History Auto racing 1894-1942

Would love to see photos of these cars! The Fiat-and what it was like with the Pope engine,etc.

 

Originally Posted by The37Kid (#1643)
... The road wheels look like wood spoke wheels but were stamped steel, two stampings welded....
.........................................................................................

So why on earth didn't Henry use metal wheels on the T..?
Just asking, as he certainly had the techno-how.

 

The Autocar factory was about 10 minutes from where I grew up- burned down when I was little (in the early 70's).

 

Sorry guys, this one will work...
Hg

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5639

 

Here is a before and after photo. Don't know much about the photo.
HG

 

I'm sure it was a cost factor, and I'm not sure how strong the stamped two piece wheels were vs wood spokes. Autocar didn't make the wheels, they were manufactured by an outside supplier. I have an add for the wheels, company nane escapes me. Being hollow they rot out from the inside, it took a frind a long time to repair four wheels for his Autocar restoration.

 

That's Howdy Wilcox in the #16 "De Luxe Taxi Special", a Model T Fronty. My guess would be Sep 18 in 1927, at Danville in Illinois.

Thnx for the link to the Tacoma site!

 

another Howdy wreck Altoona 1923

 

I'd guess Sankey or someone probably had the patent and Henry didn't like paying royalties, that and there was probably no shortage of cheap wood and wheelwrights at the time.

Kurtis, thanks very much for those!

 

Remember Henry was not a nice person to deal with

 

Thanks everyone for the welcome. I've been lurking here for years and it seems like some of you have become "old friends" even if we never met. This thread and the Vintage Sprint car thread have become a never miss option for me. It still amazes me how all this information about stuff that happened as much as a century ago can be garnered from all over the world with just a few key strokes. I hope that someday some computer whiz kid will be able to organize and catalog all this information--it would be a shame to lose it. I'll be lurking here.
www.buymegivemetakeme.com

 

Spendingtheirinheritance, That is exactly what amazes me about the HAMB, we all have pieces to so many puzzles. When I run across something of interest I remember someone else is looking as well. Case in point is the FWD Christie, found these photos in the January 28, 1905 issue of Scientific American.

 

Great early racing post on Hemmings Blog about W.Gould Brokaw, link below.


http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/...-gould-brokaw-the-real-jay-gatsby/#more-21485

 

He speaketh from the cold!! How's the weather over there?? I'm ready for spring.

 

The Houpt-Rockwell I have found out was indeed raced in other events, in the NY Times I found out that one placed well at the 1910 Port Jefferson Hill Climb. It was owned by Harry Houpt and driven by Stanley Martin to a 1st place win in the over $4001.00 cost new class.

The same entry also placed third in the 24 Hr race entered by Harry Houpt in the 24 Hr race at Brighton Beach covering some 950 miles. It was again driven by Martin with relief driving by Hartman.

 

I know my photo of this original is poor, but does anyone know what the car is? Big motor small chain sprockets.

 

Wow! Another Christie connection, just after I posted 3 photos!

 

Things are slow here,so here is a Fronty I found today.

 

Herman Schurch at Woodbridge N.J. board track he drove both cars #6 and #88. Must have been low buck racing if the car and trailer shared the same wheels and tires.

 

The car pictured here was driven to 18th place by C Glenn Howard in the 1922 Indianapolis 500. It has the early model R rocker arm 8-valve head.

 

Four more that ran at Indy more that ran at Indy. These were sponsered by Barber-Warnock an Indy Ford dealer. All I believe were equiped with the SR head.

Left; 1923 Fronty-Ford L. L. Corum, finished 5th.

Middle; 1924 #28 Fronty-Ford driven by Alfred E. Moss (Sterling Moss's father) finishing 16th.

Right; 1924 Fronty-Ford #27, driven by Fred Harder, finished 17th

Bottom; 1924 Fronty-Ford #26 driven by Bill Hunt, finishing 14th.

 

Three types of bodies made for the track or road. The later Paco bodies had staggered seats they and the Speedway bodies were very attractive. There were many more companies that also but bodies.

 

Aurthur Chevrolet with Sig Haughdal.

 

If you go through Model T Ford speed equipment catalogs they share the same illustratiions with many parts. I always wondered who made what. Morton & Brett were in Indy and sold FRONTY heads in their catalogs. I think it is a fair guess they supplied the bodies to the Chevrolet brothers.

 

I like this photo, I've never seen the car with the Fronty Ford logo. Guess the photo in the Fox INDY 500 book was taken before the lettering was added for the race. The one piece flip back hood is unique for the era.

 

One of the earliest overheads a Craig-Hunt SOHC 16 valve that was driven by a very light duty chain. Also shown is a non Ford steering box which was a necessity on any fast road car or racer.

 

The Near Ford engine with used a specially cast block with what I always thought might be a modernized Craig-Hunt head converted to gear drive.

 

Did you notice there's no chain idler? I'll bet that chain whips around under load.

 

Whips around under load......you bet...... I am sure it broke under load.

 

Robert Roofs second version of a cylinder head an eight valve rocker arm. His first was a sixteen valve that was somewhat troublesome because of vacuum leaks and rocker arm problems.