History Auto racing 1894-1942

Michael thanks for all of the information. We found that Lindsay Brooke reported the following in his book “Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels”: “Niles Gary learned the value of his Galivan-equipped T after running the straightaway mile on the Wildwood, New Jersey, beach in 30 seconds flat (120 miles per hour) in August 1926″. This fact may tell us that the Kay-Fleischmann Special had one of the rare Galivan d.o.h.c. 8-valve racing heads.

 

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George was rightfully given an award, that weekend, for his efforts. It is truly a beautifully turned out car. Peter's car was not awarded (but, it should have been). Not to fret, Peter has been, in years past, bestowed with numerous awards for his fine cars. I told Peter, after hearing his car on the track (I had run with the previous Group), that there was one word to describe the noise: "Delicious!"

JK

 

Has anyone given any thoight to a book on the Wingard and Giddings race car collections? Two true gentlemen with a fine taste in automobiles, so glad they both collect from different eras. Bob

 

George published at least one book that had a lot of Peter Helck's paintings. A number of years ago, as entrants of the Monterey Historics, we were given the book. This is when Steve Earle would bestow some really neat stuff, other than just a baseball cap, a shirt, a program and a bunch of advertising crap in a bag (as the "new" folks give out). I haven't looked at the book for years; and can't remember if it had any of George's fine race cars. You perhaps know that George is a former Oregon
state senator.

Peter has a website: petergiddings.com I don't know if it has his newest addition, the Delage G.P. car he had at Monterey last month. Peter's collection is somewhat fluid; as he does buy, restore and sell cars.

 

Thanks Old Dawg, I'm guessing the Delage is the Seaman car, not sure which one. Got to see Peter flying around Lime Rock in the Alfa on Labor Day. Bob

 

Yes it's the Seaman Ramponi modded car Bob.

 

I had a 1941 Indian catalog on my desk one day...... German customer/friend walks in and says "I want a pair of moto-britches just like these....... I asked him to write down the number and call Indian....... 'Not enough numbers'' he says Then and only then told him the catalog was from 1941

I always want to try these numbers too.........

 

Bluto,

I remember my dad drilling me on our home phone number when I was 4- MOhawk 4-3779 !

 

HEY THANKS! I'd never heard of Noonan, or the Craig Hunt SOHC heads for a T... I shall go to your site and check it out

 

I did not know that Blancas had a Type 35 (with the same license plate ) before the Type 35c ...

 

Only a Bugatti aficionado could have seen that.

I noticed the first two photos are from San Sebastian. In the records, Blancas is listed as driving a 35B in 1928 and also in 1929 at Circuito Tre Fontana. I can't tell the difference between a T35, 35B or a T35C just looking at the chassis/body.

 

Perhaps the small hole in the bonnet

Or the large amount of oil all over

Or the larger rad

 

The T35B had this hole too, correct?

 

B could be supercharged or not

The hole is the burp hole for the blowers pop valve

 

Also note the extra row of louvers on the 35B. I once knew the total number of louvers on all the GP models. Sanding the reversed louvers was always more painful. Bob

 

Working on Bugattis IS a pain in the ass. AND they constantly need your effort

As Bob has pointed out they are painful to your fingers too.

Bugatti had little/no respect for the people that built and maintained his cars. Often things are too complicated for no reason.

The contrast is clear when you work on American racers. You can normally 'field strip' an American dirt track racer in less that two hours,. Things are designed to be easy to do. This is the reason we no longer own our 35A and got a AAA car. I need no special tools and my wife can work on it

 

Bluto, how does working on a Miller compare to a Bug? I know that one mind kind of fed the other...

 

The MILLER crankchaft is a one piece forging for one, a Bugatti GP straight eight take apart roller bearing crank is around 24 pieces if you count the wedge pins and nuts. Bob

 

That probably says it all RIGHT there- thanks, Bob

Must be a European thing- have a buddy in Philly who has spent DECADES working on his mid 30's Silver Wraith. Every time dad and I would stop by, he would say, "Anything Henry Ford could do in 5 parts, Rolls would do with 50"

 

It's more about the ability to service everything quickly !!!! Not engine rebuilds....... My wife really did ''field strip'' her car in about two hours the first time she ever worked on it. AAA cars raced a lot! Fairgrounds dirt track cars could race at three venues per week.

Everything is always in the way on Bugs. EVERYTHING!

There are cars you must pull the diff out to replace the clutck disc!

 

Years ago, we had a Phantom III V-12 in for engine work. The heads were held on by small studs and nuts, a lot of them. And of course, they were corroded to the aluminum heads. Our Brit mechanic finally got them off, but it was tough. Good thing the owner was financially independent, he could have bought a couple of Cadillacs for what the final bill was.

 

...and it's very much the same today.

 

If I don't take the engine out, mine takes about a half hour to forty-five minutes. It DOES slow the process down, when I have to remove the roll bar.

Jim, I think Sophie will be able to do it to yours, in about that time, once she gets use to it.

 

I think our car is narrower and shorter wheelbase.

She did pull the motor after this photo.

Here's the diff some specs would be nice

As to time to take all this down I did say first time.

 

My favorte Bugati photo

Being towed by a proper car

 

The TRUE Bluto finally comes out.

 

Agreed. and the reconditioning the rod races and crank journals can be MORE than a PITA. Finding oversize rollers is increasingly difficult, without having 10,000 made special order.*

HOWEVER

The precision that all the tapered fits are ground to is absolutely astonishing to me, after a lifetime of machining.

Herb K

*Bluto probably has someone down the street that will make 10, any size.

 

Herb

Those guys would have lost their jobs in a second if they screwed up.

You could be fired for slipping with a file and scratching a vice

And yes there are guys here that will and do make very small runs.

 

Ahhh, Jim! Is that a Bugatti, or a "crispy critter"?

Incidently, The wheelbase of my car is 91.5 inches.

And, you guys might want to check out this video, taken by one of the faster competitors at the recent Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The event is Group 1A, for pre-1940 Sports Racing and Touring Cars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiOBzDcK6uQ I think the BMW was probably faster than my old Ford four-banger; but, he probably was using too much of his better brakes.