1940 Ford Gasser Hot Rod

History of the Drag Race Car

Originally built in 1959, this 1940 Ford was purchased and constructed by Gene Kitcha and his partner, Bob Hodge. Both the driver and the car debuted in the drag racing scene in 1960. At that time, the car was painted blue and bore the names “Hodge & Kitcha” on its sides. It competed at the Deer Park, WA Drag Strip, consistently achieving times of 12.70 seconds at 104 mph between 1960 and 1964.

The Ford also raced in Seattle, WA, where it achieved its best time of 12.62 seconds. In 1964, it set a drag record in its class with a time of 12.92 seconds at 104.65 mph. At the end of the 1964 season, the car was sold, minus its engine, to Roy Hardin and Clark Smith.

Under Hardin and Smith's ownership, the car was repainted its current Rootbeer Brown and sponsored by Perk Mason Body Shop, with hand-lettered signage added. During this time, the car transitioned from the D class to the C class and ran mid-13-second times throughout the 1965 season. At the end of that year, it was sold to Mel Hein and David Hein.

The car was then stored in a barn on a working farm between Reardan, WA, and Davenport, WA, with plans for future racing. However, in 1967, the unexpected passing of Clarence Hein (Mel and David's father) forced the brothers to prioritize farming over racing.

Mel Hein passed away in 2002, and in 2006, the car was purchased by its current owner from David Hein. Between 2006 and September 2007, it was fully restored to its original 1960s condition, with the Rootbeer Brown paint and hand-lettered details preserved. While currently running a professionally built LT-1 derived 350 featuring an Edelbrock X-C8 Cross Ram intake, the car now runs with the same components as it did during its racing days and remains true to its original character in every detail. The original motor, built to original specs is preserved on a stand.

Details:
Chassis
• 1940 Ford frame with 1946 front axle raised 6"
• 1946 spindles with 1940 Ford drum brakes
• Modified spring and perches with altered wishbone arms
• Modified mounts for 1959 shocks
• 1940 steering box
• Rear axle is 1956 Ford Pickup Dana 44 with special machines axles
• Jeep gears
• Rear semi-elliptic springs are two 1940 rear leafs, cut just over half length, then sandwiched on frame
• Ladder bars are 9' and are connected to the frame iust behind the front axle
• Gas tank has been removed and replaced with dummy filler
• A weight bar and weighted spreader bar were added where gas tank was located

Original Engine (on stand)
• Originally built in 1962, this is a new (in 1952) 265 C.I.D GM block, and the crank was sent to CA to be balanced and blueprinted
(1957 block)
• Bored .030 over has special edged cylinders to accept the 327 (62-66?) C.I.D fuel injection heads
• Heads are fullv square ported and polished
• Has Forged true 13 to 1 pistons with fire slots
• 520 lift roller cam with oval slotted lifters and shafts that are adapted through oil valleys
• Harland and Sharp roller rockers and chrome moly push rods
• Mickev Thompson aluminum connecting rods .
• Pan is a custom windage trav/baffles and trap door design
• High-pressure oil pump
• Double roller timing chain
• Intake is a 1958 Hilborn Mechanical fuel injection with #6 injectors
• Vertex magneto with Packard 440 7mm wires to special racing Champion spark plugs
• Exhaust are custom-built square port fender well headers
• Independent bank cooling (with two temperature gauges) to a collection tank
• Hand-built front engine plate altering its location back approximately 14"
• 1937 Cadillac/Lasalle transmission with clips removed from synchro assembly
• Steel flywheel and custom heavy-duty clutch I
• Driveline is a Cadillac slide yolk on a heavy-duty tube with mechanics u-joints

Body
• 1940 standard Tudor with deluxe front end
• Rear fenders are radius cut and hood cutouts for injection access

Wheels and Tires
• 1957 Ford pickup 15 x 5 rear wheels with 9.00 x 15M and H Dragster Racemaster slicks
• Anson 15x3.5 magnesium torque thrust front wheels with Anson lug nuts
• Tires are Union 76 5.60-15's

Interior
• 1940 Ford standard dash with custom gauge package
• 1940 Ford pickup steering column with 1940 pickup steering wheel
• 1955 Chevrolet swinging clutch and brake pedals with 1955 Chevrolet master cylinder
• Custom firewall that is black tuck and rolled in Naugahyde
• Back seat is removed and front seats are Naugahyde
• Trunk has two batteries (one strictly for lighting and the other for starting)