History Dick Kraft's Highland Plating Special

To compliment what Pat stated...here a shot of young Betz sitting in the chassis of what he called “Krafty’s Sports Car”. Powered by a V8-60, he said Krafty and Art Ingalls collaborated to build this and another identical car while Ingalls was working at Frank Kurtis’ shop.

 

agree...I need to check out the photos in Pat's book.




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Well that's pretty goddam cool!

 

There`s a 2 page full color shot of the car in the Rod and Custom pictorial special issue covering the Nats. It shows the two radiators. Not being hauled on a trailer, but pulling a Mullins type trailer.
As quoted by the caption, for Coors.

 

Actually, the article in question above was written by Tom Senter, who was one of the best and left us way too soon. One of the memorable bits in that story for me was my good buddy Ron Olmstead played host to the crew as they rolled through Phoenix that year. I always read that article on the evening before any long trip in a hot rod, just so I can focus on the events that will happen on my trip to come...

 

That is cool! Pretty neat that the machine is still around and in capable hands.





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Great article!

 

Speaking of Stan Betz.. Here's a shot of Dave Williams in his Kraft inspired roadster. Dave worked for Stan in the early days

 

Your old thread is a good point Kevin, thank you.

 

Fantastic photo . . . great hot rod.

 

Gary took the roadster to Indy in 62 or 63 with the blower and won his class. He was protested because of the track nose. As I recall he said he hung a shell out front to comply. He bought a dragster chassis shortly after and was in the process of pulling
the flathead out of the roadster. He and his wife had two ocelots as pets making it not so fun to chat around the coffee table. I don't know whatever happened to the roadster.

 

The seiden brothers made changes to Kraft car they chromed the heck out of mostly what was already there with the sponsorship of Highland plating and added more horsepower with some other drag racing changes, the car had the belly pan started. The chassis was also changed when Ron weeks redid the car. My father flew to California and purchased the car in 1975 and drove it home to New Jersey, the blower setup was mailed home. I learned how to drive stick in that car in 1978 at eight years old. We always referred to the car as the Highland. Kraft built the car and what he did to it set the whole standard of what the car still is today even with the changes that were made through the years. The car got sold off in the eighties to Art Bastian then onto a couple more owners before it hit the three dog garage.


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Interesting stuff. Thanks to all that added pics/info, this car has been an inspiration since I discovered Kraft and HRM! (not in that order)

Anyone recall Ron Weeks getting jacked up for possession of Coors East of the Rockies? Nearly ruined his NATS trip. Read that in NSRA news or Street Rod gazette, can't remember...

One more thing, maybe from Morty's Hop Up: Dick Kraft, (in his eighties then) was building yet another Kraft Track T. Pics showed the familiar rail chassis, '37 tube front, think there was a body on it.
Never saw any follow-up, must have been pre-2000.

 

It was in Rod&Custom in the late nineties Mike.

 

I met "Krafty" at a CHHR in '98, he stopped by to talk track roadsters.

 

Now that is too cool. Guess we all remember the car we learned to drive a stick in, but this . . .

 

Has anything more come to light on the Desbrow truck? Is it still MIA? I'd say that cool sucker launched about 1000 similar ones. [Just saw edwardlloyds thread...awesome!]

 

Correct.

 

here is my Kraft Special that me and my late great uncle Dick started way back in 1988. he and I were building 2 side by side i continued building mine and he sold his in about 1992. mine also has a Webb nose,grill and 3 piece hood on it