well i have had a few people wanting me do get off my butt and do this thread. i will do it to the best of my ability. the first time i saw this car in person, it was just the body, and i was excited. growing up in the 50s and 60s and putting together model cars like we all did, if you built a bantam dragster kit, you were the cats ass, in my book anyway! they were different, not just another dragster, they had a body that was different. whether it was a model a body, a crosley, a topolino, what ever, it was different. my fr iend dave crane from battle creek michigan, found this body threw a friend, it was at a garage sale, not for sale , but about to be cut up to be made into a street rod trailer to haul suit cases behind somebodys street rod. but dave got wind threw a friend about it, he jumped in his truck and flew down there, and stopped the guy with the torches! he walked in and asked what are you doing? he said im building a trailer out of it. dave said like hell, that was the nace reitz and bohls bantam from niles michigan, i teched and flagged that car at martin dragway! your not cutting it up! how much? after some throught the guy gave the car to dave with the understanding it would be restored back to former glory if at all possible, and thats what dave wanted to do! thats when i saw it, when i met dave in the 90s. i was in love, but there was no way in hell that dave would part with it, and i wasnt going to ask! it sat quite awhile while dave was into other projects, but it was going to get done! it was going to run again! so a few years went by dave got started, body on a chassis he had, the origin was long gone. a hemi block was dug out of the pile and it begun! dave was starting on a decline in health, but everytime you went to see him it was always full stories and jokes but things were going ruff for dave. cancer and other problems were robbing him, but still the jokes came. dave passed in november 2018. still cant believe hes not here because i still here the stories, either with him or on the phone! still here them, and miss them. anyway daves collection of stuff, is in the museum of speed lincoln nebraska, and this museum is the number one racing museum in my eyes. its a must see! we were lucky that cora, daves wife kept one car , and that was the bantam, because thats the last one dave wanted to finish. so im the lucky care taker, and were doing this to honor my friend. we had it alot of places this year, cobo hall, milan drag strip for a memorial for dave, some local shows around indiana, indianapolis nhra nationals, street rod nationals kalamazoo, and now its making its way to ellendale north dakoda, to see brent gilbert one of its owners from the past, then to lincoln nebraska to the museum of speed, for a stop, then pomona california, for the display at the grand national roadster show in jan 2020. there doing an early display of drag racing ,and were invited! so back to jim nace, dave reitz and jim bohls. there the guys that first put this car on the map. hopefully i have this story correct from mister bohls and mr nace! dave ruietz first put the car together in 59 to run the detriot nationals , and he did! along came mr nace with a hemi, and mr bohls with his college money! they built a stronger chassis , dropped in the stroked hemi injected, and the rest is history! the car under there ownership ran low 10s in 62 pushing 150mph. and won! it raced indy, detriot, martin mich, us 30 in indiana, and raced alot. i had jim nace at my house about a month ago to see the car, and i think he liked it! really nice guy! have yet to meet dave bohls yet, but hope to meet him in january with jim, and i think mister gilbert is coming out also. i cant wait to get that picture! speaking of pics i will post some, and more to come. there are pics in the comp coupes all but forgotten thread, here on the hamb. thanks to everybody i have talked to about this car. and its been abunch of people! alot of guys remember it from a bunch of tracks around the midwest and especially michigan. thanks for mr crane for saving this little piece of drag history! but as dave always has said its the people not the cars! and he is 100 percent right about that! i have had more fun talking to the people that have seen this car, or have been a part of this car since 1959 than i can posssibly tell you!
I saw the car at a show in DeMotte, IN earlier this year, it is a beautiful restoration and captures that era perfectly. Dave did a great job and it is terrific that he saved it. As a side note I was at that event with my wife, daughter in law and three grandkids. The little guy, three years old, looked at the cars with a ‘32 3 W getting a lot of his attention, he looked at an OT Chevy SSR saying “Mom, it’s a truck car!”, but his favorite one of all was the Bantam. Even at three he gets it!
@rd martin, when we looked at the car there were four or five guys sitting off to the side, were you in that group?
yea i was sitting there, i think i remember you with the kids. next time we will put your grandson in it! i was at silent ricks get together at cass place, were you there?
well the bantam is in the museum of american speed in lincoln nebraska, along with 2 of dave cranes other cars. we hauled her out a short time ago. the museum is doing a great job with daves stuff. bantam will be there until january, then speedway will take it to the grand national roadster show, for a early drag racing display we got invited to. im looking forward to that! some of the prievous owners are trying to make it out for the show. any of you hambers plan to attend? please stop and say hi if you do!
@rd martin this is from the Hot Rod mag coverage of GNRS 2020 https://www.hotrod.com/articles/gnrs-2020-drag-racing-then-and-now/?galleryImageId=1069804
thanks guys for the info and pics from the roadster show! i had some bad luck after i got home, i fell on the ice and broke my dam leg real good! i had alot of plans when i got home from the show, and those are out the window for awhile! we had a great time at pomona, met alot of hambers, lots of great cars! thanks for all that stopped by! the car is back in the museum for alittle while, then i will go get it in the spring. wanting to get started on another motor for the car. that 70 degree weather out there sure is easy to get use to!
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