~PROJECTS~
Updates 12/7/2008
John Mason and Mike Newell are at it again and have
unearthed the Ed Strada coach, later converted to this Pinto
body. Another great restoration project..
unearthed the Ed Strada coach, later converted to this Pinto
body. Another great restoration project..
Updates 1/25/2009
It's back, and going where it belongs. This '37 Chevy coupe
has a long and storied history, if it could only talk... one of
the first cars in our club it is now headed back to Carl
Carpenters shop of restoration, best of luck Carl.
has a long and storied history, if it could only talk... one of
the first cars in our club it is now headed back to Carl
Carpenters shop of restoration, best of luck Carl.
Updates 2/15/2009
Mark Terry sent these pictures last week to show what
turning the clock back to 1980 looks like - back when old
stock cars were hangin in the weeds ready to be plucked.
Don't we wish it was the same today.. Here's some of Bobby
Butchers Circle 22 racers which both became early entrants
in our club as shown in the bottom pictures @ 5MP in 1984.
turning the clock back to 1980 looks like - back when old
stock cars were hangin in the weeds ready to be plucked.
Don't we wish it was the same today.. Here's some of Bobby
Butchers Circle 22 racers which both became early entrants
in our club as shown in the bottom pictures @ 5MP in 1984.
More to Come..
Updates 2/22/2009
Former racer Dale Pitcher had started on this Kneisal chassis
with intentions of entering the car into our competition class
a few years back but has now passed it along for use in our
show car class. Endless possibilites... the body is 1938
Studebaker and pretty sleek don't you think?
with intentions of entering the car into our competition class
a few years back but has now passed it along for use in our
show car class. Endless possibilites... the body is 1938
Studebaker and pretty sleek don't you think?
Updates 4/26/2009
Another find passed along by
Dale Pitcher, this 1936
Plymouth gave up it's front-end
(a tubular type that racers
preferred) in the 1950's for Al
Hind's #194 driven by Don
Diffendorf @ 5MP. The car has
sat idly by in Montrose since,
over 50 years. And it's still in
pretty decent shape. Al, along
with his sons Steve and Mike
were very gracious and helpfull
in loading the car. As we talked
Al passed along a great story
about his involvement with
Dave Kneisal in the late 50's at
5 Mile. "Dave was always
thinking and looking for an
advantage. He got in his mind
Dale Pitcher, this 1936
Plymouth gave up it's front-end
(a tubular type that racers
preferred) in the 1950's for Al
Hind's #194 driven by Don
Diffendorf @ 5MP. The car has
sat idly by in Montrose since,
over 50 years. And it's still in
pretty decent shape. Al, along
with his sons Steve and Mike
were very gracious and helpfull
in loading the car. As we talked
Al passed along a great story
about his involvement with
Dave Kneisal in the late 50's at
5 Mile. "Dave was always
thinking and looking for an
advantage. He got in his mind
that he wanted to try a Nash engine, it was a six cylinder overhead and had 7
mains holding the crank in. In order to use it we had to find the right body, the
rules were at the time that you had to use engine and chassis of the same
manufacturer. So Dave finds this Layfaayette coupe down in Hawleytown
junkyard, just south of Binghamton, so we can use this Nash engine. We bored it
out big, if the limit was 300 we were 299, and fitted GMC truck pistons to the
block. You couldn't get any parts for it so we ahd to make due with what was
available. Well, if you ever saw Dave drive, he liked to run right up on the top of
the track wide open and didn't like letting off. Even with seven mains in it we
couldn't keep it together. We ran it two seasons with it and spent a lot of money
on it. We couldn't get head gaskets for it so the stock ones overhung the
cylinders so much that they'd get red hot and when you shut the ignition off, it'd
keep right on running. HAHAHAHA!! We're probably the only ones who ever tried
racing a Nash engine." Al was a lot of fun to meet and talk with, and we can't
thank Steve and Mike enough for loading the car. Hope to see you guys at one of
the shows this year.
mains holding the crank in. In order to use it we had to find the right body, the
rules were at the time that you had to use engine and chassis of the same
manufacturer. So Dave finds this Layfaayette coupe down in Hawleytown
junkyard, just south of Binghamton, so we can use this Nash engine. We bored it
out big, if the limit was 300 we were 299, and fitted GMC truck pistons to the
block. You couldn't get any parts for it so we ahd to make due with what was
available. Well, if you ever saw Dave drive, he liked to run right up on the top of
the track wide open and didn't like letting off. Even with seven mains in it we
couldn't keep it together. We ran it two seasons with it and spent a lot of money
on it. We couldn't get head gaskets for it so the stock ones overhung the
cylinders so much that they'd get red hot and when you shut the ignition off, it'd
keep right on running. HAHAHAHA!! We're probably the only ones who ever tried
racing a Nash engine." Al was a lot of fun to meet and talk with, and we can't
thank Steve and Mike enough for loading the car. Hope to see you guys at one of
the shows this year.
Updates 5/10/2009
This one took a while... Dale Pitcher showed us this car the same day we viewed the
Plymouth above but it was buried in the back of a junkyard.. a down payment and a
promise were kept though and this past Thursday Dad and I took a day (the whole
day mind you), a couple of chains, a come-along, a VERY heavy jack and fought
several stuck trucks and cars to get to this one. It was worth it. The car as far as I
can tell is the last McClure #15 driven by Bill Strosahl in 1969. Dale thought is was
the 1967 car but after studying photos I'm pretty sure it's the 1969 coupe. Bill
finished his career up in this car and then Greame Bolia drove it in 1970 through
1972 when it was sold to Harry Benjamin, it was sole gain in 1973 to the fellow we
bought it from and has been sitting on this trailer since the early 1990's. The origianl
engine was a 427 side oiler built by Holman and Moody and the car was quite
sucessful at Shangri-La, Lancaster, and Langhhorne. It was certainly well known and
we consider it quite a find. A defenite 'keeeper' that will see some work sooner than
later..
Plymouth above but it was buried in the back of a junkyard.. a down payment and a
promise were kept though and this past Thursday Dad and I took a day (the whole
day mind you), a couple of chains, a come-along, a VERY heavy jack and fought
several stuck trucks and cars to get to this one. It was worth it. The car as far as I
can tell is the last McClure #15 driven by Bill Strosahl in 1969. Dale thought is was
the 1967 car but after studying photos I'm pretty sure it's the 1969 coupe. Bill
finished his career up in this car and then Greame Bolia drove it in 1970 through
1972 when it was sold to Harry Benjamin, it was sole gain in 1973 to the fellow we
bought it from and has been sitting on this trailer since the early 1990's. The origianl
engine was a 427 side oiler built by Holman and Moody and the car was quite
sucessful at Shangri-La, Lancaster, and Langhhorne. It was certainly well known and
we consider it quite a find. A defenite 'keeeper' that will see some work sooner than
later..
Changing tires, jacking, and
struggling, the car came out
slowly but steady.
struggling, the car came out
slowly but steady.
Updates 2/28/2010
Several years ago now, my friend Rick Gross asked if I could do something
showing the building of a modified. We generally take a few pictures as we're
building stuff but I don't know if I really have enough to show it as well as
this article from Hot Rod magazine from 1956. Wouldn' t you like to have that
3 window today?? I would...
showing the building of a modified. We generally take a few pictures as we're
building stuff but I don't know if I really have enough to show it as well as
this article from Hot Rod magazine from 1956. Wouldn' t you like to have that
3 window today?? I would...
Updates 3/9/2010
OK - so this was a little too small to see before.. try it this time.
Updates 5/23/2010
Spring road trips this year have led us to Buffalo, Gardiner,
Mexico and Boonville to date. It's always fun meeting new
people and seeing old friends along the way, as well as
spending time with my father. The iron isn't as good these
days, but it's still around.
Mexico and Boonville to date. It's always fun meeting new
people and seeing old friends along the way, as well as
spending time with my father. The iron isn't as good these
days, but it's still around.
