American Hot Rod Foundation

Part Of The Week

admin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:32:19 +0000

What were looking at is the working side of an early ’50′s Edelbrock Model R Racing Cylinder head. When new a pair of these desirable heads cost $74.50. According to their catalog they were cast out of the finest virgin aluminum, heat treated and aged for maximum strength an hardness. They had larger capacity water jackets and would bolt right up to a stock block if you changed out the lower cylinder head studs. Of importance in their design process was the extra wall thickness maintained over the combustion chamber areas and the extra supports inside the water jacket for added strength. They also used 14mm spark plugs. You had your choice of 8, 8.5, 9 and 9.5 compression ratios. Depending on your piston package a 9.5 head would actually give yo 11.4 to one. Vic and Company recommended relieving the top of the block 3/16″ for better flow characteristics. JMC_3631 (C) AHRF.

CKC_723

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:01:05 +0000

Lee Oldfield showed up for the Indy 500 in 1937 with the first rear engined car to make an appearance at the track. He got there late and didn’t get the car sorted in time to qualify. It carried the … Continue reading →

JMC_3626

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:01:32 +0000

After first round qualifying on Friday at the ’12 Winternationals, Steve Torrencs Top Fuel ride gets attacked. The crew is in the midst of disassembling the TFX498 that powers the CAPCO Contractors sponsored ’11 Hadman chassied ride. In the first round of eliminations Shawn Langdon beat Steve with a 3.827 at 322.81 against his 3.820 at 320.28 mph, Jim Miller Collection. JMC_3626

HEY_035

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:01:17 +0000

Chuck Spurgin’s Chevy powered 2-man car he and Bob Rufi put together for a trip to Oregon that never happened. The 1940 shot shows Chuck standing on the left of the car. It ran as car number 76. It was also the first car to take advantage of the new S.C.T.A. Streamliner class. Bob and Chuck had built a wooden tail on the car and covered it with doped fabric and painted everything black. They would later rip it off and repaint it white as seen here, Henry “Bud” Heyer Collection. HEY_035

JMC_3625

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:01:56 +0000

Center stage at the ’12 Winternationals in Pomona sees Doug Gordon in the near lane and Mike Drake in the far lane staging for first round qualifing on Friday in their Top Alcohol Funny Cars. I was lucky enough to grab this shot while sitting in Mike’s support vehicle. When the light turned green Doug took off and Mike lost the clutch. Oh well, that’s racing. Doug’s Morro Bay Cabinets sponsored ’07 Monte Carlo was powered by a Fontana 528 and Mike’s carried Barnett Transportation colors with a BAE526 under the hood. In a later round that Friday Mike’s engine ventilated the pan with a rod. Double ouch, Jim Miller Collection. JMC_3625

CKC_838

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:01:22 +0000

The Ross Page car was the creation of Frank Kurtis’ shop and was entered in the 1946 Indy 500 for driver Mel Hansen. It was painted maroon with white scallop and silver numbers and featured a transparent Plexiglas headrest fairing. Mel started way back on the outside of row 9 in 27th position after qualifying with a speed of 121.431. He went on to be awarded 11th spot after his Durant 183″ 4-banger’s crank gave up the ghost after completing 143 laps. Car number 38 is the red with yellow numbers Kurtis of George Connor. He started on the outside of row 10 in 30th spot after qualifying at 120.006 mph. George was credited with a 24th place finish after losing a piston on the 38th lap. The cars are seen pre-staging before the start of the race. FYI the Ross Page car was last seen in the basement of the Petersen Automobile Museum,Chet Knox Collection, CKC_838

JMC_3555

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:01:29 +0000

Eat your heart out racers. Raw castings of many displacements are waiting to be machined at Donovan Engineering. All we have to do now is figure out how to get one without going to the poor house, Jim Miller Collection. … Continue reading →

HEY_024

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:01:14 +0000

George Yanase of the Lancers ran this Ford V8 powered Modified at the lakes during the 1941 season as car number 297. After the war Doug Hartelt, also a Lancer, would run the same car with an un-modified body and become S.C.T.A. Season Co-Champion. We have a speed of 116.27 at the September 28th meet for George, Henry “Bud” Heyer Collection. HEY_024

CKC_826

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:01:41 +0000

The Burd Piston Ring Special is seen at Indy in 1934 with driver Johnny Sawyer and mechanic Terry Bogash in the car. The green car had black numbers and ended up starting the race in 21st spot with a 109.808 mph qualifying speed. The engine was a Joe Lencki special displacing 220″ and running a Gallivan 2-valve head made for a Model T. It finished down in 25th spot after losing a con-rod on the 28th lap. This beautiful Harry Miller built car first appeared in 1930 for the new engine size formula and was entered and driven by Leslie “Buggs” Allen, Chet Knox Collection. CKC_826

JMC-3567

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:20:12 +0000

The day before the 2012 Edition of the Grand National Roadster Show Bobby Green’s Old Crow Speed Shop had an open house and naturally we were invited. He had toys stuffed in every corner and this unfinished radical scoot said … Continue reading →