Incredible footage of footage of the real deal with the real players. And to make it even better is Ry Cooder playing his guitar. Thanks!!!
Excellent! Definitely made my day! I have a question hopefully someone can answer. Does anyone know what timing association? SCTA or RTA or others? I agree with Plan9 - Amazing footage, especially with the Rufi Chevy drop tank and Tommy Lee Offy 318 Kurtis. Also, someone noted the Earl Bruce chopped and filled quarter windows 40 - lacking the louvered rear deck lid and Buick tail lights which was added later. Thanks for posting, Offy 220
Wow! This really cheered me up. This is exactly what I was thinking a couple seconds into the footage ... "It's Don Montgomery pages moving!" I just watched this once on my iPhone, but seeing what looks to be my old pal Earle Bruce's 40 in it's early incarnation is just amazing. The whole scene looks pretty "loose" and fun!!!!!! Everyone watching this footage should really cherish what they are watching. That footage is truly amazing on many levels. Thanks to anyone who was involved getting that footage so we could view it. Cool soundtrack as well! Amazing. -Aaron
Definitely SCTA. hard to say which dry lake without knowing the date this footage was shot, likely Harper though. It is not a drop tank (bellytank) Rufi's streamliner predates them. It was hand fabricated body for the most aerodynamic form and is said to have inspired Bill Burke's postwar Bellytanks.
Here's the info on the video....always want to give credit where credit is do.... The video was shot by Tommy Lorbeer: This info is from the website....... "My Uncle Tommy Lorbeer wasn’t really kin. He was my dad’s best friend. Tommy raced with my dad at the lakes in the late 30′s, flew a P-38 in WWII, drove a Porsche in the early 50′s, and had the first VW Van in Riverside. He was alway ahead of the curve. As kids, we’d never heard a stereo system before when he flew a fighter jet from the left speaker to the right — at full volume. Man, we all hit the floor. In 1940 he bought a newfangled toy, an 8mm camera, and took it out to Harper Dry Lake. My cousin found the reel and I had it digitized. My son Connor edited it and added the sound."
Thanks for the early Christmas gift hotrd32! The Tommy Lee OFFY speedster is restored and well, sent off a request for info on the Bugatti GP car. I wonder how many of the cars can be ID'd, and are their wereabouts known today? Thanks again, have to go watch it again. Bob
WOW! This video is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for opening the thread with its link. One of the best things I have seen on the net all day.
Terrific footage. I'm still trying to figure a Bugatti (with a race number) on the dirt!! All those OHV conversions kind of put paid to the "real race engines don't have valves in the head" saying.
Is that Neil Patrick Harris in the Bugatti?...I mean in a previous life.....noticed it on my 7th viewing.
Best Youtube video I've seen in quite some time. Imports vs. Domestics is not a new thing. Then as now, anybody with a fast car wants to run it, no matter where it was made. The flats are a great equalizer.
Well, well, well... Thanks guys. I'm a little overwhelmed at the response. I posted this video on our shop website (via YouTube) just last night. I was going to throw it up here on the HAMB tonight, but it looks like one of you eagle eyes beat me to it. Thanks hotrd32. When I first started watching the digitized version (I didn't have an 8mm projector) there was nothing but family stuff: folks waving, kids with dogs, that kinda stuff. Then that first pan of the lakes came up. I'd been told there was some hot rod footage somewhere on the reel -- but nothing more than that -- it was like striking gold. Props to my son Connor for making it fun to watch, and yeah, that's Ry Cooder on guitar. Uncle Tommy's roadster is my avatar. Here's a pic of my dad's roadster. He was 17, and turned 100.56. The footage was shot at Harper, and it's 1940. If you haven't watched it, it's on our shop website: http://www.seabrighthotrods.com/ Dave
Not so much wondering about imports vs. domestics. Just the fact of seeing a Bugatti in the dirt. No something I would have expected to see.
Thanks ,that was great ,enjoyed every minute.... Good pick on the background music also....... Thanks a million......
Loved the movie, loved the music even more. Any guesses on the Howard Huges look-alike in the Bugatti? Gary
Dave thanks so much for doing that. Didn't mean to scoop ya but it was too fantastic to not post! What a piece of history! Thanks again, man. Jack
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