Technical Whatever happened to Wynn.s Friction Proofing?

The current thread with all the old 50s films reminded me o those days when there wasn't an auto racing event of just about any type that Wynn's didn't be a part of it all, Decals were everywhere, and the announcers always talked them up. Service stations all had a display rack, usually out front or on the pump island.
Now I never see it anywhere, and wonder if they're still around or gone? Anybody know?

 

I had them on my pedal tractor early 70's...
An the big Hooker headers heart on the one side, the Kool brothers at the the top of Roxbury dr. Pasadena Stuck it on, Had a machine shop in there garage an two black mid fifties Chevy's...

 

The company is still around but the product has evolved a bit........
https://wynnsusa.com/products/engine/friction-proofing-synthetic-engine-oil-treatment/

I remember a road trip in my brother's '55 Chevy big smoker. He had a case of oil and a case of Motor Honey in the trunk to add a can of each at every fill-up.
If anybody was getting too cocky at the shop, this old-time mechanic would tell 'em, "Simmer down, Bardahl Breath".

 

They are a still a BIG company, and currently sponsor the Ben Keating, Team Riley Motorsports, and Mercedes-AMG No. 33 GT3 running in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series.

 

One reason you don't see Wynn's near as much anymore is Ed Justice Sr, and now Jr. Sr. was one of the best promoters that ever lived. He and brother Zeke worked for Wynn's before they started JB Products. There was some sort of dispute over territory and they left and started JB Products. Zeke became the chemist formulating the various products and Ed was the salesman. Soon the Wynn's racks in service stations (remember those?) began to be replaced with JB Products racks. Ed offered incentives to the dealers that sold the most in their area, and almost over night the guys pumping gas became JB salesmen. After a while Ed Jr. came along and being "a chip off the old block" started going after off shore markets. Getting JB products approved for sale in China was huge for the company. So, if Mr. Wynn had been fair with the Justice Brothers there might never have been JB Products, and Wynn's would not have lost 100's of dealers.

 

Seems like I have recently seen Wynn's products for sale in an autoparts store.
I do not know Friction Proofing is still in the product line. Seems to me like Casite Motor Honey became a Wynn's product. I really liked that stuff saved my ass more than once over the years.

 

Dang, I think I have a tube/can of it from the 70’s in a cabinet. Probably next to a can of Moroso octane booster. Lol

 

Dean, I had a long talk with Ed at LARS in 2004, he told me the story. He said, that he tried to get Wynn's to expand their line of products, and had some ideas, they weren't interested, so they went on their own. We also talked about their work, building Midgets for Frank Kurtis. Fun guy to visit with.

 

Casite ad from 1953...Wynn's was everywhere a motor was....

 

great info - visited Justice Brothers in So Cal and got a tour by Ed Senior

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Yes, not many know about it, but the Justice Brothers Racing Museum is absolutely wonderful. We were the only folks there when we stopped and they couldn't have been nicer. At 2734E Huntington Drive in Duarte,CA, you don't even really need to leave your trip on Route 66 to stop by. Great cars, nice people and free. As it should be.

 

See: https://wynnsusa.com/history/

 

Are they the JB Weld guys as well ?

 

I remember they were sponsors of Big Daddy Gartlis. Never saw any of it in my area though, I reckon we were in STP territory, LOL!

 

^^^^^^^^ When Wynn's was big, STP was still a spark in Andy Granatelli's mind.

 

When you were in conversation with Ed Justice Sr. he made you feel like you were his best friend. I swear he could sell ice to Eskimos! Being blessed with that ability was how he made JB Products what it is tody. And no, JB Weld is not a Justice Brothers product.

 

Following the STP sticker thread, STP stickers were cool, but I also had wynns stickers. Just to cover all bases.

 

Wynnes and STP while great sticker companies, that was just basically what they were! Sorry! If you really want a real additive that works...... try Power-Up!








Bones

 

Never heard of Power Up, we used Power Punch quite a bit tho. Maybe same stuff?

 

X2 what 5window said If in the area stop by and check it out sum really Gr8 cars in both buildings.

 

Don’t know about “ Power Punch” but “ Power Up” is a product made in Canada. I have used it several times to solve problems. My dealer has a friction machine and we have tested a lot of oils and additives. Nothing comparable to Power Up. It’s kinda hard to find, luckily we have a dealer here in Muskogee. It’s high! Cost as much as the oil! But it works!






Bones

 

Here’s a gallon of what is (used to be) around here. Has a “stickiness” to it.

 

I was helping a well known Street outlaws drag racer at the “Tulsa Shoot Out”a year or so ago. His procharged big block Chevy was eating push rods at the rockers. A couple every pass. We added Power Up to his oil and he has not lost a pushrod since. He will not even start his engine with out power up in it. He also became a Power Up dealer!




Bones

 

Does it stink? Power Up has an odd odor! You get it on your hands it feels funny and you can’t seem to wash the stink off!




Bones

 

Along the same lines, of old products that are either still around, or long gone. I'm sure most of you remember "The Mobile Economy Run"? You know what happened to it? They ran out of gas! I use Power Punch with engine assembly. I've also used Bardahl products because they're local, and they were a big sponsor of Jim Green, of Green Elephant, Funny Care fame. I'll be looking around for Power Up; is the bottle/writing the same as Power Punch? Maybe it's the same product, packaged differently for different locals? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I’ll pop the cap if my allergies clear up. Lol. It’s been years since I used it, but I don’t recall an odor. My dad always added a gallon when we changed oil in his trucks (Big cam Cummins) and always used it to prelube axle bearings when we had them out

 

I remember the ads. "Tell 'em Ed Justice sent you!" Every service station had a rack of their products seems like.

 

Hello,

Our Wynn’s Friction Proofing history started with our friend from Los Angeles. He was following our escapades with our 1940 Willys Coupe build with the SBC 283 six Strombergs to 292 c.i. 671 + Six Strombergs and helped out when as much as possible. His mechanical knowledge was tremendous and his information was always helpful.

One day, our dad came home from work and had a couple of cases of Wynn’s Friction Proofing in the trunk. In the cab of his 57 Buick Roadmaster, were two bright, shiny jackets. The bright yellow body with super bright red sleeves made them stand out in any environment. So, after putting them on and walking around our backyard garage “build area,” we felt an instant warmth, despite the colorful combination. We thanked our friend for his contribution(s) and that started the Wynn's episodes.

The jackets were not our normal nylon blue windbreaker jackets that our whole group of teenagers wore as they were the popular choice, back then. They were warmer, but the color combination was hard to get over when standing around with a field of blue nylon windbreaker jackets and Levi outfits. It was a jacket that was just not worn to the local drive-in restaurant parking lot for standing around talking about hot rods and drag racing. We just did not want the “zeroing in” attention that they brought.

On one cold Saturday night, we got out the warm Wynn’s Friction Proofing Jackets at Lion’s Dragstrip. We wore them around our working pit area and drew the attention from everyone that came over to visit our 40 Willys Coupe. Number one, they wanted to know if we were sponsored by Wynn’s Friction Proofing Company. We wished…

Jnaki

We were torn as to the support, since the biggest competitor was the STP company at the time. We had always used STP for our prebuild lube and added a can to the first time fire up, as were the directions given to us by the noted Reath Automotive Speed Shop. The products were similar, but free stuff that works was helpful in our budgetary concerns.

We did give away plenty of Wynn’s Friction Proofing to our gang of teenage, Chevy sedans, though.


From another post:

“We had hopes to get some kind of sponsorship from Wynn’s by getting noticed with our Willys C/Gas Coupe and wearing those cool jackets around Lions Dragstrip. We did get asked by the STP guy if we were sponsored by Wynn’s. Ha!”

In August 1960, we lost one of the nylon jackets, but our friend from Los Angeles was able to get another one from his source. After drag racing was over, those bright jackets were perfect for those 100 mile Hare and Hound races out in the Mojave Desert. If one of us got stuck and we could not fix the desert motorcycle on the spot, those jackets could be seen for miles… hot dang!!!

Rescue was eminent, for sure. (no GPS or position locator back then) One or the other of our crew and friends would start out on the 50 mile, leg one and then continue to the other 50 mile leg to find the missing racer and bike. (with extra parts and food/water)

Jnaki

They looked nice, fit perfectly, and were warm enough to ward off those cold ocean breezes at Lions Dragstrip, in the afternoon and late night. But, they offered little to no protection in a fire. Nylon melts fast. They were also great (for flagging down help) out in the Mojave Desert on those 1 hour, 5-10 mile long continuous European Scrambles races.

If/when you got stuck with a pair of fouled plugs and no other spares, on any part of the spread out course, the bright Wynn's jacket was helpful. The European Scrambles courses could usually be seen from the highest point of the pits, but it was spread out over the 5-10 mile course."

 

Great read right there!

 

No the packaging fir Power Up is different than Power Punch. Look up Power Up, they have a very good site, lot of info. I would put a link here , but don’t know how! Lol








Bones