I did a quick search on the internet for info on Brock Yates Eliminator. I seem to recall a cutaway drawing years ago with specs. Anyone know where I can find them. Ive always liked the car and would like some garage art for inspiration.
Willy, you might have more luck searching for info on the Duffy Livingstone Eliminator 184. Brock was just the latest owner / restorer. Gary http://www.hotrod.com/features/history/stories/0909rc-the-legacy-of-duffy-livingstone/
More correctly it should be call the Duffy Livingstone Eliminator. I was just watching "Chasing Classic Cars" and Wayne took it for a spin down the road and back. It was great to see it in action. I have Brock Yates book on the car, and there are some great build pics, and resto pics, but I did not see a cut-away in the book. (unless I missed it.)
Brock restored the car, find the name of the original builder and it should help your search. Nice period piece I saw it race at Lime Rock 8-10 years ago. Bob
I had the opportunity to restore that car while working for Pete Chapouris. During the process I got know both Brock & Duffy quite well. What a great time, and, a couple of really interesting guy's !!!
Lucky dog. You guys did a great job - not too over-done. If I had the $$$, Wayne would have made a sale at the auction he worked for the Brock's on his TV show. By any chance are any photo albums of the restoration still on the web? Gary
The Eliminator was covered with lots of tech detail in an early Hop-Up...one very intersting thing was the Ford/LZ transmission, converted to synchro in first gear. There are enough pictures and details on that in the srticle that a REALLY sharp machinist/welder could replicate it, I think. The article said that L was going to sell a paper on how-to...I wonder if that ever happened?
I think the synchro first gear conversion was done by Chuck Manning and written up in Road and Track. He sold chassis plans, so may have also sold the transmission plans.
I found a lot of pictures but no tech . info to speak of. This car had it all in many ways. Its the one I keep coming back to when I day dream. Wouldn't mind building something similar. The show with Wayne Carrni driving it gets me every time.
Didn't know that... anyone have the mag? Know what issue it was? I'd love to get a copy of the article or be able to find a copy for sale on the net. Gary
I think it is the one with the dog at the wheel of the Balchowsky deuce on the cover. Really. And as noted above, it was Manning...I confused my early sports rods!
After being covered in the June, 1950 issue of Hot Rod Magazine, and perhaps as has been mentioned in Hop Up (I lack the specific details on that) , it was later featured in the February 2004 issue of Street Rodder. The book, The Hot Rod, Ressurection of a Legend, by Brock Yates, is available on Amazon. (Don't ask me how I know.) And, yes! It is one bitchin' race car, that was built to win, and did. P-Wood was the perfect fit for the do-over. And, to quote Mae West, 'Luck had nothing to do with it.' He got to that point after laying hands on a lot of other old race cars, and giving them some of his 'miracle cure'. His sentiments are those of one-too-modest. And, after looking at the 'after', it is more than a little apparent., that along with his skills, Pete Chapouris was 'the go-to-guy' to boss it through from the beginning to the point where Mr. Yates & Co. were able to actually race it again. Certainly a testament to the integrity of Duffy Livingstone's original impetus to compete with 'sporty cars'. (And, for those who don't know who he is, Duffy Livingston is credited with having helped launch the Go-Kart craze, and manufactured them in vast quantities.) Dig into the history of the Eliminator and you find the story lurking behind it, more than one legend.) And, if anyone finds an x-ray illustration of it, I want to see it. I'm still trying to suss out exactly how the rear suspension was done. I already have my '25 T roadster body, deals for yet another A frame, and a '37 tube axle, and a laundry list of must haves. The bug that bites people that buzzes around this one, infects more than one wanna builder, even though I lack the hubris to think of my doings as cloning.
From memory, I think there are a few chassis detail shots of it in the old "How to build a Hot Rod" book from Trend/Petersen somewhere close to 1960. Even if I'm wrong, it'll be a good read... Petersen 1963 is right...the picture below was also the cover of that book:
Without digging out my Yates' book, I thought the frame was an Essex, which was very popular in the day for it's strength. Perhaps Z-d at both ends? Who knows for sure? Gary
According to Brock Yates, it's a '29 'A' frame. Looking closely at the pic's and considering the lightening holes it looks more like rectangular tubing; especially the way the bend conforms to the bottom of the cowl. P-Wood, who chimed in earlier, and has actually worked on it, might have something to say if we can coax it out of him. In the book, there are some pictures used to illustrate aspects of the story, and though you can learn a lot by looking at them, some details are not clear. The fact of the matter is that like any complex piece of machinery, one can grasp certain fundamentals by looking at photographs, but even then it does not reveal as much as it would if you could study it up close and personal. Does anyone know where it is now?, and is it ever shown?
I had read somewhere that the Eliminator was originally built as a track roadster by Jay Chamberlain, himself a road racer and Lotus dealer in the SFV. Duffy acquired it and finished it, originally with a flathead, and went road racing. I think the flatty was soon replaced with a SBC, and in that form became semi-famous. I love the car; don't know what I'd do with it but would love to have it.
It's my understanding that the rear suspension was originally a Kurtis torsion bar setup, but it never handled well, the car was very erratic entering the corners. They switched to a single leaf transverse leaf spring but had to place it way behind the axle centerline so they could access the quick change gears. The car handled beautifully after that. I also would like to see better pictures/drawings of the suspension. What was done doesn't seem like it should work, but it must have improved the roll center and diagonal load transfer dramatically. A more modern take on the Eliminator is Jim Busby's 32 road racer. I love em both !!
I have the book on a shelf right next to my desk and I pulled it out. There are a number of great photos on the rebuild, but I can't copy them to this post as they are copyrighted by Pat Ganahl who is a HAMB member. And as one photographer to another, I respect his rights and art. Maybe someone can ask him about his involvement with the car.
Tony, I respect your respect for my copyrights. But to be honest, I can't remember what book you're referring to. If you mentioned it by name, people could probably buy copies. My involvement with the car is that my roommate from college, Tom Murphy, found it in amazingly original, patina'd condition sitting outside in a yard in Tucson, AZ. He bought it, having no idea what it was, to rebuild for vintage sportscar racing. I told him what it was, convinced him to leave the patina as is, and restore the rest accurately. I showed two photos of the car as-was in "Roddin' Around" in Dec. '89 Rod & Custom. There I stated it was featured in the July '58 Hot Rod (with the Chevy), and in a 5-page build-up (with flathead) in the 1954 Hot Rod Annual. Tom's restoration of the car stalled, and after several years I brokered its sale to Brock Yates, and hooked him up with Pete Chapouris and P-Wood, who finished it (in patina), with enthusiastic help from Duffy. I forget the year it debuted at Laguna Seca and won some special award for starting last and finishing 2nd or 3rd in its class. Brock then took it East, raced it back there, and at some point unfortunately repainted the whole thing. Possibly when it went to Pebble Beach in some "sports racer" class. Brock's book "Hot Rod" is basically the story of this car. I don't remember a cutaway drawing done of it. And since Brock's passing, I have no idea where the car is today. Pat Ganahl
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it on display at the NHRA museum in Pomona? Seems I remember seeing in next to Old Yellar and the HRM T that ran the Mexican Road Race.
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