"The Blue Racer" B/SR #424 "A" Roadster

I wouldn't bother wondering about the price, main thing is the car has a proper home now, whatever you paid the fact that it was a US Nationals class winner goes a long way is justifing the price. I'll dig out the old issues of National Dragster and see if the car is listed in any weekly events. Good luck on your photo and info search, to me that has been the best part of the two old drag cars I'm restoring.

 

Wow, Harms Way, just a couple months ago I was doing some internet research on the same car because it appeared likely to be one of those rare Y-block Nationals class winners. Following pic is from December, 1964 "Car Craft" coverage of the '64 Indy Nationals.


Trophy run for B/SR class honors pitted George Weiler (near side) of Birdsboro, Pa. in Chevy-powered '32 with Loren McCombs' Ford-punched '31 out of Detroit. It was a close heat all the way but McCombs won on top end with a 13.89 e.t.

I figured this must have been a Y-block since it was unlikely a Ford FE would get down as low as B/SR without a really heavy car -- and it was too soon for anybody to be racing the new 221-260-289 in that class. Please keep me posted on anything else you learn about this car.

P.S. No speed was shown in results and coverage noted he lost in first round to Memphis cam grinder Joe Lunati's Devin-bodied A/MSP which went on to win Street Eliminator.
P.P.S. From under-hood shadows, my guess is this was a rare Hilborn injected Y-block.

 

When I was a kid, around 1970, my grandparents lived in old Dearborn. They didn't drive, so they rented out space in their garage. Someone stored a car there for quite some time that my grandma called a 'dune buggy'. After some snooping and a trip to the book store, I determined it was a '41 Willys coupe (unfinished drag car)!

My brother remembers a previous tentent of the garage, a 5 window Deuce with a box full of trophys.

Steve

 

Hi Everyone,

Hey great info comming out about this car I can't thank you all enough. I just got it home tonight and Man is she rough, I want to start on it right away but I dont want to upset anything important, so I am going to do a little work to it making shure not to alter anything untill I can find out all the details, then I will start the restoration. For now I think I will roll it into the "barn" for safe keeping while I try to collect more research. I will post some more pictures soon. ( if you can find anything more on this car please pass it along to me as this is going to be a uphill battle putting togeather the history ) Thanks again "Harms Way" ( a.k.a. Cisco )

 

Here it is up and rolling, I am going to tweek it some before I put it in the barn. but it's home.

 

Very cool!

a great piece of drag racing history!

JEFF

 

That really is a fantastic piece of history, and I'm glad to hear it's in the hands of someone who will bring it back to it's former glory.

My question to you is, do you plan on repainting the car? It seems a shame to repaint the car now, after it's original paint and lettering have survived for so long. I'd love to hear what your restoration plans are. This is one of the coolest backyard finds I've seen on the HAMB, or anywhere for that matter.

 

Wow. That is great. I know this sounds gay, but maybe you oughta call Don Garlits' museum and get some tips on how to restore it. That thing is really an amazing piece of history and I'd hate to see that lost.

 

This is just freakin' amazing! I'd give anything to find something like that. Please keep us posted as you restore it-it'll be great to see it come back together just the way it was. Make sure to leave that good old original paint on it too.
-Dean

 

Thanks for your intrest Guys,
Frankly I really don't know how to aproach this car, I don't want to make any mistakes in the restoration, (But I have never had any problems cutting rare cars up before,) I am kind of concerned because it has some rust on the drivers side that I could fix with patch pannels but it would kill the paint that's left, also the deck lid got trashed just before I got it.... I am going to talk to Dave Crane, some other guys I know, and the Garlits museum is a great idea. That's why I want to let it simmer in the barn a little while while I decide what to do and collect the right parts and get some direction. I have always just cut cars up in the past to suit what I wanted. this is a whole new ball game for me. ( I also have a old custom that has some history ((and a lot of history with me)) that I am trying to get to before the 60th. Detroit Autorama I am collecting all the right parts for it's restoration but that's another can of worms. )

 

I'd contact The Rodder's Journal. They feature historical rods all the time. I'd love to see the restoration documented and featured as a car of this magnitude deserves. Heck, even if it isn't "restored" in the purest sense of the word, it'd still be cool. Not asking to give out your exact address, but how far North are you?

 

Harms Way, Glad you got the car home and undercover. Let it sit and collect as much info as you can before starting the restoration. It is a one of a kind with a history so you should do it right. I'm sure there are things on it that look crude and might look better one way or the other, but that is how it looked when it won its class in the US Nationals. I left the stick weld spatters on my Lyndwood rail because Pat Bilbow left them there when he built it in 1959. stuff like that is part of the charm of these cars. PM me if you need any help.

 

Great story. Great find. Maybe when you restore it you could tweak the grill shell and hood just a little?

 

look at dons hot rod page under his 32 roadster project he has an interesting story about matching some vintage paint on the 32. I think he went to home depot and got oil based semi gloss took in a fender or something to computer color match. I've seen the car its unbelieveable.

 

I live about 1 hour north of you,...

 

It's nice to see something preserved from the rust belt. I'm tired of all the little ol' lady storys from the left coast. Congratulations on your find and good luck. I hope to see it around some day.

 

That is just to friggin awesome,,,nice find for sure!

 

Whoah! I can't believe I missed this thread......

What an awesome find! Can't wait to see it "restored"....

 

Whoah! I can't believe I missed this thread......

What an awesome find! Can't wait to see it "restored"....

 

I had promised to post it here first on any new info I collected about this car,... well as it turns out I got a lead where Loren McCombs might be,... and hit pay dirt !,... I just got off the phone with him and he answered a lot of questions I had. But here is some cool stuff for those of you interested.

(1) Won B/SR Class at the 1964 U.S. Nationals Indy.

(2) Won B/SR Regionals at Dragway 42 Ohio 1965

(3) Was disqualified for B/SR 1965 at Bristol because this Model A
had a 106" wheelbase, was bumped to Altered class,... Loren
added a second front cross member at 103", both cross
members are still in the car.

(4) Went back to Bristol Spring Nationals in 1966 and Won B/SR
Class.

 

Cool story

 

Great story,I remember reading this along time ago. So how the car coming?

 

Well after this thread I was afraid to touch it until I got some solid history and background,... I have been collecting parts, I have to finish
the Deuce Roadster I have been building, but then I will be finishing up the Lewie Shell Deuce for a buddy of mine and starting on this car around the same time. I will probably get going on it in September.

 

I thought I would give you some details on the engine as was told to me by Mr. McCombs,

He bought the engine in 1961 from a junkyard, his machinist thought it might be a truck engine, blueprinted, they shaved the heads .035, and decked .065 off the block, Forged high dome pistons,13.5 to 1 compression ratio, knurled crank, bored out to 327 c.i.d., Isky cam,Hilborn Fuel Injection, custom built headers. all built by Leo Gonzales. ( He said he got the biggest, heaviest most powerful battery he could find and mounted it in the trunk )

The transmission was a Mercury 3 speed that he said "was really long" He said the driveshaft was under two feet long.

The rear end might have been a 57 Chevy.

He bought the car as a running Hot Rod in 1961 with a Gonzales Flathead (that he blew up), Zepher trans & 40 banjo rear end. It was light green and had done duty at Eckles Rd. and Motor City Dragway.

I hope this is still interesting to some of you guys, and I'm not beating a dead horse, this is just really exciting news for me.

 

There is a guy who hangs out at HRCC in Addison, IL his family owned a drag way in that area in those days, he's got a tone of info on the cars that ran his family track. Not sure if it will help but you never know its a small world.
BSB

 

Man,that is just too cool.
A car,some history,and someone who cares.
It's not a dead horse.Keep us updated.
Viava La HAMB!!!!!!

 

Pretty much redlines my interest meter. What a find! What a story!
What history! All this AND you manage to find the original owner!
Pics,Plaques,and trophies. Do you have plans to meet with
Mr. Mc Combs? Can't wait for you to post some pics of his stuff.

 

A simply fantastic story.
A car with an awesome history.
To track down the original owner must have made for the best phone conversation. Do you plan on having him visit his old car before restoration....that would be cool.
Keep them updates coming.
Regards
Alex

 

We will be meeting this September here in Mi., He said he only kept the "Big Deal" trophies and plaques and threw away all the little stuff from Detroit Dragway and Milan Dragway when he moved out of state,....... he said there was a garbage can full.

 

Wow! Unbelievable find. Really enjoy reading the history on finds like this.

-Troy