I forgot to mention that the car was in a British show. I haven't been able to match the engine to any American make. The head & block are quite narrow and long, what you might expect with a long stroke, small bore engine. That is more likely to be Brit/Euro than American.
The ridge along the top of the head suggests Hudson straight-eight. Perhaps there is a Railton or Brough Superior connection, as both those British manufacturers used Hudson straight-eight engines in the '30s?
Thanks for pointing that out, I had overlooked the '33-35 engines with the 'Power Dome' ridge. Unfortunately, I haven't found a matching Hudson or Terraplane engine. All of the Hudson engines I can find have 10 head studs (bolts?) running up the ridge in parallel with the studs on the edges (the short-lived Terraplane 8 was an underbored Hudson engine). This engine has only 9 bolts on each side and one bolt on each end of the ridge. I'm not sure what the three little dowels/cylinders coming out of the ridge might be.
I don't know how I missed this. Aussie built GMC powered Jimmy Special. Turn the sound up, and listen for some traditional Aussie expressions.
Tasmania looks remarkably like the Western Cape: same hilly terrain, though we've got more pines and fewer gums, and much the same kinds of roads.
There's not much info on the car out there. Maybe some Aussies can chime in. I think it's from Toowoomba. I'd really like to know the build specs on the engine. Supposed to be a '41 DUKW engine displacing 5 litres (302 cu. in.), so a 270 with 4" bore??
I was thinking more of Hampton Downs and the Leadfoot. It would be cool to run against the likes of the Gee Cee Ess Special etc. 1948 Ford Gee Cee Ess – "The Ford Gee Cee Ess Special began its life as a Western Springs Midget in the 1937 / 38 racing season as number 44. Built by the Pioneer of New Zealand Motor Racing the late George Smith and his mechanic the late Tom Sheehan the car was made up of Model A and Model Tee bits and pieces and powered by a Model A Ford Motor. In 1948 George decided it was time to build a car for Road Racing, Sprint Events, Hill Climbs and Circut Racing. The front and back end of the chassis was cut up and new chassis rails folded and welded to the Model T chassis housing.Ford V8 brake drums were fitted to the Model A front axle and back axle, the Model A crown wheel and pinion adapted to fit the Ford V8 diff housing, Ford V8 gear box modified and fitted to a Ford V8 modified motor. The radiator was build by George Mahalivich of Auckland, the Fuel Tank built byCharlie Galbraith Plumbers of Henderson and the skuttle rear body panels taken off the old midget number 44 and adapted to fit the current Gee Cee Ess by Auto Parts Panel Shop Auckland. In its first event in Taeri Otago (complete with V8 Hubcaps) the car driven by George won the event. It then went onto win in 1952 – 53 season the New Zealand Sprint Car Championship, The New Zealand Road Racing Championship, The New Zealand Hill Climb Championship and the New Zealand Beach Racing Championship. When George retired the car was sold to Frank Shuter of Christchurch, raced once for the opening of Ruapuna Raceway then dismanteled and on sold by Franks son Rod in a heap of bits to Bill Clark of Christchurch. In 1979 I negotiated with Bill to become custodian of the car and rebuilt the heap of bits to it to its current Road Racing Form with the help of several friends to obtain bits for the Gee Cee Ess. Since 1983 the car has been raced by myself winning numerous Hill Climbs and Sprint Events throughout the country for over 30 years. The car is now owned by the Herrick Family Trust and I have a lease over the car for 10 years. The only thing missing is the original grill stolen from my house in Paraparumu and the set of Ardun Heads which are in safe hands of the current owner of one of Georges other cars the Allard Sports Car in Queenstown." Donald Suckling.
Northland Special, Fred Courtney, There are lots more like them, dunno if you have ever heard of one called "The Mermaid", I saw it in Rotorua in the 70s had a flathead with Hogan heads and intake, which are now here amongst my stuff. I got them from a mate who bought them from a previous owner, no one seems to know where The Mermaid is now! Someone said being restored in Wellington. ??
Here is a pic of the Ceorge Smith's Cee Gee Ess special when fitted with the Ardun heads, before he changed to the new Hemi engine in 1955.
Jackson Special ( Now the Northland Special as above in post 768 ) . There must be something about this car and myself. Fred Courtney is my mate Steve's uncle, It was built at Jacksons engineering in Wellington, another mate Darren's uncle owned that engineering works, and yet another mate Wayne is related to John McMillan, who drove the car at Ohakea in 1950 and he was the person who talked his boss Albert Jackson into owning and building the car. It originally had a Mercury 255 inch motor . Jackson Special when new At Ohakea 1950 , John McMillan in the car and owner Albert Jackson standing
Are we going to go up the road sometime and investigate that shed which is supposedly full of ex US army 302s?
If it's the one I'm thinking of there were no 302s when I was there. Did see a few NOS Chevy blocks though. I imagine they're long gone by now. I heard someone got a NOS transmission for a Stuart tank out of there!
Without letting the cat too far out of the bag, I am not talking about the wool scourers, it's more south east of you .Was a logging company supposedly bought trucks and parts from Gills ? who imported from SE Asia, maybe Korean war? Dunno, I thought it was you that told me about it?
It's now owned by Rob Manson. As it ran at the Pebble Beach races back in the 50's; it'll be raced with the Del Monte Cup Racers in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway, California next week!
Here's one that has been imported from the USA to Mt Maunganui, NZ. I saw it on a truck before it even got delivered to Steve the new owner . He has a bunch of cars and has competed in motor racing and rallys for years , won several endurance rallies, like Peking to Paris and Himalayan . It may get raced here , I don't know. Originally flathead powered by all accounts , but now has a Y block Ford. The Kroft Special came from Eastern USA and had a long history there, Steve found it on Bring a Trailer .
I got it wrong , it was on Craigslist for sale at $5k, then Steve found it on Barnfinds and paid I believe $10k. https://barnfinds.com/hit-dirt-1947-kroft-special-sprint-car/ Much more by time it arrived here. I will go see hime tomorrow and see if I can get a current pic , I believe a lot of work has been done. There was some discussion on Barnfinds about it leaving the USA !, BOO HOO to the whingers, it's here now and anybody else could have bought it , but didn't. Yes that was me (CC8) telling them in the comments section.
Just reading my latest copy of Beaded Wheels, ( NZ vintage car club magazine.) Another famous NZ special is up for sale . The 260M Zephyr special
I was talking with a friend ay the Hot August Nights saw meet yesterday who is closing down the wrecking yard he was raised in. One guy came and bought all of the COE trucks he had and they have been shipped out all over the world. None stayed in the US. Crazy way to cheat the crusher.
Are they all gone? My brother has been looking for a 38-39 Ford Cabover project for a few years! He could use just a body but a complete truck would probably be better.
One guy took them all. Do you want me to keep an eye out? I still see trucks sitting around here sometimes.