History The Culver City Screwdrivers

Some weeks ago I received an email containing several old dry lakes photos from the 1940s and 1950s. The photos came from the collection of Chuck and Joanna Quesnel, and the sender asked me if I wanted to see some more! Of course I wanted, and about 100 more photos came in the next days. Chuck and Joanna Quesnel were early dry lakes racers. Chuck was a member of the Culver City Screwdrivers. Joanna was a part of the club, but not considered a member as she was a girl. Chuck and Joanna went separate ways later on, and Joanna remarried and got a son named Douglas. It was Douglas who sent me these photos. Douglas remembers that his mother told him that the girls were never allowed to race the guys. Joanna had a 1932 Ford roadster that she liked to race, but her car never had any race numbers on. Chuck's younger brother, Jerry Quesnel, was an hourly employee of Barris Kustoms and an expert metal-man. Jerry owned a customized 1949 Mercury that is known as one of the first, if not the first ever chopped 1949 - 1951 Mercury...as many of you on the HAMB here knows

I have started to work trough these photos, and I'm adding new ones every now and then on Kustomrama:

http://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=The_Chuck_and_Joanna_Quesnel_Photo_Collection

Most of the photos have a note written on the back of them with some information. Jim Papworth, that was a member of the club at the same time as Chuck has also helped out with some information. I will share the photos here as we go along as well, and hopefully many of you can chime in with more information and history on the cars and people pictured!

 

First out is a photo showing fellow Culver City Screwdrivers member Jim Papworth's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster at El Mirage. Jim ran the roadster in 1948 and 1949, so this photo must have been taken in 1948 or 1949. Jim achieved a top speed of 129.56 mph with the roadster in 1949. Jim Papworth is the guy in the white overall, while Joanna Quesnel is the lady wearing a scarf in the photo.

More info on Jim's 27 can be found here: http://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Jim_Papworth's_1927_Ford

 

A photo of Don Waite's 1927 Ford Roadster at a 1949 dry lakes event, possibly a Rusetta lakes meet. The caption on the back of the photo by Chuck or Joanna Quesnel read "Don Waite's car went 154 mph!". Notice the artwork on the track nose, and the number #48 on the door instead of #348. The class destination is also C and not CL, as Don ran his roadster in the Lakester class due to 1949 SCTA rule changes. 1950 saw the Modified Roadster class introduced.

More info on Don's 27 can be found here: http://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Don_Waite's_1927_Ford

 

The Ralph Schenck Streamliner at a Rosamond lakes event. At the time, the old streamliner was owned by Culver City Screwdrivers member Bob Arner. The caption written on the back of this photo reads: "Being towed in Rosamond". "69'er" is written on the cowl of the streamliner. Anyone knows when this photo was taken?

More on the Ralph Schenck/Bob Arner Streamliner can be found here: http://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=The_Ralph_Schenck_Streamliner

 

cool!!! YOu hit the jackpot! Thanks for sharing!.

 

Slick, keep em coming!

 

Beautiful....what a score..

 

Reed Shugart just sent me a couple of photos his dad, George Shugart, took of the 69'er in 1949. As you can see, the car has the 69'er name on the cowl, and the number 75B painted on the side. So I guess that means the Quesnel photo was taken around 1949 as well! Two great photos!! Could that be Bob Arner sitting inside it?

 

Reed Shugart just sent a third photo his dad, George Shugart, took of the Ralph Schenck/Bob Arner Streamliner in 1949. Reed remembers that his pop used to tell stories about the dry lakes runs. "One was that he blew a front tire in the 69er while traveling fast on the lake and spun the car to keep it from flipping." George ran a PDQ Dealership at 9801 West Washington Blvd, across from Culver Theater, in Culver City, along with a partner named "Bob" in 1949 - 1950. Reed believes that could have been Bob Arner, but he is not sure. Can anyone confirm this? George did also have a gas station at 11049 Washington Blvd. in Culver City (Washington and Washington Place intersection) in the early fifties along with Bill Elliott that Sandy Belond rented space from and eventually became the shop where Belond built headers. But that is another story!

 

Wow, thanks for posting these shots, looking forward to the rest of them.

 

Excellent!

 

Has Ryan seen this?!~

 

OK, it's time to continue populating this thread! Since I last posted, Karen Boren has been kind enough to share hundreds of photos that her dad, Screwdrivers member Bill Boren, took in the 1940s and 1950s. It would take a decade for me to share her entire collection, in addition to all the other photos we are currently working on sharing, so we have uploaded them all for you to enjoy on a Screwdrivers Favebook page....check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/hotrods1948

 

This photo from the Quesnel Collection shows Chuck Quesnel's belly-pan'ed Ford Model T lakester at a dry lakes event. The caption on the back of the photo says "Chuck's Car. Ed Olson in car, Janet Olson in jacket."

 

Amazing images and history lessons. Thanx for sharing, Gary

 

thanks for putting this together....

 

Very cool. Nice to see this had an earlier life, this roadster is often referred to as the Jim 'Jazzy' Nelson roadster it is restored & owned by Chuck Sarno. Hop Up cover car Sept '52 when owned by Leroy Titus

 

WOW!! Thanks!

 

So it is the same car? I had my suspicions about that I have photos of a later version of this, after it, according to the notes on the back, had received a candy red paint job in 1949!


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Thanks for the link, great pics, i only wish i was around back in those days.

 

Wow very cool pics. Thanks

 

Those are pretty awesome I could look at these all day

 

Always great to see photo's from the early days that haven't be seen previously,thank you for posting! HRP

 

Nice !

 

Like going back in time! Thanks for sharing; keep 'em coming.

 

Here's a photo from the Jim Papworth Collection showing Jim's 1932 Ford Tudor Sedan as he is working on it in his driveway. Jim ran the sedan in the B-Class in 1950. It was chopped and fully fit with a belly pan. I'm 99% sure that Jim sold his tudor to Bill Boren and Jerry Keldrauk, but I have not been able to confirm this yet! The other photos I have posted from Jim's Collection so far can be found here: http://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=The_Jim_Papworth_Photo_Collection

 

I believe I have the pink slip for that car.

 

Wow ... the links posted, and this thread. Badass.

 

Thanks for sharing these images and the "rest" of the stories. I'll be patiently waiting for more.