Projects Help identifying this Vintage Lakester?

Sweet - not to hijack, but you know who this guy is right???

 

cool pictures

 

Bebe (CanepaGirl) - To the Off-Roading community it might be important that he's Wyatt Pemberton ... but to the Traditional Hot Rod & Custom community, all that really matters is that he's a fellow HAMBer!

 

LOL - he's one of our favorites too. I've been a fan of the Triple Nickle Racing for a few years now. Great Team - great Guys.

 

The rest of the 353 car:





the Belly pan





The seating LOL



It used to be Orange

 

So we went to the wheel trailer and picked out some wheels:






Then we went to the block trailer and picked a sweet 302, built by my Pop. Aluminum Rods and pistons, ARP studs and gear drive:





Went to the head trailer and picked out some Heads - machined by Pops





And a fuel tank



We have the frame, the rear end and front end as well, and will be picking it all up next weekend.

 

353 needs a resto! I would start with theat 59 sticker and look for event pictures, Harms Way will may even have them or know who does.

 

I found a link to the 1958 Program here on the HAMB, I think HEMI 32 may have a copy of '59?

 

Wow - I'd love to give this a proper home!


and replace the plastic tub on my T...


Hope everything works out for you. Looks like a whole load of memories piled high there.

 

Wow, great Family & Thread

 

Thanks Rich for re-connecting me with the Schmid's. We are going out to see them this week and get together and remember pops.

 

Bebe (CanepaGirl) -

The '58 (OK City Nats) program was something I posted in my The 1958 NHRA Nationals HAMB thread ... unfortunately, I do not have a copy of the '59 (Detroit Nats) program

I performed a quick search of the HAMB for 1959 NHRA Nationals pics & info ... but (so far) have found zilch regarding a "Modified Roadster" resembling your father's (orange, maroon, or ?) "#353 roadster"

I also re-watched all 27+ minutes of HRM's famous "Ingenuity In Action" film (about the 1959 Nats) ... but again, didn't see any footage of a roadster resembling the "#353 car"

click thumbnail to view film
​

 

Thanks, I've watched it twice now ...I did see another 59 Nats program on e-bay for sale today.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-NHRA-N...intage_Sports_Memorabilia&hash=item4ab507024c

I'm wondering though, in the early programs 1-10 years, it doesn't look like numbers were on the "roadsters" as permanent numbers. It looks, much like the early days of Bonneville, that the numbers were assigned at registration, and they were put on the cars with either some left over paint or white shoe polish.

I found the pages that someone put up (you?) of the 58 program, and was going to scan through it for a description of the roadster.

Also I noted in that very same thread, that the dash plaque, which is exactly like the one on the maroon car could not be authenticated, and, while doing a google image search, noted that you can buy one exactly like it today for $5.99.

I do not know when my pop purchased this car or how long it's been in storage.

There are portions of the car that are galvanized (turtle deck and dash), and the paint prep was not as advanced as it is or has been in the last 20-30 years, heck maybe even longer (etching treatments and etching primers have been around for quite a while).

You can see where now that it's been brought out, the paint is coming off in huge flakes. I'll be bringing it home this weekend, and collecting all the paint chips in a bag. I have enough pics on hand to record and re-create the beautiful hand painted pinstriping.

 

Unbelieveable. Good luck with it, seems like all is under control. Just an amazing collection.

 

is there a signature on the stripe work anywhere? i like the style and it could help id the car somewhat.

 

I didn't see any, I will take a closer look.

Any opinions on what type of car this is? Roadster, Lakester, Track T, Dragster???

 

bump for the question above

 

Drag Car and a roadster, and a track T styled car.

 

anymore help for her?

 

I will pull out my late 50s Hot Rod mags & have a look. I got to say the cut down commercial grille is out of place. Obviously it is for that roadster with the maroon paint and white stripes but the rest of the car is/was at one time a lakes roadster, the reason I say that is the single hole in the rear deck for push bar the belly pan. The way the wheel wells are filled and the button snaps for a tonneau. The cowl has been cut which I showed earlier was a common late 40s early 50s lakes trick. When drag racing took off many lake roadsters were repurposed for the drag strip which I guess has happened with 353.

I will go thru my mags in the next couple of days and see if I can find anything.

 

Excellent forensics. That what I was thinking but knowing nothing about history of drags and lakesters, I didn't want to say.

The 1959 NHRA Nationals sticker is definitely added after the car was painted and striped, and it was proudly displayed in the center of the dash.

 

And I noticed that while the inside on the bucket had previously been painted orange, the underside of the hood was a bright greenish yellow, the grill was sprayed with a bronze paint.

 

BTTTcause this thread is sooooo incredible!

 

Here is another piece of the puzzle I haven't decided on:



Notice in the right outermost corners (rear) of the belly pan, there are approx 3" diameter flanges that exit the pan out the back. At first I thought exhaust, but there is no tunnels for it in the pan. Maybe wheelie bars???

The corners are trussed for support, any ideas?

Also, you can see a cut out where there may have been a quick change in it, and it was later replaced with something else?

 

btt

 

Looks like the rear axle hit....

 

Maybe he was jumping it

 

Sorry for your loss, losing a family member is always difficult. I do want to thank you for the history lesson and all the machinery you have brought back into the light of day.

Great thread.

 

I am thinking exhaust too.

I too am sorry for your loss. He left you a great time capsule for a legacy.

 

Thank you for the condolences.

When the car is on the pan, how would you get the exhaust back there?