If anyone has any info, stories, pictures, or if you were a member please respond to this call. I know this club was around in the early 50's and went through to the early 60's and in it's hay day it had between 40 and 50 members. I know alot about this club and have lots of pictures but any more info on this club would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Donnie, Here are a couple of pics that might jog a memory or two... The first plaque is an original from the era. The second is a reproduction done in later years.
A little more info as provided by Todd... Some former members... Eddie Becker (Father owned the AMC dealership on C**** Road) Dave Ferguson (Photographer at 18th and Kossuth Street) Terry Harrington (Brother of our friend Todd Harrington) Of note: Terry lost his only original Club Plaque in a home fire... Dave LeFevre (LeFevre Garage on McCarty Lane, Sprint Cars, Bonneville Land Speed Cars, Etc) Denny Simmons (Painter) Skip Raisor (Dealership in Illinois now... Brother of local Mike Raisor (Raisor Ford) George Nelson (Owner of Nelsons Wrecker Service, now running Boy Scout Camp) Lowell Osterling (living on Franklin St, has a new V8 Camaro...) Jim Harper (no other details...)
I dont know which of these designs was used first, i think it was the first one but they both are from when the club was going, the first pic is a new casting that i believe was done by Denny Russel at Purdue, his plaque broke that was on his custom so he glued it back together (you can still see the crack line) and made a few castings at the Purdue foundry if i remember my story correctly. this summer i should have some photos of the club scanned in from back in it's hay day, including the rail dragster built by the club!!!
ok, i'm going to start making a list of known members and their cars, please feel free to post additions! Some former members... Eddie Becker: (Father owned the AMC dealership on C**** Road) Dave Ferguson (Photographer at 18th and Kossuth Street) Terry Harrington: (Brother of our friend Todd Harrington) Of note: Terry lost his only original Club Plaque in a home fire... car: (Dark Blue fastback Mustang, 396 red Corvette that he put a trailer hitch on and pulled a travel trailer around the country) Dave LeFevre (LeFevre Garage on McCarty Lane, Sprint Cars, Bonneville Land Speed Cars, Etc) Denny Simmons (Painter) Skip Raisor (Dealership in Illinois now... Brother of local Mike Raisor (Raisor Ford) George Nelson (Owner of Nelsons Wrecker Service, now running Boy Scout Camp) Lowell Osterling (living on Franklin St, has a new V8 Camaro...) Jim Harper (no other details...) Denny Russel (still lives in Dayton, still has shop, goes to Florida for the winter) Wayno
UPDATES ADDED IN: Some former members... Eddie Becker (Father owned the AMC dealership on C**** Road He owned the famous George Montgomery's 34 Ford with a Cadillac engine for years. Don Garlits bought that car and has placed it in his museum in Ocala, Florida in recent years. Drag raced a 65 GTO when new, possibly at the US Nationals.) Dave Ferguson (Photographer at 18th and Kossuth Street. Had a 32 Plymouth with a nail head Buick V8. Graduated college and worked for Ford as an ***embly line scheduler. Worked at the Mustang factory and had a new 64 Fairlane with a 289 HiPO/4 speed and a new 65 Mustang fasback with a 289 HiPO/4 speed. Said to have gotten the very first of that combo off of the ***embly line and Todd's brother Terry bought the second. Then a new 67 with 390 power. Had a new Pontiac Firehawk in more recent years and then a Camaro with an engine out of LeFevre's sprint car which "Fergie" admitted was actually scary to drive.) Terry Harrington: (Brother of our friend Todd Harrington. Cars: Dark Blue fastback Mustang, 396 red Corvette that he put a trailer hitch on and pulled a travel trailer around the country, new Vettes in 59, 61, 63 and 65 (the 396?), 49 Ford Business Coupe with lake pipes, a Merc flathead, a "3/4 race" cam and tripower, 59 Chev truck with a built 283 and quad 2 barrels, (and later in life an army tank (!), a Subaru powered hovercraft, a Viper bodied Camaro (?), an air boat, a replica of a steam boat, a V8 Pacer and who knows what else...) Of note: Terry lost his only original Club Plaque in a home fire in the last few years...) Dave LeFevre (LeFevre Garage on McCarty Lane, Sprint Cars, Bonneville Land Speed Cars, Etc) Denny Simmons (Painter, Maroon 62 Vette, Black '36 (? brain fade) Ford with white tuck/roll ) Skip Raisor (Dealership in Illinois now... Brother of local Mike Raisor (Raisor had a Dyno Shop on Indiana 38 close to Arndt's Speed Shop at the time. Also had a rare "tanker" 63 Corvette coupe with the optional huge gas tank) George Nelson (Owner of Nelsons Wrecker Service, now running Boy Scout Camp) Lowell Osterling (living on Franklin St, has a new V8 Camaro...) Jim Harper (Had a 50 Merc until saving enough money to buy a brand new 1962 Corvette. That same Vette is the one owned by Denny Simmons today.) Denny Russel (still lives in Dayton, still has shop, goes to Florida for the winter) Clyde Burghardt (Family owned a salvage yard business, Model A collection (including Model A firetruck), 57 (?) T-Bird Wayno (no additional details, black roadster?)
So the plot thickens a bit. I exchanged some emails with friend Stan "the plaque man" in California (see a great article on Stan in the new Hot Rod Deluxe.) He has 7,000 plus car club plaques but no copy of this one. Then I emailed Dennis at Alliance Vendor O'Brien Truckers (14,000 plaque patterns) and got a quick response along with the attached photo. Dennis O'Brien explains: This photo is the original masonite and linoleum pattern that was used by Speed Gems back in the 50-60's to make the top plaque in the picture (The darker black plaque above with the more simple "Lafayette" lettering - redlinetoys). From that pattern I made ten plaques for a Dennis Simmons 17 years ago (1993). I've also made ten for Steven Norfleet in 2003. I would bet from the looks of it that the bottom plaque was made by Kohler Foundry (who made plaques for Stylized Emblem) back in the 50-60's. Dennis goes on to say, "How do you know which "was the original" since they were both made over 40 years ago?" (I guess we don't know. I have heard the "original" was the more stylized "Lafayette" lettered one, but perhaps original club members had multiple orders with several vendors back then and they are both considered "original" -redlinetoys) Well, to answer your original question whether I have a pattern: Yes, I have the original pattern for the upper plaque in your picture. (And BTW, no one has the original patterns from the Kohler Foundry.) Dennis O'Brien And here is the original pattern photo Dennis supplied:
MORE UPDATES ADDED IN: Some former members... Eddie Becker (Father owned the AMC dealership on C**** Road He owned the famous George Montgomery's 34 Ford with a Cadillac engine for years. Don Garlits bought that car and has placed it in his museum in Ocala, Florida in recent years. Drag raced a 65 GTO when new, possibly at the US Nationals.) Dave Ferguson (Photographer at 18th and Kossuth Street. Had a 32 Plymouth with a nail head Buick V8. Graduated college and worked for Ford as an ***embly line scheduler. Worked at the Mustang factory and had a new 64 Fairlane with a 289 HiPO/4 speed and a new 65 Mustang fasback with a 289 HiPO/4 speed. Said to have gotten the very first of that combo off of the ***embly line and Todd's brother Terry bought the second. Then a new 67 with 390 power. Had a new Pontiac Firehawk in more recent years and then a Camaro with an engine out of LeFevre's sprint car which "Fergie" admitted was actually scary to drive.) Terry Harrington: (Brother of our friend Todd Harrington. Cars: Dark Blue fastback Mustang, 396 red Corvette that he put a trailer hitch on and pulled a travel trailer around the country, new Vettes in 59, 61, 63 and 65 (the 396?), 49 Ford Business Coupe with lake pipes, a Merc flathead, a "3/4 race" cam and tripower, 59 Chev truck with a built 283 and quad 2 barrels, (and later in life an army tank (!), a Subaru powered hovercraft, a Viper bodied Camaro (?), an air boat, a replica of a steam boat, a V8 Pacer and who knows what else...) Of note: Terry lost his only original Club Plaque in a home fire in the last few years...) Dave LeFevre (LeFevre Garage on McCarty Lane, Sprint Cars, Bonneville Land Speed Cars, Etc) Denny Simmons (Painter, Maroon 62 Vette, Black '36 (? brain fade) Ford with white tuck/roll ) Skip Raisor (Dealership in Illinois now... Brother of local Mike Raisor (Raisor had a Dyno Shop on Indiana 38 close to Arndt's Speed Shop at the time. Also had a rare "tanker" 63 Corvette coupe with the optional huge gas tank) George Nelson (Owner of Nelsons Wrecker Service, now running Boy Scout Camp) Lowell Osterling (living on Franklin St, has a new V8 Camaro...) Jim Harper (Had a 50 Merc until saving enough money to buy a brand new 1962 Corvette. That same Vette is the one owned by Denny Simmons today.) Denny Russell (Had a radical 1923 T Ford Altered drag car. Still lives in Dayton, still has shop, goes to Florida for the winter) Clyde Burghardt (Family owned a salvage yard business, Model A collection (including Model A firetruck), 57 (?) T-Bird Wayno (no additional details, black roadster?) Jack Martin (Owned a fuel injected 57 Chevy, possibly purchased new. Sold it to his brother Max when Jack went into the service in later years. Jack later retired from Alcoa and still lives in Lafayette.) Max Martin (Owned the above mentioned '57 after his brother Jack went into the military. The car was raced at the 1/8 mile Bunker Hill Dragstrip in Bunker Hill Indiana for years. Max p***ed away 6-7 years ago. His son Randy told us of a trophy he has in his garage for a Safety Check August 23, 1958.)
Here are a couple of cool current photos of Denny Russel's Lugs gear as shared by Ryan/AC here on the HAMB. Denny had several Bad A&% drag cars and I will share some photos soon.
A couple more things about Denny Russel, I think he lives permanently in Englewood, Florida now. He may still have a house in Lafayette, but he just visits up here. He broke his neck a few years ago and has a hard time working on cars now. He has a deuce vicky that he built for Cook ( I think) of Stone, Woods and Cook fame. Super nice car and I was glad to see him get it. Denny also restored the Neil East, gold, full fendered 32 roadster that was one of the top 75 at the 75th anniversary, but he never gets any credit for it. You'll never meet a nicer guy and he he is full of drag racing stories from when he used to race.
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