Vintage shots from days gone by!

No, le carabe is a beetle, carabus in Latin and in English.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabus

 

Yeah, I figured it didn't mean coffin. I was trying to comment on it's ridiculously small coffin like size without having to actually point out the obvious and say that it's ridiculously small, about the same size as a coffin. Which, by the way, it could double as if you were to hit something while driving, like a shopping cart.

 

KLOR's Soap Box Derby which took place on Mt. Tabor July 21 & 22, 1956. 250 boys registered.

 

A Finnish soap box car from the fifties:


Another one, a very aerodynamic design:

 

Pike's Peak preps? Gary

 

This is the greatest thread. I just wish there were dates or even some history behind most of these pics!

 

I agree, and I tried to do it. I posted pictures with short information about the Nordic Special Racing Car class (from mid-thirties until mid-fifties). Everything disappeared very soon, I don't know why. Maybe the history is not desirable.

 

Several seem like family pics and maybe that is why.

 

Yes, that's true, but most of the pictures seem to be picked from Internet where some information could be available. Usually information is given only if someone asks for it. It's a pity.

 

Norm Grabowski

 

Yeah, I dunno. I was being a smart alec when I made the snow comment. The guy at the tire has "Firestone Racing Division" on his jacket, so one wud think that some kind of testing was taking place.

 

Dean Jeffries ...

 

is the red rail the VANDAL

 

HE KIDD WHERE DID YOU GET THAT T SHIRT PHOTO FROM

 

I now Pike Peak they may have been testing but this photo is not Pikes peak that doesnt say they didnt consider it

 

This brought back some memories for me. The Monkeemobile and a drag chute. When I was working with Craig Breedlove in the 1960's, we had a drag chute operation headed up by Jack Carter. We manufactured a 'chute called a "Tri-Form" drag chute (not the one in this photo). Somehow, we were hired to build a super large 'chute (in pink) that had the word "Kelloggs" in huge letters on it. It was a rush project (aren't they all?) and when the 'chute was finished, I was to take it up to Muroc Dry Lake and attach it on to the Monkeemobile for an ad that was going to run on the Monkee's TV show (Kelloggs was their sponsor). As it turned out, the Monkees were there, too, they were part of the ad, and the photo shoot took all day to film. Anyway, I had never seen the car itself and it was a piece of work (I'm sure that Dean had a tough time building that Pontiac in the time frame he was given, from what I heard). There was no rear suspension on the car, the rear axle was welded to the frame with some angle iron brackets. The frame was mostly cut out in the back to make room for a footwell for rear seat passengers. It was crude but so what? The problem was there was no frame structure to mount or anchor the 'chute shroud lines, except to loop it around the rear axle housing. The 'chute was big, about the size of the one in this photo, and the ad director in charge of the filming wanted a shot of the Monkees pulling the 'chute at 60 mph. I pleaded with the guy to either NOT go that fast or to not have the Monkees in the car. I was very concerned that at 60 mph with that large a 'chute, it might just pull the rear end out from under the car. We compromised on the speed, the 'chute deployed at 30 mph but even then I was worried, they had to shoot it from all these different angles and I had to sew in some small sand filled bags on the bottom of the 'chute to insure that the word "Kelloggs" was always level with the ground. It was a long day but hey, I got to hang with the Monkees (Mike Nesmith was a very bright guy)...

 

Neat story, George, that's what I like about this thread, all the backstorys.

Mart.

 

This is different, angle drive must have been stout!