History I think I found Larry Neves #2 track roadster

All this time I've been looking at it a black with red and white interior. The strips as red with white outline. When around the races in the 60s I was taken by the amount of orange used as a accent color.

 

Yea looks like the Louvers are striped. The nose scallop has to be a brighter color than the maroon paint with a white outline. I read that he used a lot of gold accents maybe. I think the numbers are white.

 

Yea that would have been a good color combo. I wonder what color the interior was. Maybe it was way out there. I’ve read a couple captions that called the car a colorful entry.

 

Hopefully there is a color picture out there or at least a more complete description.

 

Once you get the body moved back, building a "buck" for the nose is pretty simple, and you can fine tune the shape. Wrapping it in aluminum is a little more difficult. There are plenty of eucalyptus trees in your area, some of the best wood to use for a shaping stump. I am excited for you !

 

Here's a picture of the car that was in the January 1950 issue of the Ford Times magazine.
The article was about roadsters that would be exhibited at the 1950 National Roadster Show.
We've seen this photo several times but what's interesting about this article is the mention of a Kurtis front end, I assume meaning the hood, nose & grille.
Take it for what it's worth

Mick

 

I have messed with these to give some idea of colour combos.

 

Jimmy B's first colorized pic is exactly what I had imagined it looked like in color.

 

Man you make It look easy. Your T track cars are really awesome builds. Thanks for the pictures and ideas.

 

that would make since why the hood fits so poorly to the car and overlaps the cowl coming off something different and not being built to the car.

 

Wow great work Man I really appreciate it. Now seeing it with color I’m really excited. I sure have a goal to look forward to now great color combos.

 

I gotta say I've never heard of this car before this thread, but this car and Iskys are the most bitchin Ts ever. Good on you Youngster for your detective work in identifying this car and saving this historical beauty from a certain destruction in less sensible hands.

 

I take it the poor fit is referencing the fact that the hinge point of Side Hood Panel which many times has a bead that meets a body line is considered poor when it may have been absolutely considered and waved as no issue as race (purpose) was the point...Such details didn't win the race so to speak and I many times feel Purpose Built is BS...Looks Mattered but obviously all desired details may not always see fruition such as that trim alignment. Maybe Larry bought it at the race Graveyard however with Kraft being nowhere in the picture which being this Hotrod is the sum of many racers he himself may have fitted this hood and saw what the Judges saw and here we are focusing on what they gave second place for...I mean if aligning that trim to the Body line would have meant ditch the Hood and Sides...more money, more time...

I don't see that as poor fit but just a detail that is way more common in Hotrod than we admit or notice...If Kurtis Kraft was involved I don't think poor would ever be part of his workmanship...

Am I missing what is mentioned or described as poor here? I mean at first I thought the Poor Fit was saying the hood was bigger than the cowl and doesn't sit on the Original T Hood Welting and cowl location but is actually resting on the upward curve of the Cowl itself...​

 

I probably saw the Valdez version in person. If I did it didn't leave an impression yet the pictures I saw of #2 in my brother's and uncle's magazines stuck with me from grade school.

 

Sorry I should have clarified. I didn’t mean poor workmanship in the kurtis front end at all. I meant the hood and nose was maybe off a kurtis built sprint car or bigger car not built for the Neves T but repurposed on to the Neves roadster. That’s why the hood and sides go over the cowl and sit in the curve of the cowl instead of sitting flush with the firewall.

 

@Youngster51 since you mention the Hood riding up the cowl perhaps there is a distinct Groove where that hood resided and rubbed for many miles of Hard Racing...Just another detail to look for...

I noted the Current 2020 Cowl to Firewall Trim (how it is Cut) as well and am wondering if it was trimmed back in 1950 to meet the Track Nose Hood and sides...Is there any pics of this Roadster back in the day with the Hood open showing that fit?​

 

Thanks I look forward to bringing the roadster back to life. I’ve always liked the isky T great car.

 

Yea Ive heard some of the kurtis family resides in Bakersfield ca. Hour and a half south of me. I will send them some pictures of the nose and hood and see if they have any info.

 

Perhaps you may be granted access to some pretty rare photographs from his times as a master of everything he worked on...fingers crossed...This roadster does have a fair bit of notoriety but despite that there isn't much available picture wise...putting out the tentacles might get some dusty bookshelves visited...

 

I highly doubt the nose and hood have anything to do with Kurtis. It was common to call track-noses in that time Kurtis front, grille, nose. In the HRM article on the Spurgin-Giovanine roadster the grille was referred to as being similar in appearance to Kurtis Kraft midget grille. Chuck Spurgin built the grille and track nose.

Being from Nor-Cal it is more likely Jack Hagemann built the grille, since he is said to have built the chassis it is more likely.

 

I have to agree with Jimmy. I feel that the mention of Kurtis may be a general statement for a racecar nose. Kinda like any v’ed roadster windshield is a Duvall.

 

I understand now. I did not know that Kurtis was used a blanket term for that style nose makes sense that happens a lot in the hot rod world like @Pat said about Duvall windshields. Now with that info I’m sure Hagemann had a hand in the nose with the chassis being built by him. One more question I had on my list knocked off by the help on here. Thanks guys

 

How about Jack Hagemann Jr. builds you the replacement nose?

 

Yea that would be great. I’ve tried finding contact info on him with no luck. Does anyone know his business name or any contact on him?

 

After some cross referencing I did a google search and found contact details I believe is right, I won't post them on public forum.

 

Can you pm me the details thanks man i appreciate it

 

Always look forward to the updates!

 

Looking forward to updates.

 

X2

 

I’ve been working hard to finish the last customer car I took on I have to get it out of the way so I can focus on the T. So far I pulled the front brakes and put on a set of drums pulled the engine and trans out and cleaned it up a little more. @KKrod sent me a new photo that surfaced on eBay I bought it weeks ago still waiting on it to arrive. Any idea what show this could have been at or year?