Projects Help identifying this Vintage Lakester?

I think there might be a cowl piece yet to be discovered. If you line up the back of the pan the front is a little long.

 

That hood for the 353 is super cool! looks like a compound curve, like the sides of the hood top are rolling in towards the grille shell...unlike the straight lines on a Model A or T hood.

Do you know what the hood is? I wonder if it was an OEM later model hood modified to fit on the T body, or maybe a hand made-one off piece?

I'm really digging the blister on the top too! Very Very cool hood and grille shell combo!

I'm super curious about it's origin

 

I don't -

Here is a glimpse of the underside in the upper right of this pic



I can enlarge and crop if you need to see more detail - or, we will be bringing her home this weekend and I can get whatever pic you need.

 

Are the lines curved like I was sayin? or is it just a trick of the eye from the pics?

Looks like it rounds in towards the front?

 

I was just looking at the belly pan pics too....I'd say it was for the exhaust... probably ran under the rear axle and out those flanges.

Seems like a bit of extra work to have a full length exhaust on a drag car...rather than an open header dumping out up front. But then again, you see alot of early drag cars with pipes pokin out the back.

Another point my buddy just made is...might not be exhaust...because it seems like it would make it tricky to pull the belly pan on and off the car??

I donno. I say exhaust, he says...not exhaust.

 

Yes it does:

 

Yeah, I'm totally in love with it! Anybody else out there venture a guess at what it is? Hand made? or modified original?

 

Cropped them up a bit:

Notice the cutouts in the tabs at the front of the pan





And a pic of the bottom of the pan, notice the curve of the flanges

 

looking at the pics of the belly pan I notice a half circular cutout on the right side that looks like it would line up with the hole in the rear of the pan. My guess is an exhaust pipe ran right down that side of the belly pan exiting at the rear of the car. May have been running a four banger or a six with a wayne head and exhaust on right side.

 

Box on the firewall looks like an old Sun tach drive ... havent seen one since the 60-s

 

this is why i am on The Hamb. Love this thread.

 

Brought her home...pics in the AM

 

anymore info?

 

I wonder if the holes in the pan were for push bumpers? That sticker from 1958 is cool!! Should try to have it reproduced.

 

as for sticker search here for thread: 1959 NHRA Nationals @ Detroit and Vintage Drag Racing Videos - 1959 NHRA Detroit Nationals and online: www.archieve.org/details/ingenuit19...m - click on green sign then Detroit Dragway.

 

I'm really hoping there is someone out there who has seen this car before. If you guys don't mind, Maybe you could print out some of the pic's and show them to some technoligically neglectful friends..... Pop's friends don't know much about it, just the fact that he had it. I'll keep prodding them.... hope to get some help with these fine HAMBers..... thanks for everything!!!

 

Well we unloaded her this morning and gave her a bath. The color really came out

 

Wow! I saw that before you washed it what a difference! Good luck with tracking down the history.

 

Hi Alan, yes, soap and water should be classified as one of the seven wonders

The grill

 

Also, if there are other places where you e-hangout...please feel free to link back to HAMB or Pirate.

Does anyone here know any old timers in the Sacramento Area???

 

bump

 

lots of "old timers" still shop at Sacramento Vintage Ford, and some work there too.

 

Thanks, we thought about it. Might also hit up Pleasanton this weekend too.

 

I looked through this entire thread, couldn't find much in the way of car like the 353 with both Belly Pans and/or Cut Cowls.

Historic: Drag Roadsters
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=368825

 

Cool...

 

Those rear half circles might be where the axles exited the sides of the body and bellypan interchange. The big Scallop areas should be for exhaust after it cleared the holes in the firewall. That's one bitchin' car. Looks great all clean and shiny.

Tim

 

She really is very pretty.

Hopefully we can get what she was sorted out soon so we can start collecting parts.

 

Two more pics, this time with both the cowl and the pan on. My BF woke up at three AM this morning thinking this would tell us more and it does. So, as soon he got off work he had this done before I got home

Looks like the exhaust (3") did run along the edge of the pan to the flanges in the back, and there was plenty of room for a frame (4") above it.

 

rainy day bump

 

cloudy day bump:

Anyone have 55-57 Bonneville Programs? (yellow car)

Anyone have the 1959 NHRA Nationals Detroit Program? (red car)

Thanks,

Bebe