Dear Byron,
I noticed your "visitors rides" update of 11-30-2003 with interest. You show Henry Alexander's ( a very nice chap ) Henry J. Because of him I have learned a tremendous amount concerning the drag racing history of my car that was built for the 59 Nationals at Detroit. In the fall of 2002 Henry brought his "J" to a car show in Frankenmuth, MI ( 2000-3000 cars ). Across the lane was a couple that had just finished a 1938 Ford truck. The two couples chatted and the subject of my car came up. Henry tells the lady that if she wants to know the present and past of the car she should go to www.henryjcars.com ( at this time I had no ideal that my car was on a web site ). She went to the site and then called me -- wanting to know if I did own the car. I told her that I have owned the car for 35 years and that I bought it because my gut feeling was that some how the car was "special". Her reply put me to the floor --- she had been looking for the cars for 25 years ---- her dad ( Bill Waddill ) had built the car and as a child she was a pit crew kid. Since her call I have decided to try to restore the car as her dad raced it in 1959 in his honor, but I do not know how to trace what eng./trans/ diff's /gauges were used and approximate---if you can give me any leads to find out I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks for Just Listening ,

Jerry Coale
HollyAutomotiveSupply@comcast.net

PS F Y I By the way --- this might be of interest -- the car was featured in HOT ROD ( 2 pages ) in June 1960 and also pictured in May and Dec 1960 issues. The car was also mentioned and shown going down the track at the 59 Nationals in HOT ROD'S movie "Ingenuity In Action" against the "Parker's"

For those who have not seen "Ingenuity In Action", it is a really great documentary about the 1959 Nationals in Detroit.  It's VERY COOL!  You can download it from the Prelinger Archives HERE. (If that doesn't work, try http://www.archive.org/movies/details-db.php?collection=prelinger&collectionid=20574a

Byron