Old helmets are cool, I have a few helmets but a little bit different. The first one is a fiberglass surfers helmet painted for MAS ( Minnesota auto specialties) by Dave Bell in 1965 next is a metal flake red white and blue helmet that my neighbor across the street gave me. The foam inside is hard and crumbling from age. Next is a steel chrome plated German helmet that I picked up at a swap meet. I know nothing of it’s history Next are a couple of Ed Roth plastic surfer helmets. One metal fkake that I had Roth autograph at the rat fink party in the late 90’s. As soon as he saw it he claimed that it was his and was stolen when the hell’s angels broke into his shop in the 70’s. The other is a chrome plastic one that was a reject when new and Dennis Roth gave me a few of them , he said they used to mix fiberglass resin in them. and last while not really a helmet, they were called “hillbilly crash helmets “ this one is a legit Roth piece from the 60’s
Model C Harley Davidson . I have a yellow one similar to the one Ryan posted . I’ll try to get a picture soon . Ive bought a few and had Drag Daddy work his magic on them with sharpie art .
Old helmets indeed are very collectable, especially when they have a certain sentimental/historical element attached to them. I built this solar powered, port and starboard safety helmet, for my friend, so she could ride around at night time on her bicycle, for the 2019 "Burning Man" gathering. I added a sturdy adjustable chin strap, so that it was stable. Just in case any of you are wondering what it cost to construct this, back then in 2019, total cost outlay was at $165.00. It was worth every penny of it, to give it to her, free of charge, just so that she could wear it at night time and be safe out there in the total darkness of Black Rock City.
I’m not a helmet collector, but I do have one that means a lot to me. It’s the helmet that the late David Mckindkey wore in the late 40’s and early 50’s while racing his Madis OHV Ford 6 powered roadster at Carrell Speedway. It was given to me by his daughter, along with the Madis engine and his 1927 T roadster pickup hot rod. Here’s a picture of David wearing the helmet back then, and how it looks today.
Top row are old Buco and the like - one of which I painted (and will try to include some detail shots. Bottom row is mostly my “daily’s” - which like your first racing helmet are largely off topic
I volunteer at the REVS Museum in Naples Fl. Mr. Collier has over 100 I am told. Have seen many but most are in the archives. Mostly worn be famous drivers. He also has many drivers suits in the collection. The coolest I think are the two on display in the Dan Gurney display cabinet. One is the first "Safety" helmet made by Bell and then the first full face asl made by Bell especially for him because he was so tall his head stuck up very high in the cockpits. He also has on display the Behra helmet Designed in the 50's as an early safety helmet complete with chin strap.
A few shots of the helmet collection at the Museum of American Speed (Speedway Motors) Museum in Lincoln NE: I thought the "2D" helmet one was especially neat, since it had a photo of the race team and the car behind it: And of course, not every piece of "headgear" on display was a helmet.... These are just a few of the helmets in the collection - the whole display case took up pretty much a whole wall. Quite a sight to see, especially when you do consider the history and stories behind them. Cool thread!!
Yeah, I was a young Roth groupie who ordered a surfer helmet from an ad in Car Craft magazine. I think a buddy of mine put it on and rode off on his Stingray bike and never brought my surfer helmet back.. Dammit.
Not exactly my collection, but, my collection of helmet head friends having fun, lol (And yes I have more)
The knuckle Draggers are always thinking of safety. lol I even found one of Timmy using his for a pillow.
Damn that thing is barely there, better than nothing, I guess. When men were men . . . This thread is going to rock.
Only have two in my collection. My green flake Buco is from kart racing days. The white Bell is from my ‘59 Panhead riding days.
Fun stuff. Collections are displayed, Hords are items that are stashed away or stuck in a corner with the idea that they will be valuable some day but have no personal meaning and one has no intent to use them.
I picked this one up because the price was right. I managed to rub out a lot of scuffs. I can't find any maker's marks on it but it reminds me of the helmets used by the 3-wheel urban police patrol and the sporty car drivers back in the late '50s, early '60s when I was just starting to get behind the wheel myself. It has a styrofoam liner and a 'military' type chin strap, if that helps date it. The last pix has new-age ski goggles slapped on just as a prop...... so those aren't the real deal.
One of the pieces I’ve had longest…don’t know any of its story, it was an eBay score a long time ago. Prized possession for sure! No relation.
Back when the helmets were as basic as a helmet could be, some didn't even give the ears any protection at all!
Here's a super cool scalloped helmet that has seen a little action I saw this summer at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in York Springs PA.
The Jalopy Journal
