Most everybody knows about Doane's roadster (and his interest in running it in the Carrera Panamericana) and his T-Bird. Perhaps fewer people in this community know of his career in the '60s, when he was crew chief for Chick Vandagriff's Hollywood Sports Cars dealership. He prepared (at least) a McLaren CanAm car, a Healey 3000 and MGB that Ronnie Bucknum drove very successfully, and a Sunbeam Tiger whose driver I don't recall. He also had a reputation as a very fine Ferrari mechanic. Each one of these cars was the best example of its type anywhere, beautifully crafted and modified, and competitive enough to win multiple championships. I bring this up specifically in the context of Ryan's Inspirations threads. Apart from the usual lowering, fat wheels and tires, and bumperless bodywork that was commonplace on a production-class racing sports car, he built gorgeous formed plexi windshields for each one. Similar in configuration to Can-Am cars and formula cars of the day, there was a main windshield panel that curved over and back, flowing into matching plexi side windows that were attached to the doors. They were of course very low and close to the cowl, so the driver looked over them rather than through them. I wonder if any HAMBers have pictures of any of these cars from the day. They were so cool looking that they are certainly worthy inspiration for new construction -- and tradition is in the eye of the beholder.
I can say that I had the pleasure of actually being a friend of Doane's. I first met Doane in the early 80s while working on Danny Ongais's IMSA and Indy car teams. Doane was running a Lola T600 for Chris Cord and we had 3 of them so we raced each other for two seasons. Cord's T600 that he was the crew chief on was a true art piece of art, every thing had been perfectly fitted, and chromed. The headers were a standard Doane deal. He made headers by filling the tubes with sand, and then using a big rosebud torch he would heat and bend each tube until it was a perfect fit. Then he would chrome them. On the Doane2 roadster that So Cal "finished" they had stainless steel fabricated headers, I can guarentee you that Doane would not have done them that way, they would be one piece and chromed! What a great guy and what great stories he could tell! He was there! Rex
Here is a Sunbeam Alpine Doane built: http://www.racingalpines.org/Jerry%20Titus and Davey Jordan/Jordan in Richmans's Maroo.html
Kirk F. White's got the Tiger for sale: http://www.kirkfwhite.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=55 Cris
Rex, Here is a pic I took of the Chris Cord Lola T600 you and Doane worked on from Riverside in 1983. Cheers, Kurt O.
This is really cool. I had no idea... A Photoshoot with that Lola and the original Deuce Roadster would be awesome....
Here a link's to a Tiger, I think Doane Spencer had a hand in building. http://www.rootesgroupdepot.com/hollywood.shtml CBB
That last one looks like the Tiger I remember. In the picture on his business card, you can see the cool windshield, although parts of it seem to be missing in the trailer pix. The Kirk White car has similar body mods, but looks to have been streetified -- no racy windshield, full bumpers, mufflers and the like. That Lola is wild!! I'd never seen that before. I'd still like to see pictures of the Healey and the MGB, because they were very beautiful too.
The Doane Spencer Tiger came about when Ian Garrad of Rootes Group approached him about building and running a car for them after a similar car built by Shelby had been a big dissapointment. Doane managed to overcome many of the Tigers shortfalls through clever thinking. The Spencer Tiger raced in B Production in 1965. He built a custom steering rack, which was 'hidden' within the standard housing, as the standard system was too slow for racing. He fitted rear Daimler Girling disc brakes, while the front disc assembly was reversed on the stub axle carrier so straight track rods could be used. He fitted a Dana rear axle with hi nickel shafts, and he fitted 14" wheels (the Tigers were fitted as standard with 13" wheels) for better brake cooling and so he could use larger discs. One of the big problems with the racing Tiger was engine overheating and excessive engine bay temperatures which Spencer overcame by moving as many items as he could from the engine bay, eg, he repositioned the brake servo inside the front guard etc. He created reverse louvres in the bonnet, and made special ducts that channeled hot air out through holes in the front guards. The little 260ci Ford engine produced 349hp, and the Tiger would actually lift its front wheels off the ground when changing up to top gear. A nice touch was the exchaust system, where the chrome exaust pipes exited each side through the sills, much like on his '32 roadster. At Riverside Raceway, it hit 160mph down the longer straights. Jim Adams was the driver. They won most of the races they entered in '65, and at Candlestick Park in San Fran, they qualified equal first with Phil Hill who was driving Ken Miles' 427 Cobra. Adams broke his leg mid season, and Spencer didn't want anyone else to drive the car, because of the 'special mods' he'd done to the car. Adams returned for the final race at Daytona, where Spencer was confident they could still wrap up the championship. They qualfied fourth behind a 427 Cobra and two Shelby Mustangs, but as mentioned in an earlier post, were taken out on the first lap when a back-marker Cobra spun across the grass where the track looped, and wiped out the Tiger. They lost the championship, and Garrad, who'd wanted Spencer to put another driver in to replace Adams when his leg was broken, was furious, and scraped their plans for 1966. It has also been suggested the tiny Rootes racing budget had dried up. Sorry to make this so long, but I've always had a fascination with this car. And Doane Spencer was an amazing guy.
I have explained it on the HAMB before Doane went great lenghts to build one off items that look like he just brought them somewhere. If he liked you he'd spend equal hours explaining how you to could make one like it. I think what I learned from him was that a mechanic should be able to do any job, on anything, anywhere. And the best way to thank those that taught you was pass skills and tricks on to any kid that would listen.Also don't bother with those that don't. He was a great guy
I have posted these before, but these are (mostly) detail shots of the Spencer Tiger, shot this year at the Historics. Many cool details and all around smart thinking. (I did have a pic of the exhaust routing which is through the frame, but I don't have it on my photobucket account, sorry) I think Bluto is well spoken and it is cool that you knew him. Doane made a big impression on me and I don't know him at all, just his work. Enjoy.
Wow! Thanks, Roundlight, for the excellent pictures. The details of the windshield, exhaust, and rollbar seem to me to be typical of Spencer's remarkable detailing. And the red engine bay in a black car is very cool. Still wish somebody had pix of the Healey and the MGB that he did for Hollywood Sports Cars.
You know, I have never seen those cars, so I would like to see them too. I can't imagine that they don't have something cool about them.
Doane did a Dekon Monza for Chris Cord, before the Lola T600 and it was typical Doane, formed headers, specia body work, beautiful red paint. The car was so beautiful that Bob Akins bought it and kept it in his living room! The guy was truly a master. Rex
Doane Spencer Tiger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHE-EZSAkOM MGB: (photo from: www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com) Heaey 3000:
1964 Sunbeam Tiger #55 built by Doane Spencer {Hollywood Sports Cars} here: www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z12466/Sunbeam-Tiger.aspx
Well, yaay!! Thanks, guys, for bringing new info on these great cars to this thread. It's too bad we can't see the details of the MGB and the Healey, as in my recollection they were as well detailed as the Tiger, but maybe somebody else had pictures too. The detailed photos of the restored Tiger are great! Thanks again to everyone.
I worked in the parts department at Hollywood Sport Cars after the racing team had been disbanded. Doane used to come in all the time and bench race with Chic and the other still there who were part of the team. I visited him a few times at his house in Shadow Hills. He left behind a trick head for an MGB that the parts manager used on his car. He ran it with 2 DCOE Webers and a HSC cam. It went like stink. Doane also figured out that a Pontiac posi would bolt up to a Healey rear end housing. He was a perfectionist and a genius
OK, some more pics of the Hollywood Sport Cars Healey driven by Ronnie Bucknum here: http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/NagamatsuSlides0000.html and here: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=79598&st=40
The man clearly knew his way around automobiles - always top shelf work. That '55 'Bird must be one of the best ever put together as well.
Hello Folks, Here is a PDF copy of the Vintage Motorsport article on the pairing of Doane Spencer and Jim Adams. This article entitled "Flawless & Fast," appeared in the July-August, 2012, issue of Vintage Motorsport. http://www.impeccableinc.com/media....pdf Many thanks to all those that helped to provide the detail and photos for this story, and to Vintage Motorsport for allowing me to share the effort. -Chad
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