History Classic Indy roadsters: Most beautiful oval racers ever?

help, still seeking good info!

 

The NOVI and the Miller-Ford both used standard rotation ... but, the engine in the Miller-Ford was mounted in the car with the bell housing towards the front(front wheel drive) so, I guess, it would have given the the car the same effect as a reverse rotation.
mac miller in INDY

 

I like it a lot.


Ago

 

Thanks!

 

Actually, I believe, what you are looking at here is an OFFY crankcase (not block) that has been repaired and is being set up for align boring of the main bearing webs.
When an OFFY blew up, the flailing connecting rod would take great chunks out of the crankcase. These crankcases would be welded up and remachined to live to race another day.
These crankcases are, currently, so hard to find that previously discarded ones are being repaired and restored for vintage racing.
It is almost impossible to find an OFFY crankcase that hasn't had some significant repair work.
While I have heard talk about various people building brand new OFFY crankcases, I don't know of anyone who has actually gotten one made yet.

mac miller in INDY

 

you are correct, it is a crankcase.

i saw 3 or 4 new ones at gary bridge and iron yesterday.

along with guffy's car

here's the link to the thread about the tour of steve's shop and updates

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=571188

 

Certainly, Steve is the top top guy when it comes to building and repairing OFFYs
I knew he was working on crankcases but I didn't know that he had some finished.
mac miller in INDY

 

Any guess at how many still exist? How many running?

 

Pretty odd question, I realize...it was prompted by a photo I found of the front drive transaxle, which seemed to be indicating reverse rotation. After I studied it long enough, I realized the negative was reversed. Thanks again for helping me straighten it out.

 

Here's a good video I think yall will enjoy...Thom Taylor, staff editor with Hot Rod Mag, went to Indy with the Akin group this year and got to drive the Bowes #33 on carb day...there will be an article in future Hot Mag about the trip but for now you can view the video...

This is the same crazy guy that drove Akin's 32 roadster from Nashville to L.A. in JANUARY!!...I'm also posting that link in case you haven't seen that video..............Joe

INDY ON CARB DAY, ETC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7JdkIpzwUE

DRIVING THE 32 ROADSTER 2200 MILES IN JANUARY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-oTj...43441C8510DC95
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OLD GUYS RULE!!

 

how does the kurtis of sam parrott (sp) city of industry drag car compare to one of these indy rides...? has a lot of similiarity

 

You think it might be possible to re-write the rules so that front engine roadsters are competitive again? What if.....

 

Here's a couple

 

Only if you constrict the rear engined cars to slow them down.
It's a handling issue.
Even the modern sidewinder Super Modifieds, maybe the baddest front motored circle track cars ever, can't turn with a modern Indy car.

 

for sale midget roadster 1-972-366-3132

 

Kurtis based the KK500-S sports car on his early Indy roadster. Had, pretty much,the same suspension and steering as the roadster.

 

that's what I was thinking....the city of industry car looked a lot like a indy car.....that was just run at the other track in indy.... man that thing was bitchin

 

Back in 1968 we blew up the only race engine we ever lost, a 426 hemi in our super stocker. Jon Lundberg, the "Voice of Drag Racing" made a couple of calls for us and got us a motor really fast from the Ramchargers. We drove from upstate N.Y. to Detroit to pick it up. When we got there, we're talking to Dan Knapp, and this distinguished looking older gentleman walks past us and says hello. Dan asks my Dad, "do you recognize that guy"? My Dad looks at him again as he's walking away and goes, "Yeah, Rose". Dan says, "yup, that's Maurie Rose, one of the very few men to win the Indy 500 three times"! He won back in something like '28.'29, and '31! What a trip to meet someone like that in a quiet shop environment rather than in the excitment and blur of an event!

 

Great story, thanks! Mauri Rose was a legend, not only as a driver but later as a Chevrolet engineer and racing executive.

 

I grew up in Greenwood, Indiana and my dad worked for Indiana Bell Telephone (AT&T). He attended every race from 1948 through 1965 as a teletype repairman. He was stationed in the press box on the front of the "penthouse" stands on the front straight. He saw some awesome stuff from there. Unfortunately, since he was working, he couldn't take me with him, so I didn't get to attend the 500 in person until I was old enough to go on my own. I did get to go with him to qualifications, though, and I loved the roadsters. Indy car racing now is almost as boring as F-1; all same cars, all same sound, can't see the drivers, too much money involved, no interesting innovation...

 

How is it that Offy engines were able to compete/win againest the more modern V8s?
I've been wondering about this for a while.
Hope I'm not hijacking the thread.

 

There is a good book by Gordon White titled "Offenhauser" that covers this subject. That would make an interesting thread, but might be a little too new for here.

 

I met a guy locally last year to look at some old in/out box parts, turned out he had 2 restored vintage race cars and alot of old vinatge midget & sprint parts. his dad was a collector & restorer of them & ran a bit with them too. One he had , had an offy in it. he had also been selling offy engine parts here & there on ebay so I asked about them too. Seems his father either bought or inherited parts & complete engines from ken Hickey. the guy told me that over the last 3-4 years he sold 6 offy engines that his dad had on stands or on the floor of his shop! I don't know who got them but I was like "WOW, 6 offys were sitting in a garage only 10 miles from me!" he didn't tell me what he got for them but I am sure he made some coin off of it.
Paul

 

More modern? DOHC/alloy constuction vs. pushrods/cast iron. Offys were far ahead in technology in the 50s.

 

Only in comparison to the Detroit stock blocks. The Offy was hardly advanced by world standards by the '50s and especially the '60s, but still managed to hang on.

 

It looked like the end of the Offys when the Ford 4 cam engine came out in 1964. Then they turbo charged the Offy and kept it competitive. The Offy has no cylinder head per say to blow a gasket and it was very robust so it could take a lot of boost (1000 BHP.) before they put limits on boost. I believe when Indy put limits on the total amount of Methanol allowed to be used for the entire 500 mile race it ended. You couldn't lean an Offy down to last. But eventually more modern engines would have surpassed it. Look at the hybrid pushrod engine Penske had built to win the 500. The pushrod rules were to encourage stock blocks, so they were allowed more displacement.



Ago

 

Beautiful.

 

Mauri Rose won the indy 500 as a co-driver with Floyd Davis in 1941. He won again in 1947 &48. The 4 cyl offy was competitive with other newer engine designs when they were allowed unlimited supercharger boost but when the rules were rewritten to limit boost to the 50in range newer engines with more cyl surpassed it.

 

While touring a private collection in Pasadena we came upon this roadster, unrestored, that ran at Indy in the early 30's. The owner started it up for us and said he takes it out occasionally on the reliability runs through the canyons around LA. It does have an upgrade with newer carbs, but hey, to think it is still driven and abused, that is cool!