Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy?

DragwayRipper · 06-02-2009, 02:54 PM

Looking for any photos, footage, or information on this car. Originally built some time in the 60's. I would love to find out more about the car during this time if anyone recognizes it. Appears to have been painted red at one time, and purple with white pinstriping at another time (also found some gold paint?) Was painted yellow/silver by the early 70's and raced by Wes Johnson as "Locomotion" in the mid 70's. Driven by Gary McDonald for Wes around 1979, then sold to Scott Petit who raced it for one season in the early 80's. Last sold to and raced by Jim Grob who re-named the car "About Time" and ran up until about 1984. Car has been run at all the local Richmond area tracks, 1/5, 1/8 and 1/4 mile, Suffolk, Creeds etc... I have spoken to those names mentioned, but would like to find any pictures of the car or especially anyone who recognizes it from it's pre-"Locomotion" form. Thanks,
-Dean

DragwayRipper · 06-02-2009, 03:00 PM

pics...

john bertges · 06-02-2009, 08:38 PM

try the two lane black top forum on yuku.com alot of those guys know about almost every 55 gasser in the country and have web sites of all pictures to check out on fotki.com also try eastcoast gasser assoc

DragwayRipper · 08-17-2009, 08:16 PM

back to the top!

-Dean

DragwayRipper · 01-16-2010, 09:05 PM

Back to the top, looking for any photos or information. Thanks,
-Dean

76rallysport · 08-22-2010, 01:01 PM

I saw "Loco-motion" back in 1976 (sometime in early spring). It was painted a reddish orange. It was in Chesapeake, Va. I became friends with the guy who owned it at that time. If you still check this forum, let me know and I will tell you what little I know about the car.

DragwayRipper · 09-20-2010, 07:00 PM

Hello! Would love to know any more info about the car or the team. From what I gather, Wes ran two "Locomotion" 55's, as well as a Vega and a couple rails.
-Dean

76rallysport · 09-20-2010, 08:46 PM

This "Locomotion" was at a guy's house in Chesapeake, Va His name was Lee Barnes. We drove up to his house, he wasn't home, he had 2 large dogs that would not let us out of our car. So I got a look at the 55 only on the right side of the car. It was painted a reddish orange. The letters "loco" were tilted in a crazy way with the L tilted toward the left, the O tilted toward the right, the C tilted toward the left, and the O tilted toward the right as if the person who painted the name was kinda crazy. The MOTION was painted in large block letters, tilted toward the right and blurred as if the word MOTION was moving very fast. This was on the rear quarter panel. On the door a locomotive was painted. It also looked as if this train was in very fast movement with the body of the locomotive tilted forward. smoke coming out from the stack and the wheels turning very fast. I wanted to get out and look at the car SO BAD! But those dogs barking at us kept us in our car. I went back to Lee's house about a month later and the 55 was gone. Lee had traded it to Wes Johnson for an old front engine dragster. Lee said it was his dream to own a dragster so he traded the 55 for the dragster. I became very good friends with Lee and I did ask him about the 55 once but he did not tell me much about it. The car was Beautiful! The paint was flawless, the lettering very professional, and the car looked like it had the best of equipment. Unfortunately a lot of the old gassers look like junk to me. Not this car! I think I later saw this "Locomotion " in front of Wes Johnson's Texaco station in Va Beach. Wes Johnson raced so many cars it was hard to keep up with what he owned or drove. By the way Lee's dragster had a 301 eng with Hilborn fuel injection. It was a 283 bored .125" and had the stoke stroke 283 crank making it a 301. Lee died of cancer sometime in the mid 1990's so we will never be able to talk to him about Locomotion. I wish I took pictures of the car. I would love to share the image I had of It. I can tell you more about the racing at Creeds and Suffolk, Va back during the late 60's through the 70'sif you are interested. I got married and stopped the drag racing by the late 70's.

06-02-2009, 02:54 PM	#1
DragwayRipper Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: East Haddam, Connecticut Posts: 12 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? Looking for any photos, footage, or information on this car. Originally built some time in the 60's. I would love to find out more about the car during this time if anyone recognizes it. Appears to have been painted red at one time, and purple with white pinstriping at another time (also found some gold paint?) Was painted yellow/silver by the early 70's and raced by Wes Johnson as "Locomotion" in the mid 70's. Driven by Gary McDonald for Wes around 1979, then sold to Scott Petit who raced it for one season in the early 80's. Last sold to and raced by Jim Grob who re-named the car "About Time" and ran up until about 1984. Car has been run at all the local Richmond area tracks, 1/5, 1/8 and 1/4 mile, Suffolk, Creeds etc... I have spoken to those names mentioned, but would like to find any pictures of the car or especially anyone who recognizes it from it's pre-"Locomotion" form. Thanks, -Dean

06-02-2009, 03:00 PM	#2
DragwayRipper Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: East Haddam, Connecticut Posts: 12 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? pics... Attached Thumbnails

06-02-2009, 08:38 PM	#3
john bertges Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: coram ,long island ,ny Posts: 20 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? try the two lane black top forum on yuku.com alot of those guys know about almost every 55 gasser in the country and have web sites of all pictures to check out on fotki.com also try eastcoast gasser assoc

08-17-2009, 08:16 PM	#4
DragwayRipper Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: East Haddam, Connecticut Posts: 12 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? back to the top! -Dean

01-16-2010, 09:05 PM	#5
DragwayRipper Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: East Haddam, Connecticut Posts: 12 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? Back to the top, looking for any photos or information. Thanks, -Dean

08-22-2010, 01:01 PM	#6
76rallysport Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? I saw "Loco-motion" back in 1976 (sometime in early spring). It was painted a reddish orange. It was in Chesapeake, Va. I became friends with the guy who owned it at that time. If you still check this forum, let me know and I will tell you what little I know about the car.

09-20-2010, 07:00 PM	#7
DragwayRipper Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: East Haddam, Connecticut Posts: 12 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? Hello! Would love to know any more info about the car or the team. From what I gather, Wes ran two "Locomotion" 55's, as well as a Vega and a couple rails. -Dean

09-20-2010, 08:46 PM	#8
76rallysport Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Any Virginia racers remember this '55 Chevy? This "Locomotion" was at a guy's house in Chesapeake, Va His name was Lee Barnes. We drove up to his house, he wasn't home, he had 2 large dogs that would not let us out of our car. So I got a look at the 55 only on the right side of the car. It was painted a reddish orange. The letters "loco" were tilted in a crazy way with the L tilted toward the left, the O tilted toward the right, the C tilted toward the left, and the O tilted toward the right as if the person who painted the name was kinda crazy. The MOTION was painted in large block letters, tilted toward the right and blurred as if the word MOTION was moving very fast. This was on the rear quarter panel. On the door a locomotive was painted. It also looked as if this train was in very fast movement with the body of the locomotive tilted forward. smoke coming out from the stack and the wheels turning very fast. I wanted to get out and look at the car SO BAD! But those dogs barking at us kept us in our car. I went back to Lee's house about a month later and the 55 was gone. Lee had traded it to Wes Johnson for an old front engine dragster. Lee said it was his dream to own a dragster so he traded the 55 for the dragster. I became very good friends with Lee and I did ask him about the 55 once but he did not tell me much about it. The car was Beautiful! The paint was flawless, the lettering very professional, and the car looked like it had the best of equipment. Unfortunately a lot of the old gassers look like junk to me. Not this car! I think I later saw this "Locomotion " in front of Wes Johnson's Texaco station in Va Beach. Wes Johnson raced so many cars it was hard to keep up with what he owned or drove. By the way Lee's dragster had a 301 eng with Hilborn fuel injection. It was a 283 bored .125" and had the stoke stroke 283 crank making it a 301. Lee died of cancer sometime in the mid 1990's so we will never be able to talk to him about Locomotion. I wish I took pictures of the car. I would love to share the image I had of It. I can tell you more about the racing at Creeds and Suffolk, Va back during the late 60's through the 70'sif you are interested. I got married and stopped the drag racing by the late 70's.