I need some help in tracking down information on how Ak miller adapted a 35 Nash overdrive to a 37 Lasalle trans any help would be much appreciated, Now all I need is a 35 nash overdrive
This is the car that the tranny was in, I think. I love the stories about Ak Miller El Caballo de Hierro or The Iron Horse.* Famed oldsmobiloe powered Hot Rod created by Ak Miller to run in the 1950’s Mexican Road race, or The Pan-Americana Road Race. Ak was the president of the SCTA after WWII, and one time Vice President of NHRA. Ak said that the car did well in the twisting turns of the mountains and at altitude, but the bigger European and American cars would go faster on the straightaways.
The car in the photo is a fink Caballo. Ak Miller's race car was eventually sold by Ak to some fellow who rebodied the car and raced somewhere, I believe, here in California. The original car eventually disappeared. I don't know who built the replica.
Knowing Ak, he probably machined up an adaptor to fit the Nash OD tailpiece on the La Salle tranny. You might find it easier to locate an overdrive unit off a Saginaw or B-W 3-speed trans than the Nash unit. Hope that helps.
I'm sure someone machined an adapter, but I promise you it wasn't Ak! Ak was a lot of things, but a machinist he was not.
Sounds likr you alresdy hsve the LaSalle transmission. My old MoToR's Manual doesn't show Nash having an O.D prior to 1936. Ak probably chose the early Nash unit because it was non-electric. Various forms of the the non-electric were used in Nash, Studebaker, Chrysler and Desto in the '36-'38 time frame. They appear to be more easily separated from the main box than the later and much more available electric B-W R-10 & R-11 units used in '49 & up Ford or Merc or Chevy '55 - '6?. The degree of difficulty in adapting to the LaSalle would probably be the same for all.
Having see the original Caballo, I can say the replica is way too nice. Akton was not one for pretty.
Old Motor's manual, sixteenth edition, going back to '35 shows several non-electric types. Chrysler, Nash, Graham, Studebaker. "36 - "39 vintage
See the story in Rodder's Journal #32. Supposedly, according to Ak's own words, it was 1935 Nash overdrive.
Neither Ak nor Ray Brock ever said exactly how it was done, but they said it was not difficult to mate the Nash OD unit to the tail shaft of the of the LaSalle tranny. It had a lever that stuck up right beside the drivers seat.
Yes indeed, Vern did all the initial construction on the reproduction of the racer, but Ak and Ray Brock dismantled the entire car and rebuilt it their way. Then we, Ak, Ray, my wife Nancy and I took it to Mexico for the 1991 Carrera.
You're correct on the "nice" part, however, this photo was taken at a concours at Silverado, and the nose and hood are new. I took out a 1 ton hay bale in England. This pictue was taken in 1954 at the Carrera, by my very good friend, now departed, Bob Lytle.
Bruce, What has happened on the later Ak Miller sports car? The Kurtis chassis, hemi, alloy envelope body, burned once in shop fire, rebuilt then wrecked in Italy? I think you told me it had been located in a chicken coop or similar shed.
Terry here are a couple HRM articles of the resto of Caballo ii http://www.hotrod.com/news/ak-miller-caballo-ii-to-debut-at-pebble-beach-concours/ http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/1502-restoring-hot-rod-history-ak-miller-caballo-ii/ ps I sent you a PM
Thanks, Jimmy! I guess it is just further proof of the small size of the car nut community, but about ten years ago I sold Tom Shaughnessy a rough Ferrari 365 GT4 I had purchased many years earlier with the idea of parting it out to build a hot rod using its engine, trans and suspension.
Hey Terry, I reckon you have seen in the previous post what has become of the "blob". I had been friends with Bob for many years before he sold the EC II to Tom. It was really an interesting racer. The last picture taken of the El Caballo was sitting beside the EC II. Sadly, they were pulling parts from the El Cabong, as Ak called it, and installing them into the new one. Seats, steering wheel, gauges, wheels and tires, etc. If you look at the HRM cover picture of the new car, you can see the seats, still in the red upholstery. Hope all is well, and gimme a call when you have a minute.....Bruce Terry, I think you'd appreciate this unpublished picture taken at the 1954 Carrera, by none other than Bob Lytle May he rest in peace....
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