# my favorite dragster EVAR .... Big Al (1&2) **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [September 24, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943 "2006-09-24T11:41:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HotRodKid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/hotrodkid/32/7609_2.png) [@HotRodKid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/HotRodKid)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/1 "2006-09-24T11:41:11Z")
> When Lytle relocated from Texas to California in Dec. 1962, his Tudor had made just one pass under Allison power: a clutch-frying effort of 77 mph at AHRA’s Nationals. sounds shitty right ? > Initially-severe torque steer was eventually conquered by encasing the flywheel, clutch assembly, throwout bearing, driveshaft and pinion gear within a 14-inch-diameter torque tube of Jim’s own design. Nevertheless, after improving to mid-10-second times at 147-plus, he reluctantly parked the world’s fastest sedan. > > “I may have been the first drag racer to blow my own doors off, literally!” he recalled, laughing. “At those speeds, the volume of air compressed inside the body was tearing it up. I lost the hood once, and the right door came open twice, at about 145. I got tired of fixing it. I’ve always hated doing body work. I felt that the car had just about reached its potential, anyway.” > > Although that steel sedan was never seen again in public, it would make one more contribution to motorsports history: It was this old Ford that Lytle used to create the five-piece mold that produced drag racing’s first one-piece, fiberglass, lift-off body — and the world’s fastest full-fendered race car of 1964. In the next issue, we’ll discuss the brief life and lasting impact of Big Al II. steel body version (big al 1) ![http://www.dragracingonline.com/nowthen/images/3.jpg](http://www.dragracingonline.com/nowthen/images/3.jpg) fiberglass (big al 2) : Jim Lytles replica: 1966 winter nationals: ---
**Author:** ![MPD47](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mpd47/32/7383_2.png) [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/2 "2006-09-24T12:10:25Z")
Should’ve just cut the roof off. V1 looks cool, V2 looks retarded. ---
**Author:** ![camarojoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@camarojoe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/camarojoe)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/3 "2006-09-24T12:18:40Z")
Holy chop. ---
**Author:** ![GtPWaNnABe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GtPWaNnABe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GtPWaNnABe)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/4 "2006-09-24T12:18:41Z")
thats nuts. i love old school pics ---
**Author:** ![redrum](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/redrum/32/7398_2.png) [@redrum](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/redrum)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/5 "2006-09-24T14:43:41Z")
60s race cars were crazy ---
**Author:** ![HotRodKid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/hotrodkid/32/7609_2.png) [@HotRodKid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/HotRodKid)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/6 "2006-09-24T15:16:01Z")
well chopping the roof that far was a simple way to streamline the car, cover the massive engine AND give the driver a good field of vision version 1 didnt have a windsheild in the windsheild opening, and it caused the body to distort, which blew the doors open a number of times the 2nd picture down is actualy the steel body after it was chopped down all the way, and stripped of all its paint. you can see how distorted the door is from previosuly blowing upen at 140mph ---
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/7 "2006-09-25T08:01:14Z")
precursor of modern funny cars? BA :tup: ---
**Author:** ![Bacon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bacon/32/7230_2.png) [@Bacon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bacon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/8 "2006-09-25T08:09:54Z")
Old school. :tup: ---
**Author:** ![ChevyChase](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/chevychase/32/4952_2.png) [@ChevyChase](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ChevyChase)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/9 "2006-09-25T09:26:27Z")
thats safe… look at his head on big al 2. lol ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/10 "2006-09-25T09:28:55Z")
> [@ChevyChase](#): > > thats safe… look at his head on big al 2. lol lol i was wondering how he could see out that tiny window ---
**Author:** ![ChevyChase](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/chevychase/32/4952_2.png) [@ChevyChase](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ChevyChase)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/11 "2006-09-25T09:33:51Z")
enough pipes coming out the side aswell? ---
**Author:** ![Chrish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Chrish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Chrish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-favorite-dragster-evar-big-al-1-2/17943/12 "2006-09-25T09:36:50Z")
Nice, I love seeing these old pics :tup: