History I think I found Larry Neves #2 track roadster

Very cool story, we used a similar method of overlaying the chops on my coupe to authenticate my car raced El Mirage in '41, now I just need to find out who owned and raced

 

Wow great car. Really cool to find history on these old cars.

 

That's a fantastic shot @KKrod sourced out in the dry landscape of images many times evidenced in digging up history...look forward to your journey with this gem of a find...will you be giving it a driven future even if limited?

 

I want to see you and Marty Strode racing!

 

Yes I plan to show and go with it. Returning the car back to a single seat roadster with no lights or windshield will Probably limit it Around town a little bit but I would have no problem returning it to a track day or probably the RPM nationals it’s only a couple hours from me for sure.

 

Does anyone have an idea what that rear wheel and tire combo could be it looks deep and wide reversed 15”or 16” or rehooped What would have been ran in 1949 or prior and the tire almost looks like a slick.

 

Rears look like 15" reverse Mercury or Lincoln wheels. Fronts look to be normal 16 Ford wheels

 

That’s great a have a pair of old reversed mercury wheels in the garage. Any idea on those tires are they slicks in the rear?

 

Not sure...

@Marty Strode do you know what brand of slicks were available for track roadsters in the 40s/50s?

 

This was about a decade later but the wheels we wanted for reversing in the late 50s early 60s were 15" Buick. They were the widest and even 5 1/2" x 5 lug pattern although I always used Ford centers because the only small hub caps that fit Buick wheels were flat Buick caps that would not clear Ford axles. Maybe that is why there are no caps on the rear of #2. I don't remember how wide Caddy wheels are but I think they had the right lug pattern.

 

I was able to get in touch with Al Neves last wife Gail who provided a couple new things. She believes that the number 2 car was co owned by Al and his cousin Larry who owned a repair shop
In San Leandro and was raced by George. Unfortunately she does not recall the name of the shop or any other info on the car color wise or history. Still tracking down family members on the Neves family which is tough She said that Al and Larry Neves had a bad ending in the 50’s and never talked to each other again.

 

Tragic story unfolding

 

Here in Oregon in '47, slicks started showing up on the Track Roadsters, when Jack McGrath 1C and his pal Manuel Ayulo 44, came north and revolutionized the racing. The boys also, had replaced their transmissions with Stellings, quickchange in-and-out, boxes, connected to the back of the crankshafts. They had slicks for the pavement and treaded tires for the dirt, and dominated the racing. Not sure what company capped their slicks, but a famous name from California was Buck Tires. When the car is done, and in race form, we need to get it together with Pat Ganahl's Spalding copy for some laps !

 

Up to the 60s -early 70s there was a Joe Neves who owned a trucking company in Clayton Ca near Concord. Many of those families were related.

 

Wow thanks for the info did not know they ran slick’s on dirt. So I believe the wheel tire combo is going to be reversed merc wheels with period slick’s on the rear and 16” Ford fronts I’ve come across Nos pairs of those Firestone’s in the number 2 roadster pictures before I’ll have to find some Again. I would really like to get together and run some laps great things to look forward to with this car.

 

You need to reread Marty's post, they ran slicks on pavement and treaded tires on dirt!

 

They used Firestone Ascot slicks on the paved tracks and Ascot knobby on dirt tracks. The hardest to find are the Firestone Ascot front slicks, followed by the rest. The slicks are flat on one side and rounded on the other side like a normal tire.

Great thread! Keep at it!

 

Alright now I see it was a late night last night after fireworks.

 

thanks for the info in the show pictures the roadster must have been set up to run asphalt With the slicks on The rear. What do you think those front tires are?

 

Got the car blown apart and body moved forward where the original shock hole is on the body. Now I need to cut the original opening back open and lower the body down. Made a huge difference in the look of the car. Also bolted a pair of juice brakes on the front.

 

Could that be some Of the original maroon paint of the number 2 car on the frame still under rear crossmember?? The frame is painted a dark metallic blue that almost looks black.

 

A question for anyone following this thread. The spring mod in the photo, an early attempt or a seventies thing? can’t see the spring working too well like that so wondering if it’s an early speedway thing or ?

 

i had a 36 pickup that was built in the early 50’s lowered the Same way both front and rear spring was bent I guess it was an easy and cheap way to get it down that extra couple inches.

 

This was common in the 40s and 50s. Even back then it was discouraged, there was an article in early HRM where they recommended reversing the spring eyes and not heating the spring like this.

 

...Note Front Parallel leaves...Get Down...

Credit to Photographer, Owner


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Tommy the Greek pinstriped my survivor 34 back in 57/58
Here’s A picture

 

Found this pic