History #990 "Golden Rod" Streamliner ... PICS!!!

Since the thread has just gone over 4,000 hits, I thought I would add this photos which has been hanging on my wall in the office for 20 years.

From left to right: Bill "Pop" Thomssen, Don Walling, Tim Thomssen, Tommy Thompsom, Dave Thomssen, Rich Venza, and Krazy Ken.
Our Hero driver Don Kehr takes a knee in front of the crew.

 

What a great History Lesson - thanks so much, guys!!

I contacted John MacKichan, wondering if he had any involvement with this car, since he's from Lincoln, NE, and Rich Venza mentioned his time in Lincoln, and at Speedway Motors.

Here's a little added info for this thread, that John sent me:

John and his partner Tim Schulz have campaigned this car at Bonneville for quite a few years: (top speed of 346 mph, I believe)


Malcolm

 

As @Rich Venza eluded to before, Tommy's 1950's "pancake-style" (flat & short) streamliner eventually gave way to the "needle-style" (long & narrow) streamliners of the 80's.

Rich has explained that the Tommy Thompson #990 "Golden Rod" streamliner was used as a sort of a "test bed" for the Lincoln, Nebraska (SPEEDWAY Motors) team in the 1980's ... but by 1986-87, it was obvious a different approach would be necessary to get their driver into the "Two Club" ... the result was the #322 car (ex FED turned streamliner), followed by the Swamp Rat #33 and the MacKichan/Schulz #136 cars.

Rich has posted several pics of the #322 streamliner ... and Nick (@Malcolm) posted a pic of the MacKichan/Schulz #136 streamliner ... so I thought it only appropriate to post some pics of the Golden Rod's other "child" ... the Swamp Rat #33 'liner:

Here it is at the 40th Bonneville Nationals in 1988:

Ace HRM photog Eric Rickman passes some words of wisdom onto Rich Venza (black Isky hat) while Garlits
waits patiently in the drivers seat. Rod Kempkis holds the canopy open and listens in on the conversation.


Last minute instructions before pushing off.​

NOTE: Garlits got into the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club with a two-way average speed of 217.947 MPH (in XF/GS trim) ... as did Don Kehr with a 213.438 MPH average (in XF/FS trim).

 

... at the 41st B'ville Nats in 1989:

The Thomssen brothers (Tim & Tom) wipe down the car.

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... and in 1990 @ the 42nd Annual Bonneville Nationals:

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NOTE: Tim Thomssen drove this XX/S version of the car to a 231.380 MPH average ... making him the third driver to gain 200 MPH Club membership in the 'liner.

 

This is kool stuff!

 

All I can say is WOW! what a story with all those pictures. I have never gotten to bonneville and it is one thing I just have to do. The closest I ever got was in my imagination when I got to sit in the Garlits #33 liner when it was at Kowalski's garage in Pennsylvania about 15 or 20 years ago. I sat in it and dreamed!!! I'm still dreaming! Goldy

 

Here's a little more on the Swamp Rat #33 'liner ... it currently resides in the DON GARLITS MUSEUM OF DRAG RACING:

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These photos will be a little out of sequence, but the series of shots I wanted to post here are color slides that I have to get converted.

In an attempt to put Dave Thomssen in the 2 club, the 'liner suffered a major crash at aprox. 200mph. Spinning several times while doing 7 pencil rolls, the car suffered total body damage, a couple bent coilovers & wheels. Dave came out of the crash with damage to his hands and a body with lots of bruising.

We loaded all the bits and pieces up and headed back to Lincoln. It became clear that we didn't have the skills or money to repair the car ourselves. I contacted my old buddies Ed & EJ Kowalski in Reading, PA and worked out a plan for them to rebuild the bodywork and in exchange EJ would be the next driver to have a shot at the 2 Club.

What you see is the result of their fantastic rebuild. I was then working for The Eastwood Company and over the winter I had occasion to go to an EAA air show in Lakeland, FL. In the fly-market I found the remains of a vertical tail. Bingo, a tail fin for the Swamp Rat to add to it's high speed stability.

Our first trip out with the new and improved car was the first SCTA reunion at Edwards Air Force Base at Muroc. The first 2 photos are from that event. Between the wind and limited time on the lake bed, we didn't set any records. During the winters, we booked the 'liner into car shows to generate some travel cash. Over the next several years we tried to get EJ a 200+ record, but between wind, rain and some engine issues that never came to pass.

The 'liner was eventually taken to Ocala where it has been on display in Don's Museum Of Drag Racing.

Dave Thomssen, Ed & EJ Kowalski have continued to race at Bonneville. Dave in his '27 Ford Street Roadster and Ed & EJ in a series of '23 Street Roadsters, '29 Roadster, and 2008 a '27 Modified Roadster. EJ also has a Streamliner on the chassis jig which has been designed with 300+mph in mind.
Watch for the Grand Son of the Original Golden Rod to hit the Salt in the future.
If anyone is interested in Kowalski Customs for a hot rod or race car project, PM me and I'll get you hooked up with EJ. You will not be disappointed.

 

Brings back memories. Thanks for posting.

 

Yet another vintage photo with old 990c has come to my attention. While surfing through a Hot Rod article on legendary photographer, Eric Rickman. low and behold there's the young sort of buff Rickman posing on the salt and right there in the background is our favorite yellow streamliner.

This photo is very typical of the Golden Rod history, never the star, but always a classy background player.

 

I was looking through some of my old B'ville Programs last night ... and found this info ...

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I thought I had dug up everything I had in my files pertaining to the Original Golden Rod. NOT SO..while going through some SCTA Straightaway News I found a typed history of the car done by Tommy's wife Dorothy in 1985. It brought out a few facts that I didn't remember...it's hell getting old. Since it doesn't work well to scan it, I'll just type it in just as she created it.

IT'S A FACT - FOR THE RECORD

The "ORIGINAL" Golden Rod
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1952 - Designed and built by A.R. "Tommy" Thompson in his basement
garage in Wheat Ridge, Colorado (Denver suburb). Tommy, a CMfgE
and designer, amateur racing enthusiast, charter member of Denver
Timing Association, NHRA, BNI and USFRA.

- Named car the "Golden Rod" from Jefferson County, Colorado county
seat of "Golden"' it is a "hot rod" and the color Goldenrod yellow,
chosen for its unique visibility on the Salt Flats.

- First entered Bonneville Nationals - August, 1952 after spectating
for 2 years, 1950 and 1951. Golden Rod then powered by borrowed
Ford Flathead engine.

1953 - Power was a sleeved 365 cu. in. Oldsmobile engine which had been
used in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb racing events

- Olds powered - 1953 - 1977. Fastest recorded time was 205.01
MPH in 1959.

1976 - Golden Rod was loaned to friend, Don Walling of Lincoln,
Nebraska.

1977 - Thanks to Don Walling and his friend in Lincoln, Dave Thomssen and
Dave's father Bill (Grand Island, Nebraska),
the car then became a testing vehicle for ARDUN power in 1978 and a new
land speed record was set in XX/Gas streamliner class of 186.299.

1979 - The ARDUN power has been successfully used since '78 and in '79,
'80 and '81. Golden Rod was officially entered in '82, '83 (we all
know what happened thise two years, and in 1984 when the course
was only 5 miles long, too short for the Golden Rod

1985 - The car has been gently and beautifully restored (to correct salt
damage) and painted by Rich Venza, another friend in
Lincoln.

In the meantime, back home in Colorado, Tommy was busy changing
the contour of the driver and engine canopies, which he fitted on
the car in Lincoln (no surprise that the fit was perfect).

1985 - Dave Thomssen has spent all of his so-called spare (?) time and then
some in adapting a supercharged to the flathead. The SC loaned and
shipped to Dave from upper New York State by Adam Weisman.
the interim, Don Walling, who is an accomplished machinist, restored
the "Thompson Built" trailer, which has transported the Golden Rod
over thousands of miles over the years.
Tm and Tom Thomssen, Dave's sons, have worked tirelessly both in
Lincoln and as Crewman on the Salt this year.
Frank Morawski, a friend of Rich Venza, flew to Lincoln from his home
in Baltimore, Maryland, to accompany the Golden Rod to Utah. He,
too, along with the others was a "round the clock" crewman.
Hans Iwand, a friend from Sioux City, Iowa, came in Salt Lake City to
engineer the calculations and help the crew. He too hails originally
from Lincoln.

George Cody, Los Angeles, came to watch the Golden Rod run since he
had been along on her maiden voyage in '52 and '53. He's an old time
D.T.A. buddy of Tommy's.

Last but by no means least Dave's former neighbor "boy" from Lincoln
flew into Salt Lake Airport to onve again pilot the Golden Rod as he has
done so well since 1977. His name is Don Kehr and he came all the way
from St. Louis this year.

WHAT A WONDERFUL CREW ! ! !
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The Thompsons od Colorado are mighty proud of our "National" crew AND the Thompssons of Nebraska, and Don Walling, who have made 1985 a super special year.

You are A Great Bunch of Guys and WE LOVE YOU ALL

Even though the record eluded us, WE know the car's capability one more time.

 

bump

 

Rich ... great stuff ... thanks for sharing!

Also ... have you (or Tom McIntyre) had any luck contacting Tommy's daughter's? ... it would sure be great to figure out where my father took the three 1958 photographs of the #990C streamliner on a trailer:

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... and whether or not my father's buddy, Mike Thompson (of Glendive, Montana) was actually related to Tommy.

 

No, as of today I haven't heard anything from Tom. I'll drop him a note and see if we can figure that piece of the puzzle out.

 

UPDATE:

I recently found Mike Thompson's (circa 1958) Glendive, Montana address ... and performed both a Google Earth (3D) and a Google Maps search on it ... Unfortunately, there's no "Street View" imagery available of the house ... and the satellite imagery doesn't really confirm (nor deny) that the 3 pics my father shot in 1958 were taken at Mike Thompson's house in Glendive, Montana ... so it's still a possibility that they were taken at Tommy Thompson's house in the Denver area.

The mystery continues ...

 

While going through some other threads about photos from LIFE magazine, low and behold here's another photo of the 990 Original Goldenrod which I have never seen. It looks to be from the early 50's as the car still does not have its canopy. It looks like Tommy and his buddies have matching uniforms complete with the car image on the back of Tommys.
I'll bet Dorothy did that by hand! Look to the right for another crew member with his team shirt.

The oval artwork was produced as a sticker in 2002 by the fellows who did the first restoration on the car in 2001-2002.

Stay tuned, we are still waiting to receive additional photos from Tommys daughter.

 

There was a fairly comprehensive article about the car in Rodders Journal, with pics of the car in a garage in Colorado, not long ago. A short time ago I visited a collection with the car in it in Burbank...

 

The article concerning the Tommy Thomspson Streamliner is in issue number 23 of Rodders Journal complete with a cutaway drawing, photos of the 1964 accident in Denver and photos of Tommy Thompsen...

 

Good find Rich!

I too was checking out the LIFE photo archive hosted on Google Images ... spent hours looking through old "Hot Rod" stuff ... but hadn't looked at any Bonneville images ... finally got around to it ... and found the image Rich posted ... as well as a few others of Tommy Thompson's #990 liner.

All four photographs were taken in 1954 by J. R. Eyerman for LIFE Magazine ... I brightened them up a bit and resized them for posting here:

in line behind a roadster ... and the famous (Colorado based) Kenz & Leslie #777 liner



there's that trailer again!​

 

Thank You @derelict!!!

I don't know how I ever forgot about the "Recapturing the Passion - The Tommy Thompson Streamliner" article that appeared on pages 10-23 of that issue [with Clapton's (Brizio built) Deuce Roadster on the cover] ... guess I'm losing it.

From page 21 of The Rodder's Journal - Number Twenty Three:

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This image provides a clue to the answer to my original question: Where were the three 1958 photos my father took of #990 taken? ... if you look closely, you'll see the same brick driveway in my father's 3 pics!

So now the only question left to answer is why the heck would a 21-22 year old from Beach, North Dakota travel ~1500 miles to/from Denver, Colorado to take three pictures of a streamliner? ... I'm still sticking to my theory that my dad's buddy (Mike Thompson of Glendive, Montana) was somehow related to Tommy Thompson ... who knows, maybe they took the "long route" to the '58 OK City NHRA Nats ... and stopped off in the Denver area to visit Tommy?

Here's a few more images from the "Recapturing the Passion - The Tommy Thompson Streamliner" article ...

... from @TRJ #23, page 12:

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... from @TRJ #23, page 18:

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... and from @TRJ #23, page 19:

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Hey Rich, thanks for so much info. Great thread. The photo of the Golden Rod next to the steam car in the Salt Lake airport triggered a memory for me. I was at Bonneville this year (along with half of NZ) and remember seeing the steam car at Reno a few days earlier. Its in the Harrahs Car Museum with a number of other salt cars. Have got photos but having trouble getting them up. Also agree with your comment re the museum at the Wendover Airport. Well worth a visit.

 

MrDodge...Thanks for your kind comments. I also have trouble getting things up from time to time....O, you're talking about photos!!!!
67th anniversary of Dec 7, 1941 will be here very soon.

 

very cool... thanks

 

I was browsing through new HAMBer @Ron Kellogg's very cool "Kellogg Auto Archives" website tonight and came across this color photo of the #990 'liner on the second page of his "Bonneville" gallery:

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NOTE: Color prints (in various sizes) of this photo of Tommy's streamliner can be purchased via Ron's website ... just click HERE (it's image #105).

 

Rich, You or on the money about Tom McIntyre caretaker of Goldenrod and many other historical cars..I had the pleasure of having dinner with Tom last wednesday night, This man has a lot of passion...

 

WOW, Can the HAMB get any better? Thanks. Slim

 

On display in the HISTORIC RACE CAR building at the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show:

image by Al Liebmann (@NITROFC)



image by Ken Leonard (@xl1ken)



image by Don Dillard (@DRD57)



image by Chris Cooper (@COOP666)



image by Johnny Jarzen (@Jarzenhotrods)



iPhone image by Ryan Cochran (@Ryan)



image from BangShift.com



image from STREET RODDER magazine




images by Dave Lindsay (@SoCalCarCulture) ... click HERE to order






images by flickr member MR38​

 

I realize this thread has been around for over a year, but when new information or especially video pops up, I feel compelled to add it.
This video look to have been shot in 1986 or '87 which was the last year the Lincoln Nebraska group ran the car. The gentleman describing the car is Bill Thomssen, father of engine guru Dave Thomssen. The driver was Don Kehr who would the following year teach Garlits how to go fast on the salt. I'm the much thinner guy in the straw hat and plaid shirt locking the canopy down before the run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUd6zjihE84