Flint H.R. History '46-'53 with a West Coast ending

Thanks for posting this Matt. I too went to GMI starting in 1962. Bill Waddell was our shop teacher. It was sure cool going to his cl*** as he always had "projects" going on some of his outside adventures. He would do the machining on them at school when his home shop couldn't accomodate what needed to be done. He would sometimes use these as teaching aids to show us how to solve real world problems.

Now, I may need some correcting on this but I remember a '38 Ford pickup that had a nailhead and turbo 400 trans that he swapped in. It looked like a factory installation. He did some of the cleanest work I've ever had the privilage to see. As I remember, he told us that the '38 was bought new by his wife's dad and had never left the family. This is where my memory may be faulty so someone fill in the blanks.
I remember a MG roadster he built that would stand proud today that he ran at Bonneville and used to tow it with the '38. That MG was out of this world construction wise. Everywhere you looked there were hand made brackets and linkages. It had a SBC w/ hilborn injection as I recall. The last time I saw it was at the Detroit autorama on a trailer hooked to the '38 and was being displayed by his son.
Bill built the T400 trans for our record holding SS/EA Camaro that withstood over 300 runs being dropped into 1st from neutral at 6,500 rpm. When he heard we were doing that in an effort to keep ahead of the 440 6 pak Roadrunners which were invading the cl*** he had us pull the trans out and bring it back as he was worried about the converter exploding with the stress that was being put on it. He tore the trans down while we were there and put it back together with all of the same parts (said nothing looked worn) and when he checked the converter the stator only had about .002 more endplay than when he welded it together. In those days there were no converter companies supplying stall speeds for drag racing so Bill built his own.
I was really bummed when I hear of his p***ing and wished I had kept in touch the last years of his life. He was truly one of the unsung pioneers of hot rodding and I believe he raced at Bonneville from the late 40's or early 50's until just before he p***ed away.

Frank

 

Sounds like you have a lot of neat stories to tell Frank, wouldn't mind spending the good part of a day talking over coffee with you some time, as long as you don't mind me taking notes

I wrote a big long deal, spent a bit of time on it...I was scanning in some pictures and thought I may have posted them already.....anyway, I ****ed up and closed the window deleting what I had typed

Anyway, here are some pictures I Haven't posted

Oh yeah, Frank... this is the MG you speak of, it was a Sports car, then he turned it in to a Drag car and then a B-ville car...

The second pic is when his son ran it in '91 (can't remember how he did with), it had a V6 in it then...

The first is in '88, one year before Bill died (he's in the middle) the car did't perform the way they had hoped...

 

I do the same thing at cruise nights. Pants also though.

 

I don't like to make the other guys feel bad about their own shortcomings so I keep my shirt on.

 

I thought I would bring this thread back to life, I had the pleasure to meet Bill Waddill's daughter Kathy and her husband Art Ridley, at the Flushing A&W cruise. The old truck is in great hands, and it was neat to sit and chat about Bill, and alot of other Flint stories. While we were talking, a guy named Jerry Coale was introduced to me, he now owns the Henry J that Bill campaigned after Regret. Jerry is the owner of Holly Automotive Supply, in Holly MI.
Flatheadpete and I are trying to convince Kathy and Art to register, and share some of the memories, and Jerry has been lurking here.
It was great to put some additional names and faces together, and the stories were priceless.

The following is a picture of a picture (sorry, no scanner) that Jerry gave me of the Henry J currently, he did not have the car with him last night.

 

I have just joined and am still figuring out how to post, etc. I wanted to tell everyone that I have really enjoyed reading the postings in this thread about my dad, Bill Waddill!!! My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting some of the HAMB members at the Halloween Cruise at the A & W in Flushing, Michigan a few weeks ago and I have been meaning to write ever since. I hope to reply to all who have posted messages about my dad, and will when time allows.

 

welcome to the HAMB!

 

Kathy, Welcome to the hamb!! I have been talking with Jerry through e-mail recently...I hope sometime soon Jerry your husband and yourself can come to the shop and visit for a day,

Here is a link to another thread I posted on Regret and your Dad!!
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64442

E-mail me anytime ihrs1932@sbcglobal.net

This gave my Dad goosebumps

Matt

 

Hi Matt!!!

I am going to try and catch up on all the postings, etc. that you have and try to answer some of your and others' questions. First of all, the History of Regret and this Flint Hot Rod History thread that you have written are fantastic. Your writing is very nice and very readable!!!

A little note on the Genesee Gear Grinders: a new book by Fred Thomas is coming out soon with almost a whole chapter on them. I think he has just submitted it to the publishers for consideration. I will let you know when it is out. He has told me that the '32 roadster is in Ohio and that the current owners have moved the rear wheel wells back to their original locations, as I guess my dad had moved them. I am not surprised!!! Then I met a Kenny D****r just recently, who said he was Gear Grinder no. 2, and he thought the car was in Michigan, and was going to look up an email that said that. He is the guy in the '32 roadster on the Hot Rod cover, not my dad. I heard the story and was laughing like crazy. It seems my dad had gotten food poisoning and was in the bathroom when the photographer came over to the car. Kenny drove it outside for the picture then the photographer wanted someone in it. Afterwards, when they found out that it was on the cover of Hot Rod magazine, I guess "Bill" was very angry!!! The car was black, but they made it purple to show up better. I think the current owners thought it was purple because of the Hot Rod cover, and it is now purple!!! Kenny still remembers this story like it was yesterday!

Another of your posts says you have my Dad's Life History--how do you have this? It is amazing how many people still talk about him, and know so much about him even though he has been gone for 17 years! Their dog, and the one that went over to the neighbors when he died washing the Porsche to go the A & W Cruise was an Alaskan Husky. I currently still have this car and drive it in the summer.

The picture that you posted with Regret on the trailer is being pulled by a '53 chopped top truck--it is not the Bonneville truck everyone is talking about. There were two Bonneville trucks. There was a '37 with a chopped top, and there was a '38 that was my grandfather's truck. This is the truck my husband and I have restored that Flat Head Pete was talking about! My brother Bob just bought the '53 from some guy. I don't know what he is going to do with it; and he says it is not in very good shape. He will probably just add it to his "collection." The '37 is the one that towed the '32 to Bonneville. I am not sure that the '38 towed the Crosley to Bonneville or not--it was not the MG. The rear view mirror of our truck still has the Bonneville tech inspeciton stickers on it, so it towed something.

Who did the sketch of the Crosley with my dad's picture on it? I loved it and would like a better copy, if possible to add to my s****books. I have 4 volumes of ephemera, if you ever want to come over to look at them!!! When he died he had kept almost every car registration of every car he had ever owned. It was like a cl***ic car history in car registrations!!!

Who took the photo of him putting on/taking off his helmet at Bonneville? That was in 1988, and he was the second oldest driver there. We were there to watch, and the car was not running right. I remember making parts runs to Salt Lake City for the car, to no avail.

What issue of Hot Rod magazine was Regret in? I do not know if I have the entire issue or not. I have a pretty comprehensive list of all the magazines my dad was in, and so far, have them all--thanks to ebay!

I have not heard from Jerry Coale lately. He must be busy at work. I sent him a couple possible days to come to visit you, but did not hear back. I am looking forward to coming to the shop to visit too, and I hope it is soon.

That is all for now, and I will email more later!
Kathy

 

Edit: Another of your posts says you have my Dad's Life History--how do you have this?


My Dad has been in contact with your brother (Bob I think)..

Ohh, and the drawing is by Roy Peterson...I will get you a copy, indeed...

 

Hi Frank!

I just wanted to post a quick reply to your posting!!! I did not know that my dad taught at GMI in 1962, as a shop teacher. He was not a qualified educator, but had all of the practical experience anyone could hope for!!! I am amazed that he taught!!!

Your posting is right about the ownership of the '38 truck. My grandfather bought it new in Detroit in 1938, then sold it to my mom for $1 in 1962 and was driven by anyone who needed a car (3 brothers), then the engine was blown up in 1969 and parked in the garage. When my mom and dad died in 1989, we got the truck as part of the estate and took 8 years to restore it. It was in pieces when we got it, but daddy had saved most of the parts, and had taken the running boards off and stored them! He was getting ready to restore it himself when he died. He was going to chop the top, but we did not do this, as we went more for the "Gramp era." We have had a lot of fun with the truck and won top 75 at the Sloan Show in Flint and Mayor's Choice for Best Truck at the St. Ignace show. It still has the Buick 401 Nailhead and 400 transmission in it!
Kathy

 

Thanks for the great posts about Flint and Michigan hot rodding in general. There is so much car history in this state it's hard to believe.

 

Hi Big A!!!

Who is your dad and what cl***es did he take from my dad at GMI? Please take notes when he talks about my dad, so I can add them to my s****books! Did he ride in the '37 or the '38 truck? There were two. See my other postings to distinguish between the two!!! I have enjoyed reading everyone's memories of my dad. He is gone, but surely not forgotten! I have not figured out how to post photos yet, but check back to see if I have done so!
Kathy Waddill Ridley

 

I never knew your dad, as I grew up on the opposite end of Michigan. I started working out of Flint in the early seventies and heard much about him. Saw some of his work. A fabricating genious. Read all the magazine articles. I moved to Holly in the early eighties. Met a new neighbor that was part of the rod scene in the fifties, was introduced to Jerry Coale and Jerry has been my hard to find parts savior since.. A true parts guy!! The Henry J.. To casually look at the car it looks like a typical g***er of the era. BUT, put a stock Henry J next to it and you can see all the subtle well done mods. Like how it's a bunch shorter etc.

 

The modifications on that car are unbelievably subtle, as they had to be to p*** tech inspection!!! It seems that he could not leave well enough alone and chopped and moved elements on most of the cars he owned!!! What parts for what car are you getting from Jerry in Holly?

 

Kathy I just sent you a pm....wasn't sure if you were hamb savey yet.....haha

upper right corner of the page, click on private messages......just in case.

Thanks,
Matt

 

Here is a link to a video of Bill's Henry J at the track, and some info on the car in its current state. http://www.henryjcars.com/hjc11/kec/hjbwmovie.html

I have known Jerry Coale since the late 70's, He is the go to parts guy in north Oakland county. He has done a great job of preserving the Henry j, as has Matt's dad with "Regret"......both are beautiful cars with great history.

Matt, Thanks for taking the time to p*** on all this history!!

http://oldtin.50megs.com

 

I am going to try to post a photo of the truck that shows its current condition!
Kathy

 

This thread keeps getting cooler and cooler to read with all the additions from everyone. THANKS!

 

My dad (and my grandma for that matter) used to work at GMI and most his crew still does. He used to be the one that took care of the company car fleet and did all the new car ordering. My dad told me that one time Bill had him order a white van for him that he converted into a trailer haulling truck type thing and that it looked like it was a factory job. That is the thing he said he remembers most about Bill is that everything he did was so clean and done with such quality that you would swear it came from the factory. He also said most the stuff he remembers Bill building or buying was white and always clean...

He also told me that my Grandpa, Bill Turner/Aldrich, used to hang out with Bill when they were younger. I guess the cool hangout was the old Superior dealership in Flushing but it used to be located down closer to the pointe (where Dominos is now), and that anytime they would be stumped working on a car Bill could show up and have a solution in just minutes. My grandpa has long since p***ed away so I can't talk to him about it, which ****s. Also my dad told me that my grandpa used to be a circle track racer back in the 40's and 50's and apparently my dad has some old black and white photos of his cars that I'll try to dig up, scan and post this weekend.

I'm glad this post came up because I would never have known this stuff. I knew my dad was a motorhead growing up and always loved muscle cars but I had no idea about my grandpa and his circle track racing days.

 

Cool history lesson. I'm still looking for info on my Roadster, seems like a good thread to mention it in, here's a link to some photos, mine is the Blue Roadster, it was in the 1955 Autorama. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/autorama55/album?.dir=1717&.src=ph

 

Hi Kathy.

My dad, Paul Montgomery, was at GMI in the mid-fifties, before your dad taught there. I'm not sure how they knew each other, except your father installed the supercharger on my dad's '55 Chev.

The truck my dad remembers is the '37, he said it was chopped... and fast.

It's funny that this has come back up. I was driving with my dad last weekend and he was saying how, realistically, he probably has 8-10 good years left in him (he's 71). He said, "I've owned pretty much all the cars I'm going to own, but I still want a chopped and rodded pick-up like Bill Waddill's. I guess I better get on it".

Yes dad, you should.

 

I remember in HS we use to go down to industrial ave. and watch the races, until the cops would show up. Where do they race now?

 

Now it's a bunch of ghetto-slammer wannabes drinkin and being ****in' retarded. On Fri and Sat nite, however, the fast cars go out and race on I-475. Usually starts after midnite.

 

Do you mean it's like a mini rap concert?

 

Uhhhh.....exactly.

 

That's really cool. My grandmother's family lived in Flint from the '20s on. My grandparents lived there in the late forties and my dad was born there in 1946, I'll bet he'd find that interesting.

I'd like to go back and find their house, but I'd be kinda scared!

 

When we were at Denise's house stuffing calanders I told HotRodDrummer I had an old picture of Bill Waddill winning a race. It took me a while to dig it out.
This picture is from 1954. It's on a paved road in Livonia. This was before any drag strips were in Michigan. The Hot Rod Safari was in attendance. About 100 feet after this picture the pavement ends and it becomes a dirt road.
It would be neat to figure out where exactly this happened.

Den

 

I believe that's one of the access roads to the Hyrdamatic plant in Livonia. What's it called now? GM Powertrain maybe?

 

In fact, that looks like the transmission plant immediately in the background. I believe that's the same one that burned in '52 and left all the Olds Rockets stuck with Dynaflows.