When people ask me who my favorite historical hot rod figure is I always blurt out the same name - Mal Hooper. And it's funny, because I don't really know a lot about who Mal was or what he did. There just hasn't been much reported on him. In fact, I... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Fantastic Ryan. Your writing really gives another dimension to the photos and brings them to life and gets the imagination going. My write up would be "Here are some photos, enjoy"! Tiny correction it was the left front that exploded. Such a beautiful streamliner, Something that has had me intrigued is the construction shots show a streamliner with an uncanny resemblance to Fred Carrillo's '53 liner yet it isn't. Fred can be seen in some of the build shots, so he had a hand in it.
Are you sure? Source? Dean Batchelor wrote that it was the Right Front. Not that it matters at all really...
can any one tell me about Steve Pick he had machine shop in LA in 50's-70's. I worked for him in Billings Mt I enjoyed working for him he had a lot of storyes.He had some wild cnc machines. thanks
Ryan & Jimmy B ... Great stuff! ... Thanks for sharing! NOTE: Also checkout Ryan's No Mal & Si Mal Blogs & resultant threads.
These are great historical pics and dare I say that it is only because of the people in and around the HAMB community that the truths of hotrod history are finally making it out of the shoes boxes/closets and into a new era of history books. I don't know if any here have noticed that when you do a Google search on this-or-that hot rodder/car, more often than not Google points you to this very forum. It is becoming tremendously hard for the 'janets' of this world to deny the existence, or maybe the importance of the average back yard mechanic when it is those same shade tree joe's that continually share their collections of hotroddings fragmented history. Cheers, Jimmy B, Cheers HAMB and even a cheers to 'Janet' for just making us all aware of how this world would be if we didn't have places like this to share. .
When Frank Morawski and I found a Bonneville roadster in Indy, it was the reversed gas and brake pedals that positivly identified it to be Fred Carrillo's 1951-52 modified. Due to his foot/leg injury in the first 'liner, he needed to reverse the pedals to allow his stronger leg to push the most important pedal. Jimmy B photo taken at Pebble Beach in 2009.
I remember seeing the picts of the carnage somewhere, Parts all over the place with the engine just "tossed" there...
Yeah I'm sure. Pictures of the wreck shows the right wheel attached. The way the car rolls indicates a rollover caused by left giving out. "Dry Lakes and Drag Strips: The American Hot Rod" mentions the left front. The Rodders Journal article "The Fred Carrillo Story" also mentions the left front as the cause. The Halibrand magnesium wheels were faulty with hydrogen bubbles thru out the castings, they were found when it was X-rayed. The wheels were incorrectly cast. Excessive tyre pressure which the Firestone rep advised to do was also a factor. Team were running 60psi Firestone suggested 90psi. Maybe if the pressure wasn't so high maybe the rim would have held and it may have had a different ending.
I would love to see the Carrillo Liner recreated, it was the most advance streamliner of its time and had it not been for the wheel would have been the most celebrated streamliner of the 50s but fate had other plans. Fred and Bob Betz first modified roadster. Later ran by Jack Stecker then Cagle/Fuggat. Car exists in the collection of Jim Lattin. Second roadster as ran in 1951 (primer). (Photo posted on the HAMB) 1952 Owned & restored by HAMB member Frank Morawski Helped of course by Rich Venza, JustplainJ, HrmK (John).
Right is left and left is right down under maybe? I always heard toilets swirl backwards south of the equator... Great bunch of pics, Jamie--awful good of you to share your scores
Cool how in Ryan's post, the photos morph through black and white to colour ... almost like the project itself is being realised and coming alive ...
I wondered if those molds could still exist, although probably not. A very fine looking 'liner. Thanks for sharing these great pics JB.
Glad to share Nic. The '53 liner didn't use a mold. This is a must watch piece http://www.ahrf.com/legends/fred-carrillo/?legends=fred-carrillo Fred explains the process. & this from 2:50 mark http://www.ahrf.com/vp_video/ahrf-promo-trailer/?vp_video=ahrf-promo-trailer Those construction pics are of another liner including the mold. This is part of the mystery.
DAMN, this should be on "Mysteries of the Museum"................ what an amazing source this site has become. Thank's, Cochran!
Some more to the story. I did not know Fred Carillo but my family knew the Betz's. Stan Betz was missing his lower leg from some type of racing accident. The photo of the #31 27 T roadster has "Stan's Auto Painting" lettered on the hood. Stan Betz was a famed painter and custom paint mixer in Anaheim, California, "Betz Speed and Color". Whether Stan ever called himself Bob Betz or had a brother by that name I'm not sure nor have I any knowledge that Fred Carillo didn't also have a missing/mangled foot from a racing crash. I believe Stan Betz is still alive. It would be enlightening to see if he would be able to flesh out this fascinating story.
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