Also mike I met a guy named gene barbee at the la roadster show some of you may know him as he is a member of the 200 mph club/bonneville. He said he would get me in touch with the historian of the scta and he has lots of history we can go through and maybe find more on the car. If you would like maybe we can both go and meet up with this guy. I think it's in Orange County somewhere.
WoW, Kool to see Elmer and family in the pix again, Also kool to see My PRC jacket which made our Peet Coats as well. (The Chain Stitch Lettering) That's our 64c roadster too. That was such a great event and I look forward to getting together with all of our (PRC) guys again to see if we can put together another. Mike & Paintslinger 805, Such great images, memories and even sleuth work . This is such a great thread. The historian that is being referred to is most likely Jack Underwood. SCTA Historian extraordinaire!!!!! Next to his mind is Jim Miller. Both guys are incredible!!!!
Good to hear from you Kevin! It was a great event wasn't it! Not to mention the location. I'm with you; and I'm sure a whole lot more, that hope the PRC will find a way to do more. It seems very ironic to me that the PRC "Reliability Run", is stopped because of "liability"!!! Sad....but it seems to be the way everything is going now. Glad you enjoyed the pictures.
Hello Kevin I just last week called Richard at early v8 to see if you guys were going to do another picnic. I would love to bring my grandpa out to see all the cars again. He had a blast I never told him where I was taking him. He has hiked every mountain and valley in the San Gabriel mountains so he thought I was just taking him for a drive up there that day. When we got off the freeway there was a 32 in front of us and he started telling me he used to have one of those. He said he even had the same tail lights which were 39 ford. Up until that day I didn't know how involved he was in the hay day of lake racing. I live four hours away so we didn't get to spend a lot of time together. One day my dad seen a mercury flathead in the back if my truck and told me his dad/my grandpa used to race out at el mirage. I have a few kustom cars and a 27 chevy AA 3 window coupe. So I'm not new to vintage cars. He then told me he remembers my grandpa having trophy from back then it was on his book shelf since my dad was a kid. A few weeks later my grandpa wanted us all to come down for Easter so as soon as I got to his house I asked him about the trophy he walked away into his room and came out and gave it to me. He showed me the only pictures he could find. We talked about it all day but he kept saying that was a long time ago. And a lot was hard to remember. So I left his house with the trophy and a few pictures. He also told me he was in the Pasadena roadster club way back in 1947 until he got drafted into the Korean War. He sold the car for 150 dollars and the drive train for 250 $ as he remembered. I said wasent that a lot of money back then and he said not as much as he had in the car. Btw he traded a 32 3 window for the roadster so he could go racing he said.
So when I got home I got on the internet and looked up Pasadena roadster club. I found Richards number on the website so I called him and he said he just met a guy who's dad was in the club also his name is mike. He invited me to bring my grandpa to the prc picnic and also invited mike. I called my grandpa and asked him if he had any plans that day he said he was free so I said I would like to take him for a drive. He was happy because we don't get much time together. So I went down on the Friday before the picnic and when I got to his house the first thing he did was hand me an old piece of paper that said timing tags. I oped up the paper and inside was six brass tags from el mirage. I said holy shit grandpa this is unreal. He then blew me away again when he handed me his Pasadena roadster club plaque. Said I can have the tags but I could only borrow the plaque. So we got some good laughs. He then told me about all the early guys he knew like don Blair Spaulding brothers Veda Orr Vic edelbrok. He basically was a tester for all these guys speed equipment. So next day we load up and drive up to the picnic we came around a corner and he seen all the cars. All said was wow I said this is the Pasadena roadster club he said what it need in 53 he beleaved. I said it did and these guys got it back up and running. He was speech less. As we looked at the cars he just started going I had those tail lights that dash those hubcaps and so on. We then met mike and he had photo albums full of pictures. He also had programs that his mom wrote down the times of all the guys in them. One of them matched my grandpas timing tag. It was a great experience for both of us. Pat ganahl even gave him a ride in his beautiful 32 he was so happy all the way home. So I hope you guys can do it again so we can go and meet up with mike again too. Please tell everyone thank you in your club. I'm recreating the car so we can injoy it together. I will post a picture of his 32 three window. If you look real close at the windshield it says Pasadena across the bottom In stickers.
Look close at the last picture of Elmer's 108 scta right above it listed his name and all the specs of the car in August 1948.
The programs that mike copied and sent me has givin me all the answers to the engine and what he was using back then. Mike mcnatt has more pictures in his fathers collection them we do of the car. It's crazy if you think about it. We don't have any of the rear of the car or the engine compartment. But he remembers it was a rumble seat and he had 39 ford tail lights. His car plaque was on the rear spreader bar. Also he upgraded it to 40 steering and transmission. He asked me if I've ever heard of a two speed rearend I said yes that would be a Columbia rear end. He said hummmmm. I asked did you have one he says he can't remember. Then he said he thought maybe he could change the rearend gears from the back but then he said we'll maybe I had to change the hole rearend. So some things he remembers and some he don't. He even asked if a Lincoln transmission would bolt up to a ford or merc motor or if you could maybe the gears out of one for the other. He thinks he has more timing tags but might of lost them so we will see. Sorry for the long posts like I said I think I'm about a year to late on this thread. Thanks to all who appreciate what mike mcnatt has showin on this site and all who love what are family's were doing in the late forties. How many of you know exactly where your dad or grandfather was august 28/29 1948 because mikes dad and my grandfather were kicking up dust with their feet hammered to the floor in el mirage California.
Look close as you can see mikes dads name was Wilmer mcnatt and my grampas is Elmer omohundro. Elmer number370 and wilmers was 372. It's just unreal I can't wait to go pick you up mike and take you for a ride through the streets of Pasadena. Maybe we will do it at night see if we can break that curfew law. I don't think we can out run the cops cars of today though. We can try lol.
Wow, such great history/info!!!!!! No apologies for the long posts as this is how we read and learn about what has gone on. Look me up as well if you're rolling with Mike into Pasadena. We'll go out for a roadster ride lunch. I also hope to do the picnic again. It was great to see everything at Newcomb's and see your guys families history. You made our day as well, so relay that to your grandfather. Mike, Thank you for the posts as I loved being able to hunt down the location of the R&C in the gas station shot, enjoyed listening to you at the meeting when you attended and seeing you at the Picnic. Thanks to you both for posting the great images. CK
Hey Kevin can you recommend a machine shop to handle my motors looking for a shop that really know flatheads. Thank you any help would be much appreciated.
Paintslinger805.....that's what it was like with my uncle.....of course there were miles between us as well....but on a visit I said I was working on an "A"....and my aunt piped up about the "pictures"....and yes he's still hanging on to stuff - but that's he right.....
Hey mike I'm gonna pm you. If you still watching this thread and the pm don't come through please try and pm me thanks.
What a great thread! I'm late to the party, but I definitely enjoyed spending some time this week going through every page. What a trove of history. Thanks for sharing!
So awesome! I'm late, but I'm new to the HAMB and it seems like everything I read is at least a few years old. The older the better I guess. Thanks Mike for sharing all of these pics and starting this thread, tons of information to help me with my 40s AV8 roadster build that I just started on!
Hello D. Lee; Welcome aboard! As you can see from not only my post, but "tons" of others, there is a world of information here on the HAMB. And members that are more than willing to freely share that information. You will not find anywhere else where you can get so much info and inspiration. I'm honored that you are using my thread for inspiration and info for your build, as that was my main purpose for doing the thread. So if you need advice or information, ask away. There are many willing to help. And I'm sure the members would love to see what you have going on, so post away.
I go through these pictures at least once a month. Outstanding. You really need to publish these. Thanks again.
Thanks for the "bump" bonesy! I have to admit that I go to the thread often just to see how many views it has accumulated. It continues to amaze me how many views it still gets! It make me proud that so many are still using it for whatever the reason. Still "kicking" around the idea of a book. Thanks for the compliment.
I'll take a copy right now and get your Mom to sign her picture sitting on top of that pickup. Thats priceless!
Hey mike hope you can make it up here to pismo beach in October 15th and 16th for the races on the sand . Trog 2016. The race of gentlemen 2016. I'm makin good progress on the roadster recreation hopin to have a running rolling chassis by middle of next month heading to Turlock in hopes of finding a 32 wishbone. I'm at a stand still untill I get a wishbone. Also if you are thinking about a book I would to see if we could put the recreation of my grampas car in it I think it would be a great chapter of how we meet and all the great pictures and have of his car. I've been taking pictures and writing down where I have gotten parts and who I got them from so I think it would be awesome if you write the book. It's to good of American race history you have to not do it. Thanks again for all pictures and info.
Seen this plaque couple weeks ago at my buddy larrys house he said he's had that since he was 14, he's around 75 or so very cool plaque
The Jalopy Journal
