1960 Buck & Thompson Slingshot Dragster
01
Artifact Overview
Sam Buck and Bob Thompson built this car in 1960. They bought the chassis as a kit, and the 1948 Ford engine was highly modified with special cylinder heads, crank, pistons, magneto, camshaft, and fuel injectors. In this style of dragster, popular from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, the driver sat behind the rear wheels "like a rock in a slingshot."
Artifact Details
Artifact
Racing car
Date Made
1960
Creator Notes
Built by Bob Thompson and Sam Buck in Lockport, Illinois using Chassis Research (Inglewood, California) frame purchased as a kit.
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
89.327.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Bob Thompson.
Material
Steel
Aluminum
Rubber (Material)
Nylon
Plexiglas (TM)
Technique
Customizing
Handmade
Welding
Color
Silver (Color)
Black (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 50 in
Width: 60 in
Length: 151 in
Weight: 1210 lbs
Inscriptions
On steering wheel: Chassis Research
On sides of engine: Edelbrock
On fuel pressure tank: EELCO / FUEL PRESSURE TANK / FUEL CAPACITY 1 1/2 GALLONS / TOTAL CAPACITY 2 GALLONS / MAX PRESSURE 10 PSI
Specifications
Make & Model: 1960 Buck & Thompson Slingshot Dragster (drag racing)
Maker: Sam Buck and Bob Thompson, Lockport, Illinois
Engine: Ford V-8, L-head valves, 320 cubic inches
Transmission: 1948 Ford 3-speed manual using only 2nd and 3rd gears
Height: 50 inches
Width: 60 inches
Wheelbase: 96 inches
Overall length: 148 inches
Weight: 1210 pounds
Horsepower: 220
Pounds per horsepower: 5.5
Competition History: Winner of Class D Dragster, World Series of Drag Racing, Cordova, Illinois, 1961; Winner of Class D Dragster, U.S. Fuel & Gas Championships, Bakersfield, California, 1962.
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