Register now to get rid of these ads!

History McKinstry photo collection

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by nickam82, Jun 5, 2014.

  1. rod1
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,324

    rod1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Some of my favorite photos ever .Thank you for taking the time.
     
    kidcampbell71 and loudbang like this.
  2. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    So much to see here, tremendous time travel!

    upload_2020-9-13_8-12-24.png
     
    kidcampbell71 and loudbang like this.
  3. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  4. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Don't think OP @nickam82 will mind me reposting these snapshots from his great collection here . . . he hasn't been on the HAMB since 2017. Can't help myself. Plus, this thread should stay at the top anyway.

    Hoodlums
    upload_2020-9-13_8-48-12.png

    And their cars
    upload_2020-9-13_9-6-28.png
     
  5. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,294

    jnaki





    Hello,

    Nice array of photos from that collection. Your friend must have traveled all over the USA to get these photographs. Some of the early Willys Coupe photos should be dated from 1958-59 of K. S. Pittman 41 coupe. Then jump up to the 1963-64 era for the newer lighter 33 red Willys Coupe. It is too general to label them all 60s era.

    The films were taken by me at Lion’s Dragstrip during those times, when K.S. Pittman teamed with John Edwards as a unstoppable team in the B/Gas class.
    ( :29 in the 41 Willys film)

    K.S. Pittman 41 red Willys from 1958-60

    Then, prior to the whole West Coast exploding with the popularity of the Gas Coupes and Sedans, K.S. Pittman had a 33 Willys Coupe built for the new attack on the A/Gas class records. The film was from the All Gas Coupe and Sedan Class event that took place at Lion’s Dragstrip in 1964.
    K. S. Pittman 33 red Willys Coupe 1963-64


    Then, as the history has shown, he moved to the Midwest for further Willys Gas Coupe adventures. By 65-66, the gas coupe classes were beginning to wane and were not covered as much locally in the West. So, they started to fade out all over the USA drag racing coverage. Match racing was the popular event.

    Jnaki

    The association of the ordinary fans with the street legal coupes and sedans started to waver. No longer were the coupes and sedans what anyone could afford or build. When the rules changed to make the street legal class into another hot coupe class, changing things like individual headers, no license for the street, lack of street legal items, etc. They were now, full on race prepped cars that one would not drive to high school or after school jobs on a daily basis.












     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2020
  6. Nothing short of incredible!! Even Peterson would love to have some of these in their archives. Super Cool. The 3 Ramchargers lined up, is extraordinaire ! Truth be told, most of these high quality shots are. As an armature photographer, I can truly appreciate his level of expertise.
    Yes, this thread is 6 years old, but thanks so much for posting, if you're still around.
    JT
     
    kidcampbell71 and alanp561 like this.
  7. steveo3377
    Joined: Feb 13, 2016
    Posts: 69

    steveo3377

    Send Mac a hello,,, I have not seen him in a few years. I was the lucky one Mac entrusted years ago to get these slides transferred to dvd format with help from Peter Murphy to get access to slide collection which Mac was understandably a bit leary letting slides out of his possession. It’s great to be able to share/preserve this history
     
  8. nickam82
    Joined: Jun 5, 2014
    Posts: 57

    nickam82
    Member

    Hi everybody. Yes it's true I haven't been on here in awhile. I myself don't own a pre '64 hotrod so I'm not really active on here, but every once in a blue moon I check this thread. I have a '70 Skylark so I'm more active on V8Buick.com than here (different user name over there).


    I have not talked to Mac since the pre pandemic days of February 2019 when the company we worked for got sold and our office moved. He decided to retire rather than deal with the new commute. I have not heard from him since unfortunately. Im hoping I'll run into him at one of the shows now that the pandemic is loosening it's grip on everybody.
     
    rod1, echo ed, kidcampbell71 and 2 others like this.
  9. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    @nickam82 , hopefully you see him soon. Thanks to him and you for sharing the pictures. They are really spectacular
     
    kidcampbell71 and loudbang like this.
  10. nickam82
    Joined: Jun 5, 2014
    Posts: 57

    nickam82
    Member

    Hi folks,

    Sadly I have to announce that Mac passed away yesterday after what the obit said was a short period of declining health. He was 85.

    I last spoke with him a month or so ago at his wife's funeral after she had been sick for quite awhile. I hadn't seen him in the three plus years previous to then so we caught up for a few minutes. He described no longer being able to drive due to macular degeneration in his right eye.

    He did regale me again the story of one of the final races at Indy with the Wapid Wabbit, when someone lent him a magneto to use due to the supercharger blowing out the spark of the 283 at a high RPM. The results with the magneto were much better, but because they couldn't or didn't know how to get the magneto to work with the tach, he was shifting by ear, and so he over-revved, which is how he floated the valves and lost.

    I first met him in the real early days of my own career where he was able to provide some much appreciated guidance to get me going in the field.

    He was quite the character, and will not be forgotten.
     
    rod1, HotRodWorks, Lepus and 2 others like this.
  11. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    I’m very sorry to hear that.
     
    nickam82 likes this.
  12. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    RIP Mac.

    Thanks again for bringing these awesome photos to us Nick! What a golden era and a golden photo collection.
     
    nickam82 likes this.
  13. drumyn29
    Joined: Feb 16, 2006
    Posts: 2,194

    drumyn29
    Member

    Thats a shame! Great guy!
     
    nickam82 likes this.
  14. echo ed
    Joined: Nov 30, 2013
    Posts: 170

    echo ed
    Member
    from fla.

    Always sad to hear of another passing on the HAMB. His photos were a wonderful trip back in time, some pictures were personal to me, being raised in New England and attending races at Orange and Connecticut Dragway. RIP Mac.
     
    nickam82 likes this.
  15. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,612

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    How fortunate you are to have known him. Thank you for sharing the valve floating story.
     
    nickam82 likes this.
  16. rod1
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,324

    rod1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    His mark in time was recorded. History won this battle. The adventures lives on through each of us. Thank you.
     
    nickam82 likes this.
  17. 1320 Fan
    Joined: Jan 6, 2009
    Posts: 211

    1320 Fan
    Member

    Somehow, I missed this thread, but I saved many photos from it today. Mr. McKinstry had a great eye for photos, and we are fortunate he shot slides to preserve a great era of Drag Racing. I particularly like the pit shots as you can associate the people with their cars. Many photos of cars I heard of but never was able to see until now. Many thanks to ALL of the people responsible for bringing this to the HAMB. Condolences to Mr. McKinstry's family and friends. He certainly lived and participated during the best years of Drag Racing and preserved some of it for us.
     
    rod1, alanp561 and nickam82 like this.
  18. 1940Willys
    Joined: Feb 3, 2011
    Posts: 799

    1940Willys
    Member

    I Just rediscovered this Thread. Mind Blow'n Pictures! Thankyou Mr. McKinstry. Rip sir..... How do I go about saving this thread or where can I always find it? I see it says History at the top of this thread? Hokey Ass Message Board, Traditional, Customs, Antiquated but I don't see History listed on the opening page?
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2023

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.