My old pal Tom Prufer called last week and wanted to know if I still had my louver press. It turns out he is putting together another dragster and it is being built here in Salinas by Steve Davison. I don't own the press any more but I still have access to it. Here's a few pics of the job. I haven't used the press since I sold it some years ago. My friend Greg hasn't changed a thing on it. It was like working with an old friend again. It was a good day. Thanks Tom, Steve and especially Greg.
Here's a little more info on that old louver press. I originally bought the press from a guy in Visalia in the mid seventies. He told me he got it from someone in Compton, CA. It looked exactly like this when I got it. He mentioned the Compton Speed Center??? Does anyone remember it from those days (late fifties & sixties.) The press was originally built in Salinas by Bob Betzer?? who sold about eighty of them at the time. His ad is in the very early Hot Rod magazines. He would load three presses on a trailer behind his new 57 Ranchero and take off on a trip punching louvers as he traveled. He would sell the press if someone wanted one and go back for more when they were gone. In the seventies he started the Goodtime Louver Company selling basically the same machine with a few improvements. Wilhelm & Winfield both had one just like it. This was high tech stuff in those days. RodP
Jerry Gene told me his first one was left in Arizona when his shop was in Phoenix. I tried to buy it before I got this one. RodP
Back in the 50's early 60's a guy would take his to the car shows around the Washington,D.C. area,people would bring there parts to the show to get them punched. don't remember who it was.
Rod, Can you tell me big the louvers are? length X width X height. I have been to Gregs shop before , but I never saw that...Donn
That's just one corner.. and only his shop.. he has another garage, more "showroom".. Greg is a good guy.. A great guy to have your old press Rod.. So when do you wanna louver the hood of my toyota? haha -Juan
Juan We could do it at the Payaso party. Maybe Sparky would lend you the Suicide Girls to help hold it while I punch the louvers. Can't guarantee it will be straight though. RodP
I built my press from one of his "good times louver" kits. Didn't know that earlier history. Great things about his presses are the indexable die heads, and the depth/height of the throat which allow one to work odd shaped pieces of metal with ease. Lots of homemade louver presses are real shallow and really were made just to punch flat sheet metal such as electrical panels and really are limited in use. Your earlier press with its round pipe doesn't look that much different from his later designs. In fact I could see its heritage at first glance.
I had heard of Good Times Louvers, as I remember their adds, and even know of two people here in Alberta that put together presses off the Good times parts kits (One is still in operation in Spruce Grove, Alberta, the other may now be in a sheetmetal shop in Grande Prairie, Alberta ( I heard they bought it @ auction from the shop that had it, as they used to sub out louvers to the shop that had it) Anyways, cool to hear of the history prior to Good Times, as that I wasn't aware of.... James
Found some images online.. <img src=http://davidsonracecars.net/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/PICT0119.231200901_std.JPG> <img src=http://davidsonracecars.net/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/PICT0120.231201611_large.JPG> http://www.davidsonracecars.net/the_cackle_car -Juan
The Jalopy Journal
