NHRAMike
Nitro Member
Here is an excellent interview with Ron Capps talking about nostalgia F/C, Ace and the chase over at Competition Plus
Ron Capps at Competition Plus
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Randy
Nitro Member
That Johnny Loper Arrow was a sweet looking ride. Tom Stratton painted it. Back in the late 1970's I had Tom Stratton use the exact same colors on my altered, that's how much I liked it.
The black paint had a very subtile green speckled pearl that if, in Tom's words, no one pointed it out you'd never see it. You had to catch the sunlight in the paint at an exact angle at a certain time of day...and there it was. Absolutely gorgeous.
I still have the original scoop off the car Tom painted for me and it still has the original (now 30 years old) paint. The faint green pearl is still there.
Ron's a lucky guy to get hooked up with that car.
I hope Bill Pratt doesn't mind me posting a picture, courtesy of Draglist.com.
RG
The black paint had a very subtile green speckled pearl that if, in Tom's words, no one pointed it out you'd never see it. You had to catch the sunlight in the paint at an exact angle at a certain time of day...and there it was. Absolutely gorgeous.
I still have the original scoop off the car Tom painted for me and it still has the original (now 30 years old) paint. The faint green pearl is still there.
Ron's a lucky guy to get hooked up with that car.
I hope Bill Pratt doesn't mind me posting a picture, courtesy of Draglist.com.
RG
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Larry
Nitro Member
Here you are Bryan welcome to the Mater!
Capps Preparing To Debut Messengers "Future Flash" At CHRR - Nostalgia Funny Car News
Capps Preparing To Debut Messengers "Future Flash" At CHRR - Nostalgia Funny Car News
The Swegian
Nitro Member
I love those nostalgia FC's, when they truly looked like the family car they were meant to represent and nobody was really concerned about aerodynamics.
I loved Loper's cars. I had the privilege of getting to know Tripp Shumake when I lived in Scottsdale about 10 years ago, my dad got to be buddies with him. I was like a little kid listening to all his old racing stories, similar to the way Ron Capps describes how he loves all the old stories.
Hey Randy, I enjoy all of your posts and many of your ideas, especiall A/Fuel FC. Any way I can get you to post pics of your old altered? I've heard you mention it many times, and as I've posted many times, I grew up watching my dad run A/A, so were still altered nuts.
Hey Randy, I enjoy all of your posts and many of your ideas, especiall A/Fuel FC. Any way I can get you to post pics of your old altered? I've heard you mention it many times, and as I've posted many times, I grew up watching my dad run A/A, so were still altered nuts.
Randy
Nitro Member
I had Tom paint his Superman "S" on the fiberglass radiator grill shell front and center. I need to go through the pictures to see if I can find a picture of it. Steve Reyes did a three page spread in Popular Hot Rodding on it in the early '80's and I think I remember a frontal shot that may show it. I'll have to look, then I'll have to go buy a scanner!
Draw 3D
Nitro Member
Bill, that's it thanks, and, I'm with you, sure do miss Tom also, he was a good friend. The pic with Tom adding swirls to the gold leaf is a nice one, I think he enjoyed lettering the most.
Sure do miss his big grin and incessant whistling.
Thanks for the memories Bill.
And Randy, thanks anyway.
Sure do miss his big grin and incessant whistling.
Thanks for the memories Bill.
And Randy, thanks anyway.
You!
Nitro Member
You're welcome Paul. A side note to that picture was he was already sick when he was doing the lettering. He had finished the paint but had to go into the hospital to treat his throat cancer issues. He finished the lettering after he got out, and while he was never heavy, he had already lost a bit of weight in that picture.
I believe mine was the last complete car he painted and lettered.
Even after he knew he had a problem, he's still say, "Hey Billy, you up for Mexican?" He loved that little dive on Indian Hill (you or Randy probably remember the name of it.) and if Anne came in later I'd have to lie and say we went to the Steer n Stein or something other than the mexican joint!
Lots of good Stratton stories. Should probably start a different thread for 'em though. My favorites are the Sherm Gunn story AND the Rudy "Topeka" deal. Oh and the large burnout marks coming out of the paint booth! Good times.
I believe mine was the last complete car he painted and lettered.
Even after he knew he had a problem, he's still say, "Hey Billy, you up for Mexican?" He loved that little dive on Indian Hill (you or Randy probably remember the name of it.) and if Anne came in later I'd have to lie and say we went to the Steer n Stein or something other than the mexican joint!
Lots of good Stratton stories. Should probably start a different thread for 'em though. My favorites are the Sherm Gunn story AND the Rudy "Topeka" deal. Oh and the large burnout marks coming out of the paint booth! Good times.
