[Doug Hopkins]

This guy( Jack Mullins) back in the 70's was one of the best in NHRA Super Stock. NHRA refactored him so many times that you had a hard time keeping up with which class he was in from race to race. I believe he started in SS/U and was factored to SS/P. He won numerous NHRA national and regional events. Division 4 Champion. Very exciting car to watch, as it was a 4-speed in a big heavy wagon.

[Doug Hopkins]

Back in the day.

[Doug Hopkins]

Back in the day.

[goatman65]

Could this have been the same car?

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Alvin

... Here it is as displayed @ Pomona NHRA Museum...

But the black & white photo (apparently at '61 Nationals) is an unblown Tempest engine. Although I was there, I admit to not remembering the car. And it doesn't have Mickey's "trademark" milling off of the head's exhaust surface with his welded-on adaptors. It sure looks like "Gentleman Jack" Chrisman standing by it- anybody know for sure whether he drove for Mickey at that event?

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by 60man

... Is the twin engine rail in #1074 RAV's ??
Or maybe not Pontiacs...

Troy- If you mean the end-to-end blown twins in post#1074- it's the twin-215-engine rail that Mickey ran at Indy '62. The rear engine had the Buick version of the heads and the front engine had the Olds/Pontiac heads (I think both shortblocks were iron, neither of them the aluminum Buick- but I could be wrong).

Note that the photo just before that is the blown hemi Pontiac that won the '62 Nationals for Mickey, with Chrisman driving. [It's not out-of-the-question that those heads and block could be the ones now in my hemi V8, since I bought them from Mickey].

[65blackplate]

great thread!

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Bill Eveland

... 61 instead... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t...#post-10632438

Thanks for the link Bill. Great collections of '61 photos. A couple of good shots of Eddie Hill's twin-Pontiac twin-slicks dragster, and the Ernie's Camera Shop Pontiac dragster. And Ohio George leaving the line in AA/G- which sure made a lasting impression on me! [I was "travelling too light" to have a camera with me- I rode the 1,200 mile round trip on a borrowed '49 Harley Hydra-Glide, since my Pontiac-powered '60 Falcon wasn't quite done yet].

[60man]

Thanks for info Jack. Did some interesting crap back then.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Alvin

Originally Posted by Alvin
... Here it is as displayed @ Pomona NHRA Museum...

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

But the black & white photo (apparently at '61 Nationals) is an unblown Tempest engine. Although I was there, I admit to not remembering the car. And it doesn't have Mickey's "trademark" milling off of the head's exhaust surface with his welded-on adaptors.... It sure looks like "Gentleman Jack" Chrisman standing by it- anybody know for sure whether he drove for Mickey at that event?

Certainly many possibilities of M/T's Work In Progress car and drivetrain configurations over the years.

Ex: take another look @ the Tempest "rail" as displayed @ Pomona Museum (link here) and you will note the added "belly pan" and "support bracket system" for use of the "aero body" (sitting on floor next to Tempest rail w "Pontiac Tempest" "Attempt 1" lettering) on the Bonneville Salt Flats and NHRA drag strip runs.
Also: Note the certificates on display stand for "153 mph 4cyl & 2cyl record runs" that shows image of same car & body used as a combination for many speed events.

IIRC - Agree as you mentioned and noted: the head used may have been for use on the museum static display only and not one of those actually used in 1961 etc. record runs and competition.

GR8 discussion and Thxs to all for sharing vintage pix and memories here. I'm going to have to break out this book from my shelves and reread the M/T History again!

[Doug Hopkins]

Originally Posted by goatman65

Could this have been the same car?

Could be. Front and rear wheels look to be the same. Not to many 66 GTO funny cars back then. Wheelbase also looks the same.

[goatless]

Originally Posted by goatman65

Could this have been the same car?

I don't think so. Note the different space behind front wheels and the different shape of the rear wheel openings.

[Steve Barcak]

Originally Posted by goatman65

Could this have been the same car?

No, different cars. The Blue Bandit was originally Don Gays GTO built by Jay Howell. The Blue Bandit added the stretched nose. Look closely at the rear wheel openings- quite different. The other car, the Grey Ghost, was owned and run by Larry Swietek.
Hope this helps you.

[Tim Corcoran]

65 GTO with a straight axle, very cool

[Steve Barcak]

This is the second Turk/Cox/Braswell Pontiac Fueler.



This car was built in late '62 and run well and set many track records and won many races. It ran primarily in Phoenix ( Mel Larson's and Beeline ), Tucson and southern California, mostly Fontana.
This original car had been located and earlier this year, a deal was made and I now own the car! It is currently undergoing restoration and we plan to debut it with the original team owner/members at the 17th annual Pontiac Heaven weekend April 18-20. I have started a page dedicated to this car on my site. It is one of 2 or so original Pontiac powered blown Fuel Dragsters around and am very happy to have this car as an addition my Pontiac Heaven museum that I am working on in eastern Arizona.
Here is another pic of the car in 1963 at Mel Larson's Arizona Raceway, later known as Speedworld. This track was the home of Pontiac Heaven events from 1999-2012. as you can see, I am using this great pic in my promotions for the spring events. The Sunday portion of Pontiac Heaven weekend is the Phoenix Drag Reunion.



In 2008 on p 14 of this thread, I had posted a pic of their car, that was their first car built in 1957 and ran through the time this one was built. Dean Turk was the chassis builder and driver, Bill Cox was the engine guy, JD Braswell supplied parts through Woudenburg Pontiac in Mesa during the Pontiac SD racing program 1959-Jan 1963.
Dean has seen the chassis and confirmed it is his car. Dave Keyes was present during the cars construction over the winter 62-3 and he is now doing the chassis and body portion of the Restoration. Next month, Dave and I will be fitting the engine block in the chassis, Bill Milburn is build the headers (Bill also built both sets of headers for the Pontiac Heaven Special AA/FD ), Keith Collier is also helping in the restoration.
As said earlier, we will be displaying the car for the first time at the Pontiac Heaven weekend with the original team owners and myself with those who helped on the restoration of this historic Pontiac race car. Eventually, this will be a running, driving nitro burning cackle car representing Pontiac's Super Duty era in the top class of drag racing- Top Fuel.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

No, different cars. The Blue Bandit was originally Don Gays GTO built by Jay Howell. The Blue Bandit added the stretched nose. Look closely at the rear wheel openings- quite different. The other car, the Grey Ghost, was owned and run by Larry Swietek.
Hope this helps you.

Thanks for ID'ing the Don Gay GTO...knew I'd seen that exact car somewhere else prior to its Blue Bandit configuration...those rear wheel arches, roof profile, etc.

[pont406]

while the Fate of the Don Gay/Blue Bandit car is unknown to the hobby at this point, the Gray Ghost survives, unless its changed the current owner of it is Kevin Beal who runs Ames. here's pics of it from Norwalk a few years back, after Larry Switaek sold it in 67/68 it went to Henry Brown, who repainted it and called it Assassin, he ran it with a 392 Hemi, until 1970, then yank the motor and parked it in his garage, it sat there until mid 90s when it was put in the backyard and covered, was found and purchased around 2000 by Drag car collector Mike Guffey then went to Mike Guarise (sp?) then to Rob Lozin who brought it to Norwalk. car was built by Lil John Buttera and Dennis Rollain(sp?) in late 66, very light, all fiberglass, under 2K lbs, ran initially with an Hilborn injected SD 421 motor, then later BBC

[pont406]

a few more 66 GTO funny car pics, Don Gay and the other is Tommy Dempsey

[goatman65]

I always liked the Don Gay GTO,pretty car. I had my picture taken with it and Roy Gay's Firebird in 1967, I was 6 at the time.

[Jeff Hamlin]