History Michigan 1930's-50's Sprint car and Roadster pictures Thanks Frank Schroeder !

I was over to visit a very good ol' buddy a lot of you Michigan people will know, Frank Schroeder from Franks Antique Auto Parts in Burch Run,.... well Frank and Tom's dad Bill Schroeder was a popular Owner/Driver/ Builder of sprint cars and Roadsters from the 30' through the 50's,...... Frank was kind enough to share these family treasures from the "special cigar box" with the HAMB family,..... Enjoy !

Thank you Frank !

 

More,......

 

Those where great Harm's Way. Thanks for posting them.

 

More,......

 

Just when you thought it was safe !





Bill and some pals,.....


























There you go !

 

Great pictures. Thanks. I bought a bunch of parts from Frank about three weeks ago and he wasn't doing too well. How was he today?

 

Yeah,... Frank looked like death eating a cracker a while ago, He looked really good today. After he got out of the hospital the pain was gone,..... Anyway he got a apa***e again,.. he is putting on some weight and his color is really good,.... He is talking about building another Hot Rod, and he seems to be in great spirits,... after I left you guy's at the Exit Restaurant I went over to his house and spent a few hours with him,... Tom showed up and we all had a great time.

( To those of you that know Frank, please keep him in your prayers, even though he is doing better, he is still facing some challenges,... Thanks,.... )

There Dad Bill started the Boy's early ,.....




There kinda cute in the pictures,... I wonder what happened to em' ?

 

That number 2 car is cool. What year would that have been?

 

I think he said it was 1937,....

 

Thanks Dennis, I've been waiting for these since you were talking about them earlier. Great pics.

 

I love the old pictures. It is a great comparison of midwest style hotrods to cal. lakes roadsters of the same prewar era[big/little tires,deuce shell,banjo,heavy axle].would love to see either car in action. Wishing good health to the owner,and thanks for the history lesson.

 

Wow, those are really cool man, thanks so much for sharing. mY dad waas a racer in the '40's and '50's too in N WI. I just lost him not too long ago and looking at these made me remember all his stories . . . that's what it's all about isn't it. When I was up at the Salt Flat races last year I spent an evening listening to stories from an old race car driver from Boise who still holds many speed records today, what a night.

 

Excellent pictures, next time you speak with Frank, send him my best, and tell him thanks for the photo show. -Joe

 

I got to know Frank's dad, Bill, over the years that Frank had his hot rod shop at his dad's place. Let me tell you he was one tough old buzzard, very much in the mold you'd expect of those old dirt track boy's. I remember that whenever he was around both Frank and his brother Tom would jump whenever he said anything or gave any orders. I got the impression it was from a long line of *** kickings administered when they were young.

Frank

 

THANK YOU! Those are great shots, best wishes to Frank glad he's had them tucked away all these years. The first photo shows Gus Schrader in his #5 Offy that was restored by the late Chuck Davis. Got to see it at Hershey many years ago, this was before Chuch got into MILLER restorations, wonder who has it now. Here is a color version of that pack of Midgets from a 1940 issue of Legion Magazine. I'm not related to Bob Swanson but I do collect anything related to his career. If somewants to adjust the color on the photos it's fine with me.

 

Dennis, what's the story behind the hole in the side of the #11 roadster? Did he discard it after removing it from the ch***is, or fix it?

 

Bill went through the fence at the Saginaw track, went right through the Horse barns and a piece of the gate opened up the roadster like a can opener, and broke Bill's back, the car was scavenged for parts and then junked.

 

Best wishes for Frank, please thank him for sharing his pics with us!

Kudos to you for the post!

 

Good pics!

Thanks.

 

Just got off the phone with Frank,.... he was real happy to share this stuff with you guys,... seems his computer is to outdated to get on the internet,... so I think I will see if I can find a good used one for him,.. he would be a really great addition to the HAMB if I can get him up to speed.

 

Look at the level of detail that went into this car. Chrome!!! My god it's beautiful.

 

The Frame was plated as well,....... ( even though it's hard to tell in these pictures)

 

very cool...thanks for postin em.

 

Bump,..... just in case you missed it,......

 

WOW! Great pictures, thanks for sharing them.

 

Wow, I can't believe I missed these pics way back when. I didn't realize hot rodding existed at this level back then in Michigan.

Thanks for sharing this.

-Dave

 

A lot of high level Hot Rods and race cars were built in Michigan back in the day,... There were a lot of very talented auto industry and technical personal here,.. and remember, Michigan was indeed one of the greatest (If not the greatest) Industrialized states in the entire country,... and some say the world.

California had the great year around hot rod weather, the dry lakes,.. the publicity ,... and most importantly all the publications,... so it would make perfect sence that they would cover the Hot Rod scene in California first and most often....

However, Michigan,.. and mostly the Detroit area was eyebrow deep in the Auto Industry and all facets of Auto styling, performance, research & development,... And most importantly,.. Racing & Auto enthusiast's

I know that California believes it gave birth to Hot Rodding,... but the truth is, Back in the "teens" Henry Ford was building stripped down race cars, and running them hard on a frozen Lake St Helen, as well as good ol' Barny and those goofy Chevrolet Brothers in Ill. And it's been going on,... non stop right up to today,..... But lets keep this to our selfs,.. no sence in upsetting the west coast Brethren.......

 

WOW! Cool stuff.

Thanks for staring it, Dennis.

Al though I've heard of Frank for a number of years, I have never had the opportunity to meet him. Hopefully that will change some day soon. Wishin' him well.

 

Very cool pix.Thank's for posting them.I first met Frank in the early 70's he was selling antique parts in a garage that was attached to his house,bought a ton of stuff from Frank over the years.Hope he is doing well.......PINCHER

 

Great pictures of an era in racing that we will never see the likes of again when ingenuity & hard work ruled the day & homemade was the only way. Michigan, Ohio, & Indiana were central to the whole thing & still carry on the tradition of those days of dust & glory on dirt tracks in small towns on warm saturday summer nights.