Don Waite's rear engined T roadster is on my top 5 lakes roadster list. So I thought I would start a thread about it. Don first ran the roadster in 1948 with a Cragar head 4 banger in the rear. In 1949 the roadster was channelled and streamlined with track nose and bellypan, engine was upgraded to a flathead merc in the rear, Don set numerous records in both S.C.T.A. & Russetta sanctioned meets, Don's roadster was cl***ed as a Lakester in '49 S.C.T.A. season (in 1950 it competed in the new modified roadster cl***). By 1950 he had the fastest known American roadster having turned 160.71mph. Final power plant was a Hemi in the early 50s, car was continually modified and was finally retired in the late 50s. if you have more pics please post.
If you will look at the picture where Waite is in his garage, you will see that not all of the hotrodders had big garages that were **** and span in cleanliness. I was impressed with the car when I first saw it! In 1948 TraderJack
such a cool car... i love the removable rear engine "cradle" so genius and ahead of its time... would have loved to have been around to see that thing tear down the salt...
Not sure who owns it, but it was under restoration, I'm hoping it will make an appearance at Pebble Beach this year.
Very cool car and I'm wondering about the rear engine location. At the time, weight distribution to rear wheels was probably not as important as it came to be in drag racing. And I can't see any obvious streamlining benefit. So, was it done for the sake of convenience to be able to take the whole motor/drivetrain ***embly out quickly as a single unit? Anybody know the real story?
G'day Goober, sorry I didn't reply sooner. Cars did lose traction so the extra weight on the rear helped but the main advantage was that there was no driveshaft going thru the ****pit so the driver could sit right down in the middle with only part of his head sticking out. Roadsters with a channelled body, bellypan, track nose and rear engine made for a really low profile and extremely aerodynamic race car so much so the S.C.T.A. made these roadsters run in the lakester cl*** during 1949. In 1950 S.C.T.A. formed a modified roadster cl*** for roadsters like Don Waite's.
Good stuff Jimmy. I think Whitey Clayton built the nose from a Joe Gemsa dirt car. Whitey also built the body on the City of Pasadena streamliner for Marvin Lee and the Osgood roadster that surfaced some years back. Remember that one?
I just had the amazing opportunity to speak with Don Waite on the phone! There are times I wish I were in California, so that I could more easily meet all the old-timers who were there.
thats cool hows don doing? i had the previlage to work on his *****in 32 roadster about 8 years ago a real neet guy a real peice of hot rodding history. maybe you can pm me his # so i can talk to him. billy
That’s an incredible achievement for the day. Never heard of him or his roadster/lakester until now. I’m very interesting in the coolant plumbing as I have a rear mounted rad in my speedster build with a flathead. Doesn’t seem to be too many pics of that thing on the interweebs.
I know my opinion is probably not a popular one, but that car is a clone. It is not the original body nor the original frame, therefore it is not the Don Waite roadster. The original track nose and some original parts does not cons***ute the original car. Too many people seeking fame and profit in hot rodding nowadays. Just my 2 cents.
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