Welcome and great photos, I have seen a couple of them before. Could you give us a little background info on them? Best, T-H
Some years ago a lady gave me one of those V-8's to sell for her. And yes light enough to carry around 5 were known to survive
Thanks for sharing your photos Brian. There's something about an original that gives one a different feeling inside. Make sure you store them out of light and humidity.
I believe the car parked in front of Bills Auto Service is a catalog Fronty Ford Race car. In the photos below it is lettered with the #36. This car has the very best that they had to offer and if you study the photo you can see the special aluminum base under the Model T block that holds an early AR Ford A multi disc clutch and trans. Several other Fronty cars are in the photos including the two just below it with the cover laying under them on the ground. It is hard to tell with the hood on but it either has a SOHC of DOHC Fronty head. Either head is very fast, the DOHC heads were finicky and prone to cracking but when they held up they had a slight edge over the eight valve. I have the complete catalog and if there is enough interest I can photograph the rest of the pages and post later. To those that do not have any knowledge of these Model T Ford based race cars they were quite popular. There were other companies in addition to Louis Chevrolets Company that made a wide array of speed equipment for the Model T Ford. A Fronty Ford car even finished 5th at Indy in 1923, which was quite an accomplishment.
Kurtis, Sure will. They're out of the light and in a cabinet...it's this Indiana humidity that is the devil! T-Head, Great info! Oh to have those prices today! I'd be more broke than I am now. I have a buddy in Tenn. that knows a guy that builds specialty conversions for the old T motors. Would love to get one going but too many irons are already in the fire.
You can always give them to me. If you send them now they should arrive before nightfall, providing they are express posted.
Thanks for the info Kurtis: the CGV is owned by the same guy who put together the previously posted Peugeot mono with the aerial exhaust. I've since been told that the engine in that has been made up of a De Dion(?) crank case onto which a cylinder from a Liberty airplane engine has been grafted. A lot of trouble to go to: I suspect the man has a real sense of humour, or of the ridiculous. Good on 'im!
We visited the Peugeot museum in '07 - it's fantastic, BTW, wonderfully art deco - and it wasn't there so far as I am aware.
WOW- these last few pages are chocked full- thanks again to everyone for all the info and pics!!! I'm reading through John Gerber's, Outlaw Sprint Car Racer and just got through the part where he buys a Chevrolet Fronty Head (from Art Chevrolet), then buys the patterns from Jack Gallivan... Has anyone ever seen these/have pictures of these heads??? I'm going to search on Speedy Bill's site, but this was a new one on me!
The D.O. GALLIVAN patterns are out there somewere, Joe Gemsa was the last guy to cast heads from them in the late 1970's. The Joe Lencki 1935 INDY car was powered by one of these heads on a special block, that engine is in someones collection now. I really need a good camera.
Indeed it is, and yes, fabulous pictures! Thanks! That's Howdy Wilcox, in a Model A Fronty I'd guess. The grandstand clearly indicates it's Fort Wayne Speedway in Indiana.
Several pictures of Ira Hall in his very fast Model T Fronty with DOHC head. It's also in the background of another pic, I'm sure you will find it! All these pics appear to be Fort Wayne.
That looks like an early Miller 4 engine in a Fronty-Ford chassis, not sure who's the owner, but the track's Fort Wayne again.
This is a very interesting car, the 1930 "works" Miller that was driven to second at Indy that year by Shorty Cantlon. It has now the very first 16-valve Miller 4 in it, the granddaddy of all Offies, as of yet still 200 cubic inches. Shorty ran this huge two-seater in a few sprint car races, and even won at least one of those (!), but the car didn't qualify at Indy that year. The engine, however, was soon selling like hot pancakes. The men taking a look at the machine are equally interesting: yes, that's the great Ralph de Palma checking for size, and then casting an envious glance. The other guy with the goggles looks a bit like Harris Insinger, but I don't think it can be him, he had only just joined AAA at the time. Could it be Bob Carey? Never knew he drove that car, though. Also, the guy in the checkered vest looks strangely familiar... I know, that's an easy thing to say! All pictures from Fort Wayne, again. The car's and de Palma's presence means it can't have been the September race (Fort Wayne ran about once a month all through summer), but otherwise dating these picture is a bit difficult.
I want to say this is the famous Bagley/Cragar in an early incarnation, but it doesn't look quite right - where's the exhaust, for example? Track is Fort Wayne, apparently, and the driver could be Bert Ficken, which btw is a VERY unfortunate name to have in Germany!!!
This is an early Johnny Vance car, I believe, perhaps the second one he built. First regular driver was Mauri Rose. This picture is from Funk's Speedway in Winchester, Indiana.
The "Palmer Special" out of Iowa City. Vern McComb drove it, and also Jimmy Trainor. Appears to have had a Skinny Clemons engine. Location is Fort Wayne.
Michael, Thank you for the information on the cars, this car has the Fronty Ford logo on the radiator. They were reproduced years ago, sure would like to have one today.
You sure have good eyes, Bob! I now notice the car in the background, with the distinctive paint job, that's another DO Fronty I believe. It was usually #16, and apparently owned by Earl Unversaw, who rode with Bill Cummings to the 1934 Indy 500 victory. The driver could well be Al Miller, and it was also driven by Bob Carey earlier. P.S. I'll add locations to my earlier posts.
I don't mean to take away from the great 30's racing photos and their discussion. I just stumbled into a set of photos that came from the Splitdorf family estate. Chadwick quit racing in 1910 so this gives us a clue. The Driver should also be identifible. Could it be Len Zengle? There are two or three different cars, both are Chadwick six cylinder cars. One is a Touring car, that they might have been using for practice and the other is a race car. Their small little roadster is an Autocar which they must have used for running around town?
Bill Barringer, in my car at Fausel Farms, Indio, CA. Drove our cars through the date groves preparing for HCICA Route 66 event next week. Been about 80 years since a Barringer sat behind the wheel of a Miller 91.
T-Head, The bottom two photos are Willie Haupt @ the 1908 American Grand Prize. Savannah Nov. 26. The race car was also supercharged. The top photos are from a hillclimb i presume. Buildy posted these same pics about a month back. Go to page 40. While you are there see if you can identify the other car amongst the photos. To me it has a striking resemblance to a Simplex Rex.
The Jalopy Journal
