My stepfather, Claude Hampson, was best friends with Phil Freudiger (Bonneville 200 MPH club) since they were kids. Claude was an aluminum shaper for Frank Kurtis (Kurtis-Kraft) in the late '40s & early '50s, before he started his own shop. While working for Kurtis my future dad fabricated (probably in his backyard) the track nose, hood, side cowling, grille, nerf bars, and all the custom trim for Jack Thompson's 27 T Roadster, which was featured on the cover of the August 1958 issue of Hot Rod. He also formed the nose of Phil Freudiger's lakes roadster (either in Phil's garage or my dad's first shop) using the same wooden jig, somewhat modified (check out the 1956 photo of the Freudiger Special on page 4 of this thread and you'll see painted on the car 'Claude's Auto Sheet Metal'). That aluminum drag nose looks to me to be the front end of Phil's original lakes roadster, except for the scoop on the hood, probably added later. I'm attaching a photo of Jack Thompsons 27 T for your comparison. Phil Freudiger can verify all this, and probably set a couple of things straight that I might not have exactly right. Several years later, in dad's second shop, on Canby Avenue in Reseda, CA, he also built, from the ground up, Andreé, the first Formula III car fabricated in the U.S., for Chuck Nerpel (editor of Motor Trend mag) completing it in 1959. The car was named after Chuck's daughter. I've attached a photo of that car too, for anyone interested. I'm also attaching an Indy car built by Kurtis-Kraft while my dad worked there, who is the 5th guy in from the right, looking down at the car. I worked in my stepdads shop from the ages of 13 through 17, I operated the louvre press that stamped those louvres, and actually got to drive Jack's 27 T when I only had a learner's permit. We had a lot of amazing cars come through that shop, I wish I had pictures of all of them. Phil and his family visited our house regularly in the years when they lived over by the Van Nuys drive-in. I was a teenager and had a crush on Phil's daughter. That old aluminum drag nose pictured here is gorgeous to me, because I grew up in the presence of the man who fabricated it. Claude died a few years ago of complications from Alzheimer's Disease, but he was an extremely talented guy who left his mark on the world. I hope you enjoy the pictures... Jim Otterstrom
I disagree - that looks like a reflection to me (like the one further back on the cowl) and the cowl has a "roll" formed in it like a front engine dragster cowl that gives it that bubbled up appearance (see the hoodless pic). I say it's the same front end. Steve
I think what you are seeing is a row of louvers that is next to the scoop. you can see them in the more recent pictures. That is one cool find, good luck with the build.
See my post above... ...That's definitely the same front end, the shaping and louvres don't lie, and it's also the same front end on the Freudiger Special (posted here on page 4 of the thread), albeit with modifications (note the short louvres at front, long louvres at rear on the Freudiger cowling too.
Great response on this most interesting thread, looking foward to seeing the car come together. The photos and info on Claude Hampson are icing on the cake.
Pertaining to my previous post; Jack Thompson's 27 T was completely restored by Tri-C Engineering in the 1990s and was hitting the show circuit for awhile (see the July 1997 issue of Street Rodder) but I have no idea where the car is today. A little known fact about Jack's original T is that (according to Jack) it was powered by a war surplus Japanese tank engine, that was, in reality, a Merc flathead built for export to Japan (before we were at war) with extra thick cylinder walls which allowed for a bigger bore. The old flathead was running three Stromberg carbs but I can't remember if they were 97s or 94s. Like I said above, I got to drive that car once when I was 15, what a blast that thing was! Back to the "old drag nose"; I vaguely remember there was something different about Freudiger's roadster that required some modification of the original jig from Thompson's 27. As I compare the photos, I'm trying to remember if my dad told me Phil's '27 was sitting on a '34 chassis, which might explain the angle of the hood side panels where they meet the firewall. Maybe the T-bucket was altered at the front cowl & firewall to conform to the different frame (Thompson's 27 T is sitting on a '23 Essex frame). Again, Phil Freudiger could answer those questions, I'm sure. Both cars were built before I worked in my dad's shop (I'm not even sure he had the shop yet when he formed those noses (he told me he sprayed the black lacquer paint job on Thompson's car underneath a big old walnut tree in my grandfather's front yard), but the wooden jig for the nose was hanging on the shop wall when I was old enough to work there.
Ottergraph... Does the wooden jig still exist? Also do you happen to have any photos from in the shop or during any metal shaping?
No the jig is long gone, my dad closed his shop during the mid 60s, then I took off to be a beatnik in NYC, and I don't know what happened to it. He may have given it to Phil Freudiger. As for photos, there may be some buried in my mom's collection, if I find any I'll gladly post them. He had a home-made rolling former that hung from the ceiling (I fondly remember him using it to make me an aluminum snow saucer sled, he even rolled over the edges before he dished it). And boy do I wish I had that louvre press now. I made quite few bucks punching louvres in hoods wayback then, at 25 cents a louvre. Not a bad gig for a 15 year-old kid, my dad taught me how to lay out a hood to avoid the bracing, scribe straight lines, and let me have my own little side business with the louvres. I didn't punch the ones in the "drag nose" though, that was before my time.
In case anyone wants more views of the nose on the Thompson T, the not quite twin of the Freudiger nose, here's a few pictures of the Jack Thompson 27 T after it was restored in the 1990s. I found these pictures on the internet recently. It's amazing to see this car so beautifully and faithfully restored, especially in knowing that it sat out in a storage yard rotting away for a couple of decades. I hope these pictures are helpful to someone. I'd love to see that Freudiger nose on a car again.
Also remember, when I'm talking about the wooden jig the nose of both the, Thompson T, and the Freudiger California Special lakes roadster (your 'old drag nose'), were formed around, I'm only referring to the very front nosepiece, in front of the hood panels. The hoods and their side panels were fabricated to fit each individual car with differing engines, exhaust headers, running gear, frames, etc. That's why the side-panels look so different between the two cars. One was a street rod, and the other was a record setting lakes roadster, but if you use your imagination to replace that bitchin' stainless grille my dad made for Thompson's roadster, with sheet metal, you'll find the nosepieces are nearly identical, except for the small bulges hammered into the lower right & left sides of the Freudiger nose just above the axle cutouts.
Just wondering why the nose has slanted back edges?...almost like made to fit a 33/34 type cowl? The angle looks too steep to fit a 33/34 though. It just seems like a lot more work to modify the T cowl to use that angle? ...or maybe they just wanted that style?
F&J Like I was saying somewhere here, I vaguely remember there was something fundamentally different about the cars which made a modification to the forming jig neccesary, and I think it had to do with the frame. But I just don't know for sure. I'm hoping one of the Freudiger's might be able to clarify the reason for that angle at the rear of the hood side panels. I've messaged Phil's grandson, maybe he'll know. But my mom has Phil's phone number and says she's overdue in calling him, so maybe I'll be able to find out from the man himself. There's a couple of more questions I have for Phil, like I'm not really sure which nose was formed first, Phils or Jacks, they were both done in the very early '50s I know. Jim Otterstrom
This and a HAMB i-phone app all in the same day, best Wednesday in a while! Killer story, cant wait to see more.
I talked to Phill son, Willy who has alot of info.on the car Im meeting with him next week, His dad, is in a home and doesen't remember much. I wish him well.
ottergraph I see that nose in my garage everyday ,my plan is to rebuild the car just as it was when phill went over 200 m.p.h. in it. Right now i have my plate full with the restoration of three other cars of history. Im gathering history and parts right now.and plan to start it soon.But let me tell you I dont know if you beleve in ORA, but that car has been pulling me in it wants to be back,No, that car is screeming to be back. I may be starting it soon.Your welcome to contact me and come see it if you like. Willy told me your dad and his dad built it in Phills garage.In 1951 Thanks for your help. JOE
There is a Riley 4-port Banger T roadster in a early 50s Hot Rod magazine that has the cowl side cut on a angle, Phil probably did the same mod.
Bigboar- Yes, sadly we tried calling Phil yesterday and his wife told my mom he was in a home, (last time she talked with him he said he thought he was getting Alzheimers) but I'm glad you are in touch with Willie, he probably knows more about that car than anyone at this point. I kinda thought Claude & Phil built that in Phil's garage because I think my stepdad was still working at Kurtis-Kraft in '51, and hadn't opened his first shop yet.
Bigboar- It's great to know someone is planning to recreate Phil's car, that would tickle the hell out of my dad, and surely Phil as well. I look forward to seeing it. I'm in Utah right now helping out my mom, but sometime in the future, when I'm back in California, I'd love to come see the progress and maybe take a picture or two for the archives. My dad lived to see Jack Thompson's roadster restored, we were even invited to Tri-C Engineering when they were working on it, and then went to the Father's Day L.A. Roadster Show at Pomona Fairgounds for it's first show after restoration. What cars are you working on? Did you find a T bucket for this upcoming project?
Havent found a body yet but that shouldnt be to hard,im still trying to locate the owner of the engine. its some where in the pomona aera. someone posted a photo of it on the other alum nose site going to follow up on it right now.
After learning the bad news about Phil Freudiger yesterday, the original owner of the 'old drag nose' at the heart of this thread, I thought I'd post this picture, for a little sentimental authenticity, of Phil and I out in front of my stepdad, Claude Hampson's shop in Reseda, California. This was 1960, I was 15 years old (right around the time I got to drive Jack Thompson's T---which may be the reason I've got that big s**t-eatin' grin on my face). Phil had been a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club for a couple of years already, he hit 214.959 mph at Bonneville, in 1958, with that 'old drag nosed' roadster of his. And there we were, a couple of years later...
Thanks for the cool pic. and the story,I hope some of hot rodders following this story realize how special it was to go over 200mph in those days let alone 214 mph I understand that record held for 20 years, before it was broke. I also herd that Phill set the record on a mile and one half track, and it was broke on a longer track. so his record is good today ?
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