Vehicle Description
This 1948 Crosley C/A Altered dragster is what state-of-the-art in
drag racing looked like in the early '60s. Minimalist bodywork, an
extended frame, and one big honkin' engine. Along the way, you'll
discover some very clever tricks that make the car a fierce
competitor, even today in the nostalgic drags and it's virtually
guaranteed to draw a crowd.
Modeled after the famous Wild Willy Borsh Winged Express, this cool
Crosley altered wheelbase dragster definitely has an old-school
look. Just about the only Crosley part left is the body shell, and
it's got a cool look with that little station wagon shape atop that
wild chassis. Finish quality is exceptionally good, as if this
dragster was built for show as much as going fast, and the bright
red paint is as good as any show car we've seen lately. The cute
little Crosley face peeking out from behind the gas tank has a
wonderful appeal and you can see exceptional attention to detail
everywhere you look. It's likely that no in-period dragsters were
ever finished to this level, but today it makes a statement no
matter what it's doing, and that's really what matters. Lettering
on the doors has a sentimental look, advertising Frog's Hot Rods &
Race Cars, but otherwise it's rather restrained (well, for a race
car, anyway). We'd be lying if we said we didn't love how this
thing looks.
The interior is pure race car minimalist, with old-school
fiberglass buckets and every single component drilled full of
lightening holes to shave weight. It's actually pretty easy to
climb in with full-sized doors that open properly, and once you're
situated behind the wheel, it's reasonably comfortable. And there's
a lot of style here, not just functionality. The pedals and
shifters are beautifully crafted from aluminum, the sheetmetal work
on the floors and sides of the tub is very nicely done, and tricks
like the giant connecting rod used as a steering column bracket are
pure cool. Original Crosley gauges are still in the dash and yes,
it does have an AM/FM/8-track radio that's definitely from another
era. With two seats and harnesses, you can take a friend along for
the ride, but the rear compartment is full of cooling system
components (fluids run through the frame, by the way) so it's done
being a cargo carrier of any sort.
The hardware is what this car is all about, and it all focuses on a
468 cubic inch big block stuffed in the Crosley's nose. With a
steel crank, H-beam rods, and 14.5:1 compression, it definitely
qualifies as a race piece. The heads were, of course, ported and
polished and there's a sizeable cam in there, too. The stunning
Hilborn fuel injection system with velocity stacks is as much art
as fuel delivery, and the front-mounted gas tank uses a Hilborn
pump and inertia to help feed the beast. A Vertex magneto lights
the fires and 2-inch white-coated zoomies cackle and spit right out
the Crosley's front fender wells. A Borg-Warner clutchless 4-speed
spins a Winters quick change rear end with either 3.75 or 4.53 gear
ratios. The front suspension is 1940 Ford with wishbones and
adjustable spring perches, while out back there are 48-inch ladder
bars with coil-over shocks. The rolling stock is old school, too,
with skinny magnesium mags up front and Radar 15x10s out back, all
wearing whitewalls for just the right look.
There's a ton more going on here than we can adequately describe
here, but if you want to be the hit of the nostalgia races, nothing
does it better than this wicked little Crosley. Call today!
