Drag Racing History: FORD RACING Legends Stashed Away in East Tennessee Garage

Jim Barillaro lived a car guy's dream! He owned and operated a shop during the 1960's and campaigned epic drag cars, all of which were FORD powered. He eventually got his hands on a Ford Cammer (427ci SOHC) and he never turned back. Let's take a look at his Ford Hoard, which includes two of the most important cars in drag racing history....the 1965 Chrisman Comet (largely considered the world's first funny car) and the 1967 Chrisman Comet flip top funny car. Both are powered by nitro burning Ford Cammer engines, and both have incredible history.
Other awesome parts of this collection include a T-Bucket that was built in the 1980s and still looks exactly the same. And Jim's VERY FIRST car, a Ford Model A sedan is up on the chassis table awaiting some TLC. Jim passed away in 2017 and left his collection to his twin sons, Jim and Mike, who are incredible metal fabricators, who run a shop in Knoxville, Tennessee. These cars, parts and memories reside in the shop they work in everyday, so it's truly a memorial for their father.
Insane parts include a custom drive box for Jim's twin engine Ford Falcon wheelstander and a custom Ford Cammer engine block that Jim had cast back in the 1970's before NHRA banned overhead cam engines in the Funny Car division. Jim is a legendary Ford guy, and his sons are following closely in his footsteps. Take a look at this collection, which is stashed away here in East Tennessee.
#hotrodhoarder #Ford #History

[@brandonbell3089]

I’m a Chevy man but I believe we can all admire this 👍👍

[@mr.twister3969]

My dad was a Comet & Cyclone fanatic. When I was a teenager, we both had 65 Comets (still have them) my dad found out about Jim’s cars & called him up. We lived a couple towns over & Jim invited us over to his garage.if I recall, plans for heading south were in the works. Not only was Jim one of the coolest guys with fantastic stories & knowledge, he was generous with his time and he gave us 2 of the Cristmans Comet posters. I have one of them right here next to me. Thank you for this story, much of those details have faded in my aging mind.

[@Apocalypse_Cow]

🏁👍

[@joelewing4498]

+Mr. Twister: Cool post you put up, brother! Well done, sir. You've painted a nice picture of who Jim was, evidently.

[@michaelguinn5736]

Good morning, I am a 63 years young die hard Ford guy!! Thank you for sharing this awesome video of two awesome Fords of drag racing history!! It was sad when you mentioned Jim was gone, but the sons are carrying on his legacy!!! Be safe, GOD BLESS!!!

[@timothymartin9523]

This makes me so happy and so sad at the same, the greats are going away, we need to keep the history alive

[@BloodRaven1969]

At least in this case his sons are carrying tge flag forward and honoring his past and achievements.

[@stevehilliard1495]

My dad was a Ford man. He always said the only car he ever owned that he never drove to top endwas a 58 Fairlane with a 352 interceptor engine. He said when you got to 120 mph the front tires started to float up. I remember that car as the family car in 1959. Bright red paint, R.I.P. L.E. Hilliard 😎😘

[@clittle1559]

you dad was a wise man 🤘🏽🚀

[@markcheek5006]

I seen the 65 Comet on display at the Floyd Garrett muscle car museum in Sevierville Tennessee back in 2005, I was in awe of seeing this car, I had the magazine article telling of the restoration of this car. At that time he was still making exhibition runs in the 65 Comet, good seeing this car again

[@brucegreg1859]

GREAT VIDEO, Thanks...I Needed a Drool cup 10 sec. in...So thats what Heaven looks like.

[@erikalbertson7483]

Two of my favorite drag cars of all time ! The Comet and the GT-1, wow !

[@danrichardson210]

AWESOME AWESOME VIDEO !

[@lonniem9728]

The urn is so cool👍

[@anthonyhendricks7377]

Unbelievable story!!! These cars were some of my favorites as a kid. Wide world of sports introduced this tennessee kid to the world of drag racing. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@ROBIN_SAGE]

LOVE the qoute on the memorial poster: "gasoline is for washing parts, alcohol is for drinking, nitrous is for dentists, NITRO is for RACING!! Godspeed Mr Barillaro, quite the Legacy you have left behind, and what a beautiful tribute your sons have made to you. Thanks for sharing HRH!

[@JohnLee-hw2jr]

Jim was a nice guy. I met him in the 80s because he was building a 406 for my friend Bob Costa and we went to his house to see him. I couldn't believe all the Ford stuff he had back then in that barn in CT. I do remember he also had a T bucket that had a Boss 9 in it and then sitting behind the barn was Gas Ronda's original 63,5 lightweight Galaxie and a 69 Mustang funny car that might have been Mickey Thompsons. There was also a bunch of other cars spread around the property. Thanks for the video. brings back memories.

[@aussiesupersnake6642]

Good to see this collection and his history,a true Ford man with Ford motors,nothing angers me more than seening GM sh-t in old Fords

[@arkhsm]

Like that W motor in the coupe up on the hoist, it annoys me too my fellow Southern Hemisphere Ford Fan !!

[@65Coasty]

That's awesome. Great story

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

I'm pretty sure I met and talked to Jim at a 2006 Ford car show in Phoenix at the Cardinal Stadium. He had both of the Comets there, and I took several pictures of them; especially the '65 with it's radical engine set-back and driver compartment. There were many other heavy hitter Ford drag cars there, it was just the most amazing show I had been to.

[@TheKmart82]

Just came across this video and it brought tears to my eyes. Jim was my uncle. My family lived in Madison, NJ but we spent a lot of time with him and our cousins in CT. THANKS SOO much for this. It just made my day. Brought back many many memories.

[@peterivero4337]

Thanks

[@robertmiclette1728]

Amazing story!

[@Sleeperdude]

Great video

[@johnblood3731]

Still have my pictures of those two funny cars from car craft magazines from the mid 60's. The sohc engine was king back then.

[@icantintyou]

i started a window tinting business 31 yrs ago. my brothers 65 comet was the first car i learned on. awesome video! im 1 hr north of knoxville

[@mick_1949]

What an incredible story on this racing family. 60-70 years of history. Thanks for showing us this fantastic story. Too cool champion. 👍

[@pissbridge]

That was an amazing story thank you for sharing it and showing all the old pictures I love Everytime you post some more hotrod history again thank you so much!!!!

[@mattskustomkreations]

Wow. Fabulous!!! Wish I could like more than once.

[@almoffat7504]

What a collector of cars and part the two sons are keeping the legacy going good on them 👍🇦🇺

[@ci3008]

Killer video and a great review of an important piece of Americana Roots drag racing history!

[@jeffschwartz5199]

Great stuff 👍👍

[@jimhodge8594]

I got the honor to meet Jim and heat treat some timing gears for him back around 2007, he was a great guy with plenty of awesome racing stories... R.I.P. Jim

[@MODELMIND72]

This is watching video GOLD!

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

I used to see Jim at Ct Dragway, then after when he owned a toy train store. Great guy!!!

[@BloodRaven1969]

I drove and raced a 1968 Torino GT Fastback fully pro'ed from 86 to 94 and I knew of his funnycar, I had no idea he had the pair of Comets! I cannot say how happy I am for just this, and I'll be waiting to see the next videos.

[@TheLukaCeeChannel]

Another great one.

[@dano4572]

good job guys

[@carlwhite8225]

Your videos are so cool for us old timers, thanks.

[@lochnessfox3441]

All I can say is wow and thank you so very very much again!

[@rayrayadkins6178]

I really love seeing old cars and hearing the history about them

[@anthonypugh8535]

True Ford man all the way to the end in and the stories made it that much better hats off to this arconic Builder

[@mikebaldwin9972]

I enjoy all of your episodes because it’s part of my history, all of these things bring back a lot of GREAT MEMORIES of a time of high school and being a teenager. Thank you sir!!!!

[@mwhitelaw8569]

Thanks for a peek in the shop Mr Killer collection man

[@TheAmerican1963]

You, Sir, are a National Treasure ......... Thank you for giving us the history of Americana .............. :-)

[@tonycarter669]

Amazing video man great job

[@sadfab2347]

I bought a motorcycle from the twin brothers.... They were such cool guys....

[@richardmalone4721]

Your Nichē is SOL-LID my friend. These story’s would go untold otherwise. Ty for taking ALL the time in researching and producing videos like this. This is akin to what historical Egypt shows do for my wife, WHAT YOUR STORYS DO FOR “CAMMER” Dreamer guys like Me, LIKE US…. 👍🏻

[@philliplopez8745]

Owned a 66 cyclone GT 390 4 speed when I was 17 . Wish that car had survived !

[@donnatalielucasheimbigner7598]

Wish I could hit the like a thousand times. Super video.

[@michellehoefer5922]

Thank you for thr video.That Torino looked "tuff"! Or as the kids now say"sick"!

[@Hammer547]

Very nice post . You did a wonderful job on this video . Thanks for taking the time

[@jayawells1793]

I met him in his shop and he give me a couple poster it was so cool to see the race car and the engines he had. He was a very nice and cool person.

[@kurtludwig4783]

Great story 😥

[@robertbrady9597]

amazing show on here today great job on it stay safe down by you guys

[@jamiemelius5787]

Another great video. Thank you

[@johngatten2925]

Top notch great job

[@jerrytee2688]

Fuck yeah, Connecticut Dragway & John Healy!!!👍Excellent episode as usual, thanks.

[@kevinsnyder4425]

Love the Comets & the history behind this family.! I still have the original article about Jack Crisman & the GT-1 funny cars. I think it was Car Craft magazine. Thanks for all the research you do to make this one of my favourite channels !

[@danhamilton2193]

speachless......

[@talesofanasphaltjockey]

Incredible video ... having met the brothers I can tell you they are really great guys . Thanks for showing the shop and relaying the rich history of this legendary family to those of us who aren't able to see it in person .

[@GEORGEFROMLEY]

Concerning the Jack Chrisman Funny Car. If it's the original body, then my older brother and I made that body at B&N Fiberglass in Vandalia, Ohio. We built 10 bodies together including bodies for Nicholson, Chrisman, Schartman, Don Garlits, Roger Lindamood, Miss STP, and others. I just hated all the itching from sanding the body edges! Glad to see it all together. Ten years later, I was building Funny Car, and TF chassis under Tony Casserez. We did the Blue Max, Don Prudhome's Hot Wheels car, Gene Snow's TF chassis, and the Carrol Bros. TF car. The good old days. I would show up to work in my T-Bucket powered from a retired 426 Chrysler from an A-Fuel Altered (not de-tuned). I can't believe that it didn't kill me! Scarry car!

[@claymore440]

He was THE MAN back in the day. Local Boy done good. If you were into Fords his shop was the place to be.

[@shannonmedley4058]

Great vid tommy. I have an original 1964 copy of hotrod mag with chrismans comet on the cover.

[@markstopkey4085]

Love your channel!

[@KEIFabrication]

Great Story! Great pictures of CT Dragway in it's heyday! CT dragway was the first drag strip I ever went to, first place I drag raced at, and I raced at the last official held there. Miss that place!

[@jerrytee2688]

Right on, my first time at a dragstrip was there in 1970, I was 10 years old. I ran my Sportster there in '82 and never looked back, racing up and down the East Coast for the next 20 years or so. 👍🇱🇷

[@Apocalypse_Cow]

Same here! CT Dragway was my first track too! Sure missing that track everyday. 👍🏁🔥🏁

[@Apocalypse_Cow]

I remember hanging out at Jim's Speed Emporium on the Chamberlain Hwy back in th day. We were a bunch of gearheads from New Britain learning, wrenching and swapping racing stories at the shop. Every weekend we would head out to Colchester CT to CT Dragway to run what we brung. Those burnouts 🔥🔥 up and down the Chamberlain were good fun and practice, outrunning the Meriden PD over the Berlin town line. 😀

[@peterivero4337]

Just sweet man.

[@Tomcaatt]

Great film great story’s !

[@chuckster6513]

This is a great video of a great story in the world of Hot Rods and Drag Racing !

[@jasonkocinski2387]

Thats So COOL. WOW

[@jakespeed63]

OMG...once again you have done an incredible job, at documenting motorsports history. Jim was no doubt 100% Italian. And it shows in how passionate he was towards all that he loved. God Bless you for sharing this with all of us. JT Florida Dragstrip Riot LLC

[@kennyrevel6125]

Thanks so much for sharing! A very rare look into the history of Ford and drag racing. Super cool stories!

[@johnmartinii77]

66 -70 falcons are my favorite my first car, a 68, I've had since 1986. I've owned 12 falcons. I have a 67 falcon I'm working on now. Love em!

[@arkhsm]

You'd love Aussie then, Falc's built there from '60 to '16 !!

[@johnmartinii77]

@@arkhsm when I was in high school, I had a catalog from a company called Ozports that restored Australian Falcons and sold them in the u.s. I wanted one so bad.

[@arkhsm]

@@johnmartinii77 That would have made for one RARE piece of kit for sure. I've had a '67, 'two '71's, '87 '89 '95 and have just purchased my '01 just recently. It runs one of the last 302W's ever sold by Ford in the world, hand built by one man on a special niche line. Factory fitted roller rockers, bigger 70mm throttle body, headers, bigger valves in GT40P heads, port matching, head shaved... all by FORD...295hp !!

[@izom]

amazing !!

[@tomnekuda3818]

If there was ever a car with styling better than a Comet Caliente I don't know what it is. My brother had one and later sold it.....I should have bought it.....darn, darn, darn... I'd give a lot to find one today that I could restore.

[@bobsnyder9906]

Nice to see a few of my shots there that Jim got from me years ago.

[@alanquintus2069]

Great video. When the Ford SOHC is mentioned I think of Pete Robinson

[@hoosierman5573]

Thank you for such a classy tribute video.

[@ladonnaghareeb4609]

Thank you for sharing this with us. Thank you twins for keeping up dad's tradition. That is rare these days, so thank you both again.

[@chriscurry236]

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing, me and my Dad are Ford guy's👍 ,got goose bump's from all 427 sohc stuff!! Thanks for sharing their story!!

[@stevenertle2876]

Love this ..Ford power !!!!!!

[@markallen1413]

Awesome show man, i love the history of my childhood 👍👍👍👍👍✅✅✅✅✅

[@philipjohnson2608]

Good day my friend. What can i say. Your stories and the way you handle all you say are top notch top quality Brother. I've been tuning in your channel and just wonderfully done. Thank you May one day I shake your hand brother. Take care 👍

[@myretirementlife8731]

WOW! Amazing collection and story! Thanks for sharing.

[@philgrimsey3637]

Another fascinating, well researched, respectfully presented video. Thanks again for your continuous hard work

[@kellysrestorations.7397]

Another great video! Thanks for the stories and education!

[@davida.p.9911]

Thanks for sharing this really cool automotive racing history! It's important that it remains and is not forgotten.

[@discmotoslots]

cool dads rule!!

[@doughelmle6575]

his boys did right by him.........family history is very important .thanks for all you do also for letting us relive the past !!!!!!

[@boozer2462]

Wow,this video blew me away, loved it

[@txsailor57]

I always enjoy your visits to the past. Keep it up!

[@keithalbrecht4785]

Awesome story!!!

[@Dad-jk2wd]

Very cool

[@docshotrodnhobbies9019]

Awesome documentary and story!!

[@floydrhodesiv5733]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful video of this Ford drag racer ! He was definitely a passionate Ford fanatic who helped make the world of drag racing so interesting!

[@Charles_S.]

Awesome video of some great early drag racing history, thanks for keeping it alive!

[@tysonsullivan7837]

Another great video thank you 🙏 and Jim’s sons for sharing that history, glad to see there is still history among us...

[@mikeyt3940]

Fantastic video. You have out done yourself again brother. Thanks so very much!

[@1pieman]

Thank you it is so cool to see. you have a way a presenting this history and telling the stories. Keeps me on the edge of my seat. 👍👍

[@timothymaiden1345]

Absolutely incredible, awesome and so many other words for this !!! Love it and can't wait till next one...

[@ashleytrouble777]

Love it!

[@chrisgibson6079]

Hell yeah I had to scribe. Incredible history you are bringing back life

[@elz0792]

What an absolute great story mate thanks for sharing that rare piece of drag racing history..✌from Australia