Manky Monkey Motors

Up at Shakey, always a good meeting with lots going on. (Little Brother to the Hot Rod Drags)
http://www.shakespearecountyraceway.co.uk/eventdetails.asp?event=65

We'll be there on the Sunday Tony.
I hear my big brother may be behind the wheel again?

I heard that as well, lets hope.

See you there

   you think so ?

oh dear..... more expense  ::)

AAArrrghhh!!! Not again!  :'(

only a scratch  ::)

You might want to check the date ;)
We're going this weekend.

 ;D

  yep, Tuesday, cam and lifters buggered, Wednesday went to see a very nice man and did a cracking deal on a roller cam and ordered a set of lifters from USA, Thursday, they arrived and all fitted up and a borrowed ignition lashed on, Friday (just) made sure the neighbours got a good early start to their day, sounding sharp ! we'll load later and be there by tea time

Hurrah!
Try not to break it before I get there on Sunday please!  ;D

Yep!!! June not July, hope so as I am sitting up the track writing this.
Black Pig Too is not that far away and Steve and Lesley are confident all is going to be good this weekend, I really hope so and all the problems have been solved.
Gopt to get some sleep, not like some of them out there, I have to be up at 7 so I can start checking thier cars from 8.
Weather is looking good also and the place is packed.

Great news. Ain't technology wonderful! Looking forward to a day at the races tomorrow. G'night Tony.

just to let you all know, BLACK PIG TOO lives, last run was a good 9.5 @ 140 mph (As near as dam) and sounds and looks great.
Look, its half twelve again and its 7 again in the morning, so see you late Mr Mankey (as you come into the pits, turn right and Steve is just up on the right hand side next to Bee Sting.

  First class weekend, some nice kit in attendance, good company, great weather, and nothing broke, spot on 

So you got home before me. but your not telling it all.
After a year and lots of time, blood, sweat, tears and lots cash, this weekend turned out  "The best" and what I really think is a start of something big and is going to grow bigger.
Not only did they get the "Best Slingshot" award (Voted to the guys in the commentary box) but even managed a very, very good 2nd place at the event
Well done you two
(Sorry Lesley about the photo, I should have taken a couple to make sure you were awake in one of them  ::))

Sorry I couldn't go. Had to work  :'( Andy said he had a good day and here is a photo of your car

Congratulations Steve and Leslie. ;D

Aye, a good day at t' races.
I had to work on the Saturday so arrived mid morning on the Sunday & headed straight for the pits to find the Pig sty, but the garage gazebo was empty. So I set off for the fire up lanes to find them. Caught sight of a black roof disappearing down the track & thought bugger, missed their run -hang on, the new Black Pig hasn't got a roof.
I'm sure Steve will explain the engine problems that have kept them in the workshop for so long, but seems like they've nailed them now. The Pig looks & sounds great & was running as strong as ever.
I'm not built for hot weather & was struggling in the heat -it really was seriously hot out there. Couldn't have been much fun squeezed into the confines of a roll cage & race harness in a fire suit & crash helmet. The blazing sunshine was playing havoc with the auto focus settings on my digital camera too, so I ended up with quite a few fuzzy shots, but got plenty of others, (I tend to leave it on auto most of the time at race meets). We'll post a full gallery once the website's fully operational again.
Many thanks to Steve & the lovely Lesley for the loan of the team shirt & letting me mooch around trackside & generally get in the way while they got on with the serious business of racing. 

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I only usually do 2 drag meets a year -the Nostalgia Nationals & the Hotrod Drags, both organised by the NSRA & both held at "Shakespeare County Raceway" in Stratford on Avon. As the names suggest, they attract a lot of 50s/60s style rods & racers. I don't religeously follow the racing but just love the atmosphere. Some nice machinery burning rubber out on the track.

Photos just can't convey the noise & ground trembling power of these cars.
"Roarin' Rat" is a legendary 57 Chevy "gasser", featured on the front cover of Custom Car magazine years ago. It's still pounding the 1/4 mile & still looking fabulous. When it's not racing, it's owner, Ken, stores it at the workshops of our local rod shop, Valley Gas Speed Shop in Newbury, Berkshire.

"Henry Hirise" was another superstar car. Built in the same workshops as the Rat & on the cover of the first issue of Street Machine magazine back in the early 80s, (?). It's passed through several owners but now been completely rebuilt & featured again in a recent issue of Custom Car. Although it's had a complete new tube chassis, the rest of the car is just as I remember it from the indoor custom shows of the late 70s/early 80s, when I drooled over machines like this as a teenager. I've never heard it run before & standing next to it in the pits as it burst into life, it sounded truly awesome. Unbelievably loud. Managed to miss it on the track though. I hope they managed to run side by side with Roarin' Rat as was rumoured.

Travellin' in style.

I've got lots of pics of Pops, but as I'm in the middle of building a Ford Popular based rod myself, I was looking for ideas & tips for mine. I  reckon Pops are the quintessential British hotrod, instantly recognisable, even by complete non PetrolHeads. All sorts of styles, both on the track & in the campsite. 
"Problem Child" used to belong to Jan of Thatcham in Berkshire. Taz & I went to look at the front axle from it when it was advertised, when I first started my build. I've sat at the wheel of this car. It performed an amazing wheelstand here at Shakey last year at the hands of Jan, when he managed to wheelie it so high the rear bumper scraped the track.

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Another reworked old Brit. A Bedford truck given a pick-up treatment. Not sure about the proportions -the rear bed looks a tad too long for my tastes, but very nicely done & just a little different from the accepted regular donor vehicles.

Loved this XJ12 Jag. Utterly bonkers with it's twin carbed, supercharged big block motor standing as tall as the roof. Huge rubber stuffed under the back end & a parachute brake. Camped opposite the Pig in the pits. Sounded great, though it seemed disappointingly slow on the track.

Plenty of old Brit bikes there too.

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Q plate on the 40s Willys coupe would suggest it's either a genuine American import or a fibreglass bodied newbie that's gone through the SVA registration process. Interesting either way. Modern 5 spoke alloy wheels though? No, no, no, no, no.

Besides the original tin, there were plenty of 'glass bodied rods about. Not everyone can afford, or wants, 50 or 60 year old steel.
I really liked this little flat top with it's 4 cylinder motor. No reason why you couldn't use it as a daily driver if you don't mind the lack of glass in the windows!

Army green, supercharged, 4 Webber carbed, 3 window coupe looked tough. Also fibreglass bodied.

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Pick-ups & ladies & ladies in pick-ups.

Bar hopping on a motorised bar stool. Funky pit lane transport is almost as popular as the race cars themselves.
There was a race series devoted just to youngsters in moped or lawn mower powered "totrods".

Odgie, writer for several bike & car magazines & well known nutter, on the return road from the top of the track. His missus drove this little special, "The Shedster", home, while Odgie towed their caravan with his latest build, a Beverley HillBillies style pick-up, complete with wooden church pew bench seat. Mad as a box of frogs but a cool guy.

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Dodge Charger like Taz's charging down the track. Hers is a 1969 model. This is a '68, (different grille & rear lights, plus round side marker lights rather than oblong ones, are the giveaways).
"Mopars", (sports, or "Muscle Car" models built by the Motor Parts division of the Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge group in the late 60s/early 70s are very popular on the drag strip. Might be a while yet till Taz's is ready for her to give it a go. That's 2 1/2 tons of American steel thundering down the asphalt.

If I had a Yank Tank, I'd go for something more like this. I prefer the more aggressive stance of something big & boxy & unfeasibly unaerodynamic. Cool.

Talking of unaerodynamic, I watched this old boy lining up & racing several times & eventually had to ask, what's going on with that crash helmet? Is it some sort of extra padding to comply with race regulations? Nope, it's cos he was racing in the Flathead series, (a type of engine). Nice to know there's still plenty of British eccentrics out there. I think everyone should go drag racing in a tweed jacket & cravat.  :)

Asleep in boot-y?   ;D

Full gallery online as soon as we fix the website.

a few of mine including a vid of Henry Highrise's run

and more

more

 ;)

 ???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayqKnQXeNaA&feature=player_embedded

its a great saying but where did it originate 'as mad as a box of frogs'  ;D
bet the old boy enjoyed himself, also goes to show it appeals to people of all ages.

Hopping mad?