Visit to an ol' hot rodder's shop - Hemis to the rafters!

Ok so maybe not to the rafters, but a whole lot of cool stuff. I had the good fortune of meeting an incredibly beautiful and talented girl over drinks and, of course, the subject of hot rodding came up. She mentioned that her dad has raced for so many decades and her grandfather, 'Papa Drew', has been a hot rodder since the 50s. Anyway skipping to the good stuff, she took me down to see his shop last weekend and I was treated to more than 5 hours of local South Texas and national hot rodding history. Andrew W. is also a photographer, so the photo albums kept coming out, each one with more incredible pictures than the last. I'm trying to get him to scan them and upload. My camera started acting up, but I got a few good shots. I'll try and run some commentary, but he told me so many stories that I just sat there slack jawed most of the night. Here goes...



The belly tanker sits out front, waiting.



1933 pickup ch***is. beautiful details. down to the machined bolt heads.



His first hot rod.



Local drag racer "Hands". Anyone else knew him?



He just bought a few nailheads. 425s.





Oh and then theres the 8 carbed Hemi and the Smith OHV (only exhaust) flathead conversion engineered right there in San Antone. Everything else just went a little gray while I studied the engine. It hasn't been run, but he and his buddies have enough parts stashed to build a running one. This one was ***embled as a tribute to 'Smith'. I'll let the pictures talk, and add what I can remember. Just beautiful.













If you look in the left background you can see a stack of hemi heads. If you can look away from that beautiful flat motor...




So then I make the remark that either of those engines would look beautiful in a early ford ch***is backed with a 39 ford ****** and tying back to a quick change. And he says oh yea I got one of those over here in the corner. Come on...



So thats the best of the pictures. I hope he will sign on here and add a little to the knowledge bank and possibly scan some of his other photos. Hopefully I'll be able to swing back by there and take in a little more history.

ken

 

*****en!! Thanks for the pics and the story.

 

That Flatty is plain SICK. Totally *****in'!!!

 

She sounds like a "keeper" if dad and grandpa is into rides like that, she would DEFINATELY understand YOU having a backyard full of "projects" not to mention the family support!!! Wow not many like that around anymore!! Good luck...Ken

SORRY, FORGOT...un****in' believable pictures!!!

 

Wow! that is awesome

 

The Smith "Jiggler" is neat conversion for the 37-40 V8-60 flathead Fords.
Mr. Smith may still be living in Corpus Christi.

 

Damm.....wow....etc!

 

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

I would have been like a dog with two tails.
Killer flathead, just killer.

 

There was something else I saw today that was cool.
****s? Free donuts? Model A in town? I can't remember.
All I can think of is that damn flathead.

 

bwhahahah....no **** man!!! thats friggin purdy!!!wow!

 

Now that's pure HOTROD ****

 

Hello..Norm Frink, makes to heads also..
Duane..

 

I've been out to his place too and checked out that stuff. REALLY great guy... and yes he's got some great stuff. Did he have any Zephyrs out there when you went? I don't know how he can seems to know where every zephyr is for sale. Skullcracker and I picked up a V12 from him and it was definitely a treat to see his collection. Thanks for posting pics of that Flatty. I always meant to go back and take some pics, but never got around to it.

 

Local drag racer "Hands". Anyone else knew him?
________________________________________

"Hands" Hardtkauf (sp?).. From Austin Tx. I knew him well. In the 60's, he raced a '56 Chevy.. Had an Iron Cross painted on the door. He raced occ***ionaly at the, now defunct, Golden Triange Dragstrip in Beaumont. He had a disease that made his hands, feet, and head grow abnormally large.. he p***ed away way too early in life from that disease. I lived in Austin for a brief period of time in the late 80's.. I met his brother during that time..

Nick

 

Oh my Gawd! What a flatty. If my eyes could bug out any further, I'd have to squeegee off my screen!

 

That flathead is awesome! The hemi's are pretty cool too.

thanks for the pictures.

 

Speechless.....

Rat

 

Is that what you call an "art galery"? Unbelieveable. Thanks for the peek.

 

pictures of the daughter next please.
thanks for the photos and the story, get that dude to sign on and say 'ello.
more info on the flatty? what was done to it? I guess I'm a have to google "smith jiggler"

 

I have never seen a conversion like that.
Those are cooler than any Ardun.
Thanks for sharing. What a treat!

 

The coolest !

 

I hardly ever post, but this is worth it!

1. When do you propose?
2. This gentleman is a true hot rodder and has some of the greatest stuff I have ever seen!
3. Did anyone notice what this true hot rodder has powering his awesome 33 pickup ch***is?

I love the pics and you are fortunate to have made such friends. - Jeff

 

That Flathead Is The Sickest Thing I Have Ever Seen.... Wow

 

Too Cool!!!!

Rusty

 

I grew up in San Antonio during the 50/60's timeframe. I don't know if it's the same person but I remember hearing about someone named "Hands" that could supposedly torque headbolts with his fingers. Probaby was an urban legend but.....

 

Hands won lots of races and, indeed, was a bit of a legend.. He definitly wasn't superhuman strong.. He was fierce compe***or, but he was always ready to help a fellow racer. The most unique thing I saw him do was "field strip" and repair a carburetor.. Those big hands of his were really agile.. He could pick up a mounted 8 inch pie crust slick by gripping the sidewall grooves with his fingers..

 

Thanks for all of the replies guys. I tried to take in as much as I could and share it here, but some got lost in translation. I'm remembering bits as I read the replies and I'll post more as I remember. Whenever Drew gets on here, he can fill it all in.

JohnJoyo - he had a 39? Zephyr in the yard, but it was too dark to get any pics. He also had a pile of V12 parts that will be an engine one day. He told me a couple of stories about the owner of S***, but I can't remember all the details. Probably just about those parts.

RustyPile - Drew also had nothing but good things to say about Hands. Said he was running a super high revving small block (9000 RPM) in the 56 and that was winning him races back then. He also used a weighted flywheel rather than a lightened one.

The Smith 'Jiggler' was just a conversion for the exhaust. The intake valve was still in the head, but buy separating the center exhaust ports it cooled the head and freed up the flow enough to be good for a 60hp increase. Double the original hp. Also, if you look closely at the right head, you can see flathead screws in the top of the rocker arms. This was an earlier design that was manually lubricated. The left head had the oiling integrated. He said that one of the toughest things to get right on the engine was the end of the pushrod where it meets the rocker arm. That wear point was always a problem. Now they are trying to build it with a ***anium rod.

I'll try and add more as it comes to me. Thanks

ken

 

I never got to meet Hands myself, but my Dad, and my buddy Delmar knew im. Delmar used to be the tech inspector and has some good stories about him, and my Dad built some motors for racers that ran against him, got to set down with Hands and talk motors more than once.

the story goes they knew he was weighting his car but could never find it. After he died they found the wieghts under the headliner.

 

Did someone say that Smith lives here in Corpus? Got any more details on that?