DANBURY MODIFIERS – Alley Oop

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  • #11254
    dino
    Keymaster

        With all the Talk about Alley Oop being sold …I thought I’d Check the “Modifiers Topic”….never had one! Duh! how could that have happened? So Here Goes Modifiers….Check In And Add to the History….As we noted in our History Page …Smokey Took Chet to Montgomery before Dover…thats where he got the inspiration to build Dover…The Modifiers were already an established club AND Running There. Bud Hallock…who became Dover’s “general manager” was the first Pres.( see: http://www.doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1238&hilit=hallock )….George Hosford…Original 1961 Starter And Modifiers Member…The Modifiers were recruted to help out at Dover…working for very meager pay..Free Entry and Hot Dog lunches. The Alley Oop club Dragster was at Dover from day 1…Its featured on the cover of the Grand Opening Program…the Photo taken in May..the Track running before the “official’ Grand opening In July of 1961.Bob Swanson,who just sold it ,noted: “The club bought the rolling chassis from the factory in 1959 .It raced in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island in the early days of the sport. It was the House Car at DOVER DRAG Strip in Wingdale, N. Y. Won 11 Low ET’s in 1962 and won the Pepsi Points Award, was featured in How to Hop Up Your Engine magazine January 1963”.Tim Hallock remembers…..”I made the black top for DOVER in our plant in BROOKFIELD CTR,CONN.I was a member of the DANBURY MODIFERS CLUB, manager at DOVER, drove ALLEY OOP b/d which was the first 9 sec. B/D in country!!!!! 9:98 backed up with a 9:92 run at DOVER with double clocks set up that day, DOVERS and N.A.S.C.A.R. they santioned DOVER, the first year.”The MODIFIERS B/D ALLEY OOP was a legal B/D, 301 cubic inch 1320 lbs, injected, on pump gas. we ran record meets at ISLAND DRAGWAY, YORK U.S. 30 both NHRA sanctioned. WE set a NHRA record at ISLAND in1961 at the time it was held by NELSON & MARTIN DRAGMASTERS, in CA. I dont recall the exact ## but i think there e.t. was 10 3s and we were in the 10.13 sec it was lowerd the next wk. I do not recall by who.WE ran a 9:98 at YORK PA and blew 2nd gear on the back up run. I have a story about the trip to YORK,PA. “…Just got a contact of an original Modifier In California…was with the club Before Dover and helped build the dragster.waiting for him to check in here.


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        #39758
        dino
        Keymaster

            as Gomer Pyle once Said “SURPRISE- SURPRISE” …….We always wanted to find out where the Alley Oop car ended up….Bob S. it took off Ebay when ‘someone” gave him a private offer and it ‘went out west’ …well about 26 miles was as far west as it got….’sneaky’ Bobby Schegel grabbed it and so history was preserved as you can see in the photo ….he’s faithfully finished it and it sits next to Hellzapoppin, just as it did on the starting line at Dover! We in the Dover Family are so grateful that it fell into the right hands and didn’t get hacked up by an uncaring Non Dover collector.We’ll be putting Tim Hallock In touch with Bobby….He’ll be glad his ‘ baby’ is safe. Here’s the story on it being sold:
            http://doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4027&p=34261&hilit=alley+Oop#p34261


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            #39768
            dino
            Keymaster

                forum Exclusive …You Heard it here First……Since I let the cat out of the bag after talking to Bobby yesterday …He posted this on the “Hamb”:
                HAPPY NEW YEAR news, here is the picture of Alley Oop, finished and running next to the other ORIGINAL legend of DOVER DRAG STRIP, HELLZAPOPPIN, the last time these 2 were next to each other was 51 years ago. I finished Alley Oop last october. The other picture was taken at the 2013 Lyndwood Welding show at the main shop where she was built in 1959, it was a suprise for Bob Bilbow & family when she rolled out of the trailer. Thanks to all the members on the HAMB site who helped with the information I needed to GET-ER-DONE. Also a BIG thank you to my friend Rich Head for all his help on Ally Oop & HELLZAPOPPIN. The big bend & brake machine behind Alley Oop in the Lyndwood picture is only one of the original equipment that Pat Bilbow used, Bob still has the original tube bender Pat used, Bob still runs the family business to this day. O to answer any questions I live 29 miles west of Bob Swensons house.

                Heres The Whole Topic started By Bob Swanson and Finshed by Bob Schegel.

                http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9456102#post9456102

                ….lot of Bobs

                #39782
                bobby-s

                    Dino, I forgot a BIG Thank you to Al Lombardo of BIG AL”S TOY BOX for up-dating the heads & getting the needed parts to put the 283 together & dyno / brake it in for me. Lee, Dean, John & Anthony were great to work with during this project.

                    #39786
                    vbob
                    Participant

                        HEY

                        Great job Bobby!
                        ‘V’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz6IpmmYSXA

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