Folks Of Interest Max Balchowsky's 1959 Old Yeller II - Jay Leno Video

Probably one of the best episodes he has ever done.

 

American Hot Rodding at it's best... And it's great to see a car not 'over restored'. I particularly love the Blue Streaks with the painted-on whitewalls!

 

Great vid!
One of my favorite's, Along with Duffy Livingston's roadster (Go Kart) which used to show up at Watkins Glen year's ago for the Vintage..

 

I saw the car up close & personal at Jimmy Shines shop a couple of years ago. Jimmy takes care of Ernie's car. I was taking some photos of the car and Ernie's wife came up to me and started a conversation with me and told me all about their experiences with the car, she talked to me for probably 45 minutes, like I was an old friend, a super nice lady. Having the car in their lives has made them kind of like mini celebrities, they get invited to shows and races all over the world, and the promoters usually pay for shipping the car and their personal travel costs too. They put them up in hotels and they attend dinners and meet famous people in the auto racing world. Everyone loves the Junk Yard Dog, everybody wants to see it. Here's some photos I took. I only had my cel phone with me, I wasn't expecting to run across this historic gem, so the photos aren't the best, but how many have had the opportunity to see it like this? I walked into the shop and was like "holy crap, there's Old Yeller!" Out came the phone and I started snapping photos.

 

It's the first, unofficial Cobra, IMHO. Max and his wife were amazing rodders. Love sports rods and specials.

 

Man those are really special shots.Thanks for the up close and personal..

 

My favorite part of the video is just listening to the Buick under throttle.

What did Max Balchowsky do to the Buick engine that allowed it to rev? Two people I wish had books on would be Max Balchowsky and Fritz Voigt and how they figured out on how to get their engines to do what they got them to do, as well as their lives.

Carroll Shelby touches on it in this video, mentioning that the smaller valves helped in revving, but what else?

 

Who were the key builders, like for Ivo?

 

So cool. Thanks.

 

WOW. I hadn't seen that video till now. thanx for posting.

 

I remember reading that Ivo did get mentoring from Balchowsky. I have no real knowledge on it, since this all happened before I was born, so I have to go off of peoples stories who were there or any books that have these details.

 

Boy, this car is an icon, but quite frankly, it sounds like Leno doesn't have a clue. Recalled (because they were so "soft") station wagon tires? Recaps? Real whitewalls? A period correct Muncie transmission in 1959?

The owner doesn't do much better.

This car deserves better.

 

I love Jay and am happy he is such a visible ambassador of our hobby...but I did cringe quite a few times during the talk about the car. Jay also thought the 6x2 setup was fuel injection...

 

They keep calling that car ugly. To me, the only really nasty looking part is the ass end of it.

 

Interview with Dr. Ernie Nagamatsu, owner of Old Yeller II:

 

Really enjoyed the video. Very cool car. And yes from the rear wheels back is butt ugly. Wouldn't change one thing about it though.

 

I remember reading an article about Max and Old Yeller. He drew chalk lines on the floor to outline the frame and went from there. I think it topped out at 140mph, where it hit an aerodynamic wall and wouldn't go any faster no matter how much power they put in it. Max was also experimenting with the durometer of tires, and found that Chrysler used the ones he was most successful with. There was a story where he needed a couple of tires during a race, and snagged them off a Chrysler wagon in the parking lot, leaving a note on the windshield that he would return them after the races!

 

Thank You And Ernie Is A True Gentleman......Appreciated...

 

I think I read some place that Max also really liked Atlas tires with "Butyl" from Standard Oil gas stations because they were cheap and very soft - but some times he could only find them as WWW. He used them regardless of their looks. Anyone confirm that? Seems to fit is modus operandi. Wish Coker would repop them!

 

Almost correct. They were called "Atlas Bucrons", and they were soft. They were also their top of the line tire and quite expensive. A friend of mine decided to run them on the back of his '40 Ford. At the time (early sixties) we could only find them in 14" sizes. We finally found a set of Chrysler Imperial 14" wheels with the proper bolt pattern. and got them mounted. As I remember, he had a set of 9.50X14's and they hooked up well enough to immediately break an axle.

Sorry for the small picture.



Found a better picture. They do look good, don't they. "gnichols" is right about someone repopping them.

 

Max WAS the go to engine guy for Ivo, although Ivo built the engines himself, Max showed him how. One thing about those Buick blocks-- they were heavy , because they were cast steel and not iron. Block stability is what gets you HP and Torque. I surprised no mention of Ivo in this video

 

Thanx for setting me right-er. Come on Corky, give them a go in 15" and 16" and even 18" sizes!

 

Video of Peterson's Museum Collection Manager, Dana, driving the 1959 Old Yeller III:

 

I enjoy Jay's video series and would have to agree this was one of the best they've done! His reaction while driving the car is so awesome -- saying "Jesus" a few times - That's certainly not something you hear Jay say often at all. HA!

 

I Ended Up With A High Compression 401 Buick Engine With A Roller Cam Out Of A Dragster And Assortment Of Intakes That Ernie Bought From Me For A Spare Mill And He Communicated Like We Had Known Each Other For 50 Years...Excellent Caretaker For "Olde Yaller"....

 

I love that old Hot Rod ..... Pure American passion, creativity and home fabrication.
Well done Max

 

FYI ... Old Yeller II’s caretaker @Ernie Nagamatsu used to frequent the H.A.M.B.

 

Nice to know! I'd love to know when Old Yeller II will be out next. Being from Florida for example, I have a once in a life time plan for the historic sports car races this August at Laguna Seca - and would love to see the car and meet him. Otherwise, it's Sebring, or Amelia or some place east of the Mississippi...

 

Anyone ever wonder how fast early 50's cars with big American V-8s would have been if the engines and tranys had been made with more aluminum? From stockers to drag cars, to NASCAR, to sports cars and TransAM, to specials like OYII? Gads.

 

Too late! Corky sold the business