Hustler

Not like Larry Flynt but Art Chrisman. Chrisman was one of the pioneers of the early fuel dragsters and the first man to make runs of 140 and 180 miles per hour on the drag strip. I came across this picture while looking for something else - your typical internet search. Since I've actually stayed busy over vacation and have finished a few things, I've allowed myself the luxury to fantasize about building a dragster/hotrod. I've got a few ideas rattling around in my head but certainly don't have the time to start anything else. But if I did, it would be some kind of aluminum bodied thing like the Hustler is.

I'm thinking tube frame with a 4 link rear suspension. Torsion bar suspension on the front - maybe even an old VW beam with kingpins. Slant Six with a Torqueflite trans and the small Chrysler rear. Just find an old Dart and strip the running gear out of it. Put a good roll cage in it and there you go. Take it to the strip or drive it to work. Put a little work in the Slant Six and you'd have something that would be fun to drive and could probably put you into the 13's at the strip as light as it would be. If it was a little too slow you could always throw some nitrous at it. Maybe I'll keep working on the idea while I'm finishing up the grandson's midget. I've got a book about Kurtis Kraft cars on order that should be here any day, that ought to be good for a couple of daydreaming sessions.