Featherweight: The Lightest Funny Car Ever Built - Doug Nash's Bronco Buster
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- There were many unique funny cars constructed in the middle 1960s but none more so than the incredible Bronco Buster of Doug Nash. This machine, the only funny car in history to use a fully aluminum chassis, raced at 1,400lbs or less.
More amazingly, the Bronco Buster used a nitro injected, not blown, 289ci small block Ford engine with iron heads and an iron block.
The Bronco Buster was one of the most innovative and forward thinking funny cars of the early era of their existence. This is the story as told in detail you won't find anywhere else.
Where did it run? Who was Doug Nash? Was it successful? How did it all work?
History roars to life here.
Another fantastic video, Brian...with one small correction. The car wasn't scrapped at the end of 1967. It changed hands a couple of times and for a while in the 1980's it was up in Wisconsin and owned by my friend Troy Ray. No idea what happened to it after that, but I'm pretty sure it still exists today, just not in any sort of public capacity.
Maybe some digging could be done? It'd definitely be a fantastic video
Dude!!! Woah!!!! Thanks for this!!
Uncle Tony with the low-down. Nice
@@lostwill86that would be a good one for Lou Santiago’s show iconic
If I had the means i'd at least make a recreation. If it still existed you'd think it would've made an appearance by now in some capacity.
I grew up in the house behind the Nash house.
For years I watched dragsters coming and going.
I walked past the Bronco Buster on my way to school every day for years.
Doug was a nice guy and even let me sit in the Bronco Buster
Ok, this is amazing!!! Wow!
I dont recall ever seeing a supercharger on the Bronco Buster.
@@timothymurphy7127 Either did I. I was huge into cars from the time I was caught drawing picture of them in class. LOL. Never was a blower on the Bronco Buster.
A Garden City guy!
I live in Dearborn Heights about 3 miles east from GC High School, been here 54 years on this block. Quite a few people older than me used to drop the Doug Nash name all the time in the neighborhood. I really started to pay attention when he opened his shop in Romulus and came up with the "4+1" 5 speed trans. I imagine there was all kinds of cool commotion going on at the house behind where you lived
WOW! IT DOESN'T GET ANY COOLER THAN THAT.
I grew up in Garden City I was friends with Dougs brother Danny and his sister Darlene, and as a teenager back then it was great being around Doug who had one of his race cars, called the "Boop" 1953 ford victoria with a Lincoln engine sitting in his parents driveway and was always ripping down Merriman Rd with open headers. He raced the cyclones 64- 65 and they also sat in the same drive way, he did really well with his transmissions and super well with the overdrives, everyone wanted them for the big motor homes back then that had 440 dodges and 454 chevy's , it was really great seeing this on youtube this morning, thanks Brian for making my day, I'm 77 and its nice to see things again that I grew up around, times were so much better back then, thanks again!!
Doug Nash 5 speed is one bad ass transmission
Legendary!
I was lucky enough to see this car run at Milan. Gas Ronda was doing a 2 out of 3 match race that day. Doug was there just making a single day exhibition pass. Gas was running around the 9.60's
Doug put down a 9.20ish run and got some big ooohs and aaahs from the crowd. I loved this truck because of the light weight and the 289. Probably why I love the Jr fuelers. Great article!!!
THAT is cool as heck!
I remember gas ronda and the phony pony at irwindale raceway in CA. I rode my bike there
I grew up in 60s in Glendora and went to Irwindale raceway every chance I got. Saw Gas Rhonda race a few times.@@IEchuckie
I lived in Azusa . Rode my stingray bike to Irwindale. Saw the BB and many famous cars run there. Later I race my 64 comet there.
Hands down one of the best drag racing RUclips channels, keep up the great work Brian!
Thank you Sheldon!!
I always wondered about Doug Nash , and now I know "The Rest of the Story" ! . Well done Brian and many thanks.
Thank you!!
I lived down the street from Doug when he lived on Ward street in Taylor, Michigan. I used to go down to his house and "help" him and one other guy in his 2 car garage. From the timeline given here I would have been 10 or 11 years old. I do recall the blue car being parked on the street in front of his house. As I recall the car was named "Twister" with a picture of a tornado on the side. It was 58 years ago so my memory may be playing tricks on me. One thing I do recall distinctly was the penchant the guys had for Miller High Life beer. Thanks for the memories and keep the good stuff coming.
Dude. You always give the best history lessons... Thank you, Sir!
Glad you like them!!!
I always wanted one of his 5 speeds in my old Trans Am back in the late 80s!
They are so awesome!!!
As a VERY young fan of drag racing I lived for the magazines, I do remember that Bronco everywhere. Thanks Brian
Right on!!
Yup! Me too! Great vid, Brian, thank you.
I worked in the Ford Experimental Garage back in 1963. Doug Nash worked there, also. He built and raced a 1963 1/2 Fairlane Sport Coupe with a 289 hypo in D/S. He held the NHRA class record for et and speed. Ernie McEwen was his partner then, also. He got beat at the 1963 NHRA National drags at Indy by Milo (Mickey) Coleman in a 1963 Fairlane 2 door sedan with a 289 hypo. Milo was a mechanic in the Ford Experimental Garage. He went on to win the class. Milo's team included Dean McCann, Dave Farrel, and Bob Kopf. Milo's car was named "Lil Lord Fotus". Ford gave Milo a 1964 Thunderbolt for the next season and he campaigned both vehicles in the NHRA Southeastern Division.
Super cool to read this. My dad tells me stories about Doug and Ernie. My dad was younger and would hangout/help Ernie. Best story was him having the 289 Hi-Po intake testing on the streets.
Was one of many kids who pressed against that fence at Irwindale..Beyond magic, saw cars and races that would put today's national events to shame. Maybe someday there will be another strip built close to the L.A. area. Thank You to anyone who had anything to do with that place, especially 1968.
And may I add, to me the place was like Christmas Morning every weekend...that same magic.
Lived there every weekend after my dad passed....think the place saved me.
Met my wife (38 years married) at Doug Nash Engineering in Franklin Tennessee 1985. We were there up u till it closed. All our machines were stamped, GM..Muncie Indiana as in Muncie Rock crusher transmission.
Thats pretty cool
Amazing
Anyone else pause the video, zoom in and read the “100,000 - MILE DURABILITY RUN” magazine article at the 3:04 mark of the video??? If not, then please do yourself a favor and do so. It’s a really great and informative article and it’s also well worth the read and the 5 minute pause. Hope everyone has a great day!!!
Another great video! I especially like this one because of the Bronco considering I have a 1966. I fell in love with this vehicle when my father bought one. I worked on it almost every day from the age of 14. Those were some of the best days of my life.
Another fine story of a little known and interesting car. Kinda reminds me of a children's story The Little 289 That Could.
Haha I dig it!
289 on nitro way beyond Kool thanks best story I've ever heard about this car
Thank you!!
Thanks for this, Brian. I'm a W fan but never had a lot of love for the 289 itself. To me, it was a nice sounding but fairly modest V8 small block. It is amazing what could be wrung from the thing by Nash, Shelby and others who took it seriously. Ain't nothing more serious than 100% nitro...with no recorded failures, wow.
Such a great rig
Wow. I see the Bronco funny car still had a snowplow on it!
That's really cool!
Hahaha yes!
Great Story! Thanks uncle tony for the update
Glad you enjoyed it!!!!
Wow this was awesome. I saw this run at Irwindale several times. This thing would hole shot the best blown FC. If they made any mistakes the bronco would win. Usally covered most untill the top end. For the first half of track he was always ahead.
I had a 64 cyclone comet with a built 289. I had the same problem with pop up 11.5 JE pistons. I had to grind a "fire slot" in the dome as it was blocking the flame travel. I buzzed that engine to 8,000 rpm on a balanced stock crank with over 100,000 miles on it. Stock taxi cab rods. Chevy valves in home ported stock heads,with 409 chevy springs,and aluminum retainers. I wish i had talked to his engine guy.
Big domes are never the answer unless that's the only way for super high compression but they really don't work on old tech heads with bad chambers and valve angles to begin with.
Even the best "375hp horse" double hump head is worse in every way compared to a 1996 Silverado head.
That thing sounds nasty!!
I'm a long time sbf engine builder. What are "taxi cab rods"? never hear of them.
I bought them reconditioned. They had more meat in the journal to beam area. But they still had the stock sized rod bolts.
This was back in 1970/71 Era. Sbf heads were the limiting factor. Hence the chevy valves were used . Never had the right converter to take advantage of the motor. Falcon converter only 2400 stall. Couldn't begin to hook it up with the top loader. Actually blew the fly wheel street racing. Glad I had a scatter shield😮
Great stuff - I love the old Funny Car stories. Hoping you cover Shel Konblett's Snoopy Jaguar XKE Funny Car, one of my favorite cars from the old days :)
The Jag and the LTD were awesome!
Lovely story.
Gonna make my son who’s in his early training as an auto tech to watch.
C’mon kid… this is the way. 😊
Love it!
@@brianlohnes3079oh, my kid is a gear head.
One of us!😂😂😂
NEATO. Thanks. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.
Thanks for watching!!!
My first car was a 67 Fairlane with a 289. My uncle had a 66 Mustang with a 289 C4 combo. We always said that you couldn't blow up a 289 with a stick of dynamite.
Brian, your videos are some of the best on Facebook if you are into drag racing. Thanks so much for not only the entertainment of watching them, the open the door to the past and early days of drag racing when it wasn't all about the $$$. Back them I remember sometimes 15 or 20 Pro Stock drivers who failed to make a 16 car show. The early years of Pro Stock were so exciting and filled with ingenuity and talent in building cars and engines.
Another great story. I'm certain the Bronco Buster was in Hot Rod Cartoons at some point.
Had to have been!
I've been a drag racing fan since I was a lad in the 80s. Just found your channel and have been binge watching. Well done.
Great video, I remember this Bronco well from the mags, back in the day. Thanks Doug Nash rip
Glad you enjoyed it!!!!
That was awesome, thank you for the intense research!
Thanks Tommy!
Brian, thanks for posting this - I’ve seen pics of this wild machine and always dug it & wanted to know more! I’m a big fan of the oddballs such as the Jeep funny cars, etc. Please keep doing more of these. Thanks
You bet!!!
Cheers for this, Brian! A fascinating story - I have to wonder if Doug Nash ever met Colin Chapman? They both seem to have the same obsession, "Add lightness" as a way to go fast.
I must admit, the thought of a fully aluminium chassis & cage is kinda terrifying, as the work hardening characteristics of aluminium and the potential of brittle failure of the chassis would definitely be a concern (to me at least). I was so happy to hear that Mr Nash survived and went on to success in his post-racing life. All too many inventive minds didn't get the chance to in those days...
All the Best! G
Great points on the material characteristics!!
Being from the Detroit area there were LOTS of talent in the racing world to come out of the Motor City,,We had one of the first 4+1 transmissions in our modified production cars,,Smiths shop was right around the corner,,as was Liberty gears,right around the corner from Wally Booths shop where we plied our trade. Really didn't think much about it at the time,,,but every now and then I get reminded,,was a great place to be from,everybody knew somebody that worked at the big 3,,,always lots of mysterious parts floating around. Guys like Maskin,Kanners,Roush ...Mannarino... Al Maynard,,,Mike Fons just to name a few,,I saw almost on a weekly basis,great story Brian !
Heck of a time to grow up around cars.
Lived and raced in Michigan back in the day. All these guy's were around every weekend at the Michigan tracks. We didn't know how good we had it. Brian do you know of any place that has N.H.R.A. event and records listed for stock and super stock cars from the 60's through the 80's?
Brian your videos never cease to amaze. Thank you
Glad you like them!!!!
Great story and awesome presentation. Thanks Brian!
That’s so cool!! I love how innovative they were.. it’s amazing to me!!!!
I totally agree!
Thanks Brian as always I love these great stories. And I realize watching drag and drive stuff now there’s still that spirit for some thing different and even innovative still alive in drag racing. It’s still fun to be a drag racing fan.
Heck yes it is!!!
Thanks man, your research is always spot on, yet you have no problem with other people adding to the info.👌 I consider you and Steve Mags to be my local inspirations historically (R.I). I'm older than you guys; started at CT-Dragway and then NED became my hometrack. Atco and Gainesville were my favorite tracks to race at though.🏁
So rad and thank you!
Absolutely love your videos and I always look forward to when you put out new ones. Love the older eras of drag racing and hot roding!!! I can’t get over Doug’s Bronco that it weighs less than my dragster. That is wild to me.
Glad you like them and thank you for watching!!!
man that red chevy 2 was gorgeous!
Great one wish I could have seen that one live! Have a wonderful week!!
Thank you! You too!!!
So cool! My kind of racecar, and I wasn’t even aware of it. Thanks for another well researched, informative, and entertaining piece.
Glad you enjoyed it!!!!
Another awesome video. My favorite series on YT
Glad you enjoy it!!!!
Thanks Brian. Another great video. I saw the Bronco Buster many times at Irwindale.
Very cool!!!!
Your Article brought back a whole bunch of memories! The opening!!! At 5;20 you're showing a picture of an article about Doug racing at Piedmont, which is Piedmont Dragway. That's just about a half mile behind my house. I still remember coming home from Church and getting behind the car. The people I was riding with could not get over the Bronco. It was on an open trailer and you could see up under it. Anyway you get time check out Piedmont's history. It was Sox & Martin's home track, I guess Jay Turner { Top Fuel Harley) still calls it home.
Amazing!!!
Never say never... remember that lil ol lady, from Pasadena...🤔🤪💯🇺🇸👆
Excellent work Brian thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Another gem of a story Brian 👍
Thank you!!
Another INCREDIBLE story, I didnt really know the bronco existed, and being built by the legendary Doug Nash, that's just pure awesome! Keep em coming, I love these history lessons!
Supremely professional video package as always.
Thanks again!!!!
Another home run Sir. Really appreciate the history lessons,I learn what I didn't know I didn't know. Thank You
Thank you!!!!
Another great ride down memory lane. Keep up the good work.
Another awesome video! This was such a great time period for creative engineering even if you didn't have an actual degree in anything!
Couldn't agree more!!!
Might be my favorite RUclips channel now. Killing it. I grew up at the drag strip, the old SIR (Pacific)and Bremerton raceway. Learned to ride a bicycle at the track. Your videos bring back a lot of memories. Thank you.
Really appreciate this!
Im 4 minutes into this& i actually had to stop(pause)it to send You this Big Thank You! Thanks for being a Great Man-Your vids make my day& i know You dont have to do this,but Thanks for spreading Knowledge&thinking of others& informing them& being a Steward of History.How many Great People& events are left in the dark & us thus because we dont all carry a torch & hand it off to others to enlighten us of our origins. Forever endebted to You& You inspire me to do the same!
I appreciate that more than you know!!!
Been binging your videos. They’re awesome. Working on my 93 Bronco this morning I was elated to see this video pop up.
Right on!!!!
Dang...2:05 check out Garden City High School..
I didn't go there, i went to school about one mile away at Crestwood High. Knew alot of people who went to Garden City High. Looks kinda the same to this day. One evening i was alone in my 70 442 driving down the side street next to the school. Waited for the light to turn green, turned right onto Middlebelt rd driving north right past the school in this pic and just slowly rolled on the throttle, not enough to break the tires as i had m/t et streets on at the time. Just had the roll cage installed so interior was bare, just a driver seat. Didnt make it 1/2 mile to Warren ave before i got flicked..
Pulled over at the 7-11 on the corner.
Cop says "i saw you turn and i couldnt believe how quick you made it to 50 mph!" I barely squeezed it, just rolled on it like i said earlier. He said "you went from zero to 50 in the count of 2!" I said is that good or bad? He saw the gutted interior and said "i dont suppose you have any seat belts?" I said not yet they should be here this week. He said "take this thing home and i dont want to see you again".
So not another boring sbc Chevy video..a great video of ford factory guys..comets were always a straight axel favorite..back in the 70ies I built to comet gassers..though they were not very fast..they were always a crowd favorite!
Awesome Video Brian Thank You!
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
I was at Rasin City (Fresno Drags) when the promoter booked the Bronco Buster for a match race. I had read about it previously but didn't expect it do much with its smaller power plant but boy was I wrong! That thing flew winning all rounds with ease.
So awesome!!
Thank you Brian, again a wonderful presentation of those brilliant minds who helped grow the sport of drag racing👍💕
My pleasure!!!!
Brian WOW!
What an amazing video! This channel simply never disappoints.
Wow, thanks!!!!
It’s always great fun seeing all the amazing work racers were doing back in my day. Great video
Take it from a guy that owned a ‘75 and a ‘68 Bronco, they’re about as aerodynamic as a cinder block! With a little 302 2V I got 10 miles to the gallon, but they would climb a frickin tree. Never got stuck in one.
Ha! They are awesome trucks
Great yarn, Brian! Seriously underrated channel. Sub count decimal point is 2 places from where it should be with this calibre of material. Extraordinarily well researched and narrated as only a pro track announcer could. Keep going, man.
A sincere thank you!!
Love these dragster history videos, keep it up man
Thanks! Will do!!!!
Thanks for the most informative articles on drag racing of yesteryear. Always wanted to see the bronco buster in person,your site brings me about as close as i'll ever get.KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!
Thanks for watching them!
INCREDIBLE VIDEO! NEVER KNEW DN WORKED AT FORD. THANK YOU SIR.
Top Story as Always .love the Early Roots
Glad you like them!!!
Thanks for another Great, and Interesting Story, Video!
And About A Man From Michigan no less!
Michigan back then had many of great racing People.
Still does! Many of the most brilliant automotive minds I am happy to know call Michigan home.
thank you ,i loved this air of drag racing, ive found making things lighter was cheaper than making hp. iv worked on allot of those 5 speeds, great trans,
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Very well done, an amazing amount of research. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to watch.
As an Australian I have no clue about American drag racing let alone it's history but this channel has me fascinated.
Great stuff. 👍😀
Welcome aboard!!!
Don't worry, australians not having a clue is not a new thing..
As an American i long to know The Comprehensive History of All Australian Drag Racing! I fn' Love the Holdens! I fear im missing a ton of the lesser known things though! Cant wait to learn about it! I came from a small town w/no drag racing in the early 90's & my friends old trans am we built up wound up causing a resurgence in popularity that changedcthe whole scene-we decimated everything that dared challenge us! Rock on Boss!!
@@DIARRHEA-PANIC you sound sour.. someone get you with the ol drop bear ? Been bitter since then I bet 😂
Was lucky to catch some 400 Thunder from Willowbank on late night tv with an antenna. Awesome cars, good show! Carry on!
How this channel only has 22k subs blows my mind
Hey, beats 2,200. Haha
Man this was a fantastic one. It’s cool to hear the stories about people rules were made from.
Thanks man!!!
really enjoyed yet another interesting video - thank you
Thank you for watching!
Great history, here. I remember the Doug Nash trans; I think my dad bought a Super T10 instead (maybe due to cost?). Then he had an '85 'Vette with the 4+3. I never knew Nash was a part of that. The Bronco Buster is a great example of "outside of the box" thinking, imo. Even though, ironically, you were sitting inside of a box. 😆
Hahaaha a great observation!!!
Thank you for your great videos👍
Really cool machine. Thanks for the video!
Fantastic coverage Brian! I didn't get involved until 70,i would have liked to have seen some of these early creations lol.
You and me both!!!
I saw him run in Orange Park Florida at Thunderbolt Dragstrip in about 1966 or 67. He had a blower on it that night and broke the blower drive on a burnout. I spoke to him about what happened. I was about 16 at the time and a big fan of his.
I remember seeing a bronco funny car called the Bronco Buster at the 1968 Super Stock Nationals at Cecil County. It looked like this car. I was surprised when I saw it only had a fuel injected 289. I was also surprised by how well it ran. What really stunned me though was a Turbonique powered mustang, which almost knocked us over when it blasted off, and the Batmobile from the TV show. My friend and I were cracking up when it pulled to the line to make a pass, but the laughing stopped when it clicked off a 10.17, on Goodyear Blue Dot road racing tires, with real flames coming out of the back. I had 3 rolls of film and my friend had super 8 movies of the event but we have managed to misplace them since then. I was 15 at the time.
Great story. Love your channel.
Thanks so much!!!!
Love the detailed information you give in your videos, its awesome mate 👍 👏
Another very interesting and well researched video. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
thanks for the fun, informative documentary.
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Oh man, I may have met Doug Nash and didn't even know it!
Great Stories for gear heads.
And wow, your voice and cadence are up there with Peter Thomas and Bill Curtis!
when the Bronco shifted into 3rd gear, there was a drone sound that I had never heard before or since.
I saw it run in Detroit. Doug said it got a little hairy coming out of the hole. Certainly was spectacular seeing it run.
That is wild!!
Great Story!
Glad you enjoyed it!!!!
Great story! I remember seeing the Durachrome Bug back in the early 70s.That must have been pretty light also?
Yes it was!!
Another great video as usual thanks
Thanks again!!!!
This thing had to be one wild ride for it's time, Would be one fantastic choice for tribute resto build . Great video!😁👍👍
Very good coverage and content, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!!!!
Can't believe somebody made a funny car out of a bronco I had nitrous on my 75 and when I jumped on it it was squirrely as hell the short wheelbase makes things challenging
And the weight being 1200 lbs come on my 67 lotus weight was 1400 I don't know how they got it down to 12
Great story,as always. How about one on Fred Stone, Leonard Woods, and friends. Not enough people realize the importance of their role in running the hottest gasser in the country, while prejudice was still a big problem in the U.S.
Epic story for sure. Will eventually be a great topic to explore!
Love to know the details of that 289. ❤😁
I mean, I have them in the video? Haha
I think every engine builder has some things the do to engines that for the most part are to keep
An advantage over the competition.
I was referring to the secret stuff
A lot of engine builder's don't tell us 😁
Doug Nash torsion bar 5-speed, my dream trans for modified production 👍👍👍
Man, so awesome!
Boy those 289 engines was the greatest engines Ford ever produced . I think even better the the 406 427 , 428 and the 429 . The 289 was under cranked and over board and other word short stroked or over board . The 289 would wind up to 6 grand and stay there all day long in stock form . There was the C code , A code and the all mighty K code off the line . Then the factory race engines .
Great stuff!
YES Sr .
The Bronco Buster , was phenomenal. “Mr. Reflexes “ Dick Harrell R.I.P. , was a Crowd Favourite .
That test replicated what Ford did with his v-8 .