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Austin Gassers - Mid-West History


MID-WEST Austin Gassers:
Jeg Coughlin:
Go to Jeg Coughlin Gallery

Jeg Coughlin (17K)

Jeg Coughlin (Ohio) ran a high performance business and raced a blown AA/G Austin two door sedan, "O-HEMI-AN", the Ohio Hemi by Jeg's Automotive, in 1966. Best times were 151.20 MPH at 9.38 seconds. Today JEG'S HIGH PERFORMANCE is one of the largest mail order high performance auto parts suppliers in the world.


Jeg Coughlin (24K)

In 1998 Mike Coughlin seached the country to find Jeg's O-HEMI-AN Austin. When the search turned up empty he bought an Austin race car built by W.S. Tracy of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The Austin was fitted with a Hemi and painted to replicate a later version of Jeg's car. After the car was completed Mike finally found and purchased the original Jeg's Austin.


Denny Dunkirk:
Go to Denny Dunkirk Gallery

Denny Dunkirk (28K)

MINNESOTA DRAGWAY - 1969

Photo by: Dick Wittenbel (RWitt01@aol.com)

Denny Dunkirk of the Torquers Car Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota built his Austin two door sedan in 1966 under the name "DUNKIRK SIGN CO." The Austin was powered by a 420 cu. in. Ford motor and later ran AA/G using a blown SOHC Ford 427. The car won numerous car show awards in the Minnesota area. The Austin was sold minus the motor in 1971.


Fetters Brothers - GREENHORN:

GREENHORN (101K) GREENHORN (82K)

SUMMERNATIONALS 1972
Englishtown, New Jersey

Photos by:

Bob Plumer

DRAGMEMOR@aol.com




Greenhorn (49K)

FETTERS WINS MODIFIED AT KIL-KARE '72 OPENER

KIL-KARE DRAGWAY, Xenia, Ohio - Young Alan Fetters of Union, Ohio was the top money winner at the Kil-Kare Dragway Sunday afternoon as the dragway kicked-off the 1972 NHRA sanctioned drag racing season.

Driving the Fetters Brothers D/G Austin "Greenhorn", Fetters was the Modified Eliminator with a time of 10.80 to beat Bob Tidwell of Dayton in a E/MP Corvette, who suffered a broken wheel stud on the big run. Fetters pocketed $300 for his Sunday drive.


Greenhorn (18K)

The "GREENHORN" is currently being driven on the street by Dave Cobb of Brook Park, Ohio.

Dave plans to return the "GREENHORN" to drag racing with a new 548 cu. in. big block Chevy engine and Rossler Powerglide with a 5400 stall converter.


Big Wilson:

Big Wilson (19K)

Big Wilson (Ohio) ran a 1948 Austin two door sedan in AA/GS in 1971. The brown and green Austin was used mainly for match races. In association with Mickey Hart the Austin was named "HART & SOUL".


Larry Nail and Vern Holzman:

Go to Nail and Holzman Gallery

Larry Nail and Vernon Holzman (85K)

Larry Nail and partner Vernon Holzman (Kansas) bought their 1948 English Austin tudor sedan from a salvage yard for $50. Larry kept the '48 frame and utilized a straight axle and cross-over spring. His choice for spindles was Anglia with Austin steering gear and Monroe shocks completing the front suspension. Larry used Monroe shocks on the Olds rear end. He relied on the Olds brakes and Anglia front brakes for stopping.

Larry Nail (43K)

Little Eliminator
Wichita, Kansas













Larry intended to run in B/Gas Supercharged. A 327 Chevy was destroked to 301 inches by using a 283 crank in place of the 327 shaft. Stock rods and pistons were retained. An Iskenderian 550 Super LaGerra camshaft and kit were added to work with the modified fuel injection heads. A Cragar driven 6.71 GMC blower was topped by fuel injection. Larry used a Joe Hunt magneto. Exhaust was homemade. A Schiefer clutch unit and four-speed complete the drivetrain. Larry's car was painted signal red by the Augusta Body Shop and the interior was done in black naugahyde and black rugging by Bob Elliott. First time out in B/GS the car turned 10.50 ET and 128 MPH.


Pete Gretz:

Pete Gretz (74K)

The "STREET FIGHTER" was the cover car for the September 1983 issue of NZ HOT ROD magazine (New Zealand):

"Who would have thought that the original Pommie Austin A40's would gain their rightful place in hot rodding's hall of fame alongside Willys Coupes and Ford Pops and Stude Salt screamers, but they did, and just as well. They have a flavour all their own, and a welcome one to save hot rodding's scope from being too stereotyped and boring. Apart from a bare few examples in NZ's history of rodding they haven't caught on, and the illustration is here to show just what we've been missing. Opposite from the narrow taste-buds of some channeled die-hard purists here, the Americans have shown thru the years that almost any vehicle can be hot rodded with taste and individual style. The A40's heritage is due to early drag race activity stateside, and they're solidly entrenched as part of our sport.

Garden City club member and NZ HOT ROD correspondent in Christchurch, amongst others, Craig Stare's "Street Fighter" is a fantastic and colorful example of the breed. Its buildup began by Les Hunter drawing the entire car to scale on paper, including all bracketry, then Les did most of the engineering. Chassis is box section 3" x 11/2" with 8-point roll cage tying it all solid, and even the engine's solid mounted.

The front end has modified 1938 Austin 12 leaf springs mounting a 5" dropped tube axle with GM Holden stubs and MK3 Zephyr discs, steered by HA Viva rack and pinion. Rear end is a drastically narrowed 9" Ford with 5.43 gears and Positraction for the track, 4-spider 3.9 gears for rod running. Modified 100E Prefect coils are used back there working with Gabriel shocks and ladder bars, including Mk3 discs. Rear Centerlines are 15" x 10" with large McReary rubber inside expansive wheel tubs; fronts measure 15 x 31/2 and carry Pirelli 145 x 15 tyres.

The 355ci Chevy powerplant began as a 350 block, running steel crank in 4-bolt caps, LT-1 rods with 101/2 TRW slugs, General Kinetics 585-lift solid cam, Crane roller rockers and stainless valves. Pete Jackson cam gear drive and front dizzy was employed, and new 292 heads support a tunnel ram with two 600 Holleys. Accel ignition completes the engine, built by Dennis Wise and backed by a McLeod clutch set-up and 4-speed Toploader with vertical gate Mr Gasket shifter.

The top chop was measured and mucked up by Craig himself, refixed by Roy Cooper, bodywork by Leon Phillips. One-piece fiber front is used, body prep and paint was handled by Craig in bright lemon, orange stripes and blue rear. Sign-writings by Bruce Taylor and Pete Redfern also comes in for thanks. Pleated black vinyl buckets and black carpet adorn the interior, amongst hand-stitched aluminum.


Pete Gretz (22K)

The "STREET FIGHTER" is currently owned by Pete Gretz of Marion, Indiana.



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