The story is that they were in an old movie filmed at Marty Robbins Speedway in the late 50's or early 60's. He referred to them as "Skeeters". Both cars have aluminum SBC to early Ford trans adapters. One has a '39 topshift box, the other has an in/out box. Both also have early Ford front axles. This one appears to be a late 30's Ford frame, with the back in front! It has an old VW Bug fuel tank too. Looks to be an early Chevy grille. What I found interesting is the early wing, and the home made Quick Change rear ends. One has a Ford Banjo, flipped and modified for QC gears. The other is a Ford 3/4 or 1 ton rear end flipped and modified for QC gears. This appears to be a mid-late Ford F1 Steering box.
I'm lovin that stuff. Around here we called a VW gas tank a "German fuel cell". Looks like lots of real fabrication and possibly a frame for a wing?
I see some parts that might be worth saving.....that banjo QC might be saved with a fresh ring and pinion. The adaptor/bellhousing too.
Skeeters was a southern acronym, in other parts of the country they were called "cutdowns", bugs", "30x90s" etc. like these. If nothing else, snag up that I/O box.
Get your friends togather rebuild em and race em, i might have found a couple local cars to do that with, i know a guy who'd let me borrow his field...
Hey BarnFind! Tell your buddy I know what I want for Christmas now. Ofcourse.... Dont we all... haha. -GothY-
Thanks Rootie - So what era are we talking? Clearly SBC's puts us in the late 50's. could these cars have been flathead cars before though?
Early-mid 60s, I'd say. Sure, there were still some lobuck guys flogging flatheads well into the 60s. In fact, some tracks had a seperate class for 6 cyl./ flatheads then.
So any idea the year of this rear end? What would these rear end have been in, 3/4 or 1 ton? Are parts available for them?
I know dirt guys out here were running Flatties during the 60's, cuz you could run tripower when the overheads were limited to 2bbl
38-52 3/4 and 1 ton ford, floater axle good rears, but big Also what all the Modern QC's evolved from most parts interchange, if you're lucky you can still find Aluminum Drum brakes and racing backing plates for them, If you were closer i'd offer you the end of that tube and other parts that i'm gunna have extra from my build I'm using 2 of the short bells and a Frankland Champ QC center with the stock ford axles and diff, Ive also seen those axles and tubes cut off and welded to a V-8 center I havent seen a rear set up that way before though
Man, that was some of the best racing on earth, back then, when these 30x90 cars had to use OEM frame rails - before they allowed fabricated frames and "ruint" it all! Gary RE the diff, might that be one of the early Frankland conversions? Gary
Thats what I was thinking, I remember seeing ads for Q/C conversion "kits" back in the 60s. Back when I started out around 67, the IH Scout 2WD frame was the desirable frame rails to use, straight, rectangular and a nice kick up. But by 68 or so they dropped the factory frame rule and allowed 2x4 tubes along with fabed- f/g bodies.
It looks very home made, I would like to get it on a bench and disassemble it. Try to get parts to put it back together.
Now on these type of rears do they run V-8 qc gears or champ?? They must have used aftermarket pinions, or remachined the 38-40 closed drive ones This is all stuff ive been learning building my rear which is a champ frankland center in between 2 of the 3/4 ton short bells, ford axles and Diff. i needed a ring gear and i got a good deal on a couple year old winters one from a sprint car and EVERYTHING BOLTS UP!! It amazes me that it hasn't really changed I'm gunna do a TECH artical as soon as i can get anouther F-2 Rear
These cars were in the movie Track Of Thunder 1967, filmed at Marty Robbins Speedway. The driver of car 26 was Pill Woodall, who is believed to reside in the Nashville, TN area. This is still a circle with the letters "Pill" painted on the right side of the car. If anyone has the movie or knows of Pill's where abouts, let me know. Online Information Track of Thunder (1967) Rating: ** Genre: Drama Release Year: 1967 Run Time: 83 minutes Director: Joseph Kane Cast: Ray Stricklyn H.M. Wynant Faith Domergue Majel Barrett Chet Stratton Plot: Track of Thunder (1967) This independent racing feature was filmed around the Nashville area. The mob has their eye on the stock-car-racing circuit. The owners of the track have hired a publicity man to smooth things over between the two top racers in the interests of promotion. Bobby (Tom Kirk) is the brooding car jockey at odds with longtime nemesis Gary (Ray Strickland). The two not only compete on the racetrack, but both are moving in fast on the same girl, the lovely brunette Shelley (Brenda Benet). One will get the girl, the other will be content to go back to the farm and leave life in the fast lane behind. Brenda Benet was once romantically linked with the late Bobby Fuller (I Fought The Law). She moved on to soap-opera fame in the 1970s before tragically taking her own life. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide I would enjoy sitting down watching the movie.........anyone have it on the shelf?
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