A lot of responses to my first post asked that I keep them up-to-date on the build. So this is my second posting regarding my roadster, it's history with my family and my Pop. Here is the link to my original post in case you want to read this first. If you haven't read this first, some of the references I make in tis will be tied to what I've already described or explained in the first post. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232944 I have posted more pictures of the original fabrication Ray did to the roadster as well in part 2. To other HAMBers that might have any information about the South Gate Gaters, please contact me. Cyclone Kevin let me know his Uncle grew up in Maywood/South Gate and was a Gater back in the day. Hopefully I'll hear and learn more from Kevin, cool stuff. So one of the cool stories my Pop tells me about going out to El Mirage was when he'd sit in the roadster next to Ray. One of his jobs as a passenger was to keep Ray from getting a ticket driving through town. Since the race headers would be attached/uncorked and would stretched just past the passenger-side door, my dad would carry a coffe can to place over the end of the header in case cops came into their line of site. Apperently this would help quite the sound of the exhaust enough to sneak by. HA! Dismantling the Roadster As I disassembled the roadster, there were a number of fabrication alterations that I shared in my last post. Here are a few more interesting finds. Somewhere in here is the original steering hole mount. Since the steering box was changed from the original A box (to a 1932-34 steering box identified by other HAMBers, thank you) the steering column had to be adjusted to mount under the Auburn dash. After speaking with a few ol' time lakesters, placing a few slotted mounting holes helped locate the steering column to its new position. You think Chip Foose would do this on a clients build?? Heh! I posted more detailed pictures of how Ray attached the 32 center Xmember. I get a kick out of how they welded this into place. OK, so what's with the saw tooth edge on the k-member? What did they use, drill holes to seperate it? Top shot of the welds on the Xmember. Unfortunately, I never learned to weld but I do know a good weld when I see one. Ehhh...this one got the job done...and it did hold together going 115.97mph and had lasted over 60+ years...I'd say it passes. I posted a picture of the split wishbone bracket on the passenger side last time. Here is a picture of the drivers side. Same nice textured bracket on the other side but I haven't figured out what the small bracket just to the left is for. If you look close at the frame, just behind and above the bolt on the bracket there is a vertical weld in the frame. I found out that the frame had been repaired where it split. Hmmm...take a look a the next photo. In the C-channel of the frame I found this L-shaped piece of steel bolted on the inside to support the structure of the frame and the weld on the outside. This repair is right under you ass when you sit in the car. Ahhh...the thrill of it all! One thing I learned from the removal of the rearend and spring was that, if you remove leaves from the springs to lower the car, you need to fill the gap where the leaves once were. Case in point, weld filler pieces into the U-Bolts that hold the spring to the frame. Notice the one on the left has two pieces...yeah...the bottom piece of steel is a bolt with the head cut off, can you see the threads? Here is another entry from the original SCTA program that has information about my roadster. Look at the Gaters section and you'll notice the Ray Pyle info and my roadster. You'll also notice the penned information about Regg Schlemmer and Emil Dietrich both Gaters. Regg actually tied in the individual point championship in 1947 I beleive. His T Roadster graced the first cover of Hot Rod magazine. If you haven't seen this already, a knock off of this roadster way built to commemerate Hot Rod's magazine's anniversary. http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/1927_track_roadster_cover_car/index.html Ray Pyle Unfortunately, I don't remember Ray. He passed away in the mid 1980's. He moved out to Lancaster, CA which was pretty much desert when he was out there. After he passed, my dad asked his daughter if her dad still had any car parts at his home. She didn't know but allowed us to go look if we wished. My dad and I drove out there one afternoon. He lived out in the middle of nowhere. It was a small one or two bedroom home with a car port but no garage. An old 60's truck sat in the drive way. We went around back and poked through an old shed. There sat an old B-block with a hole in it where a rod had shot through. This was at least promising that car parts where at the location. I don't recall what it was but we'd noticed a car part sticking half way out of the shrubs and desert sand. We then noticed these small piles of sand and shrubs all around the yard. We started poking the sand with stick to see if we'd hit anything. I didn't know it time but we struck gold. There we found the 2-Port Riley Head that ran in the roadster. My dad remebers that Ray ran a Riley head and that it had been cracked. We checked it and it was still cracked. I hate to tell the rest of the story because some time later, 2 or 3 years down the road, we sold the Riley head. Even though it was cracked, I cannot believe we sold the dog-gone thing. UUGH!! Now I feel depressed. There is more to this story on how and who cracked this head that I will reveal in a later story. More about Ray. He was a true American hero. He was fortunate to have survived the WWII, coming home with a purple heart. During WWII he served as a belt-gunner in a B-17 bomber. From all accounts that I've learned, this was a very high risk job. He served in Ridgewell, England in the Eurpoean campaign. This an aerial map of the landing strip in which he was stationed. He was in the 381st Bomber group, 534th squadron. These are the inginia for the group and squadron he served. I'd like to incorporate the Squadron Dragon into my car somehow. I haven't decided what I might do. I'll take any suggestions. This is a picture of "The Fox" the ship he flew the most missions. This is a list created bt Ray of all the "ships" he flew in during WWII. Here is a picture of Ray at his shop/gas station. It looks like he was salvaging inner tubes. His daughter Linda told me he didn't much like having his picture taken. This shot looks like the photographer knew this and caught him off guard. Can you identify the convertible in the background? I've got my roadster nearly cleaned up and ready for assembly. I'll wait a few more weeks to post another segment on the progress of my roadster so that I have some thing to show for. I'll also reveal the story behind the cracked head. Stay-tuned, Chris
Thanks for the further history of this interesting time. You are now the "caretaker" of an important historical auto. I wish you all the best in the preservation.
This is amazing! Thanks for sharing.. I hope you can get the riley head back! althought i doubt it.. but hey..the HAMB has done wonders in the past!
Thanks, very cool story and pics. I had to do the same thing to my U-bolts on the rear of my car, I did a little cleaner job of it though!
Those "saw tooth cuts" look like a series of close spaced drilled holes were used to "cut" the crossmember out of the 32. Way cool project you got there.Please try to preserve as much of it's original character as possible.
Thanks for the update. Very well organized post, the way they all should be. Cant wait for part 3. Chris
Great post... I noticed there were 34 missions listed, but not a 35th. Early in the WWII air campaign, crews had to fly 25 missions. Then it was bumped to 30 and eventually 35. I assume Ray was flying during the time 35 missions had to be flown and he just didnt enter the name of his final plane. Love the story of the car and the background information is awesome. Keep the posts and pictures coming.
He got a purple heart so there is every chance he missed his final mission due to injury. Thank goodness for people like him!
Hey Chris ...... I ran across this old post and wondered how you were coming along with your car. Maybe I've missed some of your other "update" posts. I think that car in the background is a 47 or so Buick. I really enjoyed reading about Ray. Bill
Pretty cool. You could get an A-2 jacket and put The Fox noseart on the back and the squadron patch on the front.
Bill, A couple of cool events have taken place since this last post. Go to the last link first to see the ride of my life with my Dad in the drivers seat. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302836&highlight=miracle+makeover http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349723&highlight=miracle+makeover http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362924&highlight=crewl+world My last ride has been the Father's Day LA Roadster Show with my Pop. We had a great time there too. I have a bitter gas tank that's keeping me off the road. I gotta get back to it so I can drive it and take it out locally. I miss driving it around. Chris
What a story and piece of history. Chris I wouldn't worry to much about the welds since thats a big part of how it was done back then. No doubt they have proven there worth for many years and smoothing them out would only remove Rays way.It also proves it's roots in the spirit of competition and how it was "really" done back then.
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