History Grandpas el mirage roadster recreation p.r.c

I'm not sure I ever put this shot where you can also see the rear of his car. I'm pretty sure it also says prc hypersonic special. It says something I just wish it was more clear. Also found this front end view I can tell by the headlights. I'm pretty sure both these are from mikes prc lakes picture thread. If I remember right that's where I found them. So it would be the right place right time.

 

When I blow these pictures up you can see that he switched from friction shocks to tube shocks. Look just behind the tire on frame rail you can see the round friction shock on first picture and then look under the car by tires for the tube shocks on second picture. Pretty cool to see he was always up grading. Bottom picture belongs to jimmy b.

 

Slinger I get Hypersonic Special but PRC not sure looks like 4 letters last letter T maybe...never know more pics may be unearthed from the dusty archives of speed.

 

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the very top and the four letters might be Elmer's boat hypersonic special.

 

Anyway you look at it they are some very cool photos of his hot rod.....

 

Bruce,
Could it say QUIT HYPERSONIC SPECIAL?
Those letters fit when not blown up into distortion. There is definitely something written right above it so perhaps Elmer was stating something right before he sold the car to go onto his career?
Happy New Year to ya buddy, we've got to get together soon.

 

The 'T' is easy to make out, and the first letter could quite possibly be a 'Q'. As you say, there is writing above that as well. Also, given that there is a '?' after special, it does seem like he was stating something. Quite possibly the need to quit. Such as "Can I Quit [the] Hypersonic Special?"

 

Kevin this picture has to be 1947 around the time he got the car because it still had the friction shocks. He ran for 2 more years so I don't think he was ready to quit but only to begin.
I think it may say elmer & @@@@ something hypersonic special. Or maybe it was an advertisement of a part I'm going to show him again at gnrs and see if it pops into his head. It could be his and a friends name or nickname. In mcnatts photo album there's a picture of his car and the title is Elmer's boat. I'm wondering if it was misspelled and was Elmer's goat. As the four letter word could say goat. First letter could be a g, q,c.b. we will figure it out one way or another. Happy new year to you too. I will be down in a few weeks.

 

It seems speedy that he was a joker or comedian of sort as it looks like he did write on his car a lot. He had little drawings, words, he tagged it up pretty good with just P.R.C. Maybe because he was only 17 or because he was really proud the be from Pasadena. I have looked over hundreds of dry lake photos and must guys just wrote their numbers on. Then you see just a few who wrote things like sex on the cowl, or hypersonic on the quarter panel. He also wrote ? Marks on the quarter panels with no other words. So maybe he was like WHAT!!!!! Maybe it was more like what are you looking at or what you want to race??? I need to sit down more and show him more and more the pictures and see what pops out of his head. See on this picture just has a ? Mark on quarter panel.

 

Wish I was there when you set down with him so I could hear the stories he has to tell. Best ya take notes Bruce......

 

I hope you know how much of a rare and special situation you are in with all this Bruce. Many a fella may envy you and wish they were part of hot rod legacy. I mean your grandpa Elmer was "cool beans" before they were even saying that! To top it off he's still kickin and seams to exude the same wit that would write this sort of stuff on his rod today. Better keep an eye on him around the new Hypersonic?


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Grandpa loves p-38s and has flown in them. I just so happen to have a fuel prime pump from one that was givin to me by my 91 year old machinist mentor. After I spent about 6 months with him 3 nights a week he sold me all his tools from him and his brother that was 11 years older than him. Logan lathe, it's a 1946 and a Japanese mill go figure. Lol. He had every kind of machine tool you can think of. His brother was a master machinist for Douglas before it was McDonald Douglas. And he was a chief engineer at rocketdyne in the sfv. He retired from nasa. I have tools marked 1911. He have me 6-5 gallon buckets of o-rings from tiny to about 12" in. Any hoo I thought it might be cool and I'm sure no one else will have one. Just don't know if I want to run it since I also have a nice dash style hand pump. The p-38 pump is probably priceless since there is only 7 flying in the world and 25 left most on display and don't fly. Hell they might only need this pump. Makes it even cooler in the holy grail.... Told y'all we going for the moon here. Hypersonicccccccccc

 

Oh yea for the haters and doubters. Here's some proof pictures.
From the beginning of this built 1940s airplanes have been part of my thinking process. That's why the winged Art Deco piece is on the dash or will be as soon as I find one more. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Top picture bottom right red handle.

 

Pick one and save the other for the 3w. Dugh


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Lol I might of already used them both. Old thoughts and pictures. Maybe the p-38 is now my emergency brake going straight up the center of the floor. Have to wait for the big unveil at the gnrs. Boy it sure smells like dark grey lacquer around here.

 

Wyatt you didn't even notice the Unpainted trans mount. It must just look like the top of a k-member so nothing to notice....

 

Member you member.

 

The pump is cool, but aviation parts without documentation as to their origin are not worth much. Beyond its collector value it can't be put back on and aircraft without a component history.

 

I like the E brake idea....Very cool right there..

 

I say attach the handle to a bi directional valve and set it up with rear cutting brakes!
Take that to the hill climbs! And just think of all the fun you could have burning corners like a drift car in a 32!

 

Pretty sure the guy on the right by the door with the hat on is the "legend"


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Very cool photos if I do say so.....

 

I'm not sure Wyatt where did the picture come from. Is it el mirage?

 

I stole it off woodiemike's thread so I guess that's where they're at, without me reading back through. I was specifically trollin for pics of your gramps so I wasn't reading the thread again at the time.


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In the top pic you just gotta love the quarter art. Notice the piston and rod flying out of the hood tins.
And if you zoom in on the real car, you can see that column shift on the non-Custom side.


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Yes Wyatt there's a lot you can see in that picture. It's one of my favorite dry lakes era pictures. The motor blowing a piston out is pretty funny since if that would of happened the car would be staying out there at the lake untill they came back with another motor to get it back home. Notice there's no seat in the rumble area. Also along the bottom windshield area you can see all the buttons for the canvas top that covered the passenger side when he was going for time at the lakes. You can also see where the tail pipes are and where's his dumps are at under the door. The guy in the middle is grandpa elmer where you can just see the top of his head. I wish they got the other side picture when they were working on it to see the motor. Oh well the search continues. Until next time........

 

Still doing some P.I. Work. Having my wife try and figure out what the cars says, we know it says hypersonic on back quarter panel and grandpa remembers that but not what's on cowl. We also think he wrote on the hood. I can see the B but trying to figure out what's under it. I need to go buy a magnifying glass.

 

Bruce, It's been some time since you posted a up date as to the build. I know you have been busting your butt getting ready for the roadster show, so how about some up dated photos for us guys that can't make the show......

 

Hypersoniccccccccccccccccccc

 

Ha, Ha.....Love it! another one wheel wonder