And yet, it's sort of one of my favorites from this batch.... Dunno why. This whole batch sort of reads like a creative kid that got a new camera and doesn't quite understand how it works yet. Like the compositions are pretty solid, but the technical aspects are all over the place. In any case, I'm pretty sure these were all taken with a box camera.
The first thought I had clicking through is that some of these look like they were taken as reference photos to use later. The engine, frame, and rear panel shots look like they could be taken during the time he was building his roadster and the lakes shots were ideas he wanted to borrow from? I'm probably optimistically wanting to think that was the case, but it's fun to imagine.
I don't know the tools needed and if the lenses help with it, but this detail shows one aspect that you touched on with your experiments and how old film is different than receptors. Three different focal lengths are amazing and 'true' to what is being captured. Our eye can quickly adjust in person, but when looking at a photo, our brain 'knows' and can even calculate distances by how much less info is presented. This one shows Tom's hand more than the others. I'd guess every artist or worker will have duds, but this one seems to more like the previous pictures.
That one is wayyy too far gone for my skill set. I wouldn't even know where to start. Plus, all I have is a scan of a print. Motion blur... he's sweeping the camera at the same speed of the car driving by while the audience is stationary. That along with a slowish shutter speed and the film grain gives you that feel. This sort of reminds me of the horizontal shutter in combination with the speeds of Bonneville... The "Forward Rake" if you will: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=14760
Most definitely early construction shots of the red roadster. I'd say that the engine shots are the start of a homemade manifold for the supercharger. Seems there's also a strong interest in the blown modified.
I noticed there are no manufacturers name on the flathead finned heads. Was that very common? All I’ve ever seen have names on them.
Chrome headers, polished no name heads, polished two carb intake, bobbed frame horns, this has the makings of a nice A V8 hot rod. Cool!
A little more info on this car....it ran in SCTA LSR events 1946. The two license plates in the background of the dash/gauges pic look like California 45/46 tags. "Don and Bruce Blair ran this Modified powered by a Ford flathead and a prewar Mercedes supercharger, in 1946. Nicknamed “The Goat”, it recorded the second fastest time at the SCTA meets that year with 141.06 mph.” From a Rockerhead (RIP) post: "In 1946 Don and Bruce Blair (Gophers club) ran this Modified with a prewar Mercedes supercharger on their Ford flathead V-8 engine. The recorded 141.06 mph was the second fastest time at the SCTA meets that year. In the 1950s that blower sat on Don's used hot rod parts shelf waiting for the next buyer. Then it disappeared and do not know where it went. Note that Don was not wearing a helmet when he started his run. The car was nicknamed "The Goat". Later the Modified would be cleaned up and painted to be a good display for the Blair Bros. Speed Shop. Don was a good friend to all of us Pasadena area racers. Don"
I like them all, but especially the first pic with the Caddy engine. Wonder what frame is holding it?
Yeah based on what we can see it’s 41-8, the brakes are 46-8 so most likely it’s a 46-8 ch***is with the center X member replaced and I’d ***ume the rear as well to narrow it up etc.
The AV8 I believe is Jim Nairn’s which was built along side John Athan’s car as they shared a lot of the same details. Those snap shots are amazing and the detailed shots are purely because he’s a “builder” making note of every little detail for future reference sometimes disregarding the car itself. I don’t feel so crazy having a phone full of similar kinds of photos whenever I see something I like. Inspiring stuff
Yes, it is Jim Nairn's roadster Along with these photos, heads were Nairn, some had no name others were cast with small NAIRN couple from my collection Car still exists, it is roadster Tom Leonardo Sr. owns
Lou Figaro photo. I like the chromate paint on hood side appears to have a '32 Aluminium pan and heads with 'NAIRN' Ron Brooks posted this
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