Thread: A couple of rebuilt Colorado Gassers

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Originally Posted by G.R.

35Window is that Jake Takamotos '39/40 Ford out of if I remember right Golden? Sort of red/orange color?
Do any of you guys that were around CO in '66/67 remember a Morris Minor sedan delivery named The Ash Hauler, had Haulin' Ash on it's back doors, blown Caddy(?). It was a godawful gold color. Only ran 2 seasons and the few times I saw it it never won a race. Last time I saw it run was in Cheyenne and he blew the engine the first heat, that would've been about July of '67?

G.R.-this is a Taurus that was owned by Tak Shiramizu-it was campaigned as Tak's Toy-he owned a Machine/Repair Shop in Arvada(?) I think-it ran at CDR and Erie A LOT and was a fan favorite as it covered more ground sideways than it did forward sometimes-it was THE Car for me when I was a boy.

I don't remember the Ash Hauler-I wonder if anyone remembers the '57 Chevy that was called the "Screamin' Yellow Honker"? Or the '67 Camaro that was psychedelic painted that was owned by Gary Siefreid and ran a 10,000+ RPM screamin' small block? How about the white '69 Camaro of Swingin' Syd? Or Albert Guitlein's '57 Chebby? Lots of good ol' memories-


Here is a little more about Tak (he was inducted into the Colorado Motor Sports Hall of Fame)-

TAK SHIRAMIZU - He was considered one of the best engine preparation specialists In the Country. The drag race engines he prepared won major racing events across the United States as well as setting many track records. His own drag racing cars named "Tak's Toy” were a familiar sight at tracks in the region including a very successful A Dragster.

One of the Top Alcohol Dragsters Tak worked on took the Ramer family to the National Hot Rod Association's Top Alcohol Dragster championship in 1980. That same car finished in top ten in NHRA points every year it ran and was a National record holder.

Tak prepared engines and components for stock cars that won championships on oval tracks, speed boat championships and a very successful Mud Racing Jeep. He prepared a motorcycle engine that won The Pikes Peak Hill Climb and did the fuel management system for a Bonneville Salt Flats Streamliner that set a word speed record of 450 Miles per hour for a piston driven engine

I remember the car well and Tak too. My dad ran every dragstrip in Colorado back then and loved watching Tak's Toy run. I have almost that exact picture when we were in Erie. now I have to go see if I can find it and remember when.