went to the drags today

[jbwelda]

went to the nostalgia drags at Kingdon Drag Strip also known as the local airport (hows that for nostalgia?). this is a really fun, really informal, gathering of a lot of local and not so local cars, some straight out of the 60s, literally, and some more modern in origin. brought my camera because i have been wanting to get photos of this pontiac catalina i see here every year, it tears up the strip, and i want to build a model of it. usually that sort of thing drives my photography: wanting to build a model of a particular car that catches my fancy, or of details that i can incorporate into a model build.

so heres what struck me this year, over a couple of posts to get the photos in...

starting with the pontiac catalina i wanted to document:

a poor shot of it coming off the line. this thing really roars when it launches!

heres a chevy nova with a look i would like to recreate, tube axle and nose up stance:

moving on to a next post...

[Big Daddy]

got any more pics , really like to see stuff like this

[jbwelda]

now here is an old school rail that i just loved. totally dig those halibrand spoke wheels and the short stubby look of this thing:

drilled axle and little details are what i like:

total old school hemi:

ok so i thought that was kool but then my heart stopped as i glanced, up ahead, but moving to the starting line quickly:

not wanting to be content with the fabled but feared "butt shot" of wildlife photographers nightmares, i tried to catch up to get a nice overall shot of this front mounted blower on a total total TOTAL old skool hemi...but then there was mostly always someone in the way. loved this thing, great paint job all the way down to the side mounted injector scoop with flames etc but most of all all the polished and chrome to the blower intake and drive!

and finally a tony nancy 22 jr type of chassis with an injected flatty...i talked to the owner for a bit and he didnt think it was a tony

nancy rail but it had been built originally in 68 i think he said...

one more post to come...and maybe a surprise!

[jbwelda]

continuing on...hope we can all get some inspiration from the photos...

so i have been looking around for a kool headlamp treatment for a rod i recently finished, and i think i might have found something i like.

note this rat rod ran like gangbusters...and made a lot of kool smoke and noise just like it oughta!

ok so here is the surprise, probably not all that much of a surprise but did you ever see these kinds of drag cars and wonder where that body came from:

well, heres where they come from, a Bantam roadster restored to original condition, sitting in the car show area:

you can really see it in the distinctive rear deck but of course on the fibreglass drag cars all that is left is the indented impression of the spare tyre well.:

again, can really see it in the side scallop details.

all in all a totally fun day, they had a rocket car but i didnt get to see it run...might head back over again tomorrow as it is being held literally in the middle of a corn field about 20 miles from my house and it only costs 15 to get in...anyone in the central cali area you ought to get out of the house and over there!

[FASTBACK340]

The Bantam reminds me of going to Maple Grove years ago for the Nostalgia show and seeing a restored Willys! Shocked the heck out of me seeing one with narrow white walls and bumpers!

But back to your post: Awesome stuff. The Convo-Pro's don't really work on the `59 Pontiac, but the shorty rails and injected flatheads.... cooooool! Love the vintage stuff when ingenuity ruled because there were no rules limiting ingenuity.

[crazyjim]

Nice pics. I like the Bantam better as a racer.

[cobraman]

Great photos. I enjoyed every one. Thanks for posting .

[caine440]

Great stuff!

Looks like a great time.

Thanks for sharing.

[Draggon]

Love that digger with the front mount blower! And as for Pure Heaven, we saw it run at Fremont. What a show!

[Qwit Pushin]

I seem to recall seeing that '60 Poncho up at Sacramento Raceway a few years back. I talked to the owner and he stated that it was a former Beswick car and showed me where Arnie autographed the front fender.