Check out this one of a kind historic barn find '57 Chevy Nickey Gasser! According to the written documentation here's what owner Jim Thurston knows:
The car was constructed as a B-Gasser in 1962 by a mechanic at Nickey Chicago and raced all over the country. Also raced at US 30 as there were two '57 Chevys raced out of Nickey, this car the Shake Rattle and Roll and the Shake Rattle and Run car. Original gasser equipment installed in '62 were 397 Pontiac engine with twin four barrel carbs, Paxton Supercharger, 12-1 compression, 540 high lift Crower Roller Cam, High Dome Pistons, 4speed hydromatic transmission, '57 Olds rearend with 4.56 gears, fiberglass nose, racing gauges, 3 gallon nose mounted fuel tank, and running on a mixture of 2 parts high octane racing fuel and 1 part Methane Alcohol. Additional items included the engine being moved rearward 18", new firewall made from a Firestone Sign was installed, electronic ignition, van seating, extra weight in the trunk, roll bar, Hugger Orange paint. Everything listed still remains in the car.
In 1968 Ed Sciacca (Uncle Ed) purchased the car through Ronnie Kaplan. It was found at a gas station at 110th and Halsted St. in Chicago. Uncle Ed repainted the car a burnt dark red and raced the car from '68 -'70. He parked it in his garage in 1970 and sold it to me after painting it back the original Hugger Orange this year. So it sat unused for 38 years!
Ralph Thomas
Jim also has a binder full of other info and pictures pertaining to the car.
It was pretty interesting on his first pass Jim lined up against "Mr. 56" Eddie Hawkins who in his own right is a racing legend and has owned his '56 Chevy for 55 years and it too is original in many aspects!
Jim who is 70 years old and never drag raced a car in his life did very well considering he could hardly reach the steering wheel and didn't know if car was going to go straight or even stop for that matter. Jim would like to thank Dick White who was his crew chief and damn near had to force him into the car but all in all it was a fun, safe and memorable day #barnfind #57chevy #glorydays