Indy roadsters, how come nobody's done this?

I KNEW this was a great idea! I feel sort of lame for not actually getting going yet on my own, after starting this thread, but there's some GREAT stuff here, and the Chev. I6 disguised as a Miller, WOW!

Brian

 

I'm really enjoying the ideas in this thread, too. Some time back I proposed to the HAMB the idea of a "spec" HAMB-ster along these lines (don't bother to search for it, it went over like a lead baloon!) that was a 1 or 2 seater. But the overall styling wasn't limited to Indy cars - as Euro / road racers, flats style cars and oval cars all had a lot in common back before WWII, eh? While I like the riding mechanic seat idea, slightly behind the driver or not, if the cars could be kept as inexpensive as possible, you could build two for the price of one large or fancy car and that way your wife / girlfriend could drive their racer right along side you! They might also fit side by side in one garage stall.

Regardless, imagine how much fun it would be if a group of these little buzz bombs were on a long road trip... like motorcycles with 4 wheels. I'd even consider a narrowed single seat coupe or pickup version. Gary

 

You guys are talking about cars from a bit earlier, but a friend of mine from here in town named Rick Stewart built a very accurate early sixties Watson style car about 15 years or so ago. I don't have any pictures of it, and unfortunately Rick is gone now, but damn it was cool. I do remember it was "showcased" in one of the booths at LARS about '97 or so - Tri-C fabrications booth maybe? Ran a slightly inclined, dry sump small block Chev and was street legal. He built it for a guy over in Germany who wanted to buzz the autobahns with it... It's got to be out there somewhere still!

 

Yeah. That one sucks balls. How bout Dan Webb's black Wedge Roadster?

 

Josh Shaw from Cincinatti has been doing it for years.

 

Andrew Murray Indy/Street Roadster........ WOW!

 

here's mine

 

Picture would help lol

 

Heres something from the last Throttlers show.

 

I gotta see this car. You think the guys at the shop would have a pic? Man I miss Rick every damn day.

 

I've been gathering parts for mine for the past 30 or so years. I still haven't got the frame I want as my original idea bombed but may get that taken care of in the next couple of weeks.

A few pieces of inspiration







A couple of different era's represented and some are European grand prix cars from the 30's but the influence is there.

 

BUBBA! That thing RULES!

 

Got pix? Gary

 

I was wondering if there is a overall design or "size" of car proposed here? Seems to me (from pix and a few cars I've seen) that 30-40's Indy cars were pretty big cars, no pun intended. Wheel base, tracks? Overall heights? I'd love to see some drawings typical of these decades.

I'm also fond of post WWII cars like the Kurtis 2000's, which seem to be a tad smaller but still had wire wheels and a pre-war look. I'd like to get some plans of that model, too, if anyone knows where I can find them. Gary

 

Back in around 1998 I had a replica of a 1931 2 man boattail. It came from Niagra Fall area. I sold it in Austin.

Wonder where it is. If i had a scanner id post up a pic.

 

Yeah, I think Josh can fix ya up.

http://www.shawhotrods.com/pages/content/products.html

 

Thanx, Rootie. I thought he had a web site but couldn't find it on a search. But isn't the car he does smaller than the Indy cars? Gary

 

Josh does a late 30's/early 40's sprint car type deal which is similar to what ran at Indy in that era. Tom McGriff here in Indy (Mac Miller on the HAMB) has a mold for a Watson roadster tail and also the nose if you are into the later type cars too.

Roo

 

Roo,
I'll be up to Brownsburg for Indy this year (brother in law is a drag racer and lives there). Any chance you could introduce me to others who have similar, streetable single seaters? Gary

 

Josh does it all. If you're interested in a KK2000, it so happens he's restoring one right now. Shoot him a PM (He's a hamber) I'm sure he can give about any info on them you could want.

 

Thanx again Rootie. I PM'd him last year about scalloping the nose of my 27 but never got an answer. I'll try again. Gary

 

Anymore pics of this Bubba???
Looks very cool from what I can see........

 

Here's a link to the story

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0812_top_10_best_hot_rods_of_2008/street_roadster.html

 

Ray Kuns built cars and sold prints for 'big cars' and midgets back in the 30s. I believe the Kuns prints were used as the basis for this car.

 

Rootie,

Thanks for the pic- I had forgotten about this one!!!

 

Me too. Hell of a nice guy... If anybody would have a picture it would be there at the shop. Otherwise, i think it was Tri C engineering over in L.A. that had the car in their booth in '98 or so, they might as well.

 

Are there more of Kuns plans out there? I'm looking for something along the lines of the Frontenac 300:

 

Various Kuns plans show up on E-bay fairly regular. I found those on a web site at one time but forget where now. Here's some plans for a 3 springer from a 1930s Popular Mechanics mag.

 

One of the books on Harry Miller (can't remember which) has a very detailed set of plans for a Miller Indy car in it. May have been the front drive version though...

 

FYI, the last few pages of the vintage sprint car thread have had some neat looking cars with "potential," Gary.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236178&page=658