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A couple short memories from Ellis Brasher
Me & The Model-T
Sometime in about 1948 some
cousins of mine had a Model T, stripped down and ready for action. One
Sunday afternoon we boys were hanging the country store when a couple of
local school teachers, young ladies about 22, walked by and said, "Why don't
you all give us a ride on your car"? Well my cousin just looked down at the
ground and shook his head. Then one of the ladies said, "How about you
Ellis, will you give us a ride"? I said "Yes maam, get on".
The boys pushed us off to get it started and we cruised off the little hill
across a small valley and up a long winding hill about a mile from where we
started.
Let me say that we had figured out how to advance the spark and lean the
carb. out on the fly to make it run faster and let me also say that the
radius rod ball had a bad habit of jumping out of it's socket and when that
happens the T Mammy goes where ever she wants to go; you have absolutely no
control.
Okay we then turn around and start back to the store where the boys are
waiting and watching; I pull the rabbit ears down, reach over and turn the
combination choke and mixture knob 1/2 turn to the right and that T Mammy
comes alive. She is coming around the curve making some 50-60 miles an hour
when the radius rod jumps out. By this time we are down in the little valley
and the T Mammy leaves the dirt and gravel road, jumps a small stream, rides
down a bunch of willow bushes, tears down a barb wire fence and then comes
back across the road into the ditch on the other side, back up in the road
and by then I have her slowed down and under control. Now the teachers have
not been under control; they have clawed and scratched me from head to toe
while all this was going on and the boys back at the store are laughing
their butts off.
CARL MAGEE:
Yesterday and Today
In 1964 Carl Magee (no kin to Bobby) asked me if he should order a Kellison
"one piece" fiberglass dragster body could I build a car that the body could
be put on. I told him I thought so and he ordered the body. It came in, we
took some measurements, built it and the body fit fine. The car is pictured
below at the Victoria, Tx race track, Carl is scratching his chin; I'm the
good looking shorty with the tan jacket on. This was the first race for the
car, my friend Bill Rogers drove it; I helped tune it to Top Eliminator
first time out. As I recall the little 301 Chevy had not been clearanced
quite as much as needed and it would sort of quit at about 1200 feet, but it
still ran 8.60s every time down the track and no doubt consistency won the
race.
Carl sold the car about 25-30 years ago and then he spotted it at a race
about 2 years ago and bought it on the spot. I saw it about 15 months ago
hanging in his garage in Victoria, Tx. We know it is it because when
finished for some reason I mounted the steering box on the wrong side for
that particular box and the wheels turned the opposite direction of the
direction the steering wheel was turned; a real trick to drive.
A mounting bracket was made and welded on the front cross member for a bell
crank to change the steering direction.
Also this was the first set of front spokes I ever made and these were made
from fabricated pieces of steel pipe with flanges welded on and I had left
some very minute pinholes in the welds that were still slightly visible even
after chrome plating and after some 40 years they still looked the same.
Fast forward to 2006 and below is the listing for Carl's entry in the '06
Winternationals:
NHRA ENTRY FOR: 405 TAD Carl Magee Victoria TX '92 McKinney BAE 421.
Carl qualified with about a 5.47 which was his best ever at that time.
Here's the old 1964 car at Victoria
If you are willing to share your 'Drag Racing
Memories" I would love to add them
to this website. Just contact me at
nitro92@charter.net
and we will get them here
for everyone to enjoy
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