I originally wrote this article a year or so ago and never published it... One thing I noticed while going over it again this morning was something I missed originally. Notice the driver's name on the door? That's Chuck Hulse. He ran Indy a few times and was a really good shoe for a number of teams.
This vehicle should be used as a build guide line for any period correct vehicle Lets see, is it a 302" Or a 270? I'll have a spare one even after we change the Circus to XO (Inline 6 and 8 cylinder motors) for next season,,,,,,, Wavey Plymouth axle, the grill is not a Ford,, Desoto?
I'm thinking the grille is '33 or '34 Pontiac.......seriously shortened, of course. As for the engine cubes, probably depends on if it is original to the build or not. Could be a 236, 248 or maybe 270......a 302 would have been either non-existent or very new in those days. Neat car.
No info but it's a killer car for sure. Hopefully someone out there is doing the right thing with it.
I'm pretty sure I'll get roasted for this, but I just can't help it. Its quite obvious that it was a purpose built race car, and that the fit and finish of those times aren't up to what we do today, but..........I'm thinking that anyone other than Ryan making this post might get run off the site. Looking at the front nerf bar made out of rebar, and the wiring that could probably be tied off a little nicer, especially on a race car subject to harsh conditions and vibration, and the general fit and finish ( even though the fit and finish is probably correct for a car of this period), it appears to me that if someone were to try to replicate this car today, it would have the distinct smell of a rodent. Sorry. Couldn't help it. Roast away. I have to say though that it is wonderful that this car has been saved.
Given that the point of the original post was about preservation of this artifact, and it apparently does represent the period in which it was built, I don't see any basis for criticism. IF someone was building this today in the same manner, other than for the purpose of being an accurate replica, then yeah, maybe the standards are out of place. Jalopy racing or 'stock cars' of the '40s and '50s, even some '60s, were often crude...they were built by guys with little money and one goal, get the job done. Ray
Sorta yes, sorta no. Today, with a bit of effort we have access to more sophisticated machinery and more readily available parts. That said, the over all vehicle is well thought out. The body lines are nice, the sheet metal details indicate a detail of thought and functionality as well as being aesthetically pleasing. It is far from a rat rod. Rat rods are a sum of a collection of shit with the sole intent of creating a fetid pile of shit. As with many great recipes, a few key ingredients are needed to make something truly exceptional...see great brisket...salt, pepper, heat, smoke and time (and knowing when to stop). BAM. Flavors. Just like this T.
I find it rude, crude and socially unacceptable but I love it. Just imagine hopping in and just lettin' her rip, it would definitely be an eye opener along with all your other senses. And yes that is definitely a Chrysler grille.
Don't take this the wrong way... and I mean this with all due respect... but comparing this car to a "rat rod" is absolutely 100% off base. It's a vintage race car... Stick around, study this stuff... really put yourself in it... Learn... and you'll easily see the difference between the two. This car is simply a great piece of history. It was built to go fast using the technology of the day... and you RARELY if ever see anything so original and untouched. That's what makes it special.
Just think about all the roadsters that ran the circuit, and then they used up a lot of 3 and 5 window Coupe bodies in the same arena, remember seeing bar ditches full of fenders, pulled off and thrown away. They were almost built on a tight budget. Just look at the cars Marty Strode builds here on the HAMB. I think they are Bitchin.
Hemming's ( I think?) wrote an article on this car at some point and I found and saved the pics a year or so ago. I had never seen the car before and was completely taken with it! Every time I come across it I save the pics again just in case!
This would be a ride to set next to Ganahl's repro ride. I assume it's from the same general era. Did I see rebar on the front nerf bar? Made with what was available.
OK,just for the few that don't see as much in a photo, the dis. from the v12 Cady,is set up too fire 3 clys off one coil,and 3 clys off the other=coil dwell time is 2x greater an makes much higher volts to plugs,was the idea!! Liike EX being slit to 3 cly each side. Now the front spring if you take note,has one end with out a shackle=panhard bar so zero front end shacking,also note there is a upside down leaf under the front spring=less hang an rebound time on holes in dirt tracks/better bit in the turn. Cross WT. was adjusted in two ways,wedge at center spring mount,an or leaf cut off to one side spring tips an or heat. There's more,but pics would need too be blowed up for me.. Hope that filled in a little. From and old racer
The only non-early item I see on it is the valve cover. The top fitting went to a PCV system and there are no vents on top. The standard cover had 2. It could have been beat up and changed if it ran in the later 50's it also has a key start from what I see which would have very cool back then after getting caught in a little maylay. A quick restart can really move you up in the pack. I'll bet every flathead guy hated when this car showed up.. . Great car....
Jvo, no disrespect but I think that you have missed the boat on this. If you have the opportunity to look at an original example of a vintage race car from this era in person take a moment to study the details up close. Not a rat rod at all. Yes, the welds are not as neat, sheet metal work was done with snips and chisels but many of the cars I have seen contain some smart examples of engineering. They knew how to make those things go. Rat Rods are about a look over function. These old race cars are the complete opposite, function first which for us admirers, gives them their beauty.
Gold! Thank you for sharing your observations with the us, the unexperienced!! By solid mounting the spring on the drivers side it would act as a panhard bar, I am guessing, from only turning left, wouldn't make that much of a difference to the spring. the leaf underneath is interesting. Seen vintage road track cars set up with a small leaf from the bottom moved to the top and bolted on upside down. no clue why though.
Wow. The grille is 100% Chrysler, and while 31-34 all shared similar architecture I'm going all in with 34 C.A Chrysler; Really digging the 12 distributor. And, ratty? Well yeah, but it was right on with the rest. There was but 1 purpose. Our shit today might have 2-3-6 purposes in any given year, and it comes at near too precious price as we chop away at daily life. This is a window. So tough shit, the window's a little dirty but looking through it is the same image live and 3D. Fuck AI...
Hey Dana, thanks a lot for this!! Wish that I had seen the stuff that you did, but the history lesson was great!
Being an Inliner, I dig the Jimmy 6. I have got to make one of those gas pedals and put it in something.
It looks to me like that distributor is set up for uneven firing. did they use some kind of flat plane crank or something that caused uneven firing? And how does the double coil work? How does each spark use a different coil? Did it use a trick rotor with two contacts offset to cause alternate and even firing from both coils? That seems like the simplest solution. Did the V12 Caddies use a double coil that way?
The Jalopy Journal
