Topic: SOLVED: WTH # 392 - 1957 Bill Hofer's race car on 32 Ford frame powered by Chevy straight 6

[datsone]

SoCal hot rodder no doubt. Iskenderian?

[oko94]

It was owned by Bill Hofer of Ft. Worth, Tx. Bill and his club the "Squires" built it.

Engine is a '54 Chevy six with: Spalding can, McGurk pistons, Harker manifold, Holley carbs, and reworked GMC rocker arms.

The body color is a bright red with a '32 Ford chassis painted that's painted white. Much of the front suspension is chromed and the wheels are white.

The car ran at the 1957 Nationals in OKC. The article gives a top speed of 132mph, but no elapsed time. Jay Williams was the driver.

[oko94]

Other pictures.

[datsone]

Rats - still no pix of those 6-into-4 zoomies -- that 's unique! Should have figured this was on "that" site, just didn't look hard enough. A few more details from the builder's son:

"The rear engined dragster was built from my father's 32-5 window coupe. He drove the '32 at Bonneville in 1955. It was severly chopped and ran on 20% nitro. Lessons learned from that experience told him that aerodynamics were the key to going fast. The result was the rear engined car you see in those articles. The 32-5 window did 120 mph in a 1/4 at Caddo Mills dragstrip in 1954/5 on 20% nitro. The rear engine car was a high gear only car, the clutch being connected directly to the quick change. The car was designed to try for 200 mph at Bonneville. On a "shake down" run at Fort Worth driver Jimmy Williams reported a tachometer reading indicating a speed of 170 mph+ with "lots of throttle left" on gasoline. ... The color of the both cars was "Insignia Red", an Air Force color that was painted on the tails of the B-36 bombers for recognition in the event of a crash."

[sixtee5cuda]

And the point goes to oko94 for the correct answer.

Great looking little car.