used to keep it close.
Some axles were shortened by torch cutting and welding; some were resplined and heat treated.
This next shot is from the engine to the rear. Here it gives an idea of how the frame tube bends look and keep in mind that no two of the frame rails are alike. The uprights were fish mouthed to fit the rails using a hole saw the same size of the tubing; the fits must be good in order to stick weld .050" wall tubing. I would normally put the first pass with a 3/32"Lincoln Fleetweld 180 rod and then cover with a 3/32"Lincoln Fleetweld 37 rod.
Next is a shot of the car frame full length and as I recall it was 180" wheelbase. The torsion bar was made from a junkyard VW torsion bar that came laminated by using stacks of 1/8" X 3/8" steel bars, but the normal was to use the correct number to make a 3/4" square bar and then use 3/4" drive sockets welded to the arms bolted to the axle. The trick was to locate and weld the sockets on to get both sides built with the same setting on each arm.
The next is the front end and lots of hours in hand making each component including wheels; hubs machined from solid aluminum 3.5"diameter bar so as to accept tapered roller bearings, spokes were intended for wheel chairs and the hub caps were freeze plugs. The spokes were installed and tightened using a dial indicator so that very little balancing was needed. Negative camber was about 3 degrees and caster about 30 or so. I still have the spoke hole drilling jig.
Next is a shot of the car on a borrowed trailer for the first time and I think it went to the old Houston track on the Gulf Freeway. As I recall the car ran 3 runs at 215+. The guy with the white hat on and with the big bulls eye is the owner/driver. Any doubts he could get in it.
Next shot appears to be a very important conference; the two guys with writing on the T-shirts are the co-owners; guy with the shades is Blackie Blackard (RIP), Blackie. I took the picture, but don't know where, probably Houston. I think the guy with the funny looking hat is Tom Crowley who I built a car for which appears on the near side in the match race 2 pics. below. The guy leaning on the rollbar is present day starter Rick Stewart; I showed him that picture at Houston in '06 and he got laugh out of it. He was running the old Houston track at that time
Next is a 2 out of 3 "match" race between Gary Watson, near side and Bill in his first ever and Ford powered race car. These "match" races were like the WWF in that no one ever won the first 2 and back then the money was slim pickins.
The race was at old Rodd Field at CC, Tx where I and many others saw their first ever big time racers that would come and put on 2-3 exibition runs, the likes of Garlits, Eddie Hill and the twin Pontiacs, Bobby Langley's SCORPION and once with an aluminum channel framed car, Bob Sullivan in Pandemonium and of course half a dozen locals.
Next is Bill on a run at Victoria, Tx, I think, and at Victoria Bill hit the ET/MPH lights etc. and laid the right half of the front axle back about 30 degrees, had to cut it off and install a new end.
Next is Bill and Blackie waiting in the push to start line; I think at Green Valley near Fort Worth, Tx.
Next shot is probably at the Green Valley Spring Nationals which Bill won over the best diggers in Texas. The race was billed as a $5000 dollar race which was probably more than the cost of Bill's car.
Here's a couple more made from slides dated Aug, '66.
