In a previous thread Hot Rods - Need help with this old pic, what body is this?? | Page 5 | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com) The identity of the Proulx brothers modified roadster was being asked about and I helped confirm it with some photos my dad took of the car in 1941 at Harper Dry Lake. I promised to upload the rest of the photos of that day when I got the time reduce them in size and get 'em named. Some of the cars and people have no ID. It is all that I have for Harper Dry Lake at this time. Here they are. Enjoy
This photo is a particulary special one that my18 year old dad took of a roadster at Harper Dry Lake in 1941. The back of the photo only said "Harper Lake 1941". I was interested in the pic because it was an overhead valve conversion of a flathead V-8. The blurred script on the valve cover threw me. After playing with the image for an hour, I could not really make out the script. The type of OHV conversion it was appeared to be a MAXEY F Head. I did some sleuthing on the net on flathead OHV conversions but could not find the cover script that resembled the blurred one in the photo and eventually ended up on the Iskenderian Cams site. BINGO! It turns out that it's Ed Iskenderian's roadster that he built and raced back in the day. The 20, year old "ISKY" is wearing his iconic cap, sitting in the car with his back to the camera, chopping it up with some guys at that Harper meet in 1941. Iskenderian had installed a MAXEY OHV conversion on his flathead but made a pair of custom valve covers with his own signature "ISKENDERIAN" script. The close-up pic of the engine, also taken at a "dry lake meet", is one I found on the internet trying to track down what car it was, but I do not know who to attribute that photo to. It verifies the 1941 pic that my dad took is of Isky's car at Harper Dry Lake. Isky did not start grinding cams until after WWII in the early 1950's .https://iskycams.com/the-legend.html ISKY is still kicking and he still owns the roadster. My dad is 97 now and he parted with his roadster in 1948 after a crash that he walked away from. I'll put up photos of that car, from build to wreck, one of these days
These are really great! The early Isky pics are a real piece of history, although I gotta say I winced when I saw the guy sitting on the turtle deck with something hanging out! I'd freak if someone did that to my car.
Thanks for the photos, really great stuff. Note in this shot of Isky sitting in his roadster, how low he sits in the car, with the top of the cockpit up to the bottom of his shoulder. He could hang his left elbow on the side easily as he drove. This as opposed to the way so many guys have their T's set up where the top of the cockpit is about even with their waist. Isky's is the right way to do it.
Great photos. Thanks for sharing. Ed timed 120 mph in this car. He has the plaque on the dash of his car. I think he is about to tell that guy to quit sitting on his turtle deck. haha. I've noticed in a lot of old photos from the 30's and 40's that people liked to sit on their cars when taking a picture. Always noticed how far back his steering wheel sits.
Wow, thanks for posting these, I wonder if this was the meet in May. My Dad was there for every meet in 41. I looked real close at your photos, but couldn't find him. That last photo looks like Phil Remington.
This is Jack Henry/Verne Houle Riley based racer with Verne at the wheel I believe...Speeds of 118 and 120mph were realized in different configurations... ...Hamber @studebakerjoe quite nicely explains his contribution to greatness below in the quote...Verne was a mechanically inclined genius and was involved in the Go Fast movement and racing was but one part of his legacy...
These pics are gold! Thanks for sharing. Hope someone that has Ed's contact info copies him. I'm sure he'd get a kick out of seeing himself at ease in his Rod 80 years ago. How cool would it be if you could get a pic your 97 year old Dad and 100 year old Isky with his roadster!?
I'm not much of a book person but I read short historical references and bits here and there fumbling my way through this big Culture as best as I can but yeah, many of these torch carriers have been interviewed and even been participants spreading the Gospel here, Albert one of them and much like you Marty...love it and thank you...it all helps keeping the dream alive...
...note the aviation inspired riveted doublers likely aluminum around the carb port hole in the hood and exhaust ports... ...dig that groovy interior...the well done clean and finished and semi finished workmanship is really evident here, bobbed frame horns and axle placement are very evident here as well... These are priceless for both inspiration and period detailing... Credit to Photographer, Owner @PMD406
The backgrounds are as interesting in the foregrounds in these old pics... They made them so there's no reason they wouldn't have been there Chopped top and all...There was some discussion here recently of how rare they were but to Hotrodders then and even today they look at things differently, especially if they were found in the back 40 scrapped and abandoned...
"How cool would it be if you could get a pic your 97 year old Dad and 100 year old Isky with his roadster!?" That would be a golden moment to be sure. He would surely get kick out of that. Dad voluntarily quit driving after his birthday last year. I'm his chauffer now. He still likes going fast. LOL The pic is of the roadster my dad built in 1948. Location is El Mirage CAE race cars: A little background needed | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com) Unfortunately his roadster did not last a year. I interviewed him about the car and he told me as much of the technical details he could remember. Car had all the typical flathead stuff for the day. He used the radiator grill shell from an Auburn Speedster. Never officially timed but he "says" it would give a speed of 120 indicated (?). There will be more up on his car later
Many thanks again for sharing these incredible glimpses back... I am quite amazed at that HYVIS Graphic/lettering on that Modified, if its hand done it's awfully well pulled...I wonder if they had decals or silk screening back then... So @PMD406 I can't help but wonder what's in your garage? Did Vintage Hotrod every enter into your life...if I had those old images along with Dads stories I'd be tracking down his buddies and seeing if there was anything in the garage...there's still time...Obviously there's some influence as you are here...There are some incredible Vintage Hotrod Threads... The Late Hamber @Rockerhead and Hamber @woodiemike are just a couple who have shared sizable collections of postwar Hotrod...there are many others too...
Thanks, Glad to be of service. Better to have this stuff published and in circulation than moldering away in a shoe box somewhere. My experience has been when a person passes much of their memorabilia gets pitched into a dumpster by their disinterested family or the estate liquidators that cannot make a buck on it. As for "what's in your garage?" I'm a child of the 1950's so when I got interested in cars it was the stuff, I grew up with and worked on that really hooked me. I like all the old roadsters & coupes though. built a lot of scale models of them thanks to AMT & Revell-Monogram-Aurora & Hawk. At an early age they kind of showed me how things go together. If I had possessed the wherewithal & skills (and $$$$$) in my late teens I may have built one of those, but you work with what is plentiful and what you have on hand. My cars are: 1969 Datsun Truck ,1969 OHC 6 Firebird,1970 Formula 400 clone (from a Firebird 350) I built out of parts from the wrecking yards, and a 1974 Ford F-100 w/300"6 with Offenhauser, Schneider & Harland Sharp components to make it run better. I've owned two of these cars since around the mid 1970s. Now you cannot find parts in the high-volume yards for almost any of these. They are vintage iron but not 100 years old yet. EZ to work on and a joy to race and drive.
Well @PMD406, you have a pretty full house in the Garage without a doubt...unfortunately not Hamb friendly however, but we all have our interests which are uniquely varied. I hope some day you recreate your father's T...Auburn grille and all. Since you have been here have any vintage Hotrods/Customs or Racers given you an inspiration to add one more set of wheels to your collection?
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