I've put over 8,000 miles on my '39 Chev coupe in a little over a year. And it doesn't get babied at all. It's done some long trips, and some things gasser type cars weren't built to do! This last weekend I drove it 100 miles each way to the Maryhill car show, just because I heard they were running the Maryhill Hill Climb Sunday, and Saturday they were letting cars run the winding hill climb course. The course is only 2 miles long, but it's 26 tight curves, with 1000 ft. of elevation gain in the two miles. Some of the corners have 200 ft.-600 ft. drop offs! I drove down the highway at noon to the hill climb course, and opened the headers. Hit the course and quickly realized none of the corners are marked! Had to get on the brakes hard to keep from going off the corner, and the 200 ft. drop off was a scary sight! After the first scare I backed off on the corners, but hit it hard coming out still. I loved the hill climb, and my old '39 Chev did pretty good for a gasser doing corner carving. At the top of the climb there's a staging area where cars park, and watch others climb the course. It was full of modern sports cars, and the people up there said they were surprised to see an old car running the hill climb, but even more surprised to see it was a gasser as it got closer and they could make out what it was better. Can't wait to go back next year and take my Austin gasser up the same course!
Man I would love to do that hill climb or a hill climb as my car is low and set up to corner relatively good; or so I think
It was the most fun I've had in a hotrod in years! The rules to be able to race in the actual event on Sunday might mean a lot of cars and drivers wouldn't qualify. The previous competition experience, joining the sanctioning group, rollbars, or roll cages depending on type of car, etc., etc. Here's a link to the course: https://www.motorsportreg.com/event...imb-at-maryhill-loops-road-bridge-city-599136
Doesn't flex, close to 1000 miles so far. I wasn't sure how much bump steer I was gonna get with the steeper angle so I raised it. Guess I could pull a spacer, but I never paid any attention to it after I hit the road
I was honored to own this legendary Georgia gasser for awhile... I still miss it!! Here's the same car in the summer of 1959; driven by builder/owner Red Stanley.
The Jalopy Journal
