O.K.! I think I got it. Here's some shots taken at the "Corkscrew" at last August's Monterey Historics. Enjoy!
I know this is an older thread. I appologize for bringing it back. Great thread. Does anyone have more pics and info on this car?
Well, it's an MG, of course. The front mounted blower suggests that it may be a K3 Magnette, built in the early '30s, although I thought the Magnette was a somewhat larger car. Metalshapes, can you help?
me? I will check when I get home from work. I think it is a hot rodded J2 built to J4 specs. (but it could be a real J4, but only 12 were built or something along those lines). 750cc's of supercharged glory. vroom vroom (Mazda ain't got nothing on this one)
and I defer to the great Senor Bluto. He's right, shorter bonnet, wheel base amongst other details...hot "M type" = "C type". I am slacking in my old age.
My 120SE was a racer until the late/mid 60s from the info I have from the PO. It raced on the west coast. Cotati..Paramount Ranch..Vacca Valley. Sometime in the mid/late 50s it was..like many old racers..converted to SBC..and ran C/M. When I got it..it had just the single full sized bucket..and a tiny passenger seat...bolted in roll bar..(useless actually)..and some interesting mods. It was not street registered again until 1973..and incorrectly titled as a 52..but it is a 53..built 1/3/1953. Most of the chrome was in a box..still has the three holes for the race wind screen. It was a special order SE from the Jag Hertitage info. I have restored several old Jags..but this one just seemed right to bring back as it was with the SBC. I bought it in '74 with a GMC 6 and three speed..that was put in when given to the PO's nephew who hated the car..hated Tucson..and hated the U of A and wanted out of this "shithole..hick town"...and back to NY. I helped him get away..bought the old Jag and it's been with me since. I restored and modernized but did it sort of period..camel humps..old single plen Edel..kept the drums (but got rid of the unusual drums and four proportioning valve system). No rust anywhere..ON A BRIT CAR ! Met metalshapes this weekend at a car show with my Jag...with his Capri monster..good guy..knows what he speaks of.. I get a lot of the "you ruined it" crap from those who don't know the history of those 50s and early 60s SCCA cars..where Ferraris..Masers..300SL..were converted to V8 for the shorter high torque tracks..and airbases they campaigned. I kept some of the early mod'd stuff..dual radiators (second in right wing)..enlarged 150 rad..bladder tank. The adjustable hung heal and toe pedals are still there..and are a challenge for those not acustomed to them. Interesting adjustable cross bracing to tye the frame rails up by the nose..individual adjusters on each drum..with cooling tubes routed from the facia vents. No interior..but seats in a box. I have searched Tams site..and many other sites for a chance photo..but still looking. Finished it 10/06 after 22 years of working on it. Kids eat money... Didn't know if I'd live long enough..but dam..I did... I am not a show guy. I prepped the car for the show with a 150 miler down Sonoita highway..and around..nice ride.. PS..metalshape..I won at the show..
LOVED the old road racing "hot rods and specials" from the 50's, especially the ones that stayed more stock (track-ish roadsters?) and didn't get massaged into sports racers. Think Brock Yates and his restoration of Duffy Livingstone's nr 184, the Eliminator! Recent issues of Road and Track and other car mags have had them at Monterrey and racing with the classics at Laguna Seca. I heard of some some shop up in Oregon that was actually making new reproduction road racing roadsters, but have never seen any or know any more about it. Gary See Street Rodder Feb 04; Street Rodder Jan 04 p18; Car & Driver Dec 03, Car & Driver Apr 04, http://www.so-calspeedshop.com/historic_gallery.html http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-111619.html http://public.fotki.com/kitbashr/road-racers/ http://www.calroadsters.com/2005/monterey/monterey.html
http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/BaldwinSpecial2.html The Baldwin Mercury spent some time down here a few years ago running in Southern Festival of Speed events and got a resto. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13949/Baldwin-Mercury-Special.aspx Great thread! Thanks the bump TRuss.
When I'm talking early tin, I mean early hot rods. It's funny you mention my Model A. My buddy and I were talking today and he mentioned something about road racing and if I had thought of moving things to that direction. That's when I decided that maybe it was worth asking about. So, yes. Not necessarily my car, but man the idea of running an early car like a Model A or something of that era, going just fast as hell in an old car seems amazing to me. Seems like with any racing comes breaking and thick wallet requirements. No surprise there. [/QUOTE] As seen at Laguna Seca August 2007.
Here's John Steers #57 Glasspar G2 at Stockton in April, 1956. It had a home built square tube frame, 3 5/16"X4" flathead with 2 97s, Spaulding ignition, 25 tooth Zephyr gears and a 3:54 rear gear. Ford transverse springs front and rear. Check out the front bumpercarefully. The #24 gray car is Roger Sherman's special, also from 1956. Roger lived next door and both he and Steers built their cars at the same time. His was a Z'd Ford frame, a split front axle (ala Allard) with transverse springs and a full house, four jug flathead. Roger built his own body using plywood bulkheads, then chicken wire and plaster, male mold and them the final body shell. His car was light and fast, but lacked the reliability of Steers's 3/4 engine. Both were great friends and drove their cars to the tracks, racing at Arcata, Tracy, Vacaville and other early SCCA venues.
Some time ago in the Goodguys Gazette there was an article about a guy who built a low / fast hot rod based on sprint car stuff (torsion bars, etc.). I don't recall his name, or the magazine issue, but I guess he was a terror. Too bad we don't build more "road holding" kinds of rods, taking cues from these kinds of cars. Eh? Gary
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is a great event, on the other side of the country from most of you guys but they run alot of prewar stuff. Not sure if they would let you run your standard rod but if anyone had even a replica of one of the specials I would think they would have a hard time keeping you out. The best part of the race is that its not on a typical track but in a park with stone walls, in and out of tree cover, hay bails, all the good stuff... Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
Back in the early 50's when I was just getting interested in road racing, there was a local guy with a flathead powered T roadster that was very competetive in the SCCA racing. So much so that he beat the 4.9 Ferrari's about half the time. He had a lot of sprint car chassis parts on his car like torsion bars, Halibrand brakes and steering. By the time I got my car competetive in the SCCA, he had retired.
This is a photo from AHRF archive . It's noted to be Jimmy Stevens car and dates probably around 1945. This almost has to be the Vogel Balchowsky car. can anyone tie the Jimmy Stevens to Vogel?? trhouse
http://www.ahrf.com/view_collection.php?page=2&CollectionID=18 View the entire Dave Thormin Collection © 2006 AHRF ID: MTH065 I believe this photo in the collection of Jimmie Stevens 32 roadster is the Vogel Balchowsky car. The photo seems to be era 1945. The Rad and split window are quite unique. Can anyone confirm a connection to between Stevens and Vogel. The photo is to the far right on the 2nd from bottom row. trhouse
maybe a bit OT... I came here to build hot rods (and for the girls) but as fate would have it my backround is based on small bore sport cars. Street racing to me was a trip up to Marin County to hunt down rich kids in their new (then) BMW 1600/2002's. My Spitfire was under powered, but I could out brake and out corner most of the new stuff at the time. I was (am) running huffaker/mueller (sp) supension with an empi camber compensator in the rear adapted from a VW, and TR7 victory edition 7" wheels (since banned) with all the tire I could stuff under it. Weight jacking was no longer an issue, but if pushed over the limit it would swap ends with you. Thankfully the roll bar was untested. I ran SF bay to Boston harbor in 54 hours with a 1147cc mill. Later moved up to a 'big block' 1500 cc with a webber, 4~1 header, the "J" type overdrive and the hot cam available in those days. Later still I adapted a honda HEI distributor with a Judson coil. Spent my honey moon in it, brought 2 kids home from the hospital (the oldest turned 29 today), and an unknown number of Christmas trees across the GGB strapped to the bar/windshield. When the rice rockets came along it was pretty much over for the Britt stuff. Its' a '69... bought it in '72 (registered to an aircraft carrier) , still got it. I'd still love to try out the autocross thing someday, but I guess they have rules that would outlaw the car.
The fifties guys who raced Glasspars, Victresses, were hot rodders at the beginning, and at heart. Many used Ford frames, Ford suspensions, flathead engines, but instead of an early Ford body, which were also used, some chose a somewhat lighter fiberglass body from one of the several suppliers down in So Cal in the early fifties. Many of the most famous engineers and builders were bigtime hotrodders, like Ak Miller. I remember watching him at Laguna Seca in 58 or 59 in his Olds powered Devin roadster. A monster, noisy and fast. And the Knoop-Huffaker special, built around mid fifties Chevy suspension with a Devin body and Hilborn Chevy....killer quick. The only difference, if there were any, between these guys and dragracers of the era is the kind of racing they were doing. I agree with everything said on this thread. I vintage race a 58 Echidna which has a 56 Chevy pasenger car frame shortened and narrowed, Chevy front suspension with stock A arms, a Corvette P case posi, straight axle, T10 4 speed and Rochester injected small block. And 4-wheel drum brakes. Guys say I'm nuts and should trash those drums, but that's what they ran in the day, so I run em. Road racing is really fun and you can do it any number of ways. A buddy of mine ran a Riley OHV 4 banger in a Model A roadster in the prewar class at Road America and had a blast. PM me if you ever want to talk.
Link to this restored Byers provided by our friends at Forgotten Fiberglass, Gary http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/01/13/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1957-byers-sr100/
Didn't Road & Track magazine once road test a deuce roadster, skid pad, ETs and all? Sorry can't find the issue. This thread is great, once in a while ya see a hot rod with indy car parts, I have always liked those.
a devin sports racer I had for a short period last summer. It was constructed like a midget lots of midget looking parts.
The Jalopy Journal
