Charleston, R.I. – 1959

[masoParticipant]

Okay…

Here are some really excellent old B&W’s from Charlestown, R.I. The photos are dated in the margins 1959…!

These pictures are the personal property of Richard “Don’t Call Me Dick” Soars and were sent to me several years ago by Jim Valintino who is also registered on this site as “jimv” [ Go see: http://www.doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=17 So… maybe Jim will drop in here with some of his comments.

enjoy…

Comments welcome…

This one ( above ) seems to be a double exposure. I think I see what looks like the rear end of possibly a ’40’ish looking car maybe a ’40 Ford or a Willys in there.

[masoParticipant]

Above: He’s got a three window ’33 or ’34 Ford coupe… but he’s got the door hinged at the forward side… unusual. Looks like Moe Ward’s coupe from Maine State but not with the doors hinged backwards.

[masoParticipant]

Art Arfon’s “Green Monster”…? Anybody know or remember…?

This one says “Swank’s Parking Lot – 1957 – 58”
Does anyone know anything about that…??? Details please…

Aren’t they good…?!

Comments welcome. Anybody here old enough to remember these days…? 😀

[tomblakeParticipant]

Never made the RI track but the pictures are pretty neat and yes I am old enough.

[vbobParticipant]

Hey

Those Watertown Customs guys will know a lot about Charlietown they ran there Brazee ,Boucher K.Dunn up there in the state of R.I. went there and lives right nearit ,he said it’s a state park now!!Casey must know about it!!
Dunn said the pavement is still there!!
Usta use it in the dark to train pilots to land on aircraft carriers!!
Might be some gogglein ta do for pics??
I know they have a Charlietown Reunion evry year!!

‘V’

[tomblakeParticipant]

Video Bob…..Is there any place you haven’t been? It seems like you got around during the early days of drag racing and not just the early days. You appear to had an awful lot of information and your attic must be huge. You seem to be able to come up with just the right answer when the questions are asked. Wish I had your knowledge.

[masoParticipant]

quote video Bob:

Hey

Those Watertown Customs guys will know a lot about Charlietown they ran there Brazee ,Boucher K.Dunn up there in the state of R.I. went there and lives right nearit ,he said it’s a state park now!!Casey must know about it!!
Dunn said the pavement is still there!!
Usta use it in the dark to train pilots to land on aircraft carriers!!
Might be some gogglein ta do for pics??
I know they have a Charlietown Reunion evry year!!

‘V’

I’d like to hear what Brazee and Boucher might add to this. Casey won’t know… He grew up in the same neighborhood that I did in Yonkers. We were buddies.

[tomblakeParticipant]

Maso….When are you coming to Bradenton? By the way how long have you been in the Miami area?

[cullyflower]

Maso Fascinating pictures I just keep looking at them picking out little details on each one. The answer
to the question about the door handles on 33 and 34 fords is that the 33 has the suicide door
handle front hinged in the rear. Looking at picture #4 the hole for the door handle looks to be
over the A in the A/C. The B/A Crosley brings back memories of one very similar that two of
my friends pulled out of a farm field with a blown up Cadillac engine in it. You get my vote for
best posting on the site with these pictures.

[masoParticipant]

quote cullyflower:

Maso Fascinating pictures … You get my vote for
best posting on the site with these pictures.

You can thank Richard “Don’t Call Me Dick” Soars and Jim Valentino.

They are facinating… 😉

[dinoKeymaster]

Great stuff guys…REAL Hot Rods….In doing the reasearch for our Big Video …looks like a general decline was starting in ’64 …when the detroit ‘Musle cars were introduced …first -GTO….by the 70’s …the do-it- yourself Hot-rodder -builder was on the way out ….We saw it at Dover :55-57 chevys replaced by Camaros (Bill Casey-Fred Egloff-etc.)…Some die-hards kept the radicals …but still switched over (Lagana-Viscome)…the gas & altered guys went to Super-stock …and the true Hot-rods were doomed.Interesting …some went from radical home builts to Rails (Hertel-Brazee)…even Shott ,who started with a “comp’ roadster (T-bucket on dragster chassis) …went to an all California assembled full body rail.

[tomblakeParticipant]

Dino….I can sure understand what you are saying and I followed that same path.
But you know what, it was more fun way back than. Everyone came up with their own ideas or modified other ideas that seemed to work.
Look at top fuel as an example: same engine, same engine size, same wheel base, same tires, same gear ratio, same, same, same, etc etc.
The sanctioning bodies have done a good job for safety but the innovating from the passed isn’t the same.
I remember when Sneaky Pete Robinson came to Dover with the jack stands on the dragster. The next years rule book from the NHRA said in bold letters “No jack stands.” Back than it seems like every year there was another bold entry in the rule book to eliminate another innovative idea. These ideas being band were probably good but innovation and different looking vehicles seem to go away.
I know we can’t go back but we can re-live those days through places like this site.

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[masracingtd1167Participant]

Tom is that a Meng chassis shure looks like one of his bodys.

[tomblakeParticipant]

masracingtd1167…….The chassis & original body came out of PA. Forgot shop or builders name. We reproduced the body with a few changes.

[masoParticipant]

quote cullyflower:

Maso Fascinating pictures… The answer
to the question about the door handles on 33 and 34 fords is that the 33 has the suicide door
handle front hinged in the rear. Looking at picture #4 the hole for the door handle looks to be
over the A in the A/C. …

Okay then…

I learn something every day. The ’33 Ford Three Window had the doors open one way and the ’34 opened up the other way. Good going, Flower… 😉

Here it it in detail…

[Author]

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