Dick Brannan's Mustang

[Deleted]

I'm building up a nice stash of early 60s "lightweights" (all makes) and F/X cars to eventually build.

We all know that the F/X cars were actually the first "funny cars". I read something a couple of days ago that I'd like to hear some thoughts from you guys on. The article stated that Dick Brannan's "Bronco" SOHC '66 Mustang was considered to be the very first funny car.

I'm not at all doubting the statement. There is absolutely no doubt his car was one of the very first. What about it? What do you guys think? Can the "Bronco" Mustang be positively identified as the first official funny car?

[Deleted]

OK. I was aware of the "Chargers" cars, but had never seen anything that specifically named them as the first funny cars. Interesting how there is no real way to prove what car was officially the first funny car. But since I'm a big, old MOPAR fan, I might be tempted to register the "Chargers" as the first. Thanks for those links.

[oldcoyote]

As Paul mentioned, not only did Jimmy Nix and Jimmy Johnson in the Dodger Chargers pre-date Dick Brannon's Mustang ......... so did Jack Chrisman in the 1964 Sachs and Sons Comet ...... shown below in the pits at Amarillo Dragway in June of 1964

[Deleted]

I had a real bad night sleeping for some reason, so did something I don't normally do. I laid on the couch and used my phone to do some Internet research on this "first funny car" thing. There is no lack of info out there, to be sure. The vast majority agrees that the "Chargers" were the first funny cars. There is also a small following that think the "Sachs & Sons" Comet qualifies as the first. In addition, some think Brannan's Mustang was, and there are even some that think the first was actually Dick Landy's '64 Dodge Coronet because it was one of the very first cars with the radically altered wheelbase. The final candidate seems to be Don Nichsolson's flip-top, tube-chassis Comet. Depending on where you find the info, each of these cars has some small reason for being considered the very first "funny car", including the first altered wheelbase and the first fuelie. I did find that it was Gary Dyer's Hemi Dodge A/FX car that was the first to have an altered wheelbase, supercharging, nitromethane fuel, and a 392 Hemi, the 4 things ultimately necessary to consider the car a "funny car".

[tubbs]

this is pretty cool, love the history of drag racing, but.. I know I am in the minority here, but I would have to say that the first true funny car would have to be one that had a tube chassis. altered wheelbase cars are just that and I cant put a factory framed car in there either.

[Deleted]

I think that's where the controversy comes from. There is no well defined description of exactly what the first "funny car" is. The term "funny car" came from the fans and they were using the term to describe the way the altered wheel base cars looked. Using that set of parameters would make the "Chargers" cars the first funny cars. If you use only a tubed chassis as the requirement for being a funny car, then Nichsolson's Comet becomes the first. But then if you use the 4 major descriptive requirements of an altered wheelbase, supercharging, nitromethane fuel, and a 392 Hemi, which became the 4 requirements for a funny car then Gary Dyer's Hemi Dodge would be the first true funny car. Since there is no real, dead set, description of what the first funny car looked like, you end up with the various claims of different cars being first.

[Deleted]

Oh, I wouldn't disagree on anything. My point was that there are too many different opinions of what made up the first funny car to ever be able to pin point the one, single car that is officially, and unanimously, selected as THE very first funny car.

All the guys mentioned in this thread contributed to the funny car class being defined by the NHRA. You can't take any of what they did away and then have the same resulting rules for the actual funny car class. All those guys were pioneers in their own right. And all of them together are what pushed the popularity of drag racing in the 60s.

[oldcoyote]

In 1966 Mercury commissioned Logghe Chassis and Fiberglas Trends to build four tube chassis flip-top Comets. One went to Don Nicholson, one to Jack Chrisman, one to Ed Shartman, and one to the Denver based Kenz & Leslie team ..... the latter two are shown below in the pits at Amarillo Dragway

[tubbs]

this conversation is great, talking about who had the first real funny car.... have you seen funny cars today... you got to be kidding???

[david]

Might want to check that. I thought Ambelwagon (the Ambulance maker in Detroit) did all of the altered wheelbase conversions. Re-tooling an assembly line at a Chrysler factory for so few cars (and cars that were constantly changing) was not feasible. 

[david]

Good source material. Down around pages 8-12 it has some answers. 


books.google.com/books?id=J7MfGlCt1DEC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=ambelwagon+built+altered+wheelbase&source=bl&ots=XlwzsXaa3H&sig=pyEHNZ0J4o9VulQSMGv6Ps2sck4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjf3Z64nLncAhUCCawKHUO6BXYQ6AEIYjAK#v=onepage&q&f=false

[gloozalot]

I will try this one more time. 101 AWB off the line at Lynch Road?? There were 101 Dodge and Plymouth Super Stock cars built at the Hamtramck Plant to satisfy the NHRA for super stock competition. The Option Code W051 is for a Coronet. W-Coronet, 0-Super Stock, 5-1965, 1-Hamtramck assembly plant. Cars were built with light weight steel fenders and hood with scoop. The code for the Plymouths would be R051. No fiberglass parts, no acid dipped bodies, no AWB cars. As for the AWB cars, there were 12 or more Dodge and Plymouths built off site with Parts supplied by Chrysler. There well may have been 101 AWB cars if you add the ones built by Joe Mechanic and his brother in law in someone's garage. Thats my take and I'm sticking to it. This information can be found in the Chrysler Historical Archive and the Hemi Owners Registry.

As for the first Funny Car, I give that vote to the 59 Dodge. They look pretty funny to me.

[david]

Spot on Glooz. In fact, the Corporate Brass at Chrysler were generally not fans of the whole altered wheelbase thing since they were in the business of selling cars. The old adage "Win on Sunday; Sell on Monday" that was the mantra for factory racing efforts at that time was a heavy contrast to a handful of mutant cars that nobody could buy. Worse than that, they completely under estimated Wally Parks and the power of his typewriter. A couple of paragraphs was all it took and the NHRA had effectively killed off the AWB fad. They delighted fans and their match races were legendary but what had happened in NASCAR was happening all over again in Chrysler's NHRA efforts. The AWB mutants were interesting cars; "funny" cars to be sure, but they came and went like a passing Summer thunderstorm.

[Deleted]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I got from reading the book, "Maximum Performance", guys. I'm still reading that book. I guess I'm a little more than halfway through it. It's taking me a LOT longer than normal to read it because I'm stopping to jump on the laptop and look up stuff. Each and every year from '62 to '65 brought new offerings from Mother MOPAR and then LOTS of new things from the guys that got their hands on the offerings. Chrysler did continue to offer up some fantastic performance through the end of the decade, just not directly like they had in the earlier 60s.

[Pete L]

Fellas,

Great info, thanks for all of the details !!!


ps: I just ordered the "How to build Altered Wheelbase Cars" book. Once again thanks for all the info fellas !