Part all: the history of "Regret" 1954-1980

It's actually part one!!

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Well if this isn't long winded I don't know what is!!... Not really I guess.

The following are the notes in summery, some quotes and a lot of history and questions yet to be anwsered...(FatHead take notes )


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Back in 1954 Bill Waddill of Swartz Creek, MI. was liberating a 1932 two-door sedan from a junkyard in Linden. Linden was a small town just south of Flint that can be accessed by taking the Fenton exit off US-23. The 26 year-old mechanic had some big plans in his head for the humble sedan.

Within a short period he hired Red Abbey to chop the top of the car 3 ¾”. Red Abbey’s son, Dennis, drove a ’32 3-window coupe that was powered by a 455 c.i. Buick engine running a supercharger. When the chop was finished the car was painted gun metal gray with white flames. Moon wheel covers and an early Oldsmobile engine was installed.

The louvered hood was punched at Kustom Equipment, in Flint, on a press that was obtained from General Motors and sat outside behind the shop.
At some point Bill loaned the car to a friend of his from Grand Ledge, Gordie Maure.Gordie needed a car to take his date in. Gordies girlfriend, Virginia, eventually became his wife. While on this particular date the carburetors needles stuck, flooding the engine, resulting in a pretty good fire that warped the louvered hood. (the hood is the same one that is on it today)

Bill pretty much made the car a real driver. It served as transportation to and from work, which included a stint with the Buick Racing Team for the Pan American Mexican Road Race back in the fifties, visits to Bonneville, and the Torrey Pines Hill Climb.

As Waddill worked for Buick at the time, he would drive the various legs of the race using the little sedan as a parts carrier. He would arrive exhausted and get his night’s sleep. He had to be ready to tend to the cars when they arrived at each checkpoint. He would spin the wrenches, repair or replace broken or worn parts, throw his tools back in the sedan and roar off to the next checkpoint. Although unverified, Waddill claims to have turned better times on some of the legs of the race than the factory cars.

When he took the car to Bonneville, he was prevented from running the car by safety rules, which demanded that cars with heavy modifications (like a chopped top) must have a roll bar. The ingenious Bill found a way to run his car on the salt, by offering his push car/chase vehicle into service starting their race car and bringing it back to the pits.

Bill also entered the Torrey Pines Hill Climb with the sedan, but rumor has it Bill was banned from racing after beating the expensive sports cars.

Sometime in 1958, Bill picked up the sponsership of Kustom Equipment, in Flint. With their name on it, the car had to be red (it was previously gun metal gray, with white flames). So red paint was ordered and the doors were lettered with the Kustom Equipment name in white written script.

At this time, a 392” hemi was the power source (previously an Olds). A solid roll bar was installed; the small wells under the rear seat were filled with cement, as was the spare tire in order to gain traction. It ran in the NHRA’s B/Gas class. Bill took it to the first annual 1958 National drags in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The little deuce sedan did very well capturing top speed for B/Gas at 105.88 mph. As the class winner, Bill continued on to runner up in the Little Eliminator. Bill was beaten by Junior Thompson, another National Record Holder.

For 1959, Bill pulled the hemi out and sat it into a Henry J to run at the NHRA Nats. in Detroit. The Henry J was featured in Hotrod. The ’32 Sedan was on the cover of Hotrod racing against “Akron” Arlen Vanke.

Before 1959 was up Waddill had sold the car to Bill Pierce (for $500.00) in the greater Lansing area. Bill Pierce took the car to Ollie Hines’ shop Charlotte to install a Pontiac engine. Hines was well known for the quality of his work. He had a channeled ’34 Ford coupe, which ran an unusual Brewster, grill and a supercharged Cadillac V-8 engine. Hines’ car was featured in several car magazines.

The Pontiac was a 316 cu. in. built and balanced by Kustom Equip. The engine had a short track hydraulic cam and Super Tempest cast iron headers with dumps. Ollie built a bolt in crossmember and modified the stock steering box to clear the starter.

Bill (Pierce) never raced the car and sold it in 1966 to John Spatrisano and Dallas Jenks. John lived on Clement St. in Lansing, and he purchased the car for $800.00. It came with a 400 cu. in. Pontiac. Neither the engine, fenders or running boards were mounted at the time. Spatrisano had a 389 out of his wrecked Pontiac. The ’63 Pontiac rolled after suffering a broken tie rod at an inappropriate time. One of his friends was killed in the crash. The wife of another friend (and co-owner of the Deuce) Dallas Jenks, declared, “It’s a wonder he (John) didn’t die then.”

The 389 was far from stock. It was reported to have a Crower roller cam, balanced crank and pistons, hooked up to a B&M Hydro transmission. Rumor has it that around $7,000 was invested in the engine. John may have experimented with nitro methane as fuel. John was a fatalist and often stated that he didn’t believe he would live to see 35 years. Because of John’s attitude, Dallas Jenks did most of the driving at the drag races. Dallas’ father owned the Industrial Transport Company and lived in the big brick house just west of the Lansing Automakers C.U., in Lansing on Saint Joseph.

The guys raced at Gratton Raceway, Onondaga Drag way (near Leslie), and Central Michigan Drag way near McBride and Stanton. Ten second times were turned at the time. They named the car “Regret” because they regretted having so much money in the car.

They called off their racing for awhile because John’s wife was pregnant and Dallas had a one year old son. Dallas’ wife attended the drags before they were married, but very little afterwards. Bob Rose stored the car for them until it was sold in ’71.

Jim Lischkge bought “Regret” in ’71, according to Dallas, Bill Waddill had attempted to buy it back once he had heard it was running again.

John Spatrisano’s prophecy turned self-fulfilling when he was struck by another motorcyclist trail riding at Harrison State Park. He was struck broadside where two trails crossed. His wife remarried in 1973 and lives near Portland. Spatrisono’s nephew, also John Spatrisono works in tool design in building #40 (now gone). As of this writing, Dallas Jenks lives with his wife in Evert, Michigan and serves as Osceola County Civil Defense Director.

Dallas Jenks Died at age 61 on Dec. 08, 2003 at his home

Jim and Larry Lischkge owned the car from 1971-1979. The car was kept across the street from Plant #3 at a Willow street address. Jim says that he used to take the car out on rare occasions driving full throttle east on Willow. He would find a turn around and return to the garage in the same manner. At the time, the car had no mufflers, license or insurance. What he remembered most about the car was the green rear window (when it was raced as Regret all the windows, sans windshield, were green plexi).

Dennis Lesky, of Ionia, offered $3,950 for the car in November of ’79, Lischkge lived in the Portland area at the time. The clutch wasn’t operational, it was not running at the time, the wiring was incomplete and there was no exhaust,

Lesky says, “I was willing to pay $4500 at the time, the one other time I had seen the car I tried to buy the dash out of it, to get the Stewart Warner gauge panel and the 1958 N.H.R.A. National Drags decal. It wasn’t listed for sale and I heard about it from John Hall (of Mulliken). He thought that maybe it could be bought. I had been working on my ’32 Victoria for 7 years, and was becoming discouraged, and my family had grown (that’s me..hehehe). NO SALE!!!! Jim was planning to paint the car yellow and have an interior installed. One year later Marvin Droste stopped by to tell me about a “nutsy-boltsy car” he had just seen. It turned out to be “Regret”, so I thought I would try again. I called and asked about the car.

Lischkge wanted to know how I found out Regret was for sale. I was unable to sleep until I had it home.”

Dad goes on to say:

“ Marlene (my wife at the time) drove it to the first rod run we took it to. I had to work that day, and hurried to the picnic once I got out. Our second rod run was the Cherry Capital Fun Run in Traverse City. This had to be the first of the bigger rod runs we were to attend. Several people gathered around it at the show, because they recognized it as Bill Waddill’s old sedan.


So, that’s it for now....hehehe

I have at least five more pages I could transcribe, and I’m sure I will at some point, but for now enjoy the read, it’s the note frome the following sources:

Bill Waddill
Bob Waddill (Bill’s son)
Dallas Jenks
Sue, widow of John Spatrisono
John Spatrisono (nephew of John)
Paul Beck

Input: 3-22-94 By Roy Peterson

 

last picture...I hope we have served this car well...

Thanks for your time,
HRD

 

Excellent story about a remarkable piece of history!!

...and the tale still ain't over...that car's got a good six decades left in it easy!

 

Too bad that car doesn't have any history....cause if it did it would really be cool.


Seriously.
WOW! thanks for sharing.

 

Awesome story Matt. I forgot all about that car having fenders

Truly a historicly segnificent car. and one to be very proud to own.

what else can i say the car and your story says it all.

The only thing cooler is that you and your dad are my friends

 

Way Cool history..., See you at the Pile-Up...!

 

Shut up dude!!hehehe It's got a four bar!!! oh hell!!, they had them in the twenties...think Indy car....

it will get it's split bones back some day.....can't wait , can you?

 

OHHHH... does that mean I should be there???hahahaha

I think for me it is either there or the Drags....I need to go to the drags...


I'll see you there

 

That car has a aura.

 

Thanks! i always enjoy reading about a cars history, this is one of the best in a long time.

 

Thanks for the history lesson Matt. I heard about Regret when I moved to Oscoda, Mi. in 1960 from a couple of airmen at the Wurtsmith Air Force Base. They were from California and had an Olds powered '32 Roadster. Somehow they saw Regret at the Drags or in Lansing in the previous few years and mentioned it to me when they learned I was looking at a stock '32 Model B which wasn't for sale outside Oscoda. The comment was, "If your looking for a '32 2dr. you ought to go to Lansing and try to buy a '32 2dr that's a drag car." I never got to Lansing to look up the car but I seriously doubt it could have been bought after listening to your account of the car. Besides, how could a high school kid afford a car like that anyway? I think their idea was to have someone with a hot rod that they could beat with their '32 roadster. I'll have to relate more about this saga when i see you sometime .
My next contact with the car was when i heard about it from Bill Waddell while I was attending GMI in Flint. There used to be pictures of the car on the wall of Kustom Equipment speed shop in the early 60's. Wonder where those photos have gone?

Frank

 

BTTT for my Buddy Matt

 

Go to the Pileup then I can see it, can't make it to the Drags. Cool story and history.

 

Wow! Great history lesson! I'm gonna print this and give it to the owner of Bill's '38 for a good read.
Kustom Equipment is now some gay fish aquarium store. Too bad cause this part of town could use a place like that these days. BTW, Jdubbya lives prolly 2 miles form the old Kustom Equipment. I still remember seeing it when I was a kid with hot rods parked outside and wonderin' what went on in there.

Thanks, Matt.

Pete

 

Great bit of history on a more than interesting car.

They sure weren't bashful about trying different engines.

Thanks for posting.

 

Great story Matt, thanks for posting, that car is fun to ride in. See ya at the Drags.


BB

 

Too cool Matt! Put the fenders and the steelies back on that thing and let's go racing.

 

Good job Matt. I remember seeing the car a couple times back before your dad got it but I'll be darned if I remmeber where. We were runnning a 6 cylinder gasser at Martin, Gratton and once in awhile at Stanton back in the early 60's and a bit in '70 and '71 after I got back from the service That's likely where I remember it from...so many cars over so many years.

I'm glad you've taken the time to research and document what you can. Proud of ya man.

Charlie

 

Charlie, my Dad did the research, what I typed was what he had typed from notes and memories from the people around the car. Thanks for the comments guys, it took me about four hours to post!!!

Here is a neat picture of the "shop" back 20 years ago or so. The Vicky that Dad was building until I tried waxing it with gas, and Regret, The car he bought because I waxed cars with gas!!

 

To the best post I've ever made!!!

This is the finest

 

Thanks, Matt. You're a hell of a good storyteller, for a youngster.

Phil

 

Great post!!!!

I've always liked that sedan since the first time I saw it at the Deuce Doins. The green rear windows are still cool!!

 

Wow.

Great read man.

I hope that car stays in your family forever.

 

Thanks for the great post!Can't get enough of these car history threads,keep em coming.

 

Great story on Regret...with some Travese City history as well!!

 

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Quote:
(Before 1959 was up Waddill had sold the car to Bill Pierce (for $500.00) in the greater Lansing area. Bill Pierce took the car to Ollie Hines’ shop Charlotte to install a Pontiac engine. Hines was well known for the quality of his work. He had a channeled ’34 Ford coupe, which ran an unusual Brewster, grill and a supercharged Cadillac V-8 engine. Hines’ car was featured in several car magazines.)
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I realize this is an old thread, but living in Michigan all my life, I'm glad someone brought it bttt. I was showing my Kustom at the same time Ollie was showing his and here's a couple of old black and white photos I took back in the old days. Several years ago I took the color photos of his son showing the same car. Not much change except style of tires. His son refers to it as a 33.

TwoChops

 

what kind of drum set do you have I have a tama swing star 11 peice set been drumming and hot rodding all my life.

 

Pearl Prestige session select, I play with four drums and seven cymbals.

 

That's a way cool story.I never saw the Regret car but have seen the Hines car several years ago at the SRN's in Kentucky and loved it.
That Brewster grille is bitcin'.
As a side note.....
I never met Arlen Vanke either but knew his son Rick in KCMO and helped build and co-drove his S/G car Sinister for a few years.
I guess it's true that speed runs in the family.LOL