Re: '29 roadster - In 1948 George LaRue ran his roadster at the lakes as a member of the Glendale Sidewinders. As shown here, it was mounted on a '29 frame. Although George lived in the Monrovia area it was not uncommon to join a club some distance away. It all depended on the friends that you knew. The roadster was driven on the streets and I often saw George at Carpenter's drive in Arcadia in the evenings. George's 118 mph times were good for a street driven roadster then. Also, note that in October of 1948 a '27 T roadster was entered George's entry number - 529. The entry was listed as LaRue- McNatt Bob Lee was the go-to guy to upholster a roadster in Pasadena. Well respected Enjoy - Don
Thanks for weighing in Don! As always you are a wealth of information. Always a pleasure to hear from you. This time for George is from April 24-25, 1948. Looks like Mom recorded a time of 118.11. Like you said good time for a street driven roadster.
Mike I hope that any pics or vids of Elmer driving the new Hypersonic in a short while will qualify for a update here. Wyatt Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Happy New Year @woodiemike.....Thanks for sharing your experiences, pics and stories with with us all here. I along with many others here have seen this Sport Coupe numerous times gracing threads here at the Hamb. It seems as so many Hotrods from the past, had very little to remember it by. It is in a book apparently and the picture is around 1938 at Muroc. I am just wondering if you or any of the others who had privilege of being there may know of the car and could add some details to complete the package. Just thought to ask. Regards, Stogy The Hotrod this image is a cropped from a larger image Credit to Artists Owners, Photographers & Original Posters
So many of the men and ladies gracing this Hamb platform have lived through some of the periods most spectacular times. Many others live and breathe it too but the elders of the hobby are the ones inhabiting those images we hold so close. This is why the questions. Now my Mom was born in 37 and shes 80 now so that is up there. Any elder Hamber that would have been there would be well into their senior years now as many are. To all of you of whom I am speaking, Thank You so much for continuing to pass the torch... It truly is awe inspiring... The cars however, perhaps evolved and went through numerous changes and many are here today thankfully, as many of you are. So thank you to all who share what they know about all things Hotrod/Custom and in Between Regards, Stogy
Owner must have been a bit of an artist, note the pinstriping on the door belt line and fancy numbers. Someone in England has a car that looks a lot like this one, gold/bronze color. Bob
I wonder if they just took off the fenders, headlights etc to run Muroc, looks like the running boards are still on it. The numbers might be temporary chalk or something. It don't look like a purpose built race car, so I'd be looking for a full fendered sportcoupe with the belt line pinstriping.
I've seen early Lakes photos with the car fenders and headlights in a pile. The model A running board brackets are riveted to the frame, and the body bolts go through the splash aprons. Unless to drilled out the rivets and bolted things back on you ran with the running boards, or hit your shin on one of the four exposed brackets. Bob
The car you're talking about belongs to Neil Fretwell with the VHRA in England. They're the guys that put on races at Pendine Sands.
Added to that is a top chop and a potential metal top as eluded by @millersgarage in the other post pasted below. Thanks OJ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/anyone-know-this-a-sport-coupe.1046015/
Stogy....just had to take the time to say what an awesome post. Kinda what I've been saying all along. People need to share what they have no matter how small or big. The only way we are going to carry on this great hobby is by having the information to do so. As many have said, the HAMB is a perfect platform for that. This is where people can come and get information so freely given by the members. There is still a wealth of info out there, we just need to get it out for all to see and enjoy. And as you and others have expressed, we are loosing our elders daily. As we lose them, we lose valuable information and expertise. The members here are what is driving the hobby. Okay I'll get off the proverbial "milk crate" now. On another note; I don't think I can add anymore info on the #25 car that you are looking for. I think the best bet so far was the one posted to the original thread with the car before and after. This is a copy of a June 28th, 1936 Muroc program. Has #25, but obviously you can't substantiate that it's the same car.
They certainly will Wyatt!! In fact I hope I can do so! Looking forward to seeing the "Dynamic Duo" at the GNRS.
Woodie thanks for your efforts in researching this Model A Sport Coupe...You have so many interesting documents...I was able to glean some info on #25 on the 36 entry list...You are right what that represented was anybodies guess but perhaps this is the Man behind the name on that record... I am sure some more info may come up on the Coupe... John Vesco in an early speedster Credit to http://www.teamvesco.com/history.html Very much enjoying the interaction and your thread Woodie Black and White is such a delight... Hotrods forever...
Number 47 Johnny walker. I don't know Johnny walker was from PASADENA..... Blue label,red label, black label. Boy I'm thirsty.
Mike since you've met surviving early P.R.C. Members like Elmer, have any shared with you any unique tales about your father or uncle of interest you could share? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I wonder if that Riley 4port is the same one that they put in the 200MPH drop tank in the 1950's? Looks like that was a good looking Sprint Car in its day, maybe an old Ascot car. Bob
37Bob I pasted a link in the post above to the John Vesco story...quite an accomplished fellow with a long family history in the race for the top. Check it out. Here it is again... http://www.teamvesco.com/history.html
This picture was taken by William Carroll and published in his book "Muroc: When the Hot Rods Ran" May 15, 1938. (Someone added the little edges around the picture to make it look like a snapshot, photoshop I guess as it's not like that in the book.) I just looked and the book is still available on Amazon, don't know if any of the old Ford parts houses carry it any longer. That's where I got my copy when the book came out in '91. I actually tracked down and called Mr. Carroll to talk to him about this sport coupe in particular back then. He remembered it was the first one chopped and owned by John Henning. That's it. Here's a shot of the cover, like this fantastic thread and Don's series of books, its a great glimpse into running the lakes. A must have, IMHO.
In the book there are also copies of 2 SCTA programs, May 16, '37 and of course one from the day he covered the event, May 15, '38.
Thanks Flyin...I see you found it pretty interesting...enough to ask the author for more info. I have seen the book available and will look into that. As with so much of the history it sometimes drifts away and all that remains are a few reminders. Great stuff and interesting to see that level of chop and other subtle mods back in those days.
Hello Wyatt. The stories I have heard mostly come from my Dad, his Brother, and my Uncle. Occasionally from other friends, but mostly those three. When I think back, what really stands out is that that generation of people were all so "unassuming" in what they were doing. I mean I don't think these men and women had any idea that they were on the very forefront of Hot Rodding History. They literally did it all for the love of it. It certainly wasn't for the money! In a nut shell, most things have been covered in the thread somewhere. I can say one thing; my Dad, his Brother and my Uncle could have been the "poster children" for Ryan's moto regarding hoodlums!! As I'm sure that most young men were back then; they defiantly got into their share of trouble. Dad said that he and his Brother got into so many fights that they were know as the "McNasty Bros." HA! Seems if they weren't fighting, they were hiding from the police. When they weren't out at El Mirage, they were street racing somewhere. The street was the easiest place to try out something new. Many a night was spent at the local Drive-in. The real racers would listen to the cars come thru and guess on what they were running, and what cam. I always liked my Dad's interpretation of a big lope cam. He called them "malt shop" cam's. Most sounded good, but did not do the job. Or the guy's that pulled thru with the choke pulled out! These guy's knew. Just like Elmer said, they all had that switch to cut the lights out. Dad said many a night was spent hiding from the police. And many a night waiting to get someone to come get you after you had broke something. Couldn't exactly pick up the cell phone and call your Buddy. A lot of the stories were about the "venture" of getting to the Lakes and back. Don't forget most of these cars were their everyday driver. So whatever they needed, they had to pack with them. Tools, gas, food, water, cots if they were spending the night, bedding, and whatever else. And I'm sure most of you know, a Roadster isn't exactly a big car! Occasionally they had the luxury of a tow car, or extra car to go along. They would also try to get as many guys as possible to "caravan" out to the Lakes and back. Back then Triple A consisted of Al, Adam, and Albert. LOL! They would either leave late at night or early morning and drive the 2/3 hours to El Mirage. In the morning they would take off everything possible to lighten up the car. Bumpers, Seats, lights, fenders, windshield, etc. Run for a day or two, hope to hell they didn't break anything too significant, put everything back on the car and drive the 2/3 hours back to Pasadena. As with any race car, the ensuing week was spent trying to figure out how to make it go faster. And of course a lot of time was spent with their Buddy's "bench racing" and trying to come up with new ideas, and how to make them work. Not many speed shops around back then, so most things they either had to make, or have made. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but we all need to share whatever we have, big or small, or find, to keep this History going. As said before, without it we can't keep a straight and accurate course. The HAMB has given us the platform, we just need to "keep the ball rolling"!!!! As Don Montgomery say's Great Hobby. We all need to protect it. Stay Safe. Mike
How did the early Hot Rodders of the 1930's get along with Dirt Track Sprint Car racers? Engines and wheels were the same, many used the same overhead conversions on the 4Bangers. I've seen early Sprint Cars on the Dry Lakes, but only a handful compared to the number of Roadsters. Bob
That's interesting, as the car is credited to Jack Rose in the program that's reproduced in the book. Not that I'm going to doubt Mr Carroll, he was there, I certainly wasn't. It's really good to get confirmation that it was the first chopped A coupe, makes sport coupes the right one to have after all. Tongue firmly in cheek, don't worry. I agree, "When The Hot Rods Ran" is a must have book. Mine is well thumbed and I'm always going back to it.
Here are a couple of photos taken at our Fair oaks Speed shop in 1952. Actually it was not a speed shop, it was just a garage where some racers kept and worked on there hot rods. The first 3 photos are of a track roadster being "serviced" for oval track racing . This year was about the end of the roadster period as the racers were all transiting to sprint cars, which were faster. I cannot ID all the guys except in the 3rd photo I an standing on the left and Jack Schmitt (long time Keith Black employee) is on the right. My Cord is in the background. The Cord was finished and racing by April of 1952 so this would be around that time. The last 2 photos are from early in 1952. The first photo shows Larry Burford' A roadster under a tarp as he was building it. Larry, a GCRC member, raced it at the Lakes and Bonneville. Years later Larry's roadster set SCTA records and was inducted in the Dry Lakes Hall Of Fame (now owned by Jim Lattin). In the center is my 1950 Olds 88. It was a factory manual trans car ( Olds had Cadillac trans in the manual cars). It was a great tow car for first my Hudson and then my Cord. In the background is my Cord, as it looked when I bought it from Tom "Acmo" McLaughlin. The last picture from the other direction shows the back of my 88 and my Hudson sedan on it's death bed. The engine and rear end had been removed to be inserted in the Cord. The last photo of my Hudson, and me, was taken at the Fair Oaks Speed Shop in 1950. It was "shot" by Fred "California Bill" Fisher for his book on how to Hop Up A Chevy. Bill went to found HP Books that did so many How To books. The photo was taken on the south side of the property. The Fair Oaks Speed Shop offered a place to work and keep our cars and bench race with all the guys. Don View attachment 2884397 View attachment 2884398 View attachment 2884399 View attachment 2884401 View attachment 2884403 View attachment 2884406 [/QUOTE] Great to see photos like this. I knew Jack Schmitt, he and my father Larry Burford were best friends and I spent a lot of time traveling and going to races with them and my brothers. Jack was quite the character, never saw a guy drink so much in my life! He was a great cook! Miss him and my dad a lot.
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