Tyree/Hardy Firebird at Funny Car Chaos Sept 29/30
 

You guys in the North Texas area might want to come check out this event.

http://northstar-dragway.com/funny-car-chaos.html

Our blown alky 505 powered original '70 Jess Tyree flopper (Don Hardy chassis) will be there to represent. Looking to get in its first full pass since rebuild and get into the money.

Good luck. Sounds like fun. I will be out of the country, but I'll watch up here for the results. Keep us posted.

Jim

Best of luck Dave on the maiden voyage.

Cool! Do you have pictures?

Eric

Any events down Houston/San Antonio way?

this looks like it would be awfully cool to attend. weather might be nice by then too.

This is how the car looks today.

http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps90ojgzx4.jpg

Was found 2 years ago by a friend of mine, Brad Thompson. He has spent that time rebuilding it to this point. The Don Hardy chassis was updated and certified to 6.0.

This is how the car looked when he got it.

http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/s...psxz1lygxk.jpg

My plan is to preserve the original body, use it as a plug and have a body or two made for racing use. Bart Tyree says he can get me good pictures to work from to replicate an original paint job, which the new bodies will get. Jess went through so many bodies and paint jobs in the 70s. It's difficult to match this particular body to a particular paint job. Jess seemed fairly certain this was his last body.

This is the paint scheme I'm likely to spray on the first body repop.

http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/s...psgv2w6wrq.jpg

At some point it'll go nitro. No plans to stray from the traditional body configuration, so I expect 1/4 mile trap speed will be limited at some point.

Not that I know of. This is the first big funny car event in the area since back in the 80s or 90s. Started out as just a match race between this car and a couple others then ballooned into this race event as word got around.

Looks great!
On alky now?

If two poncho funny cars show up there I'm goin!

Nice car. It's great that you are keeping it Poncho powered... I caught a glimps of a second gen. Firebird or T/A funny car in Coos Bay Oregon back in mid to late nineties. I made a u turn and went back to look at it and it was gone. It's like a saw a ghost, it vanished. Is there a chance this car may have been in or through Coos Bay / North Bend Oregon twenty years ago?

Nice car. Interesting event. I'd like to see both.
Good to see this post... best of luck to you.

Awesome! We're obviously big fans of Pontiac funny cars.

We had a mold made from an original Boss Bird body by VFN (stretched to the current 125" wheelbase). If you don't already have a source in mind, we can vouch for their ability to do a great job.

When you're ready to go nitro, we're more than happy to share everything we've learned along the way. No need to repeat some our expensive learning opportunities.

Eric

Yep

I can't think of another currently running Pontiac powered funny car other than this and the Boss Bird.

A lot of guys, Jess and Arnie included, went with BBC and Hemi around this era for cost reasons. That was then, this is now. Burry me in it with a Pontiac bullet.

I don't know about it running 20 years ago, but for sure 25 to 30. It was off the track by the early 90s we think.

I saw that mold. They are on the list of options, but I much prefer to keep it close to home. Called one shop and got a message saying their fiberglass body shop burned down. Talk about disconcerting --

Thanks for the info offer. I'll surely need the insight. I'll stop by during Norwalk. I've got an update on the Grocery Getter backup car body I got from you... It's half built now.

That burgundy/maroon paint looks great on that car. How many Hardy chassis were made for that firebird body style? Jim

This particular chassis setup is 1 of 1 or 2. Don described it as a transition design. Something of a hybrid. Dragster cage, sprung front and rear. I hope to take the car out to his shop soon and get more details and history.

Looks great!! Nice period wheels. Don did some of the chassis on some of the local Texas funnies back in the day. I race at the old Dallas International Speedway way back when.