Jeep Funny Car- "WHAT??"

[Danimal]

Hi guys
 I guess it's time that I came out of the dark and introduced myself to the forum. I've been in the back ground for many years now. You could say I'm kinda like Mike's silent co-conspirator. I usually just pass on all the little treasures I find to Mike.

I discovered this little lost bit of history while doing some research for a new project that we are starting.
 
It seems that back in late 1966, Jeep was poised to dominate the Funny Car world.  They scared the other drivers with their ability to put up big numbers. This led the NHRA to outlaw them even before there was an official class for Funny Car.

I'm really interested to know if anyone has any more info on these short lived monsters.

source:

http://billhughes.com/dragjeeps/






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[IowaEagle]

About time you showed up here! (Just kidding).  First I heard of this.  Yeah, get a little competition and what do they do, ban the new guy.  Isn't that kind of what happened to AMC when they started showing up the Big 3?  Changed the rules so they could not compete???

[AMX]

That's wild, and probably the only thing less aerodynamic than an early Hornet!

[Route 66 Rambler]

Danimal, that is a VERY cool find!  I seem to vaguely remember putting together a model of those cars, but  WOW!  I never realized they were a real machine.  Reminds me of a mud bogger or tractor-pull rig.  I guess that's what happened to them after the NHRA got done with 'em...

Way Cool... 

mike

[Pack Rat]

Another Ed Lanarth creation and my personal favorite, Jeepster Commando Holy Toledo.








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[Route 66 Rambler]

I also love the big Gasser next to it...  Nothing like a big Willys launching.
mike

[Danimal]

Most of these jeep F/C body's made their way out to the sand drags eventually. Witch is probably a more appropriate type venue for them. I can remember seeing  some of those elongated jeeps with a set of huge paddle tires on the back and a set of 4 inch sand tires in the front. Strapped down on a trailer  heading out to the sand races. Actually it was a fairly common site during the 70's in Phoenix. I just never would have believed that they could be the spawn of the ground pounding asphalt ripping widow makers of the era.         

[Route 66 Rambler]

Those sand dragsters were the first thing I thought of, looking at that Secret Weapon picture, standing up like that.

Anyone else happen to notice Doug Thorley's Javelin 1 funny car in the other lane, in that first picture of the Holy Toledo?

Here's my favorite picture from that page that Danimal linked to.  This shows Jim West in his Wild Wild West funny Jeep, based out of Phoenix, doing a fiery burnout at Beeline Dragway in the '70s...
-mike

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[Danimal]

I didn't even realize there was another car in that picture. Good eye mike.

[Route 66 Rambler]

I was immediately drawn to the Javelin shape.  There is a magnetic, irresistable force where the Javelin is concerned.  Top Fuel only serves to intensify this bizarre effect...
mike



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[Route 66 Rambler]

While archiving this thread and rebuilding the pictures for it, I realized that we have a couple more Jeep Funny pictures in the RustBucket Gallery.  There was also a comment with this little snippet from DragList.com, featuring Lenarth and Wolford's Secret Weapon:


From DragList.com:



The Jeep funny cars all were one of a kind. Roger Wolford’s "Secret Weapon" Jeep was hit or miss when it came to performance. It either beat all the other racers, broke, or had handling problems.

Wolford’s fortunes varied with the stretched Jeep, but there was never a dull moment with this car. Roger drove the car to a known best of 8.03 with a 392 Chrysler Hemi/Torqueflite combination.

Rules eventually outlawed the Jeeps from sanctioned drag racing meets, but they could be seen at open races and match races until the turn of the decade. Wolford went on to fight the "Corvette Curse" with the "Mako Shark.”

(Photo courtesy of Bob Plumer and Drag Race Memories)
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We've also got this car with a very cool name.  Gene Conway's Destroyer, from 1966, picture sent by a track crew member.  I'm guessing the name comes from the gray color.  Dig the very sarcastic push blade/front spoilers on these cars.  They are "diggers" aren't they?   






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