The logo of the girl riding the cam pops up now and then; a friend of mine found a copy and had a tatoo done from it so they are around. Evidently Giovannini was somewhat of an "entrepenuer" who never really developed many (if any) profiles of his own; he simply copied existing cams. I believe he was out of the Tampa area as he was an early sponsor of Garlits. Word has it that due to his propensity to copy others hard work (and perhaps some other legal matters) he quit the cam business and opened (or worked at ) a night club in the D.C. area. Thats about all that I can pull from memory ... there are surely some others out there who can add to the story... I'd be interested in learning more myself... maybe Big himself will read this and add some info; he's been known to lurk about.
Could be Mutley; but Giovannini used the same Logo around 56-57; was Speed Specialties around then? Maybe the logo was something else he copied (besides cams).
I think he was out of Washington DC. Seen him run his black primered coupe at Convair Drag Strip in Allentown Pa. in 55-56. He flipped it going down to Fl. cut off the top, ran roadster class. Had a Giovanni 999 cam in the flat head I ran in the 60s, wild cam. His car was 999G .
I have a 1940 Chevy D-Gas which was built in 1958 on the west coast that has the original "Girl Riding a Cam" logo that at that time was Custom Cams by Speed Specialties, Pacific Palisades, Calif. that either changes to Giovanni or bought by Giovanni out of Florida. If I can get a buddy to take a picture I will post. This car has a number of original logo's from the 50" to include Lions Drag Strip, LA, Moon, Sun Tact, Vertex magneto, etc.
I posted this picture the other day and some history was posted on it. not spelled the same way but it's too close not to be him. Here ya go
Anyone have an idea of valve lash settings for these cams...I have a 303 Olds engine that has an upper end kit from this manufacturer and can find zero tech specs on it. I found a little more on this guy after getting the correct spelling "Giovannoni Cams".
I wouldn't worry too much about the exact setting lash. Typical of the era was .012" intake and .018" exhaust and guys varied them to move the cam slightly; that's what my normal was for Howard's anyway. The .030" stuff came later.
Giovannoni Racing Cams after Ray moved his business to Port Orange, Florida. Photo from the 1958 Giovannoni Cams catalog A map from the 1958 Catalog showing where the shop was located. Photo from the 1958 Giovannoni Cams catalog Photo from the 1958 Giovannoni Cams catalog Photo from the 1958 Giovannoni Cams catalog Photo from the 1958 Giovannoni Cams catalog A Giovannoni Cams Catalog from 1958 Drag racing in Covington, Georgia. Photo by George Silk Giovannoni Cams was the first speed shop in Washington, D.C.. The shop was started by the famous cam grinder Ray Giovannoni. Giovannoni Cams was located at 633 Maine Avenue, S.W, Washington, D.C.. By 1958 Ray had moved his business to Port Orange, Florida just south of Daytona Beach. At his new shop, called "Custom Automotive" ,Ray manufactured and sold "Racing Cams Only". [1] https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Giovannoni_Cams
According to ISKY, you had to pull him off a barstool and bring him back to the shop to get anything. Garlits backed out of the contract with ISKY because it paid more, but the second half of the money was never handed over and Garlits was too embarrassed to go back to Isky
I too had always called them Giovanni cams because that was always the way I heard it pronounced. This was in the late '50s, early 60's. They were one of the most popular cams in Charlotte at the time. In around 1961 I had a friend with a '56 Ford 2 door sedan with a Holman & Moody built 312, factory 2x4s and Giovanonni cam. It was bad ass and I still remember the way it idled. By the end of the '60s I didn't hear the name anymore. Looking back it amazes me none of us took the time to look at the spelling the on the logo.
One other thing. That was a sexy logo, especially for that era. It made my juices flow every time I saw it looking at that white patch next to the lobe.
Hello, Here is a cam girl logo for GIOVANNONI...(NOT GIOVANNI) CAMS. The first we heard of it was in the Drag News and on Garlits' Swamp Rat at the 1960 Bakersfield Smokers March Meet. Art Malone did the driving that day. Jnaki It was Isky Cam sponsorship in December of 1959 and in March of 1960, Giovannoni Cams on the Swamp Rat for his West Coast swing, during those few months. Garlits West Coast swing Dec. 1959 and March 1960
Oldscarnut, Years ago I had a repair shop Occasionally I would get a car in to tune that had an unknown solid lifter cam in it . I set the idle slow then would set every rocker tight enough so they were completely silent. Then I would back off one intake rocker enough so it would just barely tick, did the same with one exhaust rocker. Then would shut of engine & check clearances on those 2 rockers. I would then adjust all rockers to those settings. Never had any trouble with burned valves. Greg
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