Is this a Funny Car?

[Mike 1017]

One of the World’s First Funny Cars, the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle “Tiger II,” is For Sale - Hemmings

I say NO

Mike

Edited May 14, 2024 by Mike 1017

[Ace-Garageguy]

It's an altered wheelbase match-racer. They were called "funny cars" way back then because they looked "funny".

THIS PARTICULAR CAR is a full tube-frame center-steer car, which makes it essentially a very early "funny car" even in a strict historical sense.

But call it whatever you want.

https://digital.allchevyperformance.com/issue/january-2024ru/tiger-ii-altered-wheelbase-1965-chevelle-funny-car-restoration/

Edited May 14, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Fat Brian]

This is definitely one of those transitional cars before what would become a funny car was standardized. Is it a funny car by modern design elements? Not really. Is this car part of funny car DNA? Absolutely. 

To bring it to another subject, are Cream and Led Zeppelin heavy metal? Going back from today now that the form has been solidified they sound like blues rock bands but put on Sunshine of You're Love and you can hear the foundation heavy metal being laid.

[Big_John]

Yep, early Funny Car. 

I really like the mid 60's funny cars myself.  There was a lot more variety and many of the cars were still steel bodied, based on production cars.  I'm not sure if the claim about being the first center steer tube chassis is correct or not, but it is one of the first, no doubt. 

 

[MeatMan]

19 hours ago, Fat Brian said:

This is definitely one of those transitional cars before what would become a funny car was standardized. Is it a funny car by modern design elements? Not really. Is this car part of funny car DNA? Absolutely. 

To bring it to another subject, are Cream and Led Zeppelin heavy metal? Going back from today now that the form has been solidified they sound like blues rock bands but put on Sunshine of You're Love and you can hear the foundation heavy metal being laid.

Well said! There is rarely a clean break when a "new" idea comes into being. Transitional is a good word for it.
Some people look at early gassers and question whether or not they are true gassers because they don't have the traditional look of a gasser, yet that's what they were classified as.

[Mike 1017]

I agree transitional is the right term for that car.

Mike

[Muncie]

sorry, I can't wrap my head around calling them "transitional cars."  "Come out Saturday night and see the Transitional Cars" just wouldn't work in the screamer drag race commercials on AM radio... This Chevelle probably raced before they were called funny cars late in the summer of 1965, but that is what it is.  Things were changing fast in those days.

Edited May 15, 2024 by Muncie

[Fat Brian]

5 hours ago, Muncie said:

sorry, I can't wrap my head around calling them "transitional cars."  "Come out Saturday night and see the Transitional Cars" just wouldn't work in the screamer drag race commercials on AM radio... This Chevelle probably raced before they were called funny cars late in the summer of 1965, but that is what it is.  Things were changing fast in those days.

They certainly wouldn't be called transitional during their time period, only when looking back can we see the evolution of a design.

[Ace-Garageguy]

19 hours ago, Fat Brian said:

They certainly wouldn't be called transitional during their time period, only when looking back can we see the evolution of a design.

AND...in most sanctioning bodies at the time it would NOT have even been a class-legal AF/X car either .

It would have simply been an altered-wheelbase match-racer, an evolutionary step between AF/X and funny cars as we know them now.

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 5/15/2024 at 9:18 AM, MeatMan said:

Well said! There is rarely a clean break when a "new" idea comes into being. Transitional is a good word for it.
Some people look at early gassers and question whether or not they are true gassers because they don't have the traditional look of a gasser, yet that's what they were classified as.

And there's a seemingly infinite crowd of rebleating "experts" who insist "gassers" were all nose-high stupid-jacked-up idiot boxes, which is simply not the case.

Spare us from historical classifications by people who weren't there and have no real idea of what they're talking about.

[Mike 1017]

transitional adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

[Ace-Garageguy]

13 minutes ago, Mike 1017 said:

transitional adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Great. And so what?

If you're writing an article about the history of funny cars, or adding textual context/backstory material to help describe or justify a model build or a real replica, referring to this thing as "transitional" makes sense in the context of looking back.

Otherwise, what's the point in trying to stick a classification on it?

EDIT: I'm not trying to argue. You can call it anything you want. I'm just curious...

 

Edited May 16, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

What it is depends on who just bought it, who had it restored, or who just put it into an auction...

[Mike 1017]

On 5/16/2024 at 2:16 PM, Mark said:

What it is depends on who just bought it, who had it restored, or who just put it into an auction...

You are right. Whomever buys it can call it anything he wants

Mike