History The Kurtis Road Specials-KK-500, 500X and the Aguila Racer

The Ex Mickey Thompson/Paul Cunnigham Kurtis-Pontiac..as it is now

 

Something like this would be purfect for my Gurney Weslake Ford.....
....if I could only afford it!!!
Dreams are free (sigh!)

 

I got a ride in this car about 2 months ago... absolutely stunning.

The 1947 Omohundro Comet

 

at least some bodies (KK-500 I know for sure) were hand laid fiberglass by a boatbuilder.

 

City of Industry Special and Hugh Tuckers roadster 1960 Street Eliminator runoff.

 

Ak Miller's '57 Mille Miglia entry. A Kurtis built chassis with a body by Jack Sutton. The car is currently being restored for vintage road racing by it's current owner in Victorville, Ca. It will be period correct with the Hilborn injected 392 hemi. The '57 effort was funded by a plan "The El Caballo II Fund", concieved by Ray Brock using funds donated by Hot Rod Magazine readers.

 

Sam Parriot in Cad-Kurtis @ 1960 NHRA Detroit Nationals

 

1958 Riverside.

Car#110..Bobby Unser & Ak Miller sharing driving duties in the Mille Miglia car. The Hemi was replaced with an Oldsmobile for this race. Unser driving.
Car#73.. Floyd Burt in the Kurtis Burt Buick Special.
Car#140..Bill Cheesbourg driving Alex Burdirin's Buick Kurtis.

 

Nice post, these cars always reflect real well on hotrodders.

 

That's Roger Huntington, the infamous magazine writer(in wheelchair), talking with Sam Parriot.
This is a Kurtis 500-S , the first few were all aluminum, then fiberglas took over, except for hood and cowl.

 

That black Kurtis #155 must be the wettest black I have ever seen!

 

that picture makes me smile.

 

So who won? Gary

 

more...

 

"Caifornia Bill" Fisher-built, belt-driven S.C.O.T. blower short rocker 235 six

 

Some great photos of Kurtis cars at the 61 Riverside GP.

www.tamsoldcarsite.net

 

OOPS. Try this one.

www.tamsoldracecarsite.net

 

For a good rundown of Frank Kurtis' work, visit : http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/model/602/Kurtis.aspx

 

more of the Aguila

 

500S, not pretty, but purposeful

 

not sure on the history of this one.

 

bttt

 

Bill Murphy in his Kurtis specials with Buick power '53 and '54

 

Does anyone today make an 'affordable' Kurtis 500s type of car today? I would love to have one someday, but it seems like the originals go for north of $300K so that is out of my range. I know master fabricator Jon Ward built a few a couple of decades ago for the Carrera Panamericana but those are probably unattainable, and there's only two. I know that Kurtis originally offered kits of the 500s, but I wonder if anyone makes an affordable 500s today?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gswetsky/5639796482/

http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/KurtisCars2.html#KurtisCars2

 

Here's my original 1953 500S. Just finishing up a restoration:

 

His kid Arlan is making continuation 500S, but they probably are still pricey.

 

I don't think the continuation 500S' are being built anymore but Arlen still supplies Kurtis parts such as fenders, etc., 2 or 3 Arlan built cars sold at auction last year, if you believe the auction catalog descriptions, he built a total of 24 cars in the 80's-90's.

 

I've seen 'glass ones with streetrod underpinnings. An unfinished kit would probably make a starting point, at any rate.

 

The Aguilla built for Herb Stetler by Frank Kurtis. 327 with three downdraft Stromberg 2 barrel carbs. Borg Warner 4 speed.

 

Incredible car.