I'm looking for info. on the Yeakel brothers roadster,not the red '32 3 window, the light blue one with the flames with the upside down face on the grille insert.I read an article on it a few years ago in one of the hot rod mags. (maybe Hot Rod) I've got the magazine but it's packed away and I'm too lazy too look for it. All I can remember is it had two Cadillac engines, was ran on the salt (and maybe drags) by some guys who ran a Cadillac dealership, and had an upside down face on the grille insert done by Von Dutch??
It disappeared, according to an article in Rod & Custom years ago. Don Rackemann was one of the owners, it ran two Cadillac engines, one with 4 carbs and one with Hilborns. Nick Matranga, the guy who owned the famous Merc Barris custom, owned one of the engines. It also ran a beefed hydro trams, which surprised some of the guys they raced against. Art Chrisman raced the Yeakel car at Santa Maria, driving the Reed Brothers roadster, and, after being beaten, asked Rackemann, "when did you shift?" Rackemann: "I didn't"....You remember it correctly...the upside down grill filling painting was done by Dutch, who was fooled by the hole in the piece for the air....Yeakel brothers got really pissed at him, so Dutch didn't charge them...in hindsight, it probably made the car more famous than if it had been done right.............the car did also run Bonneville, around '55, I think.
I saw this roadster up close in 1956. Studying the upside-down head by Dutch, couldn't help reading all the attributions. Look closely at the drivers side hood panel: Professionally applied lettering was superb, but 'exhaust' was misspelled. ('EXAUST') It took a fertile 14 year-old mind to notice! Cadillac engine and hydro were unusual, there was a black Wyoming '30 hiboy I saw at the then new Fremont drag strip. The old dual range hydro went thru its four ranges, Caddy bellowing out the notes in four pitches...'Woo/Woooo/Woooooo/Wooo...' turned about a hundred, IIRC. Made quite an impression on me. Enough to recommend the '53 Merc flattie with Merc-O-Matic package for pal Stuart's '30 roadster. (everybody said I was crazy..."Hot rod with an automatic?!?"...)
Ya might want to look up Danny O'Brien, (Might have the spelling wrong?) He was the owner of the car, Yeakel Bros were the sponsor and I seem to remember seeing the insert when I talked to them about CNC work. I think they were in Santa Fe Springs. I think this is their info: . O'Brien D F & Associates 8244 Allport Ave Santa Fe Springs,CA 90670 562) 945-0205 It's been a long time since I've been over there. I did see some cool pix of the roadster that they had since back when it ran.
I see Don Rackman at least once a week. He speaks often of the engine hi jinx they did with this roadster. I believe he said it had other engines besides the Cads. We have a photo of it hanging up in Jacks Garage. I'll ask him about the other engines this weekend..JD
A slight off topic post but @jimmy six when you see Don show him this pic of his 3w window from an early 50s ('53?) LA Motorama
I'm looking for the article for one thing @296ardun says it was in R&C so i'll have too look through my pile unless someone has a scan they can post. I guess it was also in Hot Rod in '56 (can't remember what month) Other then that any other information, pictures, personal story's/accounts etc.
The 4 carb manifold is still around. The induction system is actually made up of 4 Stromberg 97 varb bases with home made fuel injection on the top that were constructed by Fran Hernandez. Last time I saw it it was sitting in a garage down the street from me.
If you read the article above the roadster was modified to accommodate one of three engines. The 358 inch caddy mill, a 270-292 GMC 6, and a Merc. v8.
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