There are some things that are better left unchanged. Your grandmother’s recipe for mashed potatoes that requires three pounds of butter, and original hemi engine inside a 1960s muscle car, and the Ole’ Tater Hauler wheelie truck. We’ll explain.
See, back in 1966 the guys that built Baileyton Good Time Dragstrip decided that they needed something to bring pizzaz to the track and help get the spectators in the gate. The guys decided to build a wheelstander and the truck you see in this video is the same one that they built more than 50 years ago, doing the same job it was designed to do back then. Virtually unchanged, there is a 427ci big block Chevy in the bed that feeds an automatic transmission and a 1957 Pontiac rear axle. When it was first built the truck had no means to be steered when the wheels were up! Builders Jack Walker and Joe Tidwell then developed a push-pull style braking system to allow the driver to direct the truck when the front wheels are off the ground. Win!
By today’s standards this is a pretty slow wheelstander and frankly we ecstatic that this thing had not been all butchered up over the years. The stock wheelbase, steel bodied truck is so awesome for what it isn’t rather than what it is. No tube chassis, no composite body, no blown, alcohol burning engine. Just the old school single four barrel big block churning those rear tires. The truck runs about 75mph in the eighth and has been about 110 in the quarter on the rear tires.
Our favorite part is the lightbulb under the truck for added theatrical effect during night performances. THIS is the type of time machine we love.
That’s the way a wheelstander should run! I’ve never got the faster et’s and all that with the modern cars. As mentioned, tube chassis, and balky and all that crap. Give me the original Hemi Under Glass or Red Wagon, and it’s a better show! Jim Birilliro’s Wind Jammer…any of the old ones! Speed is not the only measure of good racing or exhibitions. Case in point; the Winged Express. Not fast enough to qualify for an NHRA pro stock event, but to me, still the most exciting car to watch in drag racing.
I agree with Gary