Features VINTAGE SPRINT CAR PIC THREAD, 1965 and older only please.

Rootie and probably many others, Remember the year Herk had his car in line to qualify and when they did the quicky inspection that everyone got just before you went out to qualify...they opened the hood....and no engine, in place of the engine were cases of Miller Beer. Denny Z

 

I just sent Andy Hurtubise a link to the group hopefully we can get him to chime in

 

But doesn't it hurt when you install the pivot pins for your face shield?

 

the last picture on the bottom right, sitting in the car is Jess Alu, long time Indy Mechanic, he also use to help with our Champ Dirt Car, he was a neat old guy!

 

Dammit! I didn't think of that!

 

Bob, you can always do the vintage thing and use a set of goggles and a bandana, might not hurt as much......

 

Hello, Kurtis. Excellent video!!!!! Thanks.....

 

Don't remember if I've posted any of these before,if so sorry for the repost....Rich

 

Ride along with me at some recent vintage meets. We are driving the CarlS 1927
"Boyle Valve Spl." Miller replica at the two mile Fontana Ca. oval(last weekend) and, also,
at the Phoenix Mile(last Oct.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/macmiller46241

mac miller in INDY

 

Not to spam here folks, but I highly recommend the new Sports Illustrated Special Edition of the Indianapolis 500 Centennial...it is a great edition AND it includes the Official Program for the 500...not bad for $15 clams and I got it at me local grocery store-Schweet!

 

The most boring day in Langhorne history.

 

Was wondering, how many versions of the Mallard did Herk build?

I'm pretty sure there were two and possibly a third and that one of them got crashed.

Also, maybe not counting his time with Armstrong, did Wally Meskowski ever build a car with a cage?

 

I believe there were two. The second (wedged shaped) was built with parts from the 1st one, but there was enough parts left that both still exist. At one time Speedy Bill had the original and the 2nd one is, I believe, in a private collection, but not sure. Mac Miller would probably know.

 

Some more shots of the Mallards. Apparently there is/was a museum in Bedford Ind. that had/has them on display.

 

the owner of the Museum died and it closed and everything was sold

 

With Indy coming up and finding a cd with indy car shot I found these of Denny Z......Rich

 

The vintage Indy cars will be driven on Friday, May 13 broken down into 3 classes for this year only due to the 100th anniversary celebration beginning at 2PM..classes will be pre-war, post war up to rear engine era, and rear engine cars..Some 60 cars expected to be ran and then shown Saturday May 14 as part of the Celebration of Automobiles car show in the infield of the Speedway..Each class will supposedly have a 20 minute session...Some of these same vintage Indy cars will be displayed on pit road on Community Day, May 25. Hope to see yall there...We'll be bringing these three roadsters..

 

Indy and AJ, Like bread and butter…..

 

I will be there. Ya' gotta love Epperly laydowns.

 

Hi folks -- newbie here. Just lucked across what I believe is a diamond in the rough, and am guessing you all can tell me more about what I have here. This car was raced until 1978 or 79 by a gentleman here in IL. He just passed away, and his widow sold me this car. I am more of a Triumph guy (cars, not bikes) and play with old diesel Mercedes once in a while, but this was just too cool to pass up.

I am hoping that motor will loosen up in time (wonder what's under those MT covers?), and that the Hilborn FI will work again. In/out box is a CAE. No magneto can be found, but I am getting spare rear end gears with it, a few extra wheels and tires, and a few bits & bobs. I hope to have the car home this weekend and can dig in more then (and post more pics if anyone cares to see some). I'd like to make this car run and maybe freshen it up just a bit and let it relives it's former glory (if only up and down the alley behind my house).

 

Where did this fellow race? Car number? Gary

 

Hi Gary -- car # is 57. I am told he was a regular in Macon, IL and later in Springfield, IL. I'll post more info as I get it. His widow is the sweetest lady ever, and I am hoping she'll make me copies of some of his pics. There are some good ones!

I am told that the car started out green -- she gave me the original green flake Superior 500 steering wheel that the car had, too -- and that her husband was friends with Steve (or Bob, maybe?) Kinser, and was the only driver at the time driving a green car (as it was considered back luck). After a while, then, Steve (Bob?) adopted green, too, according to her.

 

Yeah, looks like a typical early/mid 70s built car. Hard to say who built it, but pull the seat out and look close at the cross tubes behind the seat for a number or i.d. stamp. This area was the least likely to be damaged and some builders would mark them there. Unfortunatly it appears to have sat neglected for some time. If it sat for a while with methanol left in it, it could be pretty corroded. You probably want to take the fuel lines/filters etc. apart and check that it's not all ate up and plugged up with aluminum powder. Also, methanol will freeze up the piston rings if not flushed out.

 

Hopefully the owner did not know the last time racing it would be the last time and flushed the system out of fuel. Rootie is right methanol will do much damage to the internals. Hope for the best.

 

Thanks, guys -- tank is dry, and fuel lines disconnected, so I hope he drained it for storage. We'll see, I suppose!

Oh, and I am told that it was a 60's build, but raced through the 70's. It went through a number of "iterations." There are a couple of wings out in the shed, too.

 

Debbie Urban, Dee Jones daughter, sent me some neat shots, thought you would enjoy this one of Jones in his USAC days. A note she wrote on the back said she thought it was mid 60's at Trenton. I dug around and found the car was owned by Clyde Gutzweiler of Jasper, IN. and I think it's a Aug 29, 30 USAC sprint show at St. Paul, MN. A banner in the infield reads "Quality Auto Body, Mpls". Neat photo, am I close on any of that info?

 

It sure looks like St. Paul. The flowers in the infield, the walls, and the "chalkiness" of pit road tells me it is. We talked in detail about this track earlier in this thread.

 

Here's a shot of St. Paul in 1967. Sure looks the same as your photo. Note the flowers on this side of the push trucks. You had to take your hauler outside the track to keep a nice appearance.

 

The history goes as one of three 84" w/b cars Floyd built.The Cubics had one and my memory fails me on the third short car. Named 'Snoopy', Chuck Engstrom raced it first as #61. My dad bought it from Don Tarr of Franklin in '73. Jerry Stover drove it for the first 2 seasons here in Pa. and traveling with URC. We had several drivers in it, Billy Wentz,Jr.,Len Seroka, Larry Krimes, Hal Wilson, and myself. The car had a bolt-on cage and a built in roll bar.Dad never raced it without the cage. Sold the chassis kit about '80 to a guy from Allentown that never raced it. I'm just guessing here, but you probably saw this car race in western Pa./Ohio,baldman. I'm glad this one is still around.

 

I would reccomend pulling spark plugs and squirting generous amount of marvel mystery oil in each cylinder also in barrel valve and fuel pump.