Mart's Vintage  
Hot Rods 

Neal Jennings old Drag pics. 
Neal Jennings aka NealinCA on the Hamb, sent this little collection of Vintage drag pics over. (The B/W photos are courtesy of Mickey George, while credit should be given to Steve Murray for the color photos.  Both are from the Dinuba, CA area.)  Thanks Neal, Lets see what's cookin'.
Captions by Mart with help from Neal and Dave Sorenson.
 
 
This is believed to be Joaquin Arnett of the Bean Bandits. 

 
Funky straight eight powered dragster of Jarvis Earl also of the Bean Bandits 

 
Car features lots of carbs, wild exhaust pipes and comprehensive instrumentation, I might be wrong, but I get the impression the car might have been built by someone with sprint car experience.. 

 
Hmmm. I'm sitting here trying to wing a caption, and can't help thinking this might be the So-Cal coupe in it's ex-Xidias (sp) period. Anyone?? It looks similar. 
Had a Note From Dave Sorenson about this one:
Mart, Thanks for posting the early drag pictures from Neal Jennings.  The
"Duncan Jitterbug" chopped '34 was similar to the SoCal coupe (now in
restored condition), but it was a different car....owned by Harry Duncan, a
building contractor, who ran it with an injected Chrysler.   Duncan was a
contemporary of the legendary Art Chrisman, who often built Duncan's
engines.  Duncan also ran a '36 Ford fuel coupe, and later went into a
partnership with Ed Losinski on a fuel dragster.
Dave Sorenson
Thanks Dave.

 
Tamouzian Bros 32 5w.  This was one of the first cars in the Central Valley to run a SBC and it was fast.  Man, beautifully simple lines of a chopped five-winder. Cool pie-crust slicks, great short exhausts and trimmed frame horns make for a good looking car. A trophy winner too 

 
Boudakian's first race car, according to Neal's file name for the pic.32 looks positively upright compared to Hank's offering for 33. Check the stub exhausts on the Jimmy six. Throwaway paint job seems to indicate these old cars were just that and not the icons they are now considered to be. 

 
Dig the flat home made wheel discs on this heavily chopped and raked-channeled drag coupe. 

 
Titled by Neal as "unknown" at least I'll hazard a guess that the body is Bantam (American Austin) Sedan. Reminds me of the Laurel and Hardy sketch featuring such a miniscule car. Can't believe how far back the engine appears to be considering how little room there is in the body. 

 
34 five-window belonging to Mickey George (circa 1958 Sultana, CA). 34's look a little gawky to me with no hood. (I know mine did).  

 
Same car, same location.  

 
Mickey's 34 about to see a bit of action against a lowered 56 Chevy at Famosa later in 1958. 
 
Same car, same color, fast forward to 1994. Car was near completion, after complete rebuild by son Mike George 

 
Back to the Vintage pics. It's like the Wizard of Oz. The last little bit is in colour. More home made whel discs on this heavily raked A roadster. Visalia 1960. 

 
Sweet chopped fully fendered 33, features unusual scallop/flame treatment on front fenders.  Those who have been to Famoso lately should recognize Irv Guinn Contruction, as they still have a sign at the head of the track and are active in hot rodding 

 
Although sporting B/Gas markings on the side window, this baby is fully street legal. Man that's a healthy whack on that top. 

 
No collection of drag pics would be complete without the obligatory mild custom from the parking lot. Here a very presentable looking 39 coupe has late model (Olds?) headlamps let in to the front fenders. Sneaky little header plug just at rear of fender too. 

---oooOOOooo--- 
Thanks, Neal, for letting me run these great pictures...Mart.
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