I know that Henry Ford made the V-8 affordable in 1932, but I also know that Cadillac was selling V-8's starting in 1915. And I also know that people began racing cars as soon as there was more than one car. So, were early hot rodders ruling the streets with Caddy V-8's in Model T's or Model A's before 1932??
Four bangers were the motor of choice in those periods, even the Ford flathead v8 didn’t start gaining the popularity a****st hot rodders until the late 30’s.
Stovebolts and 4 Banger Fords were king of racing back in the 30s thru 40s. The early 50s really ushered in a huge Flathead v8 push, and then the OHV craze took off also, by late 50s the flatheads were getting less common in many circles as the OHV Caddy, Olds motor, Nailheads and some SBC had become a motor of choice along with the beloved HEMI! Before 32 it was primarily bangers, maybe an inline 6 or 8. Early luxury car mills were not cheap at that time.
Yes Ford bangers,, but many got highly modified by Miller, Frontenac, Rajo, Roof, and others. One fellow that used to help out in our shop, told me once the first most important thing was pulling off the fenders. Folding or laying back the windshield was important, though often done as a statement
Probably on a horse track between 1910 and 1915. Cars stripped down of everything that they didn't need to run and go as fast as they could. http://www.cchsm.com/resources/photos/cc_transportation_history/1915auto_racing.html What goes on at the race track transfered to the street not long after. Cars depreciated like crazy back before WWII and a five year old car usually didn't have a huge price on it and if it had a bent fender or two or the top fabric was getting ragged the price got more friendly when you didn't plan to keep those pieces. I remember my dad telling about him and his bud Lyle Browning going to the local wrecking yard and dad bought a sedan body off a car in the yard for 5.00 and they pulled the rather ragged touring body off what served as the family car for my dad's parents and bolted the sedan body on so my grandmother and my aunts and uncles who were younger than my dad had an enclosed car to ride in in bad weather. I don't remember my grandmother ever driving a car though.
Dad's first car was a '34 Studebaker straight 8. Kept him buying new Studebakers right up to their final year in 1966. I was 16 when he took me with him to the small Studebaker dealership in Corunna Michigan where we placed our last order for a brand new Studebaker Commander. He let me pick both the color and drive train. (Dark Blue metallic/283/ 3 on the tree with overdrive.) I have owned a lot of newer vehicles over the years, but the versatile Studebaker Lark types have always remained my favorites, have owned 7, but now at age 75 am down to 3 Lark's and a '48 M-5 pickup. By all accounts dad was a teenage terror with that Indy winning straight eight and I seriously doubt that any of the 4 bangers of the day presented much of a challenge.
In 1964 I worked in a one car space for an old guy repairing starters and generators. He told me that he raced Model Ts when he was young.He said he had long hair and combed it all back and when he combed it forward, it hung down past his chin. This was before hippies
"They finished the team-best third in 1932, and in 1933 their top-finisher was 7th. And actually the 7th to 12th cars were all Studebaker-powered," From the Studebaker National Museum.
so the big event in most HAMB minds is LARS happening this weekend....but so is the Montana 500 It is a timed, endurance, 500 mile race across Montana for Model T's The car has to be stock T with some leighway on the head, for compression, and cam. The winning car engine is checked, even with tear down to verify. One upper contender was disqualified in 2022, for having non Ford script connecting rods... The link to 2022 results https://antiqueautoranch.com/montana500/results/2022results.html Link to 2023 results https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=37128 The #1 and #2 top finishing were disqualified for carburetors......the the person performing the "tech check" post race had a 'go-no-go' device to check the throat bore...he actually broke the carburetors checking...my point though look at their average speeds....54.25 mph and 54.24 mph respectively average speed. 4 bangers were the birth of auto racing and the aftermarket speed industry grew from its banger roots I have a conflict this year...but this time next year I am going as an observer in my T Bangers still Rule in their own fashion
Hot rods as we know them got a big push in the twenties when companies like Rajo, Frontenac, Waukesha and many others began making speed equipment for Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet and Es***. Their idea was that an amateur could build a race car to compete on the dirt tracks found all over the country. These home made racers would not be as fast as a Miller or Duesenberg but could be made for a fraction of the cost and if everyone was on an even footing, you would have some close exciting races. This speed equipment found its way onto the street often with racier bodywork and lowered ch***is.
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