Folks Of Interest Actor Robert Stack / Eliot Ness Gow Job 1938

Hot Rod Nov '61 did this feature on actor Robert Stacks old Muroc dry lakes 30/31 roadster. As far back as 1938 Bob ran this Cragar ohv converted four banger tuned by Al Jepson of Hollywood to a speed of 115.68. The four banger had twin Winfield carbs with a Winfield cam. Thats Bob at the wheel with the goggles and he appears to be running a deuce rad shell. Neat stuff. Any other pic's of this floating around ?

 

CRS is hampering my ability to remember where I saw another pic of Robt. Stack and his roadster (maybe TRJ?!)....

Robert Stack was a cool actor.

 

Tight ride!

 

There was at least one other pic in one of the first Montgomery books.

 

Shirley Temple's brother was a rodder/lakes racer too. I think I saw a photo of him in a roadster in a Montgomery book.

 

I think he was a pilot as well, and somehow envolved with the replica Whitehead aeroplane 15-20 years ago.

 

WOW this is news to me. I have never heard or read about Robert Stack being a racer!!!!!!!!!!! I was an avid Elliot Ness TV fan though back in the day.

 

heres a pic of Robert Stack on the set of the "Untouchables" out of my private collection. I think i have the only one of this shot.

 

Lots old actors were car and bike guys. I once read that Clark Gable raced speedway bikes in his prime.

 

In the Art Bagnall book about Roy Richter and Bell Auto Parts on page 17 theres a copy of a receipt from where Clark Gable bought a complete Crager head, valve springs and an intake from Bell Auto Parts in 1936 ! Total cost, $ 76.32 ! Those were the days.

 

Heck yeah that's a supercharger. Cool. Blow 4 banger!

 

Looks like it could be a 30's McCullogh charger.

 

HAHA, thats cool.................he should have done an episode of Unsolved Mysteries on the whereabouts of Stu Hilborns Streamliner.

 

heres a pic of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis on the cover of Hot Rod 1954?

 

I liberated this article from the library years ago.

 

There is a small photo of him sitting in his roadster in Hot Rod history No1 by Tex Smith on page 181
Cheers Dago

 

Theres a cool letter from and an old photo of Robert Stack and his roadster on display at the NHRA museum in Pomona. If you've never been to the NHRA museum, it's a must when your in So Cal.

 

Here's a page from a "gentleman's" mag I scanned a few years back (can't recall the title) with Robert Stack, George Temple, Bob Rufi, and Eddie Meyer. Looks like the same session as the Wally Parks pic above?

 

man great stuff i new robert stack was a racer and so was george temple. you never hear anything more about george did he continue to race or he just get out of it? he had good money so you know his roadster was the shit. billy

 

the things that you learn only on the HAMB

 

Bob Petersen and Robert Stack had a lot in common besides hot rods. Both were hard core NRA members.

 

Yeah, hot rods and guns!! Throw in babes and beer and life is the shit.

 

o ya my two favoirte things hotrods n guns.

 

Great thread!

 

All the time I watched 'Unsolved Mysteries' I never realised I was watching a Hot Rod Pioneer.

Nope & yes a number of cars had that mod.

 

Robert Stack not only raced cars--he raced boats too: Class B Hydroplanes, during the 1930s-1940s.

I'm not entirely certain when, but my great-uncle Herschel Reynolds was West Coast Champion/Class B Hydroplanes at least once during the 1930s (I want to say 1932 or 1936), and my mom (his niece) used to say that he was always really happy to beat Robert Stack.

My great-uncle worked at the post office, and Robert Stack--well, he didn't; beating him was seen as beating some big-time, wealthy Hollywood guy.

(My mom remembered being on my great-uncle's pit crew at Long Beach's Marine Stadium: they helped bring the boat in and out, and they got a box lunch.)

Class B Hydroplanes? I'll have to try to get some photos scanned, but they were small-ish wooden boats, with outboard engines. (One really bitchen one had that famous stingray shape even back then.)

Not sure what make of engine my great-uncle ran, but they were similar in size at least to the famous streamlined Waterwitch engines. Maybe a coupla hairs smaller.

His most famous ride (my great-uncle) was the Miss Montebello--on account of the family lived in Montebello.

And--I still have my great-uncle's medals and two very worn trophies, which could use a lot of fixing. (How do you weld a trophy?)

 

Good point, never noticed that. For some reason there were more 30-31 Roadsters running the Lakes pre WWII.

 

I didn't know anyone was looking for it! It's sitting in my garage!!

 

It appears that Robert Stack added the McCulloch blower and ran it at the October 4th, 1940 meet like that.


You can see Robert pushing his car in this old 8mm film at 3:47-3:49




Jimmy B figured out who a lot of the people were in the video.

 

Stack also liked cycles as shown in this "Hollywood" photo on an early 50's Triumph.Supposedly his studio contract put an end to riding and racing.