Hot Rods RayDay Speed Equipment

Some time ago I acquired a small hoard of speed equipment that was pulled off a hot rod Model A in 1956, and the centerpiece of that collection was a cylinder head made by "RAYDAY SEATTLE".



Seeing as I'm from Seattle, and I'm building a prewar/wartime hotrod A, it will be the centerpiece of my engine bay. But, like many you here, I'm a glutton for history and information, and ever since getting the parts, I have been looking for more info on the RayDay company and the products it produced. That's where this thread comes in.

Other than a few poor-quality scanned images from an unnamed book, there is little to no information to be found on RayDay. I have scoured my collection of old local area phone directories (I have as far back to 1932), and have spent the odd minute searching the web and other sources for anything that might shed some light. But further information is scant at best. I have pieced together what I believe to be a brief history on the subject, but there are a lot of holes:

The company is on a list of companies in Washington state, on a state ledger published in 1918. Ray Day Pistons Inc. was Headquartered in Tacoma (Where I currently live).
In 1922 the Ray Day Co. of Tacoma placed an ad for performance Motorcycle Parts in the May issue of Popular Mechanics.
Polk's Detroit city Directory states in 1928 that the Ray Day Piston Co. of Seattle moved to Detroit
I have found multiple references to them being the OEM supplier of pistons to Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg and have located, online, an NOS box of Ray Day pistons for 1928-30 Huppmobiles.
In either 1932 or 1934 a "Ray Day Piston Special" front-wheel-drive racer was campaigned, presumably in Indy.
A 1934 adverti*****t claims that they make parts for P***enger Cars, Racing Cars, Trucks, and Busses
There is a photo of their factory in Seattle, in the USC archives, dated c.1935.
A 1941 trade journal describes them making Aluminum pistons and other cast parts for defense purposes.
Then there are a few blurbs in a few newspapers regarding labor disputes in 1941 and a strike in conjunction with the union at Chrysler in 1943.
After 1943, I can find no further information on the company.

So, we know that they started, ostensibly, in Tacoma in the late teens and had moved to Seattle between 1922 and 1928 when they moved their main operations to Detroit. However, they at least continued operation of their Seattle factory for some time after moving to the Motor City. They were successful and reknown well enough to supply some big brands and sponsor a racecar during the darkest days of the depression, but by the time WWII rolled around they became mired in labor issues and appear to have faltered, or were absorbed by another company (Chrysler maybe?) during the war.

With a fairly long period of operation, one would presume that they made more than a few parts that made their way onto, or into, hot rods. And I can't reasonably ***ume that all of their products were melted down during the wartime s**** drives. So, if anyone here on the HAMB has any other info, or parts, from the Ray Day Piston Company, lets build a database here and nail down the history of what is one of the earliest speed equipment producers.

 

A picture from the USC archives, dated 1935, of the Ray Day Piston Company's Seattle factory:


And a 1934 ad (I believe from Motors Annual) extolling the company's products:

 

Cool history lesson. Sure hope some folks can come up with more information.

 

And here is US Patent 1522709, invented by George C. Austin of Tacoma, Washington, and ***igned to a Mr. Ray E. Day:

 

Well thanks for the history lesson. When I was little my dad had a friend that ground cams for bikes, his name was Connolly . He had a knuckle head that had Rayday pistons and to this day I did not know what a Rayday piston was.

 

Have you approached Walt Austin there in Tacoma?
May be some connection.

 

Very cool hearing about this since i reside in tacoma wa!

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I gotta be honest. I kinda want one of these heads. I also wonder if there is any relationship( doubt it) but my grandfather on my mother's side last name is Day.

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I used to coach a girls softball team and we had a pitcher named June Day. I always wanted to spend a day in June. That never worked out.

 

Heyistnate ran one of these around 2006 on his banger, it was sweet!

 

Very cool

Any new updates?

 

I’d suggest contacting the Secretary of State to see if they have records of the business and when it was dissolved.