This makes a nice follow-up to the documentary of the 1965 Targa Florio race. Totally different type of racing, of course, but the same sense of golden-age racing action. Thanks to Hellhammer for the tip!

First, let's watch some gassers in action, so we can get an idea what the goal is here. Yes, such a wonderful car could be yours... if you but drag one of the following two machines through the Lake of Fire. With your teeth.

Lots of Ford Anglias got stuffed with big engines and drag raced back in the day, so it makes perfect sense to apply the same treatment to one of GM's European creations. Say, this '59 Opel (go here if the ad disappears), which could be yours for just $3,500. It appears to be a Rekord, and the seller claims it's an actual early-60s gasser. Back then, it had a 392 Hemi... but today there is just a yawning nothingness where engine and transmission once lived. That's good news, really, because then you'll be free to break free from the shackles of tradition and put something different under the hood. How about a Mercedes 6.9, to keep the car all German? Or maybe stick with the General and put a GNX-style Buick V6 in there? The car comes with unspecified "extra parts," and we're guessing that a windshield isn't one of them. Better brush up on your German skills, because the nearest '59 Rekord windshield is likely in Deutschland.

You say you want a car with some authentic racing history, but an Opel is just too, uh, mainstream for your taste? We hear you, you rebellious freethinkers, which is why we're going with this 1968 Alfa Romeo GTV 105 gasser for our second choice. We don't know how much the seller wants for this car, because the auction's reserve wasn't met, but he or she is probably ready to listen to reason now (provided the rustle of a stack of Benjamins is audible). The ad describes some painfully cool Italian V8 engines that once lived in this car... but you don't get those engines as part of the deal. Well, you can buy the Alfa Tipo 33 2.5 liter V8 from the car's early drag race career, but the seller adds the ominous- if honest- note: "But believe me, that motor won't be cheap, even if the car goes for a song." So we figure you'd be better off tracking down a Maserati Quattroporte V8, getting an adapter plate made to bolt it to a Powerglde, and then spending a few years trying to get that setup working properly. But if you did, imagine the glory! Thanks (and a Project Car Hell Tipster T-shirt) to TK, who gets his shirt the hard way by sending in two separate tips for two different PCHs; you may recall TK as the reader who tipped me of about the Aston Martin Lagonda a couple months back.

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Today's drivers have a different role than in the old days. They have sponsor commitments and race press all week, and then drive on the weekend. Not many of them work on the car. Not only did we drive the race car, we worked on them, and drove the tow vehicles down the highways. Today we race 23 three-day events. Back then we could race 100 one-night stands!

The 16th annual Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Holley, is part of the museum's Hot Rod Heritage Series which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.
Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods, classics, customs and muscle cars of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.
A three-day credential for admission to all events is available for $55 by calling 800/884-NHRA (6472) or by completing a form found in the Reunion section of the Museum's web site. Auto Club members receive a $5 discount off Adult credential prices. Credentials include a goodie bag with a dash plaque, lanyard and event program. Children 15 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Daily general admission tickets/pit passes will be available at Auto Club Famoso Raceway gate. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Auto Club discount is also available at the gate: $2 off Friday and Saturday and, $1 off Sunday.
The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:
- NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some of the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Top Fuel, Supercharged Gassers, classic Funny Cars and Super Stocks.
- Hundreds of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, street rods, custom cars, rat rods, classics and muscle cars. "Memory Lane" will have a display of nostalgic race cars. The Justice Bros. Spotlight Award will fall on the U.S. Drag Teams that in 1964 and '65 introduced drag racing to the U.K. The teams included Don Garlits and Tommy Ivo.
- Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield, Fri., Oct. 12, from 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's Grand Marshal, legendary drag racing champion Ed "The Ace" McCulloch, and the other Honorees . The reception offers a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing's heroes.
- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push started just like in the "old days." - The swap meet and Manufacturer's Midway are filled with vendors and manufacturers making it easier than ever to find that hot rod part or special souvenir.
- A full activities schedule, entry forms, tickets and more information are available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Requests may be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.
Proceeds of the Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Holley directly benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif. The museum houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free. Admission for non-members is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 60 and older, $4 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. Auto Club members receive discounts on admission and at the gift shop: show your card and save.
The Museum is also available for private parties, meetings, corporate events, weddings and special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, Calif. 91768. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com

We once had a French roommate into hot rods and sportbikes. Given that he'd become an American citizen whose nation of birth had been liberated by men driving vehicles manufactured by a company founded and shepherded by one John North Willys, we always thought his prediliction toward referring to the company as "Willis" was oddly, well, French. But it turns out that he was actually correct all along, which is one of the myriad things we learned today from an interesting piece about the man whose most lasting legacies are the Gasser and the Jeep. – Davey G. Johnson

John North Willys (of Overland) biography [Allpar]

Related:
The Girl From Itamaraty: Willys Limo, Brazilian Style [Internal]