Flashback Friday

Years after the Buchanan Brothers quit racing their Super Comp dragster, Mark found a new way to get back in the world of drag racing.  During the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons, he worked under (recently inducted) Drag Racing Hall of Famer Clayton Harris, as a crew member for driver Paul Romine.  In Mark's three years with the team, they accomplished many spectacular feats.  At first, the crew worked on a front-engine Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster.  In 1996, their front-engine dragster was the first of its kind to run a quarter mile in under six seconds.  For the 1997 season, the guys decided to switch to the more conventional Top Fuel Dragster (rear-engine).  It paid off for them, as they won the IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) Top Fuel Championship in both 1997 and 1998!       

In Morroco, IN the Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster ran "first in the fives!"

[1996]

Driver Paul Romine getting in the front-engine dragster at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

[1996]

Mark was in charge of the 'Top End' and 'Fabrication' on the dragster.

bo-mar was represented on each dragster body!

The whole team (with special family members) after their 1997 Championship win at Darlingon, SC.  bo-mar's laser operator, David Moore, also worked as the chief mechanic on Romine's car.  

Flashback Friday

With the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals coming up in just two weeks, we've decided to dedicate the next few Flashback Fridays to the sport of drag racing.  Drag racing plays a big role in the lives of many bo-mar employees.  While several employees are loyal followers of the sport, others participate in the racing as well.  In fact, bo-mar's owners Bob and Mark Buchanan built a Super Comp dragster in 1980 and raced it for over a decade!  However, when they decided to open their new custom sheet metal fabrication business in 1991, they no longer had time to race their own dragster.        

Mark and Bob worked hard to put their Super Comp dragster together.  Here, the brothers are preparing the chassis for the first time since changing motors. 

Bob beside his and Mark's dragster at World of Wheels in downtown Indianapolis

[circa 1980] 

Mark and Bob after their first 7-second run.  This was the quickest their dragster ever ran--a quarter mile in 7.97 seconds.

[circa 1985]

A slideshow of the Buchanan bros dragster throughout the years!

 

     

Flashback Friday

 As a custom sheet metal fabrication business, bo-mar has completed thousands of projects in its nearly 20-year history.  For this week's Flashback Friday, we want to take the opportunity to showcase a few examples of our diverse jobs throughout the years.  From bike racks, to tanning bed assembly fixtures, to custom furniture, bo-mar knows how to manufacture a good product! There is no job too small for this machine shop. 



In the early-to-mid 1990s, Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation) asked bo-mar to design and manufacture a bike rack to hold three bicycles.  Caltrans used the bike racks for passenger trains.  Although there was a limited amount of space in the passenger cars, bo-mar found a way to make the product work!

For roughly a decade, bo-mar manufactured these tanning bed fixtures.  Though bo-mar didn't make the tanning beds themselves, we did allow an easy assembly process for our customer's employees. As the years went by, bo-mar made more and more fixtures to assist the mass production of the product.

From time to time, bo-mar also gets a chance to make custom furniture.  This table was made for Mark's daughter, Casey, when she rented her first apartment.  For years, bo-mar fabricated custom furniture for a contemporary furniture store in Castleton, Indiana. 

bo-mar recycles!

Here at bo-mar, we are continuously finding ways to "go green" and minimize our impact on the environment.  In May 2007, we began recycling all of our paperwork through a company called Shred-It.  Every eight weeks, Shred-It comes by to collect the paper in our recycle bins.  After every pick up, they let us know how many trees we've saved by recycling our old papers.  Last year alone, we recycled enough paper to save 13 trees!  



In addition to recycling paper, bo-mar also recycles aluminum cans, metal scraps, and cardboard.  Last week (August 2, 2011), we set up a deal with Republic Services to recycle our plastics (#1-7) and glass! We are very happy and proud to take this step in the right direction! If you have any other tips on running an eco-friendly business, feel free to let us know. 

Flashback Friday

Bob and Mark acquired their love for cars at an early age.  In a November 2004 interview with Car Craft, Mark said, "My brother, Bob, and I have always been very interested in cars, and the mechanical part came naturally with help from our father and uncle, both of whom worked for Ford.  But the body and fabrication skills were acquired after paying other people too much money to take too long to do disappointing work.  We just realized we had to do it ourselves."
 

In 1962, Indianapolis Ford News featured an article about The Buchanan Family and their love for cars.

The boys with their dad and Uncle Jim