Tommy Ivo's 1st Dragster built in 1958

Kent Fuller Chassis

Injected 427" 1957 Buick Nailhead

Drag News Standard 1320 B/Gas Dragster Record Holder

9.16 E.T. ~ 154.37 MPH

 

All Pictures Courtesy of the Tommy Ivo Collection Unless Otherwise Noted

 

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These Rare Colored Pcxs of Tom's Single Buick were taken

from snapshots that Tom had in an Envelope in his Desk.

Pretty Car!!!!

Early Version of Zoomie Headers...

Drag News Feburary 15th 1959

The Dynamic Duo - Tommy Ivo & Kent Fuller

Photo taken @ San Fernando Raceway

 

Tom tried running a 392 Hemi a brief period, but quickly switched back to Buick Power.

The car's performance didn't improve and he said he ended up with a lot of oil in his face.

 

Here's the Buick Smokin'em with what Tom called hIs "Speed Tires"

The Car Picked up 4 mph to 159 but the ET Went Away,

Can't Win too Many Races that Way So Back to the M&Hs

Our Hero Posing for a Photo Opp @ San Fernando Dragstrip

1959 - 1st Annual Smoker's Fuel & Gas Championships

Tom's Buick in Staging Lines,

ready for Pushing by Prudhomme's 55 Buick

The Single Buick Making Its Usual Launch During Eliminations

The Nailhead Resting Between Rounds @ Bakersfield 1959.

Tom won Top Gas Eliminator @ the 1st Smokers

Fuel & Gas Championships, winning against

many top contenders like Howard Cam's Twin Bear,

Lefty Mudersbach's Twin Chevy & Jack Chrisman's Blown Hemi Sidewinder

 

Photo Courtesy of Tom Hanna

 

That's Kenny Safford of The Shark Car fame perched on the Roll Bar

 

Here's pcx of Tom against Lefty Mudersbach's Twin Chevy

 

The Single Buick was noted for its spectacular Wheel stands, this pcx has

Don Prudhomme in the seat @ Riverside Raceway in late 1959

after he purchased the car from Tom.

 

 

Here's a great side shot of the Single Buick taken @ Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, CA

Check out the Key Push Bar, Tom still has it.

A strange coincidence about this pcx. I saw is pcx for the first time in 1998

and was shocked to see myself in the background looking @ the Ford coupe,

That's me with the glasses. Tom gives me a bad time about this pcx saying

"Why aren't you looking at my car?"

 

Photo credit Richard Heath - Full Throttle News

 

Photo from Hot Rod 1960 Annual - No Photo Credit Given

 

 

Here's the Control Center of Tom's Single Buick

Simple, yet Elegant Fuller Design

 

Photo from the Tom Ivo Collection

 

 

Please... Please... Mr. Fuller, Would You Build Me a Twin Engine Dragster.

 

 

Here's a pcx of the Buick with a Blower.

The story goes like this...Fuller wouldn't build me the Twin Buick until I ran a

Blower on the Single Buick.

I ran so much underdrive on the blower and retarded

the mag so much, it's a wonder that the Buick would get down the 1320.

 

One of Tom's nick names was "Instant" Ivo. We ragged on

him because of this pcx and started calling him "Sleepy" Ivo.

Tom's comeback was "You can't see the RED Light in Chrisman's lane."

 

Pcx Credit Steve Gibbs

 

Tom Had the Following Pcxs Taken When the Nailhead Ran a Blower

so He Could Prove to Fuller That He Ran the Car Blown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So Fuller Started Construction on the Twin Buick in 1959 and the

Single Buick was Sold to Don Pruhomme.

 

By Late 1961 Don Had Sold the Chassis to a Team in Denver and had a 392" Chrysler Again.

Notice That a Second Key was Made for the Car by Fuller, but Tom has the Original.

Pcx by Pete Garamonne