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History Road racing?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by dumprat, Apr 4, 2019.

  1. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

    I find it hard to imagine that Doane Spencer was the only guy interested is something than drag racing with their hot rod. Does anyone have any good pics of vintage road race hot rods?

    And no not cobras and corvettes....
     
    Stogy likes this.
  2. lake_harley
    Joined: Jun 4, 2017
    Posts: 2,160

    lake_harley
    Member

    Cotton Werksman's T looks like it might have been able to go around a corner pretty well...

    [​IMG]
    Lynn
     
  3. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Google Ak Miller
     
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  4. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,144

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon


  5. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 894

    tractorguy
    Member

    Yes......yes......the quintessential road race hot rod. I can remember years and years ago when it showed up for sale in a weekly edition of AutoWeek. Seemed kinda high priced ???.......if only.....if only. Glad it later ended up with Brock Yates(RIP)......a guy who could truly appreciate it.
     
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  6. Here's Max Balchowsky's "Ford Special" Deuce Roadster at the "2nd Reno Road Races" SCCA National Sports Car Championship event - Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada - October 18th 1953:

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 1.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 1a.JPG

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 2.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 2a.JPG

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 3.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 3a.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 3b.JPG

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 4.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 4a.JPG

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 5.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 5a.JPG

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 6.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 6a.JPG

    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 7.JPG
    Balchowsky Deuce @ 1953 Reno Road Race (by Bill Hewitt) - 7a.JPG

    NOTE:

    This is the Deuce Roadster originally built by Jimmy Summers in 1941.

    Jimmy channeled the roadster over its frame 3 inches. The grille shell was bulged out at the bottom to hide the frame rails. The majority of the running gear consisted of 1940 Ford parts. The original dash was removed to add more leg room. The large dial in the center was an instrumental group from a Lincoln aluminum panel, combined with Stewart Warner gauges. The windshield was custom built by Jimmy.

    Jimmy Summers later sold the car to Fred Vogel.

    In 1952, Max Balchowsky raced, prepared, and maintained the roadster for Fred. By that time the car was powered a LaSalle Flathead V8. The engine was built by Yam Oka, who ported and relieved the block, installed hotter camshaft and ignition, and welded tubular steel exhaust headers.

    According to Dean Batchelor's book "Dry Lakes and Drag Strips: The American Hot Rod," Fred and Max were just learning about racing when they started in 1952. The transverse leaf springs were originally retained, but Max later replaced them with similar units from a Ford V8-60, which were lighter. Max also added Dodge steering, and replaced the Ford Hydraulics brakes with Bendix self-servo brakes from a Lincoln Zephyr, and finally 1949 - 1951 Lincoln brakes.

    In 1953, Max Balchowsky bought the roadster from Fred Vogel ... and by 1954, he had swapped out the LaSalle flathead in favor of a Buick nailhead.​


    Here's Max Balchowsky's "Ford Special" Deuce Roadster as it appeared on the cover of the August 1953 issue of HONK! magazine:

    HONK - Aug '53 cover.jpg


    Here's Max Balchowsky's "Ford Special" Deuce Roadster (with nailhead power) at the 1954 Pebble Beach road race:

    Max Balchowsky Deuce - Pebble Beach 1954.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2019
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  7. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Those cars were more rally racers than pavement hugging sports cars, IMHO, and ran at crazy speeds on unimproved roads. Some very big named drivers ran them. Gary
     
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  8. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Search for sports rods or specials... lots has been posted already on your interests. Gary
     
    HEMI32 likes this.
  9. lumpy 63
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 2,603

    lumpy 63
    Member

    Max Balchowski's Old yeller..was a bad ass road racer.
     
  10. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

    I like it!!
    Keep em coming!
     
  11. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

    Ok not at all interested in specials!

    I am talking hot rods here. The Bulchowski car is right on as is Werkman's T.
     
  12. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

    Bump for the morning crew?

    How about some more tire screaming hot rods?

    And no sports rods please I don't want a Ferrari look a like..
     
  13. TWKundrat
    Joined: Apr 6, 2010
    Posts: 149

    TWKundrat
    Member

    I came across an early photo of this roadster that my grandpa took back in the day.
    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/can-anyone-id-this-roadster.1080973/#post-12252482
     
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  14. Blues4U
    Joined: Oct 1, 2015
    Posts: 7,589

    Blues4U
    Member
    from So Cal

    Check the Hot Rod Sports Cars thread for more. I already posted several pics there.

    Actually, getting my truck out to a local track day is on my radar. I need to change a few things first, but I think it will work great on a road track and will be a blast!
     
  15. @dumprat -

    That's too bad ... 'cuz the Max Balchowsky Deuce Roadster is actually a "Special" ... as was the Ed Ingalls '31 Roadster that @Stogy posted earlier (but deleted after you stated you weren't interested in "Specials").

    I was actually going to post these 7 vintage photos of the Ingalls Special in your thread ... but I see now that I would just be wasting my time. :(

    Although very cool for a '70s T-bucket, (in my humble opinion) the Werkman T isn't a "Vintage Road Racing Hot Rod".

    Perhaps you are actually looking for "Autocross Hot Rods" (most of which are O/T for the H.A.M.B.) ... ??? ... Maybe something like John Calles' #303 Simca (king of the NSRA Streetkhana in the mid '70s):

    HRM Oct 1974 - pg 42.jpg HRM Oct 1974 - pg 43.jpg HRM Oct 1974 - pg 44.jpg
    from the October 1974 issue of HOT ROD Magazine

    #303 Simca @ Tulsa Nats (August 1976).jpg
    Calles' #303 Simca at the 1976 NSRA Nationals in Tulsa, OK
     
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  16. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member



    That is a very nicely proportioned windshield. Thanks for the pics
     
  17. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

    The trouble with adding the tag "special" is you end up with a bunch of custome bodied tube frame sports cars, which are not hot rods.

    Like I mentioned in my initial post I am looking for pics and info on hot rods built for road racing. Like the Spencer car.

    Autocross is OT but so is Trans Am it it gets posted once in a while.
     
  18. KevKo
    Joined: Jun 25, 2009
    Posts: 926

    KevKo
    Member
    from Motown

    I know this won't be exactly what you are looking for, but way back Jim Babb built a tiny little C-Cab T with a rear-mounted Subaru engine specifically to run the gymkhanas at NSRA events (yeah, NSRA used to do all kinds of cool shit before they aged out). I just think it is so cool. I'd love to do something similar.
     

    Attached Files:

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  19. Ak Miler's El Caballo en Hierro (Iron Horse) build for the 1954 Carrera Panamerica

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
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  20. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

    I love the C cab!

    The AK miller car is hideous, famous or not.
     
  21. Boodlum
    Joined: Dec 19, 2007
    Posts: 353

    Boodlum
    Member

    Carrera Panamericana has a few hotrods

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  22. lumpy 63
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 2,603

    lumpy 63
    Member

    Duffy Livingstons T is a great example...
     
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  23. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    But you certainly wouldn't want to race him down a dark alley, against his car.
     
  24. Bdamfino
    Joined: Jan 27, 2006
    Posts: 553

    Bdamfino
    Member
    from Hamlet, NC

    Whatever became of It-T-Bits by Jim Babb?
     
  25. 1934coupe
    Joined: Feb 22, 2007
    Posts: 5,051

    1934coupe
    Member

    I was in Tulsa 76 with my 36 Willys sedan it was just a week old and brother Mike and I drove out from NY. I entered the gymkahana against that Simca, it was no contest. I may have come in last I don't remember. That Simca had a 303 Pontiac motor if I recall, it was some car.

    Pat
     
  26. Mimilan
    Joined: Jun 13, 2019
    Posts: 1,230

    Mimilan
    Member

    I sneak these from Kerry's collection

    Mount Maunganui Street Circuit
    Mt Manganui Street Races 1963 Garth Souness V8 Coupe  Dennis Marwood  Humber 80.jpg

    Pukekohe Raceway
    Garth Souness chasing Rod Coppins with Red Dawson sneaking up in the Willys.PNG
     
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  27. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

  28. dumprat
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 3,479

    dumprat
    Member
    from b.c.

  29. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 4,757

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Not really a typical HAMB car but in 1971 I had a MGTD with a flathead 60 and closed driveline that someone had installed in the late '50's or early '60's. From what I could determine this was a popular hop up swap to replace the lower performing English 4 banger at the time. Never drove it with the 4 banger but the flathead 60 wasn't exactly a rocket ship by any means.
     
  30. Boodlum
    Joined: Dec 19, 2007
    Posts: 353

    Boodlum
    Member

    Re-reading this thread brought to mind that Doane Spencer, beside his famous Deuce Highboy and Thunderbird, also owned and road raced a Sunbeam Tiger. Phil Remington, beside his work on Cobras, Daytona Coupes, GT40s and Ford MkIVs also had a Sunbeam Tiger he campaigned in the 1960's West Coast Sunbeam Tiger Wars and was Doane's toughest competitor. Doane Spencer's Tiger usually won.

    http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?481-Doane-Spencers-Sunbeam-Tiger

    Doane Spencer's Tiger with his trademark black with chrome accent color scheme.
    [​IMG]

    ETA: Prototype Shelby/Remington Sunbeam Tiger
    http://www.impeccableinc.com/mediaf...unbeam_Tiger_Information_Document_for_Web.pdf

    http://www.mustangandfords.com/feat...am-tiger-ford-v8-meets-1960s-british-roadster
    [​IMG]
    Phil Remington's Tiger was painted white, iirc ran car number 45, engine had four Weber carburetors and I cannot find a picture.

    ETA2: Sunbeam Tigers are the worst handling cars I ever drove. Will swap ends in a heartbeat. In a turn, I call the gas pedal the "automatic reverse button", lift and you're going around.
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
    Just Gary likes this.

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