History Auto racing 1894-1942

George although Helck is my overall favorite artist this Montaut, drawn sometime before his death in 1909, is definitely in the running for my favorite piece of artwork, entitled Coupe Vanderbilt 1904. It is a “scene” from the 1904 Vanderbilt on Long Island with Fernand Gabriel in his Lorraine Dietrich besting the train to the crossing. My wife hates it because she thinks the train wins but I told her that she is wrong and that Gabriel goes on to wins by a nose. I imagine this scene has as much to do with my love of auto racing as anything. My grandfather had an original lithograph of this hanging in his office as long as I could remember-looked at it every day I was there for over 20 years. I believe this lithograph shows speed as well as any painting ever. Love the way the guys are cheating the wind as well. Here is a pic off the web and then the one hanging in my shop.

 

That is cool. I like Helks realistic style, for racing prints anyway.

 

I had an original Helck work sketch years ago that I parted with to cover bills. He would draw features and correct them until everything looked just right. Bob

 

You guys got me checking eBay. There are lots of Helck's works there from originals to the lessor prints and ads, with corresponding prices. What a prolific artist!

 

just picked these up.

 

Thanks for sharing mr. chevrolet, at least two of those cars are fully restored today. Bob

 

A few years ago, when doing exhibition racing at California Speedway (now triple A); a fellow driving a Ferrari Replica asked me what he should do should his car spin or slide up to the wall. The banking, though steep is not "High Banking". I (rudely) had passed him as I "drifted" up near the wall. My reply to the hapless newcomer was unfortunately just as rude. I told him: "Stay calm, bend over, put your arms around your legs and KISS YOUR ASS GOODBYE!" I still have a twinge of guilt every time the wealthy young fellow greets me with kindness. Alas, this must be my lot as a crusty old curmudgeon.

 

Five car Studebaker team at the 1932 Indy 500.

 

I don't where or when this was taken, but the car is a 1911 EMF.

 

More EMF race cars....

 

I think I read that at least in that era Studabakers were the only Indy winers that ran what started with a production line
blocks. At any rate they are beautiful cars.

 

I had heard that too. Also there were several other racers of the period that were not Studebakers but were powered by Studebaker engines.

 

Since these Studebaker posts are appearing here, I will re-post something I did a year ago on the Vintage Sprint Car thread...

In doing some research, I tripped across a mention of a car that did not qualify for the 1946 Indy race that apparently had a Buick 8 cyl. head transplanted onto a Studebaker 8 cyl. flathead block. That same car ran pre-war as well but I am ignorant of what engine was used at that time.

Anyone have any details of who did the conversion and when and what happened to the car as far as existing today?

Both Rootie Kazootie and Micheal Ferner replied with post #23704 and #23709 but nothing specific about the conversion. In view of the other swaps and/or construction of OHV heads for the prevalent flat head engines, this one just excites me.

 

Video – Trial Run of the Collier Collection Simplex Speed Car



While this Simplex was not ever raced, I know that many of you here enjoy most all early cars and modified Simplex Speed Cars and specials were raced extensively up until about 1915.

This video produced in house at "The Old Motor" is the first in a series of videos of what we like to call "Vintage Supercars."

The next two videos in the future will cover a 1915 Duesenberg racing car and 1914 Mercer Raceabout.

Learn more about the engine rebuild and other work performed in a ten-part series on this Simplex that features a 589 c.i. T-head four-cylinder with a 5 3/8" x 6 1/2" bore and stroke by following the link in the description under the video on youtube to The Old Motor.

 

Good stuff David

 

Thanks, Jim, did your grandfather Barney Pollard ever have a Simplex?

 

David, Having driven both how does the T Head Simplex compare with a T Head MERCER? Bob

 

David I do not remember a Simplex and I never titled a Simplex for the auctions but he did have a Crane Simplex. Pretty nice cars as you know. Original owners would make a who's who of well healed individuals.

Ed Roy was a Simplex nut and he gave me one of his brochures for his model Simplex. They were almost as amazing as the cars themselves.

 

Ed Roy built six Simplex models, models isn't really correct, they were running Simplex automobiles. If there a six inch tall human they could drive it around. The brass side lamps were perfect, tiny wick, & oil fount, light it and you had a working lamp. People new to the hobby would be amazed at the workmanship on these cars. Check out the link.Bob


https://www.google.com/search?q=ed+...=ROGMWLOuE-GS0gKwhrKQCw#imgrc=sq1owjFJBpLstM:

 

Bob, weren't they just sold a few years ago?

 

Bob those working models were truly amazing. Once when I visited with Dick Teague at his Fallbrook Ca home he started his up. Unbelievable little cars. They ran on pentane I believe. Not sure what ever happened to Dick's model as his house burned after his death in one of those California wildfires I believe. Ed Roy made blueprints of a full size Simplex and then scaled them down for the models. He made all of the parts including cutting every gear in the transmission. Made his own camshafts etc. Like you say if you could put a 6" man in the car he could drive it and shift it and use the brakes etc. His brochures go into detail on all the little parts. An amazing man.

I originally contacted Ed in regards to his building the 1920 Monroe engine that he built up from some miscellaneous parts. That engine is now in the Indy Museum and I believe they claim it was the 500 winning engine in 1920. We later discussed his models and he gave me one of his brochures which I have in a file somewhere. Will try and find it and make a copy of a page or two.

 

Got to work on this one back in the 90's at Bob Robinson's- Bob had the crankcase recast (it was literally crumbling when the owner brought it in) and had the engine sent out to be rebuilt, but the cylinder jugs were honed improperly and wound up egg-shaped from top to bottom and the timing was off, so we got to tear it down (had the jugs re-honed, pistons knurled, and reset the timing chains) and re-rebuilt it

we took it out with the fenders, hood and floorboards off for a shakedown on the back roads of Schwenskville and had it up to about 70- was a real kick-in-the-pants

 

Mac, That is the RErestored Ed Roy Simplex, it was green with a yellow chassis when he had it. Austie Clark bought the rights to the Simplex company, and gave Ed Roy permission to build those six models, so they were in fact real Simplex automobiles. Bob

 

So is it true that the car was originally owned by one of the Vanderbilts? Te story I was told was that one of the sons had it built to take his family around during the week, and race with his buddies on the weekend

 

Quote - David, Having driven both how does the T Head Simplex compare with a T Head MERCER? - Bob Quote

Having been fortunate to have driven about six different Simplex cars and the same amount of T-head Mercer Raceabouts I have developed fairly good feel for them.

A Simplex Speed Car is a very large and heavy, but capable machine. At the cornering limit on a hard-packed dirt road they will oversteer, but you have to be very careful keeping it in check because the steering ratio is so quick it is very easy to over correct. That same steering ratio makes it almost impossible to turn the wheel at rest and the car needs to be rolling to do so. A 50 HP in good condition has plenty of power, torque and speed.

One draw back to them however is the high effort required with all on the controls which by the end of a driving day completely wears out the driver. If Ettore Bugatti was an American at the time and built his car here, he might have described the Simplex as the world's fastest truck, as he did the Bentley.

A good 4-speed Mercer 35J (1913-'14) is the complete opposite - easy to steer and shift, but the engine needs to be wound out to its highest rpm of about 3,000 between shifts to develop full-power (60 brake HP) for fast driving or racing. At the limit on the road or the race track a Raceabout seems to naturally go into a four wheel drift, is very easy to control and handles beautifully.

Have driven three good Stutz Bearcats and the car fits in right about the middle of the Simplex and Mercer but only being a 3-speed does not accelerate quite as quickly. Its down fall is the heavy combo trans & diff and high unsprung weight which makes it very hard to control on a rough road or race track.

If I could choose one of the three it would be a Mercer without any hesitation at all.

 

Thanks David, I've only had the pleasure of riding shotgun in a T head MERCER, I don't remember how fast were were going, but it felt very safe. Well worth the 49 year wait after seeing my first T head MERCER. Bob

 

Bob, is Ed Roy the gent who was the start of the SIMPLEX model engine project here in Fairbanks?

 

Bob, whomever was working on that was someone else but I can't remember his name.

 

Mac, Ed Roy bought the car from George Waterman from RI in 1948, who was an early collector that saved a number of early racing cars and a warehouse full of others. The car's first owner has never been identified.

Here it is at Pebble Beach in 2013 restored (for the third time) to its original color and configuration. "Willie" K. Vanderbilt, who was the racer in the family, drove Mercedes four-cylinder double chain-drive cars which served as a model for all of the Simplex cars built starting in 1906 and up until 1915 when the last four cylinder cars were built.

 

This is John and Heather Mozart's 75 HP (one of three) Speed Car with all of its original coachwork at Pebble. The car is from Hawaii.