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Customs Fangio Coupes

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Erik Andersen, Aug 7, 2016.


  1. In the long-distance historic rally scene 'Fangio' style late '30s Chev coupes are popular - the great man having competed in Chevs in long distance rough-road races in pre-WWII Argentina before he became famous. From what I can see they were given increased ride height, and most dramatically the guards were cut right back, any running boards chopped off and a lagged exhaust run externally down the p***enger side.
    I'm thinking of doing the same to my '50 Olds 88 for my Lap The World and have been looking around for photos of 88s with cutaway guards - found just one but I like it. Anyone out there seen that done or something similar to the 'Fangio' treatment for any early '50s GM B-bodies?
     
  2. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,412

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Woo... 2nd thread in 5 minutes that has some "vintage" rally cars. I took this shot at the 2011 Amelia Island Concours. The car was part of a Chevy factory display of race cars and I think it was one of Fangio's. But I don't have my show catalog at hand to confirm it. Gary

    For others who might want to see what else can be done to an old American car, see:
    http://www.sportscardigest.com/peking-paris-motor-challenge-2016-report-photos/
    http://www.sportscardigest.com/2016-peking-paris-behind-scenes-photo-gallery/

    dsc_0956.jpg
     
  3. ratamahata
    Joined: Oct 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,438

    ratamahata
    Member
    from Argentina

    Ford coupes with the V8's were winning all the races, so Fangio think if I choose another brand like Chevrolet maybe I can pickup a good amount of fans!! That's why he raced with Chevrolet!

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  4. I think you're both right. From what I can find out the 'Balcarce' car in gnichols' photo is the original - I've got 'Q' in my photo tags of what I think is the same thing because I'm not entirely sure- and thanks for the links to photos from this year's Peking to Paris. A key element of my Lap the World project is aiming for the 2019 Peking to Paris to complete the loop.

    Ratamahata - fantastic to get a response from Argentina!! When I was researching what car to try and use in Peking to Paris in 2019 I saw all the "Fangio" Chev coupes doing the ERA rallies and loved the look but there were too many already being campaigned. I had a bit of a look at those pre-war Argentinian results sheets and EVERY race was won by Fords except for when the great man was driving the Chev!! I was seriously thinking of going late '30s Ford and giving it the same treatment but a few such Fords (far fewer than the Chevs) seemed to be getting involved in ERA events and I kept looking. That's when I discovered that the Carerra Panamericana had been won by Ferrari, Ferrari, Mercedes (& lots of cl*** wins for Porsche) and Ferrari, .....plus.....an Oldsmobile! Digging a bit deeper I was blown away by the history of the first Rocket 88s = as well as winning the Mexican road race, they cleaned up NASCAR for years, set records at Daytona etc etc.
    As an Argentinian, is there any way you would be able to help me find out what mods were done in the late '40s and early '50s for the old Turismo Carretera cars? I'm modifying my 1950 Oldsmobile for long distance off-road rallying and I understand that even in the '50s the Turismo Carretera courses still had lots of rough/gravel/off-road sections so it would be really great to know what racers were doing to their cars in that era to make them better for that use.
    I haven't been able to find out if there were any Oldsmobiles racing there at that time - the results I can find in English only show the Ford V8s winning- but the early '50s Rocket 88 was killing the races up north so it would not surprise me if people were racing them in Argentina at that time. Finding any info about Oldsmobiles racing at that time would be great but even knowing what people were doing with other branded cars would be great.
    I can't even find much about the Buenos Aires-Caracas race in 1948

    Cheers
    Erik
     

    Attached Files:

  5. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,412

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

  6. Hadn't seen that article, thanks for it! Does show just how far from stock the compe***ion is. I'm talking to Tony of Ross Racing Engines about my donk (that sounds weird!) and with that and probably a Muncie or Richmond manual and a '57 'early Olds' 9.3 diff my drivetrain should be fairly bulletproof. I'm trying (and so far failing miserably) to track down a '50 Olds 88 convertible ch***is for the extra strength and robustness but may end up strapping and/or boxing the coupe's C-section frame. They are tightening the rules going forward and I'll have to stick with drum brakes, and lever arm shocks - one good thing is because Airlift was a period modification for Rocket 88's in NASCAR I'll be able to use Airlift's modern, virtually identical, in-coil airbag.

    The last round of photos are very small because that's all I could find for the great Argentinian races through the '40s or early '50s - any better ones would be most appreciated. Similarly I couldn't find much in English about the Buenos Aires- Caracas race of '48, which was some ridiculous length measured in thousands of miles all done at an average of over 80 mph which was about the Daytona Beach average in 1950!

    BTW, I bought my Olds in Tampa!
    Cheers
     
  7. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,412

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Tampa, eh? Well, if you are ever headed this way....
    Prep-wise, safe to ***ume you have been looking at all the period Mexican road race cars / revival events, too? Gary
     
  8. ratamahata
    Joined: Oct 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,438

    ratamahata
    Member
    from Argentina

    Ok! Erik! Will try to help you with some info! I leave you a link with pictures of the BS AS - Caracas race!! Later I'll can explain what happened in the race!!

    https://www.google.com.ar/search?q=...dpr=2#tbm=isch&q=la+buenos+aires+caracas+1948

    http://www.historiatc.com.ar/foro/index.php?topic=793.0

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    Last edited: Aug 8, 2016
  9. ratamahata
    Joined: Oct 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,438

    ratamahata
    Member
    from Argentina

    Other great pilots with Chevrolet were Domingo Marimon winner of the Bs As Caracas and Eusebio Marsilla a moral winner of the same race, People begging to called "Lord of the road" because in the Bs As Caracas he Stopped to help a friend who was raced and injured in a crash, loosing several minutes in your way to the finish line!
    Tragically some years later in another Turismo de Carretera race, Eusebio found the dead near to my town, just some minutes ago Eusebio was p***ing in front of my town, when lost control and hit a cement pole!



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  10. ratamahata
    Joined: Oct 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,438

    ratamahata
    Member
    from Argentina

    Impressive images of the crash!


    uploadfromtaptalk1470748183360.jpg uploadfromtaptalk1470748209926.jpg

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  11. ratamahata
    Joined: Oct 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,438

    ratamahata
    Member
    from Argentina

    Oscar Galvez was the Ford Idol of the people, Oscar with Juan Galvez leadership the competences by 15 years! Fangio was the Idol with Chevrolet!!


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  12. Thanks guys. Looking at the rear mudguard cutaways, by 1948 they were all pretty much just hacked right off!
    That crash is mind blowing.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     

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