Historic Women Rodders?

[Bigcheese327]

I have a friend at Eastern Michigan University taking a course on car culture. Unfortunately for him, the professor is focusing on the female perspective. So, I figure if anybody will know, it'll be somebody here. When they get to the 1950s and '60s are there any famous females involved in hot rodding? I know there were some race car drivers but it seems like a man's world otherwise...

[C9]

Do a search for Veda Orr, wife of Karl Orr.
They were well known in the early days and near the end of their careers in about the early to mid sixties they opened a small speed shop in Mint Canyon near the Saugus/Newhall area - which is today known as Canyon Country near Santa Clarita. Canyon Country and Santa Clarita, both modern yuppie names, but the important part is they were north of the San Fernando Valley and west of Lancaster.

I talked to her several times and to Karl a few times more.
Nice people and very helpful to this - at the time - 20 something shoebox hot rodder....

[hatch]

I did some historic things with young girls in the sixties....involving..Camaros...Falcons....Chevell es....etc etc etc

[C9]

[ QUOTE ]
historic things with young girls in the sixties....involving..Camaros...Falcons....Chevell es

[/ QUOTE ]


Those weren't historic, perhaps athletic, acrobatic, involved, entangled, serious and fun, but not historic.

Not tried a roadster?

It's another way of life.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[SKR8PN]

[ QUOTE ]
I did some historic things with young girls in the sixties....involving..Camaros...Falcons....Chevell es....etc etc etc

[/ QUOTE ]

A legend in his own mind.........LOL http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Nads]

What Jay said, someone needs to make a movie about Veda Orr, I'd watch it.

[C9]

Either TLC, The Discovery Channel or Speed has put on a documentary about the early days of the lakes.

Ms. Veda was featured in a short part of it.
She drove their roadster to some record speeds.

Long as I'm dropping names here, the Dragon Lady lives just down the road. Haven't met her though.
Do a search for Shirley Shahan. She has the most interesting story out there far as I'm concerned.

[29EHV8]

Suzanne Williams.Not 50s,60s but shes been doing the roddin thing forever.....Shiny

[Sam F.]

shirley muldowny. ,i guess she got started in the 60's

[k9racer]

Mrs Veda Orr sent out a news letter during WW2 to all the rodders she knew. I was told it was good to have a bit of news by one of the recievers. I meet a lady from calif her name was Punch Linburg Studder{I think) her late husband ran a roadster assoc and she was trophy girl, push truck driver, scorer and any thing else that needed done, I hope this helps.

[hatch]

It WAS the sixties.....sex, drugs, rock and roll. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[choprods]

hey shiny- may be you can shed some light on this- I remember a gal[ from canada who drove a 35 ford 5 window coupe - she was at the ST rod Nationals in Ok city back in the early eighties. she was an owner and builder- it had a 350 Olds DEISEL for power!!!!-Ring a bell????Ive always remembered meeting her and cant remember her name......she was qualified in this category!

[tommy]

[ QUOTE ]
Either TLC, The Discovery Channel or Speed has put on a documentary about the early days of the lakes.

Ms. Veda was featured in a short part of it.
She drove their roadster to some record speeds.

Long as I'm dropping names here, the Dragon Lady lives just down the road. Haven't met her though.
Do a search for Shirley Shahan. She has the most interesting story out there far as I'm concerned.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://fototime.com/{4A1CEE7F-5770-47E2-9C63-61B32C043661}/picture.JPG
is this it?
.
http://fototime.com/{6DA72295-5999-466D-A9D8-3F970B5C7F8E}/picture.JPG
.
I have no clue how the lady is, but she is a lady!

[Mutt]

C. J. "Pappy" Hart's wife Peggy drove a Cad powered 33 Willys in the 50's and helped him run Santa Ana dragstrip. Do a google on C.J. for info. She was one of the fastest cars back then.

Dan

[SamIyam]

Joan Weiand. (I think she is still alive... and if so, call Weind up and ask to talk to her... I did about ten years ago for a paper I wrote in college and she talked with me fo an hour.)

and

CJ "pappy" Hart's wife... who's name escapes me.

I suggest you make a list of questions and then try to call these folks up... you'd be surpized at how many people love to tell their story.

Sam.

[HOTRODPRIMER]

How about Louis Smith,,,,from Greenville ,South Carolina.........She ran modifieds from 1946 to 1956,,,,ran on the sands of Daytona Beach and drove her 1939 fod coupe to a 3rd or 4th place finish in the early years,,,,,,,,this is what became NASCAR,,,Winston Cup,,uh,er, Nextel whatever,, http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

she was inducted into the motorsports hall of fame in 1999

There have been women indy drives ,,Janet Guthrey,Sarah Fisher,,,,,,to many drag racers to name,,,,


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif HRP

[Chili Phil]

At the lakes you usually ran well with a Rose Genusso tune up. I'm not sure about the spelling but she sure knew how to make 'em run.

p

[Honest]

linda Vauhn (sp?)
Im sure someone can post photos.

[Chili Phil]

Linda Vaughn. Miss Hurst Shifter. Still looking damn fine now.

On that note should we overlook Jungle Pam and Jungle Bobbie?

[48_HEMI]

I have a decal from the Model A club of America that was on the old windshield I changed out on Veda Orr's 30 5 window. As far as I've ever heard Veda was the first female driver to set a record at the lakes. A very Classy Lady.Seems like Al Drake wrote something About Karl And Veda's exploits at the lakes

[dabond]

You might want to see if you can find anything on Judy Lilly. She held the B/Sports record in the early 60's with a 62 Vette.
Dennis

[Deuce Roadster]

[ QUOTE ]

Those weren't historic, perhaps athletic, acrobatic, involved, entangled, serious and fun, but not historic.

Not tried a roadster?

It's another way of life.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ] http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


As a matter of fact......Yes , I have....... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


My wife says it the law........every time you cross the state line....no wonder she likes going to the rod runs.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


.

[Stoner]

Jungle Pam. What more needs to be said? She was an integral part of women becoming an acceptable part of drag racing. Check out the GARAGE magazine Premiere issue.

And if you'd like to talk to her in person, send me a PM and I'll hook you up.

But for now...

[Kinky6]

To follow up on k9racer's post, the first thing that came to mind was Veda Orr and the dry lakes racing newsletter that she sent out during WWII - while it was welcomed by the men from So-Cal who had participated in the early racing, I think that the wider impact on hot rodding in the post-war era came from servicemen from all over the country being exposed to information about this regional activity.

Reading material was usually in short supply in war zones, so each of these newsletters may have been read by dozens of individuals. After the war, returning GI's from all over the country may have returned home with the image in their minds of these bitchin' little hopped-up cars in California. While there were any number of different influences on the rise of hot-rodding in the post-war period, I think that the ripple effect of this one woman's efforts may be important.

[Lowlife]

Probably not famous,but these gals were doin' it in '51.I'll email you the article in case you can use it.

[Bruce Lancaster]

I just found a copy of Veda Orr's 1949 book "Hot Rod Pictorial". WOW! It's like getting a 50 year advance look at Rodder's Journal!
I paid about a hundred books for the book and wouldn't sell it for a thousand.
I would bet that most of the deuce roadsters we're flogging now are pictured in that book in one of their earlier incarnations.

[burndup]

DAMN! I don't know if its an optical illusion, but look at the biceps on the broad taping the cardboard over the radiator... Looks like she could punch out a horse!

[Smokin Joe]

Before Shirley Muldowney was the first, Paula Murphy was the first! Drag racing has always had a couple women drivers here or there. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Veda Orr was central to lakes racing in the 40's. I believe she handled the records keeping and correspondence that held the clubs together forming the SCTA. Every old lakes racer I've talked to said she was the glue. CJ Hart's wife and Wally Parks wife did a lot of organizing too.

As for on the street or the show circuit, I can't think of any real famous women owners or builders. Of course they had a great influence in about every car club. In a lot of cases, I think Hubby got the credit most of the time, even when the wife made major decisions on the car being built.

[k9racer]

I am going to add one more Vickie Wood who now lives in Fla she set all kinds of records on the beach in Daytona during the 50's The best was a all time top speed for men and women of over 150 MPH in a Chrysler 300 and that is fast today. How many of us can say we have ran this fast anywhere much less on sand.

[hotrodladycrusr]

Keep the info coming guys, very interesting to read.

I'd like to read the paper when it's done as well. Maybe you can post it for us.

[Samantha]

I'll second what C9 said...Shirley Shahan, very cool lady.

[Bigcheese327]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd like to read the paper when it's done as well. Maybe you can post it for us.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure he's writing a paper for the class, but if he is I'll be sure to get a copy and post it here. He'll be interested to hear all this, I'm sure. Heck, maybe I'll have to work out a paper topic from all this. Hard to do without many secondary sources on these people, though. It might be possible to write a paper based entirely on primary sources but you'd run up a heck of a phone bill doing it (or better yet, plane tickets). Nevertheless, this stuff should be written down before it is lost forever.

[D Picasso]

on the two-wheeler side of things look up Dot Robinson. she kicked open a lot of doors guys spent lots of time trying to nail shut. imagine the Jack Pine Rally circa '52- pretty rough stuff!
look her name up sometime.

[alchemy]

This sounds like the makings of an article for Rodder's Journal. If you don't do it, get Jay Fitzhugh or Ken Gross to do it.

alchemy

[Jimv]

Jungle Pam actually helped with Jims ride, here she is distracting the other driver!!LOL

[DrJ]

Maybe I'm double guessing the assignment, but, if the Prof is looking for positive female rolls in the roll of women in the auto sports "hobby," I don't have to think too long to fugure out they are looking for "feminist roll models" and you'd do best on the paper by playing up the women who actually/successfully built, tuned, and/or drove their own cars rather than the few side show men's fantasy women who have added to the "sexist roll model" entertainment value of the sport for men but probably exactly the part the Prof. doesn't want to hear is women's only or major roll in the hobby/sport.
I'm not saying this because I think you should not mention them, on the contrary, I like to look too! but it's not going to gain points on the paper unless you have an entire section explaining Jungle Pam's and Linda Vaughn's rolls in the "Carnival" that is drag racing, like I have (I hope) here.

(For those of you who think I'm just being an old prude or worse a "Liberal" forget it. I've always loved looking at Linda and Pam and finishing undressing them mentally just like the rest of you letches.
I'm just making suggestions that might help get a better grade on the paper. If you play the college game you have to accept the fact that they wrote their own playbook and you have to follow it or lose the game.
The diploma is everything, otherwise you already learned how to live and get along with others in Kindergarten.)

[50Fraud]

Max Balchowsky got pretty famous in the '50s and '60s as a hot rodder whose nailhead-powered "Old Yaller" sports racing cars blew off Ferraris and other expensive imports.

Supposedly his "carburetor guy" was his wife, Ina.

[59BuickWagon]

I'll put a plug in for the late Peggy Smith (Tex's wife). She set up the registration system at the first (1970) Street Rod Nationals and it hasn't changed much in the past 35 years.

[Brother Bob]

Here ya go Honest, she makes me wanna do bad things too. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[marq]

Lowlife please email me that article too,it's too kool for words and i would love a good read.............Mad Marq p.s it's actually got my wife interested in rodding and talking about another project after i have finished mine.........Mad Marq

[fab32]

Brother Bob, Linda doesn't look exactly like your picture today. Age and gravity have taken their toll. This is not to minimize her contribution to motorsports just a reality check. I've taken the CHECK and its a sad statement indeed. Damn that mirror thats right across from the shower door. haha!!!

Frank

[safariknut]

Found this pic in the 1958 Hot Rod Annual.Norma Staman from Garden Grove CA.Said the car was built with help from her Dad.

[DrJ]

Ya know, I tink I remember Craig Breedlove's wife driving oe of his B-ville cars. Don't rmember the details, maybe AV8 can fill in the facts.

[Jimv]

your right about the "cheesecake" but its so much fun to post!!LOL