Tommy Ivo's 4-Engine, AWD, Buick Nailhead-Powered Wagonmaster - Stacey David's Gearz S16 E4
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
- TV Tommy Ivo was a master showman on the Dragstrip. His acting chops, flair for the camera, and natural driving talent blended together to make him one of the most exciting drivers to watch in the 60’s and 70’s. Not only could he race, but when the NHRA banned Nitro, he was the first to modify dragsters for faster times, including a two-engine Buick, followed by an even more amazing all-wheel drive four engine Buick! This awesome machine, dubbed the Showboat, ran the length of the track buried in the smoke from four screeching slicks! The car was banned from competition, but able to run passes in exhibition races. The Showboat was later turned into The Wagonmaster, and continued to dominate the strip. Follow along as Stacey discovers The Wagonmaster in a friend's collection and dives into the restoration of this awesome machine. This week on GearZ!
Featuring:
Cornwell Tools
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Mouse Blocker
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Woodward Fab
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Holley
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I got to watch him at San Fernando dragstrip. As a teenager I decided to learn more about twisting wrenches I got out of Vietnam and became a Master Mechanic of 43yrs. Thanks to Ivo, Thompson, Stone Woods and Cook
Kizer...is it you.?
Didn't you help me fabricate
A space frame while in high
School...? You did all the welding
60s great days...as I recall..
San Fernando drag way..
Swindler A..swindler B..
Doug cookie cook..at the helm..
485 inch Olds..B. With a blown
Chrysler 392..A/GS...
Those were the days..
Glad that you survived that
War we had....happy future
For you.!
I grew up in Lakewood, Ohio. Walking home from school in the mid 70’s I would walk past a house where I would watch a bunch of guys work on a dragster. Turns out it was TV Tommy Ivo, very cool guy
I saw its last run with Ivo at the wheel, Indy Goodguys back in the 90’s. Pretty impressive. Later, Ivo stood in the pits all filthy racing outfit shaking hands with the crowd. I shook his hand, never forget his amazing smile. Great guy.
I remember seeing photos of Tommy Ivo's 4 Engine Monster in a Book about Drag Racing!
It was in the Library of the Public Elementary School! This was like...1967??
"TV Tommy Ivo"!!!
As a young married man in the early 1960s, I took my dad to a strip in West Texas.
It had a few rail jobs that smoked em all the way down the strip.
That with the thunder will be a experience never forgotten.
The smoke is gone now, but the thunder is still there.
One hella of a car and hella of a driver.Tommy Ivo.
My late wife's grandma served as host in Burbank to many of the young Actors, singers and hot rodders of the 50s and 60s. Ricky Nelson, Ron Howard and of course TV Tommy Ivo. Many stories by Grandma and my father in law. 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🥳🥳🥳🥳💗💗💗
I had the opportunity to talk with TV Tom a few years ago. Great guy. More knowledgeable than he gets credit for. Ivo built a duplicate of the original Dragster configuration, and both cars are in and out of museums.
I wondered what happened to this car. It was an awesome machine to see as a kid. That was an era of some killer twists on a standard automobiles appearance and performance. Glad to see this Boat once again.
I remember watching Tommy and the 4 engine dragster at OCIR in the early '80s ('83 IIRC) during the Winston World Finals, along with Hemi Under Glass, the Jolly Rancher Stagecoach, and the Lil' Red Wagon. World Finals always had a kick-ass collection of classic exhibition cars, match races, jet cars, even a rocket powered car.
Dude you inspired me as a kid and taught me so much that I became a mechanic for some years but grew up tinkering and making motorcycles fun and racing some. Now I own a small paint and body business and man the influence you had on me I'm sure you didn't expect kids to be watching you in the power block lol. Still lots did and well you made that impact thanks
Me too! I just got to know though, is this old or something, I watched Stacy when I was 10 to 15 but now he looks younger than me!
@@scottcummings8074 it's newer than that for sure but it is amazing how he's stayed young lol
Me too, i loved this show when i was a kid!👍👍 Was learning so much but at the time didn't know how much it would impact me.
Agreed trucks was my favorite
I didn’t know that the guy in “The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow,” was not just some “B” movie actor, but an actual drag racing and car building legend! Thanks for the insight into Tommy Ivo, and for highlighting that amazing dragster that so enthralled me in my favorite AIP film “Bikini Beach.”
I had the great pleasure of seeing this car run a few times back in the day! Met Ivo a few times and really enjoyed watching this insane machine run!
I learned more from Stacey's shows than anything they tried to teach me at school. Thanks for still being you.
Glad to help! Thanks!
It was amazing, as a teen I was able to see him twice, well, once it was TV and the Wagon Master the second time. It was two of the coolest days ever spent with my dad at the strip. It aspired me so much, (speed) I too became a dare devil, working for Ford with factory experimental cars of the Seventies, and working with Holman Moody on the old 427's. I got to know Phil Bonner ("Daddy Warbucks") like a brother living in Georgia and purchased one of his 64 Fairlane Thunderbolts that was stashed in a barn. I restored it, still have it, 90% original, did some nostalgic racing and shows and since put in my barn. Enjoyed your video, I'll be thinking a lot about my dad tonight, thanks.
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
Way rad!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but can you tell me-were there two other versions of this beautiful machine as well? I’m trying to remember how about in automotive history they came into existence? the neighbor I grew up next to one day and said it was a Burnt piston out of the either four, or six engine car. He said him and his son had helped engineer the “pennzoil-looking sponsor paint job of a car” considering they had familiarity in building custom hot rods. I never could find documented information on the vehicle, and this is the first time I’ve seen anything about it since I was a little kid. Now I’m in my mid-30s and live halfway across the country And just discovered one of the reasons I got into engineering in the first place. Awesome to see certain I don’t wish memory I was told about growing up, finally being able to be watched
I also remember him telling me he was able to trade a pair of High-top chuck taylors for a ‘32 hot rod back in high school when he was younger. The look of astonishment on my face just knowing how much the times of changed, must have been quiet the knee slapping moment for him
@@shandonmeadows8620 Too funny, Chucks are the ONLY shoe I wear since 12.....I even wore them when our son married, in my Tux....lol. I have probably 25 pair, all high tops. I even have worn slam out ones I drag in, well used to drag in. Two pair in the trunk. They were what all kids wanted in the 40's 50s, 60 and 70s and still popular today. I paid 8.50 for my first pair, dad wouldn't buy them, he said, I can buy you two pair of sneakers for that price and money left over at W.T. Grant. Got a job delivering papers and bought them, black, only them and white back then. Your friend did get a good deal...lol. On your question you have, I'm not sure exactly what you are asking, sorry.
I know this video is a year old, but I never got to see sergeant sling get a motor put in him. As a teenager I always wondered what happened. Now, 20 years later, I finally get to see! So glad I finally found this channel!❤❤❤
Thanks to you from Trucks and your colleagues such as Lou from Muscle Car, Ive been heavy into cars and trucks. At first not doing anything myself due to time constraints but eventually I decided to just dive in. Within a year of doing my own first oil change, I had also tore down an engine, put it back together, performed an engine swap, taught myself some basic body work and painting skills. I cried as a 12 year old when you said many of the trucks you modified got crushed. I would have gladly been the recipient of one of those trucks!
That's awesome! Glad you learned how to do it yourself. The projects from Gearz don't get crushed for what it's worth.
Watched him race many times at Lions, San Fernando and other drag strips in Southern California. Always a great show with very clean machines!
So glad you shared this history!!
i love that u suggesting ppl not to kill rodents, shows that u have compassion for creatures & not just machines
What a career you have had for sure sir. Congratulations on the success from all ur hard work looks like it's paid off and kept you relevant in the top dog game.
One of the best moments of my life was meeting TV Tommy at Famoso and getting his autograph
i saw it at half moonbay dragstrip in the 60's my dad was into top furl dragsters so i go to see all those fun cars i even sat in in at the fremont dragstrip in the early 60;s good memories
I know you get this a lot but Saturdays would not have been the same without you back in the day.thanks for that!!!
Awesome mini-documentary! Thanks for putting this out Stacey.
DUDE: I haven't seen you in decades! I'm glad your still doing what you love............
Always love watching your show, There is just something about it that makes me feel good and younger. Can't put my finger on one thing, it just has that magic of cars, trucks, paint, and raw power.
I was able to see it around 2006, got me into a whole other world of what racing could be. Great video Stacey!!
The car was awesome to see on the strip, in all of its smoking glory, but you go back into the pits and you see what it rolled in on. The window wagon is what I would call it. T.V. Tommy was the ultimate showman. He was all about going fast and looking good while doing it. And Tommy always looked like a young kid playing with his cars.
I have no words for how much I love Stacy David. I grew up with him as the first car show host way back when I'd wake up early on Sundays to watch sk8tv and trucks
Stacey David, still making shows for men. I been a fan since the 90s.💯🙌💪
In 1969 TV Tommy I've brought this to my high schools hot rod show. My High School? Venice High AKA "Rydell High" in Grease. Alumni Craig Breedlove land speed record holder and Astronaut Walter Cunningham.
Thank you for teaching me so much as a kid. Me and my granddaddy used to watch trucks every Sunday.
I was lucky enough to see this Beast quite a few times back in the day. It was always a fantastic show.
TV Tommy!! Since I'm the "baby" of the family and have siblings 26 year's older than me, I got to see some of the best drag racing from 68-74! I got to roam around unsupervised! I fell in love/ lust of Pam, "Jungle" at the age of 6!
Mr.david thank you for your quality work in all areas!
In the late 50's Jim Jazzy Nelson had a twin flathead dragster that was called Outlaw, because Long Beach Drags outlawed him from running there. When Mickey Thomas was planing to build his twin engine streamliner he asked Jazzy to show him what he did to make his twin engine dragster work so good.
Pure genius! What a monster of a car that is! Definitely one of a king that’s for sure!👌😎👍💪just beautiful!
Saw TV Tom at Suffolk Raceway in Suffolk Va. Back in the 70s. Got great pictures. Great stories. One cool guy.👍
Cool!
Incredible Engeneering from a time with no internet.
I remember that car as a kid it blew my mind
Hey now, "Vista Cruiser" roof is Oldsmobile. Buicks version is called the Sport Wagon. Great show!
I seen Tommy at rt.30 dragstrip in 1968. I so pumped up, I bought a 68 mustang ,with a .289 I put all my money into that car. Made it fast as I could on my small budget.
I've been into cars and racing since the 60's and my favorite racers, back in the day, were TV Tommy Ivo and Jungle Jim Liebermann. Then in 1967 I moved across the street from Rich Guasco and got hooked on fast cars and racing and became the adrenaline junkie I am today.
Hey Stacy . My name is Charlie and I’m from Middletown Indiana. Growing up local drag racer Norm Day owned the car and raced it. Every year at the fair he displayed it . Laying my hands on it in his shop was incredible! So long story short the car lived in Indiana in the 80s. Ps he also had Big Daddy’s Rat under glass f/c to. It was a great being a kid.! Love the show!
Tuning ITBs on a V8 is a job enough, could you imagine tuning this monster? That was a job in its self.
The only thing I ever wondered about was "why" they chose 4 Buick nailhead engines. The V-8 nailheads were never noted for big power outputs, having, literally, nail-sized valves. But it was his money and his car, and he could build it any way he wanted. I did see him in person one time, at Alton Dragway, Alton, Illinois, where he ran a single-engine top gas dragster with a 480- cubic inch MoPar wedge in a match race.I forget his opponent that day. His trailer for the rail was easily the most elegant trailer ever designed for a drag car, having big plate glass windows down both sides of it, so everybody could see the car. Those were the days of infinite experimenting, for really nobody knew what would work and what wouldn't. So innovation was the name of the game. Some weird machines showed up at the dragstrip, but some of the weirdos went down the strip like crap from a goose.
I wondered this as well.
They weren't known for big power simply because the majority of racers didn't mess with them and there wasn't a lot of aftermarket support for them.
But guys in the known understood their merits, look up Max Balchowsky and his hand built race car Old Yeller II, it was a road racing car that beat every Ferrari, Alfa Rameo, Jaguar, Mercedes, Austin Healy and even the Maserati Birdcage which was supposed to be the most advanced race car in the world at the time that was thrown against it, he sent them ALL packing back to Europe with their tails between their legs.
Max chose the 405 Buick Nailhead engine to power Old Yeller II because he understood the concept of smaller high velocity ports over the typical "bigger is better" mentality which is a mistake a lot of people still make even in this day and age.
Bigger ports=more flow=more power is an over simplification of what goes on in the induction system, Max used to hang out at the shop of a guy named Jerry Branch, if you're an old timer with Harley's then you'll recognize that name or the term Branch Heads.
Jerry Branch figured out years ago that velocity is equally important as flow number's, that's why engine's built by him won at the drag strip and on the dirt flat track ovals, he told Harley Davidson for years that their engineers were designing the ports too big for their engine's and for years they ignored him but after years of his engine's winning they couldn't ignore him any longer and started having him do the heads for their factory race bikes, finally in the early 1980's when they were designing the Evo engine they were flying him every weekend from LA to their headquarters in Milwaukee and every week he'd return to LA with another set of head castings to work on, what was selected for their production engine were ports that were smaller than the ports in previous heads but flowed better and had a higher velocity.
The 2 guys who designing the Buick Nailhead engine understood the same concept of smaller high velocity ports, they even wrote an SAE paper covering it.
And despite what people mistakingley believe the Buick Nailhead engine doesn't have nailhead style valve's in it, that's not how it got it's name, it actually had high waist tulip style valve's in it, Max understood what Branch and the designer's of the Buick Nailhead engine knew, smaller valve's can be revved to the moon and they're better for an engine that's going to be run hard for sustained periods because they cool better than large valve's, a smaller valve head means the heat absorbed by it doesn't have to go as far to get to the seat which is a valve's primary way of cooling.
Old Yeller II's racing record and times on the drag strip are proof of these concepts, Max only took it to the drag strip to test changes he'd make to the car but he'd set track records with it, Max would also let other drivers race it on road courses, some of these drivers include Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney and Phil Hill, in his later years when Hill was ask what the greatest race car he ever drove was he said "Old Yeller II, it had more power through the RPM range than any car of it's time", and that's because like the men who designed the Nailhead engine, Tommy Ivo and Jerry Branch Max understood the principles behind high velocity heads and is why he selected the Buick Nailhead engine to power what was the greatest racing car of it's time, and if you look at all these modern engine's that make much more power per cubic inch they also have ports that are smaller than the ports in the engine's of yesteryear except for the Nailhead engine that was ahead of it's time, but no one paid attention to it because it didn't have the typical huge ports that people thought back then made for a more powerful engine.
Max Balchowsky was also Hollywood's go to guy for making and modifying cars for movies, he set up the 2 Mustangs and 3 Chargers for the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt and fabricated the original Herbie the Love Bug along with too many other famous movie cars to list.
Here on CZcams enter "The Max Balchowsky Story" and prepare to have your mind blown learning about the greatest race car builder you've never heard of and how he went from a farm in Fairmont West Virginia to beating the best race cars Europe had to offer at their own game, with a Buick Nailhead engine.
Totally looking for the next video to drop! I've been drooling over this car since I was a kid in the 90s. Cool find Stacey!
This car is the reason I love wagons. Never got to see it run in person but grew up with it in magazine's.
Thanks for sharing buddy awesome video so glad it’s gonna be fixed and showed off such an awesome piece of history
Iconic car, good to see it was saved to be enjoyed in the future.
👍🏁👍🏁
So glad I found Stacey's channel I use to watch him every weekend when I was younger on the power block I believe it was called. So many good shows that spawned out of those Sunday mornings.
The welds at 13:15 makes me proud of my welds.
The 60's were just off the charts for cars period
Friggin AWESOME of ya to do all this with this car!
It's a friggin' awesome car!!!
I remember watching Stacey when I was a kid, now 32 and he still looks and sounds exactly the same. He may be a vampire.
What a great guy! I have met and can not say enough great things. He amazingly was able to make time for all of his fans at the Famoso Spring Vintage meet. He brought a cool car in the restored see-through trailer as well. TV Tom is cool, and modest, for real. He sets a great example for all to follow. (I picked-up every magazine and book that mentioned him on the cover, otherwise, I wasn't interested. Others I spoke with, at the event, had a similar habit. WOW!)
I was Blessed to Be a Chick that learnd to build her own show Drag Street Cars I am all so A NHRA SHOW AND DRAG WINNER
SO EVEN SOME OF US CHICKS THAT COULD DID JUST LIKE Sherly M. Who became the first woman in NHRA HISTORY AS NATIONAL WINNER
ROCK AND ROLL
AND HOT RODS 👍✌🎸
OH MY GOSH I USED TO WATCH THIS SHOW A LONG TIME AGO
Welcome back!
awesome I think that is so cool somebody is actually doing something with that I remember that car in my dad's hot rod magazines he used to let us look at them thank you very much Stacy I love your videos
As a kid in the sixties I got to see T.V. Tommy every summer. My uncle drag raced and he would take me and my cousin with him. We got to run around the pit area and cozy up to all the cars and pit crews. I distinctly remember Tommy and his see thru glass car hauler. Great times....
I Bet Ol' Tommy Ivo Gotta Lotta SNATCH!! 8-)
Great show I thought it was gone forever. Got to love high tech.
Wow Stacy can't believe I found you after all these years! You made my Saturday mornings as a kid!
I would have loved to see Tommy race. I was too young at the time, but I read magazines where ever I could find them. then around 68, there was a televised drag race on Wide World of Sports. They showed a race with two rails racing, and at the end of the track the clutch blew on one of the cars, cutting it in half. As they were cleaning the track they brought in a physicist who said that drag racing was going to fail because it was impossible to run the quarter mile any quicker than 5 seconds. I learned a valuable thing that day, physicists don’t know every thing! Just look how quick top fuel was running before the NHRA shortened the track to 1,000 feet from 1,320 feet.
Australian here. I saw the 4-engine Mustang at Galpin Ford on my last visit and I'd love to see the Buick. Maybe next time. To have seen them race together would be awesome.
Ivo was my hero!
That project is super cool 😎 👌 👍 👏
Seen this car when I was 7 ( 41 years ago ) in Byron IL
My dad saw that monster run at Motor City Dragway in Michigan in the late 60's and always told me about it growing up.
Ask your dad about the "Michigan Madman" V8 motorcycle! Tire smoke from tree to trap! Wild!
@@jameshuffman835 Wish I could. My dad raced everything who could get his hands on from snowmobiles to hydroplanes to ice racing motorcycles. May have even knew him, the michigan motorcycle community was pretty tight back in those days.
@@dustykatt Northwest Ohio here and have been to many track's in the Ohio, Michigan, Indiana area!
I'd drive the hell out the wagon.. like the tool man said ; MORE POWER!!!
Ivo: The nicest gentlemen you will ever meet! He even signed my shirt while I was wearing it. Cool...
I'm a Brit. Waves of nostalgia flowing through me from watching this. Back home we have some legendary cars like 'Slick Willy', 'Pinball Wizard'.
I know where these two are now but there are many more. I'm looking for a channel that is following up the UK scene.
I can't do it. I could only report on John Dodds Merlin engined, Scimitar which also resides here in Spain. Got any links anyone.?
Mister "Hot-Wheels". Most underrated car fabricator.
These were the cars we were drawing as kids growing up.. and the drivers racing suit helmet face mask and goggles that's what we was used to seeing a little scary looking but you trying to get into that reminded all of us how small that chassis really is. It's like wow this is all motor 💯💪🏾💪🏾 and there were so many great fabricators on these builds was just truly amazing definitely race art just the way everything Has changed up until this day. This was a badass video I will share this on my Facebook for sure I know they will love to see this Vid♥️🤟🏽🤟🏽 and your cornwell toolbox is badass my buddy has one pretty similar to that 👍🏽👍🏽 always great tips and tools you're one of my favorite car freaks you have built a lot of cars and trucks over the years great ones.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Always a joy watching your show
And here we are after 60 years later and the car still holds the record as the fastest/quickest naturally aspirated gasoline only race car in drag racing history! No blowers or turbos! No exotic fuel i.e. nitro methane, alcohol, methanol etc!
Got to see it run back in 82 at Miami/Hollywood speedway awesome sight
TV Tommy just turned 86 back in April! I had this model car when I was a kid 50 yrs ago - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS ✌❤☮
I've got a model of it right now (without the bodywork). Haven't built it yet, though.
Man i love your video's..you are my idol..just the passion and the know how is amazing ...i remember watching you years ago when i was a kid in the show Trucks... Truly awesome Sir.....
As a kid growing up in the late 70s I cherished my dad's Hot Rod magazine collection and I still have the original 61' issue featuring the showboat... I can't tell you the hours I spent drooling and dreaming of this mad creation... I always considered T.V. Tommy Ivo as the mad scientist of drag racing... and I had the great fortune of meeting him at a pinks event in the 2000's a great and humble guy and a legend in the world of drag racing... I'm so happy to see that the showboat is in good hands and poised to make a comeback.... thanks so much for this episode..... so cool 😎 👍
Hey Stacey send me a project planning book....I got 3 projects going on and need some organization... lol
I met Tommy Ivo when we were racing our Pro-Stock Cuda in Kent, Wash, at S,I,R, What a motor mouth but we liked him anyway.
Count me amongst the lucky ones, I got to see the car running at Mission Raceways while in it’s Wagon Master guise sometime in the mid to late 60’s. It was a show for sure, and I recall he damaged one of those Buick engines on the last run.
wow, wow. what a car!
Atomic awesomeness
I've never seen "Gears" before today. I'm now a fan and want to see more. I might also ad that I've had an idea for a project build and hopefully will have something to show before to long. Lol.... Thanks for the inspiration and knowledge you've shared. Can't wait to see what else I've been missing.
We have about 200 episodes on here, so there's a lot to see! Glad you found Gearz!
Wonder if this car ever raced the unbeatable Top Gas twin engine "Freight Train"? I saw that car at Fremont Raceway in California in maybe 1966. Fremont was a wonderland of all the best cars and drivers in those days, but long gone.
The Freight Train was absolutely awesome fast. The 4 engine stood no chance against it.
3:10 Can you imagine the balls on this man?!?! 180mph in THAT THING takes real courage.
Man I miss this show!
Check out my channel! All episodes are uploaded there!
Nice video and show. Thanks for posting this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
I would frequent the Pavillions Grocery Store on Alameda in Burbank Calif. and would bump into Tommy often. He was genuinely down to earth and loved to talk about his race cars. He gave a couple of autographed posters of the this car. Sadly, I don't know what became of them.
RIP Tony Dow aka Wally Cleaver. What a cool looking dude all the way to the end.
Opportunities are everything
This car was in my Dad's garage for nigh a decade before Norm Day bought it in the 90s
that launch at 6:14 was badass lol. I just love car culture, I dont care if its a million dollar super car or a yugo that some shadetree mechanic cobbled together with something wild like this 4 engine beast. Not to say this is some cobbled together yugo, you get my point. I love it all hahah
I remember seeing this car run at the US Nationals in Indy, year 1983 (maybe 1984?).
Of course it was an exhibition run, but the driver was not easy on the car! Tire smoke from all 4 wheels all the way down the track! Sounded great too! Almost missed the first run as I heard the announcer then ran to the stands. Only got to see it run thru underneath the stands. Made sure I was in a good seat for it's next run that day!
I built the scale model of the Showboat when I was in elementary school
I remember building the Revell kit, hardest part was to glue all the intake flutes
i saw it run the last race at Greenvalley raceway!
but i’d remembered it from bikini beach since childhood.
i don’t think people know what a hidden gem bikini beach was, for seeing hot rods. and great movie to boot
I got to see that car run a couple of times. The Galpin Ford 4 engine too, in fact that car rolled and crashed right in front of me at the finish line. Velocity stacks were flying everywhere.