Features VINTAGE SPRINT CAR PIC THREAD, 1965 and older only please.

Dan, correct on the Ford covers, but I think when AJ took over all the servicing and re-building he probably wished to advertise his wares and changed the covers as a matter of course as each of the engines was re-built.Someone from his shop will know.
The car is not absolutely perfect, but it is a great starting point for the restoration and between us both ,Michael and I should get both the cars pretty right.
Interestingly enough, some parts on each car are stamped #17 and others #21 so there was a small amount of cross pollination as bits were required ,or repaired.
From an engineering point of view, the engine is interesting as the Ford engineers bought a Meyer -Drake to see what made them tick , then couldn't dismantle it.
Dale Drake ,as the story goes, dispatched Chicki Harishima to Dearborn to pull it down for them and then they virtually copied the top end inch for inch.
Next thing , they put that sized combination of ports , chambers, and valves and cams onto there Failane V-8, and of course each bank had only half the engine capacity.
Ipso Facto , all their gas speed went to God and the engine only hit its stride at about 9000 RPM.
Then started the witch hunt to get the gas speed back.
The original 2 5/8" butterflys were way to big for half an engine so they were progressively made smaller until Foyt had them at 2 1/8" and port stuffers were fitted to reduce the runner volume.
If any one has any details of all this ,would they mind PM ing me ,I would be most grateful
Cheers Greg

 

Just rolled the Beck Spl out of the shop. Still not 100% complete but I thought I would post as the sun came out and I thought you guys would like a little eye candy. This is the Beck side of the car I will post the Sebert side next.

 

This is the Sebert side of the car. I wanted to honor both owners and all drivers with this paint job. The great part is both owners used the same paint colors and scheme.

 

The Beck car is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the photo.

 

I like the SIEBERT car better....

 

That must be the famous Beck-a-Bert spl. Seriously, looks great, you done good!

 

no cage, no wing, no fenders, it fits the thread!!

 

I don't mind who's car is was...its so cool.. excellent build......some really nice cars surfacing at the moment .....please keep them coming....

 

I can't believe this another one has surfaced..........

 

As successful as his brothers and future nephew were at Indy, Jerry Unser was snake bit. In his first race 1958, he got caught up in the big 1st lap wreck and flipped, quite spectacularly, over the wall completing -0- laps. The next year he crashed badly practicing in early May and died May 17 of his injuries.

 

The final resolution to the history of the two 1967 Vollstedt indy cars really came to a head a few years ago when Chassis 67A came up for sale at the Bohnam's Auction at the Quail Resort. Rolla had always insisted on which car was which but since the 67A chassis had been restored to look somewhat like Jimmy's car years and years ago there were many around the world that recognized it as such. When Bohnams was provided with the detailed information on the histories of the cars, they brought well know historian Doug Nye. Doug along with the folks that actually restored 67A initially carefully studied both cars, historic photos etc. and were able to confirm without a doubt which chassis was which, eliminating any future questions. During our subsequent restoration of 67B, all the stampings, marks, rivet patterns found all have further confirmed what Doug and all the folks at Bohnams had concluded.

Greg in Australia has been a tremendous help to us in our restoration of 67B...providing invaluable pictures that helped us sort through the "pile of parts" we started with.

Bottom line on the two cars is they BOTH had tremendous driver lineups over their years of competition. Both were in the 500 three times and each saw their own on track successes. They each are a great representation of the spirit of Indy during that time, when people with limited resources but slightly different ideas could still build cars, go to Indy and compete at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

 

I have the Sam Brown belt he was wearing when he went over the wall at Indy

 

Gorgeous!
What type of finish did you use on the wheel centers? Who was the chassis builder?
Dan

 

Actually the Kieth Barker owned car was Don's last personal upright car that he ran the IMCA circuit with. In the first picture looks like it still has its last Brown paint job with the VHT painted headers that I shook the aerosol cans for.
Dan

 

The knock offs and pressure plates are aluminum alloy. At this time the wheels were painted with Rattle Can but I am still looking for a more permanent finish. The car was built by Sonny Beck in 1958 for Bud Tinglstad.

 

Thanks for the kind words on the Beck a Bert build. This was done in a short time frame do to certin circumstances that came up while doing the research on the car with the living families of the owners and drivers. I did this out of respect to them and the owners / drivers that have passed away. I have already received my rewards from them in the form of their happiness and kind words regarding this build. And Rootie you also have a way with words keep up the great work.

 

sideways- Did you take any before-during pics? Being a 'nuts-n-bolts' kinda guy, I always enjoy seeing the "bones."

 

Our Rootie's #1 in my books. And,
I've always been a Rootie Tootie Fan.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8779534594264081875#

The show actually started out as The Rootie Tootie Club, but after fans became enraptured by Rootie's numerous serenades on his Magic Kazoo the name was changed to Rootie Kazootie.

 

Thanks, Carl, CLASSIC! Waaaay back when I was a young kid and tagging along with my dad to the local bullring one of the modified drivers was named Howdy. Of course the Howdy Doody connection was a natural and he had the name and caricature painted on the trunk lid and he was my favorite driver. After the races we would go down to the the pits and he would let me climb around the car making race car noises and such. Some years later when I had my own race car I wanted to continue the tradition, so to speak, and ol' Rootie Kazootie was a likely choice. Just kinda stuck ever since.

 

Rootie, way back when I was a kid, tagging along with B-in-Law at our local track there was a 'cut down' car owner named Paul Doody
And yes the trunk lid had a Howdy Doody caricature:
(courtesy NorwoodArena.com)

http://www.norwoodarena.com/Cars-Drivers2/Gavin-Cooper/Gavin-Couper_1958.html

btw: The young mechanic on this rig was Jim McGee who together with the team car owner Dick Carmen built an Indy roadster in the garage/basement that so impressed Indycar Owner Clint Brawner he hired him and the rest is history. McGee (winningest Indycar Mechanic/Crew Chief ever) was inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame and ready for installation into The Indy Hall of Fame. And we both wound up retiring within a few miles of each other out here in Indio.

 

"Popeye" Radibaugh was a fixture in modified bullring racing in western Pennsylvania in the '60's!!!

 

Two Hoo-Doo Wagons!!!

 

Lundy in the 25???

 

Dick Woodland has quite the collection out there. I had the chance to go see it while I was in Cali. last November. Even stayed at Dicks' house for a few days. Mr. Woodland is a great guy. The Simone sprinter and the Tamale Wagon were my favorites.

 

I got a request for some shots and while searching I came across these from the silver crown race at williams grove way back when,don't remember if I posted these yet or not if I did sorry.....Rich

 

Rich,
Thats my friend Buster Warke with the pipe in his #15. This was at an early ol-timers meet at the grove. I don`t know about the 3rd photo.
Thanks for posting them.

 

That last shot looked like Willie Davis sitting on the tailgate of the station wagon and Tommy Nicholson standing, with the glasses on.

 

Rootie,
Yes, I have alot of pictures from the time I purchased the car, all thru the build and where it is at now. I have posted some of the pictures in my album marked Beck Restoration. I will add more in the future. I am also putting togeather a detailed book with all the history of the car which will include race tracks, drivers, the build and picures that I have found both from the families and on this site. This car really does have alot of interesting history as it raced from 1958 to 1976 on almost every track from NY to IN. up to Canada. It ran AARC, USAC, Tri-Sac and some IMCA along with many local events in the Dayton, Indiana areas.

 

Found it! thanks. And you only started on it in Jan., wow, you're fast too.

 

"That last shot looked like Willie Davis sitting on the tailgate of the station wagon and Tommy Nicholson standing, with the glasses on."

I agree, sure looks like Willie to me.

HG