EARLY DRAGSTER EVOLUTION 1950-1971

[Wild Child]

  One of my favorite things I like to do with model building is to make sets (or groups) of cars for specific purposes, usually for mini displays.  These are cars from my Early Dragster Evolution group diorama which focuses on the early front engine Dragsters.  The first 3 cars were custom built to fit this theme.  All the cars have high detail motors and interiors along with nice paint finished and period graphics.

1) The Bug- Officially recognized by NHRA as the first Rail Job (or Dragster), this car was originally built from an old Model A frame that had a pesticide sprayer on it used on the family orchards.  Built in 1950, the flathead Ford could hit 113 MPH in the quarter mile.

2) Bob's Mobil Special- By 1955, the 'in thing' for Dragsters was to use leftover Indy or Midget car bodies for aerodynamics.  Running a modified gas small block Chevy,I built this car from an old Atlantis Dragster with extra body parts molded in. 

3) Straightaway Engineering- By 1960, it was determined that the aerodynamics offered by the full bodies did not offset the extra weight.  This blown Pontiac powered car was typical of the era and could run 173 MPH.

4) Ramchargers- By 1965, new lightweight custom bodies began to emerge.  Combined with the new 426 Hemi, these cars were now over 200 MPH.  As an extra bonus, the new bodies gave race teams a new source of income...sponsor advertising.

5) Jade Grenade- By 1969, front engine Dragsters had hit their high water mark.  The longer, more powerful cars were now capable of running over 225 MPH.

6) Swamp Rat 14- After a horrific transmission explosion in 1970, Don Garlitts came up with a new style rear engine Dragster that was both safer and faster than the old front engine slingshots.  By 1972, most all the front engine cars were sitting in barns and fields gathering dust.  A new era of Dragsters had begun.

The last shot is my '98 Shelly Anderson rail (featured in another post) with two early cars.  This is a great visual on how the Dragsters had evolved to that point.  

ENJOY

[Dragline]

Reelin in the years right there.

Nice retrospective.

[bondo bill]

cool history of builds

[Charger Funny Car]

Awesome!!!! Excellent work. Especially love the Ramchargers digger. Keep up the great work!!

[Mike 1017]

All 3 Most Excellent

[M W Elky]

I have no clear favorite here they all look spectacular. Also some really nice photography. It would be neat to add a cammer rail to the mix

[slusher]

Outstanding builds!

[Wild Child]

Thanks guys.  I really liked doing the comparison builds.  Though I have a few others, these were my originals.  

The Bug is a real oddity, and on first glance may look a bit cheesy.  But this is very similar to what it looked like.  No seat belts, seat bolted to a wood 2x4 floor with very little body, and pipes blowing right at your left knee-cap.  Go 113 mph in this with wind blowing the body around and wobbly wheels... might be a Ceder Point ride!

[carrucha]

Cool builds. 

[PappyD340]

Super nice group!

[Wild Child]

Thanks guys.  What a difference in length, aye?