Automatter

The smell of nitro is sweet to those who pioneered "Fuel" dragsters

Herman Petersen's Top Fuel dragster, powered by a supercharged Chrysler hemi-head V8 (left), sets next to Jerry King's Jr. Fuel dragster (right), powered by a fuel-injected Chevrolet V8 at the Edmonds (WA) Car Show. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Herman Petersen started drag racing at the age of 16, going to a quarter-mile long racetrack in Bremerton, Washington, back in 1958. About 10 years later, he was driving a dragster purpose-built to go as fast as possible down a quarter-mile track. It was a race car with minimum bodywork, exposed frame rails, small wheels up front and huge racing tires called “slicks,” due to lack of tread, on the rear.

The template was tagged “a rail job,” by racers inspired to prove their mettle on quarter-mile long tracks. It first debuted in the 1950s, at tracks around the country called “drag strips.” That led racers to call them “dragsters.” Drivers who became well known in this emerging form of motorsports, included Don Garlits in Florida and Tommy Ivo in California. Like them, drag-racing became Mr. Petersen’s passion; but he made it work for him, too.

“My theory was, if the car was sitting in Poulsbo, it wasn’t making money. Wherever there was a national event, I went to it,” he said, recalling racing events he went to, up and down the West Coast of America and up into Canada.

“The first car I raced, was a used chassis; put my own engine in it. I raced it for one year, got my feet wet. Then in 1969, I ordered a brand-new chassis from Woody Gilmore Racing, down in Downey, California,” he said. Like most ultimate dragsters of that era, his car was powered by a Chrysler hemispherical (cylinder) head V8, specifically one from a 1958 Chrysler. When topped with a 6:71 supercharger, it produced 3,000 horsepower, by running a fuel mixture that was usually about 86 to 88 percent nitro methane; the rest of the fuel mixture is methanol. The fuel mix earned such racecars the name of “Top Fuel” dragsters.

That racecar tied the national record of 6.54 seconds elapsed time for a quarter mile, at Bremerton Raceway in 1971.

“It was still affordable (to race) when I started out, Mr. Petersen said. “Everything originated in Detroit, when I first ran, even the supercharger - although we reworked it. My race car ran with a 392 cubic-inch block, from a Chrysler Imperial that I was given $100 for, after pulling the engine and giving the rest to a salvage yard.”

He sold that front-engine dragster, later in 1971, and then went on to build and drive the first rear-engine Top Fuel dragster in the Pacific Northwest. It had a custom built engine.

“I ran with the second Donavan-built 417 cubic-inch V8 - a replica of the 1957 Chrysler “hemi,” but with an aluminum block, equipped with steel sleeves,” he recalled. “It was stronger than a cast-iron engine block; that meant more (supercharger) boost and nitro.”

He took that car down to Lion’s Drag Strip in California and tied the national record of running a quarter mile in 6:14 seconds.

In 1973, while driving his rear engine Top Fuel dragster, wiht a chassis built by Woody Gilmore, Heidelberg Beer became his sponsor. It was an indicator of his professionalism. That car, named the “Heidelberg Hauler,” won the 1973 Gatornationals in Florida, tying a national record for the quarter-mile of 6.08 seconds. In that car, he also had a fiery crash, in July of 1973, that sidelined him. He spent three-and-half months in the Orange County Hospital burn center.

While he was in the hospital, his partner Sam Fitz, had another rear-engine dragster built, with a streamlined body. Olympia Beer became his sponsor, along with the Justice Brothers. Woody Gilmore built the car. It was constructed entirely out of aluminum, with a monocoque front end. However, its weight -- about 200 pounds more than his previous racecar -- made it less competitive; after 19 runs down various quarter-mile racetracks, he retired it.

He then went back to driving a conventional front-engine/rear drive dragster. That car, with sponsorship again from Olympia Beer and the Justice Brothers, was successful, winning the 1974 pision Six Championship and the IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) Gateway Nationals, in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1975, Mr. Petersen went on to run the quarter mile in just 5.87 seconds in that car, while achieving a speed of 241.96 mph, at the end of a quarter-mile.

In June of 1976, he quit driving dragsters: but continued his involvement with racing a car, for another year, with his friend, Rob Bruins, doing the driving. “He was a natural,” Mr. Petersen enthused. “It cost $3,500 for the (engine) block in my last racecar - $2,000 for a billet (all solid steel) crankshaft. It was $15,000 for each engine, by that time,” he recalled.

Mr. Petersen then ran an auto glass business through 1988. He went on to operate Bar B-Q Charters, a sport fishing business in southeast Alaska, about four months of the year; while living in Belfair, Washington with his wife of 49 years, Sandy. He quit doing that, about two years ago and now runs Cackle Thunder Performance, which builds Chrysler "hemi" V8 engines, to run on gasoline or alcohol, for use in street rods or custom cars.

His first car went through seven different owners. Then in December of 2004, Mr. Petersen found it and bought it back. Now, he’s demonstrating its capabilities, by exhibiting it and, on occasion, running the car in place, with the engine at full throttle.

He’s part of a unique band of brothers who take their “fuel” dragsters, to what Mr. Petersen calls “cackle-fests,” adding that the cars are run only to give those who’ve never heard a supercharged nitro-fueled engine, wide open, a chance to hear one.

“We can’t race them; there's no driveshaft hooked up to the rear-ends. We just whack the throttle and take the engine to about a third of the way (to full power), to about 4,000 rpm, for an instant," he explained, and proudly adds, “My car is the loudest on the West Coast. I’ve measured it: 125.8 decibels."

Two Top Fuel dragsters owned by "Bucky"Austin of Bucky Austin Racing, run in place (no power to rear wheels) at full throttle, in a demonstration of what drag racing was like, when Top Fuel racecars were coming into their own. It's loud. Notice the people plugging their ears at this showing, at the Edmonds Car Show. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

“We let all the promoters know we’re available and do about 8 to 10 bookings a year,” Mr. Petersen explained. “We’ve done shows at car dealerships - a Dodge dealership in Lynnwood, Washington -- and other events. We’ve got a car show up in Abottsford, British Columbia we did in April and we’ll be doing that again in the coming year.”

Jerry King is another such former racer. He restored a car he drove, as part of a team that included his partners, the late Jack Cross and Jerry Mann, from 1966 to 1970. However, the Cross-Mann-King dragster is what was known as a “Junior Fuel” car; one with an engine that was not supercharged and was limited to 310 cubic-inches displacement (or 3 pounds of total weight, per cubic inch).

It set the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) national record for C/fuel dragsters at 178.39 mph, using just a 265 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine. When NHRA discontinued the class at the end of 1966, the car was lengthened and a 309 cubic-inch engine, of Chevrolet origin, was installed. It then ran the quarter-mile in just 7.42 seconds and hit 199.86 mph at the end of that distance.

Bucky Austin, owner of Bucky Austin Racing in Puyallup, Washington, owns two other dragsters that are part of the group. Both of those use Chrysler hemi-head V8s and were driven competitively, from 1969-’71. One, equipped with a full body over its frame rails, was owned and driven in its prime, by Hank Johnson of Marysville, Washington. The other, with mostly exposed frame rails and a short body, was driven by Jerry Ruth of Burien, Washington.

Both these Top Fuel dragsters, shown at the Edmonds (Washington) Car Show, are owned by Bucky Austin. The full-bodied one (on the left) was originally owned and driven by Hank Johnson from Marysville, Washington; the short-bodied one (on the right) was originally owned and driven by Jerry Ruth from Burien, Washington. Both dragsters were raced circa 1969-'71. Both also sport the engine most often found in Top Fuel dragsters of that era: the Chrysler hemi-head V8, equipped with a 6:71 supercharger. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Running nitro-methane in an internal combustion engine could be disastrous; but it was done without computer analysis, in the 1960s and ‘70s, by studying the engine, after a run.

“With each engine, we’d look at the compression ratio, the timing setting and the pressure the blower (supercharger) produced,” explained Herman Petersen. “You’d read the spark plugs. If they were getting excessive heat, you’d take some nitro out of the fuel mix; or you’d reduce the boost or retard the timing. We usually ran 86 to 88 percent nitro. But if the plugs weren’t burnt, we’d run 88 to 89 percent nitro. Straight nitro would detonate too easily.”

Asked what he thinks of the current Top Fuel dragsters, which can achieve 300 mph by the end of a quarter mile run, Mr. Peterson admits that, “It’s hard to watch races, these days. About 50 percent of the time, one of them will blow an engine, before the finish line; or hurt the engine. The NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) allows two magnetos that are like welding machines, and then, those fuel pumps. You have a 900-foot fuse on a 1,000-foot bomb.”

He added, “That’s not racing; it’s not a realistic way to race. Engines now can cost $50,000. It costs so much more money, without sponsors, you can’t do it.”

But one thing, he’ll admit, hasn’t changed from the time he and his fellow competitors checked the plugs; then the key to knowing whether to dial up the boost, change the timing or carefully add more nitro.

“Records are only set to be broken,” Mr. Petersen asserted, “just like any other form of racing.” -- Terry Parkhurst

If you have interest in having an engine built, or have other questions, related to this topic, Herman Petersen, Cackle-Thunder Performance, can be reached via telephone at: 360.710.9245

 

Big Bore is no snore

The American Motors AMX was one of many "muscle cars," built in the late 1960s and early '70s, to satisfy a market niche that has waxed and waned, ever since. This bright yellow example is a 1968 edition - first year - owned by Willy and Mary Jo Lowe; displayed at a muscle car meet in Issaquah, Washington. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The “muscle car,” as it’s known, is uniquely American in a way that both jazz and blues music are. Exactly which car was the first muscle car is still debated.

A good case could be made for the 1957 Rambler Rebel, equipped with a 327 cubic-inch V8, topped by a Carter four-barrel carburetor and producing 255 horsepower for establishing the basic template. The Rebel included both four-door hardtop and station wagon body styles. (That V8 was an enlarged version of a 250 cubic-inch engine that American Motors, the parent company, had been building; not the 327 cid engine that GM put into its Corvette and other Chevrolets, a short time later.)

The Rebel’s standard transmission was a three-speed overdrive unit with a Borg-Warner 10-inch clutch. The optional four-speed Hydra-Matic was essentially the same as used by Pontiac and Oldsmobile. A 3.15:1 rear axle was supplied with the Hydra-Matic. A 4.10:1 rear axle was specified for Rebels with the manual transmission.

Motor Trend magazine reported that the only American car capable of out-accelerating the Rebel, from 0-to-60, was the fuel-injected Chevrolet Corvette sports car.

But most automotive enthusiasts give credit for the muscle car’s development to the late John Z. DeLorean, who as head of the Pontiac division of General Motors, gave the green light in 1964 to putting a 389 cubic-inch V8 into the Tempest. That model was called the GTO - an acronym borrowed from Ferrari. GTO stood for “Gran Turismo Omologato” which is Italian for “Grand Touring Homologated” the last word meaning “approved for racing.”

The muscle car movement grew out of the hot rod and custom car movements of the 1950s and ‘60s. The V8 engines that were stuffed into the engine bays of mid-size bodies grew larger. What was then called the “Big Three” in Michigan all sold muscle cars. Even American Motors in Kenosha, Wisconsin got involved with its AMX and Javelin models.

All manufacturers felt compelled to have engines around 400 cubic-inches, as their top options. The phenomenon got so big, The Beach Boys, who’d started their rise to fame singing songs about surfing, did a song about the engine in one Chevrolet and entitled the song simply, “409.”

But the manufacturers sometimes fibbed about horsepower in the specs. The horsepower ratings given out were oftentimes not accurate, as a way of placating insurance companies; who would eventually be part of the reason muscle cars took a hiatus in the mid-1970s.

From the dark depths of a late fall day, a gathering of muscle cars, looking like a collection of oversized Hot Wheels toys, is as vivid in the memory of the human mind as the day they were seen. The first Sunday of August featured about 50 muscle cars, from clubs devoted to specific manufacturers and various models, arranged in the parking lot of the XXX (root beer) Drive-In located in Issaquah, Washington. It was the 25^th Northwest Muscle Car Meet.

Amidst the Chrysler E-body cars (early ‘70s Dodge Challengers and Plymouth Barracudas), Pontiac GTO and Firebirds, a multitude of Chevrolet Camaros and even a bright red 1972 Ford Pantera (Ghia body and Ford 351 cubic-inch high output V8) were two examples of the American Motors AMX. As muscle cars from a manufacturer now gone, many people didn’t know what they were.

The bright yellow 1968 American Motors AMX of Willy and Mary Jo Lowe, sets next to a grouping of General Motors muscle cars. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Willy and Mary Jo Lowe’s yellow 1968 American Motors AMX had some slight modifications that were period correct: Cragar SS magnesium wheels on BF Goodrich T/A tires and exhaust pipes, fitted just below the rocker panels. But the engine was as it came from the factory, “numbers matching” as it’s called, indicating a drive train that came with the car: a 390 cubic-inch V8 backed by a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission and a 3.55 gear ratio, inside the rear differential.

The other AMX, a red 1969 edition owned by Dan Phillips, showed how appearances can be deceiving. While the body and interior looked as AMC shipped it, the engine bay had performance and appearance modifications that Phillips was proud enough of having done, he had the hood open.

The red 1969 American Motors AMX, with engine modifications, of Dan Phillips. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Phillips said that his car could produce 394.56 horsepower at 5,300 rpm, at the engine’s flywheel, along with 480 pounds of torque at 4,300 rpm.

Modifications, seen and unseen, under the hood of Dan Phillips' AMX bolstered horsepower and torque making it his own version of the American Motors muscle machine. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Some of the reason why could be seen, such as the Edelbrock high-rise R46 large-passage intake manifold and the Bellanger Super Competition headers (with 50 percent better exhaust air-flow than standard exhaust pipes). Others were hidden inside the engine: Crane competition camshaft, forged steel crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons.

The Smith's 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle: 1,040 horsepower guaranteed to take the driver from a standing start to 60 mph in a tick more than two seconds. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

An ultimate example of a personal vision of what a muscle car could be was Jay and Evy Smith’s black 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS two door hardtop; brought over from Sagle, Idaho. It was a Pro-Street racer, equipped with a 6:71 supercharger, topped by two four barrel carburetors, setting on the intake manifold of a small block Chevrolet V8 (displacement not disclosed), it reportedly produced 1,040 horsepower - enough to take the Chevelle from zero to 60 miles-per-hour in just 2.2 seconds. Jay Smith said that he proved that at a track up in Langley, Canada during a 1,000 feet dash. Moreover, he added the car can run a quarter mile in just 9.80 seconds and achieve a speed (in that length) of 146 miles-per-hour.

The supercharger atop the engine in the Smith's Chevelle gives 17 pounds of boost. Jay Smith said, "It's basically a drag racer for the street." But after 20 years of ownership, he added, "There's no more racing. It stays nicer if I don't." (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

As much as Jay Smith might have liked to drive it from Idaho, he allowed that, “At six-miles-to-the-gallon, there’s not enough gas stations (between Idaho and Issaquah, Washington) to get us here.”

Like the “race to the moon,” which the United States won in the summer of 1969, muscle cars came to be testimony to something the poet Robert Browning once said, that being, “A man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what’s a Heaven for?” - Terry Parkhurst

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

 

 

Scion hopes to make small, big again

Justin Cornett, Regional Vehicle Supply and Allocation Manager for Toyota Motor Sales in the northwest, stands behind a 2012 Scion iQ painted "Pacific Blue Metallic." (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Scion, the idiosyncratic offshoot of Toyota, is planning on making a go of doing something that the Smart car tried to do and failed: convince Americans to buy a really small automobile. Scion has studied where Smart stumbled and they believe that they've perfected the basic formula required to create something uniquely suited to driving in a city.

“The people we sell to, don't want to see themselves coming and going,” said Justin Cornett, Regional Vehicle Supply and Allocation Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, up from Portland, in Seattle to show two 2012 Scion iQ coupes. “They want the Scion name and what goes with it. We find that when they trade their Scion in, it's usually for another Scion. If their needs change – they start a family – they get a Toyota.”

 It's that sense of owner loyalty, along with more amenities and room, that has Cornett figuring Scion has gotten the formula right, where Smart left certain things undone.

  The Scion iQ is about 10 feet long, about a foot longer than the Smart car. It stands about 4.9 feet tall. Scion says it's the world's smallest four-seat automobile. It accomplishes that because the driver and front passenger seats are slightly offset. Cornett makes a point to enlist two associates who are a bit taller than six feet as demonstrators. One gets in the back and the other gets in the passenger seat. Opening the rear hatch window, it's evident that the one in back indeed still has a bit of headroom.

Unlike the Smart, which uses a Mitisubishi-sourced three cylinder engine positioned in the rear, the iQ has a front engine with front-wheel drive. That feat was accomplished by the engineers, without impinging on interior space by utilizing a compact, front-mounted differential, a high-mount steering rack with electronic power-steering, and a compact “stacked” air-conditioning unit. Additionally, those features allow significant decreases in front-end length.

The exterior design, with its stout headlights and unusual proportions are reminiscent of the most successful small car to sell in the States: the venerable, original Volkswagen Beetle. Sitting inside the cabin, you see that it's wide and gives one a sense of space not associated with a mini-car, especially the one that the Scion iQ was designed to emulate; yet improve upon its template.

The Smart car struggled to be taken seriously, as this vanity plate on one owner's car indicates. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The Smart car, which began life as a design concept from the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in California, was a response to that state's zero emission mandate; as much as it was designed to help Mercedes-Benz with corporate average fuel economy mandates, in Europe and America. It had a rocky gestation period, as a Mercedes A-class car, flipping during a test done by Swedish journalists. That test was designed to emulate avoiding a moose. It halted deliveries, back in 1997, until changes were made to the suspension.

  In the last decade, production finally went ahead for America with distribution established by the Penske Automotive Group. In 2008, as gasoline hit four dollars a gallon, the dealer network established by Penske, sold 24,622 cars; however, sales fell dramatically in the following years. In 2010, sales had fallen to just 5,927 cars – a 59 percent drop.

  While the entire automotive industry saw sales drop, the Smart car had its own issues. One of them was the fact that even though its small size indicated high fuel economy, the reality was something else.  Car and Driver magazine's Steve Spence reported, during a stint evaluating one, “Our test vehicle got a disappointing 32 mpg overall, not the 50 to 60 mpg it looks like it should deliver; and the tiny engine requires pricey 91 octane fuel.”

 The Scion iQ not only runs on regular gasoline, but achieves a EPA certified combined fuel economy figure of 37 mpg. It also is derived by using a 94 horsepower, 1.3 litre four cylinder engine, compared to the Mitsubishi built, 70 horsepower, 61 cubic-inch three cylinder engine in the Smart car.

  But it's the overall size of the iQ which Justin Cornett sees as its unique selling point.

  “This car is designed for an urban environment, where parking is at a premium,” he said.

  The estimated MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) for the Scion iQ is $15,265; with delivery and handing fees adding another $730 to the sticker. That price includes 11 airbags – one being the industry's first rear-window airbag – and anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control.

  Toyota also seems to understand the Scion's demographics. The standard 160 watt Pioneer audio system includes Bluetooth connectivity and hands-free telephone connectivity; but an option allows 200 watt maximum output audio with Pandora ® internet radio to be connected through an iPhone ®.

  Due to the earthquake resultant tsunami which hit Japan earlier this year, production has been hampered, and so too, the roll-out. Toyota hopes to have enough vehicles for its Scion dealers in the West Coast states, by October. It's uncertain as to how soon those in the Southeast and Gulf coast states will get the iQ.

  Scion is also hoping to start selling a fifth vehicle, a sports car called the FR-S, with a Subaru flat-4 cylinder engine and rear drive platform, next spring. When asked if it might mean a Scion factory in America, Cornett explained, “Only in the United States is the Scion marketed as anything but a Toyota. Low volume and the shared platform with the FR-S for the fifth car, means that it's unlikely that there'd be a factory built here.”

-- Terry Parkhurst     _____________________________________________________________________________

 

          

 

 

 

 

James Bond Aston-Martin and work trucks mix it up at Kirkland Concours

 
Steve Terrien's 1958 Porsche 550-A Spyder was part of a special display of vintage cars at the Kirkland Concours in Kirkland, Washington, on the east side of Lake Washington. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The filmic version of James Bond has had a number of different automobiles. But perhaps the most iconic was the Aston Martin DB5 that Sean Connery first used in the 1964 film Goldfinger. That was the one with the pop-out gun barrels, behind the front directionals, a passenger ejector seat, a bullet shield just aft of the rear glass, revolving number license plates and even an oil-slick dispenser to assist when being tailed by bad guys. Aston Martin was the featured marque at this year’s Kirkland Concours, just east of Seattle, on September eleventh; so, one of the several DB5s used in that film was on display and surrounded by a selection of other Aston-Martins that would allow those unfamiliar with the history of the marque, to understand what preceded it.

 
One of several Aston-Martin DB5 sports cars used in the production of the James Bond film "Goldfinger." The prototype DB5, number DP/216/1, also used in that movie, was stolen from its last home in Florida and hasn't been seen since 1997. This is DB5/1486/R. It was used as a stand-in during the filming and became known as the Road Car. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

There were 11 Aston-Martin automobiles that ranged from two 1934 vintage models – an Ulster 1.5 liter roadster and a MKII Sport Saloon – to a 2005 BB7 Zagato.

 
A 1954 Aston-Martin DBR2 that saw duty at Laguna Seca Raceway in the 1950s. Equipped with a space-frame chassis and Lockheed disc brakes at all four corners, power comes via a 3.7 liter DOHC in-line six-cylinder engine, backed up by a five-speed manual transmission. Greg Whitten of Bellevue, the current owner, was on hand to explain its history at the Kirkland Concours. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

The Goldfinger DB5 was joined by a light blue 1964 Aston-Martin DB5 owned by Christopher Bayley, a former King County Prosecuting Attorney in the early 1970s, who rooted out payoffs and corruption in the Seattle Police Department of that time.
Christopher Bayley stands with his pride-and-joy, a 1964 Aston-Martin DB5. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The location for this concours was again Carillon Point, which has a great view of Lake Washington; thus allowing a class for seven vintage wood runabouts that included a 1927 Hacker Dolphin (and which also had a 1937 Gar Wood 19-foot Grey Marine-Mogar built CR 723 that won first place). Carillion Point itself has a back story, having once been the site for the Anderson Shipyards until 1923; then, having transmogrified into the Lake Washington Shipyards during the Second World War, and been the birthplace for 29 U.S. Navy ships and the repair facility for many more. After the war, the site was purchased by Alaska Terminal and Stevedoring, a subsidiary of the Skinner Corporation; and used by that concern as a fresh water tie-up for the passenger liners and freighters of the Alaska Steamship Company, which went out of business in 1971.

 
The flat vista that's the top of a parking garage makes a perfect setting for the outstanding 1932 Auburn model 12-160A cabriolet of Carl King from Lake Forest Park, Washington at the Kirkland Concours. Its 6.5 liter Lycoming V12 engine produces 160 horsepower and produces enough torque to take the 4,235 pound car up to 100 miles-per-hour. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The current collection of businesses, that includes the Woodmark Hotel and Spa, shops that include a restaurant and a Starbucks, has a open spaces that allow for varied levels  of viewing.

 
The epitome of the Art Deco concept is this extremely rare 1934 Voison model 27 coupe owned by Peter Mullins of Los Angeles, California, up for the concours. It's one of only two V27s ever built. Power comes via a three liter, in-line 6 cylinder engine with two Zenith carburetors producing 104 horsepower; capable of propelling the Voison to 93 miles-per-hour. Gabriel Voison, its designer, was a successful aviator and manufacturer of airplanes, prior to the Second World War. (photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The legendary American make Pierce-Arrow had 11 automobiles and two motorcycles – yes, Pierce-Arrow made motorcycles, too – on display. There were so many, that perhaps to make the job a bit easier for the judges, they were broken into two classes: Pierce Arrow – Early (prior to 1924) and Pierce-Arrow – Late (above the former).

 
Vivian Dohms presents the 1928 Pierce Arrow series 81 limousine, owned by herself and her husband Jerry (of Federal Way, Washington) to three judges, early on the morning of the Kirkland Concours. A full side view of the impressive luuxry car is seen below. The Pierce-Arrow was preferred make for presidential limousines, until the company's demise in the mid-1930s. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

Pierce-Arrow, which started out as a manufacturer of bicycles, before it produced automobiles, also made motorcycles. Below, is the 1911 Pierce-Arrow four cylinder motorcycle of Art Redford. The upper and rear frame tubes were designed to hold up to 7 quarts of fuel, while the front down tube could carry 5 pints of oil. When new, it sold for $325. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)  
 

Pierce-Arrow also made a one-cylinder motorcycle. Just below is the 1911 Pierce-Arrow one cylinder motorcycle of John and Sharon Burkhalter who displayed it in their home town at the Kirkland Concours. The engine is just 595 cubic-centimeters but will take the lightweight up to 55 miles-per-hour. Pierce-Arrow advertised the motorcycle as having "the efficiency of a twin with the simplicity of one cylinder construction." (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 

Because of the rising interest in vintage trucks, this year’s show had a class called “Working Girls” that featured 12 examples of the type of vehicles had to absolutely depend upon to make a living. That included a rare 1928 Graham Brothers screen-side truck. (Graham later was acquired by Dodge.)

 
The 1932 Ford model "A" delivery truck (foreground) of Gerald Greenfield from Lake Tapps, Washington. Just behind it, is the rare 1928 Graham Brothers screenside of Michael Luberts from Spanaway, Washington. Both were part of the "Working Girls" class at the Kirkland Concours, this year. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 
Dean Trenery brought this 1949 Chevrolet one-ton panel delivery truck, powered by a 235 cubic-inch in-line 6 cylinder engine and complete with all original options and a 10 foot, three inch long Swift hydroplane (see below) to participate in the "Working Girls" class at the Kirkland Concours. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

  In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the debut of the E-type Jaguar, there was also a special display of what in the United States was the car known as the XK-E. But the car spectators chose as Best of Show showed that, sometimes the car that's oldest captures everyone's heart. They gave the nod to the 1911 Simplex of Ray Scherr.

 
Bob and Valerie Johansen's (Woodinville, WA) red 1962 Chevrolet Corvette starts a row of "Straight-Axle Corvettes" as those sans independent rear suspension are known. Just behind their car is John Bianchi's (Seattle) black 1961 Corvette, and one more back, is Dave Freeman's (Seattle) white '59 Corvette with the rare fuel injection option. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  This was reportedly the last year for the concours at the Carillon Point location. Next year's concours, on Sunday, September ninth, is scheduled to be held at the LeMay Museum, currently undergoing construction in a former parking lot of the Tacoma Dome. - Terry Parkhurst

Recommended website: www.lemaymuseum.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mather Auctioneers stages 11th LeMay family garage sale

 
Auctioneer Rick Little looks into the crowd, searching for a bid on a 1948 Studebaker convertible (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

    On the last Saturday in August, the family of the late car collector Harold LeMay enlisted Mather Auctioneers to sell off some more automobiles that they didn't want or need. Like any good community garage sale, some other people were allowed to sell their offerings, as part of the day's proceedings.

   The community here were automotive enthusiasts, especially those interested in vintage machines. On the grounds of the Marymount Event Center in Spanaway, Washington, several car clubs and a vintage trailer club, displayed the pride and joy of their members; they also was a swap meet and an opportunity to tour the 500 vintage vehicles owned by the family, along with an auction that could rightfully be called a garage sale.

   The crowd of spectators held 211 people registered to bid. Another 12, not in attendance, bid using the Internet. They had their pick from 67 vehicles that ranged from 1959 FIAT multipla van to a rare 1921 Armleder KB111 heavy duty truck.

  This was a crowd of committed vintage automotive hobbyists, rather than the speculators you'd find at some of the other more glitzy auctions. These were people who carefully looked everything over, that they were considering bidding upon; estimating in their minds how much time would be involved in restoring a car with no interior left, or whether they'd have to bear the cost of rechroming a bumper.

  Preceding the cars and trucks were 21 lots that of parts, tools. A large plastic Texaco service station sign, which looked to be from the 1970s, sold for $200, after the bidding commenced on the cars, just because it was hung up at the end of the first row of them.

  The first automobile offered was a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 two door hardtop in good, original condition; the drivetrain was reportedly matching numbers. That helped it sell for a bid of $9,000 (plus the 10 percent buyer's fee accessed on all vehicles sold). It was followed by a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro coupe, again all original, in mostly good condition, sold at a bid of just $3,000. Then, bidding went back up, with a very nice 1946 Chevrolet four door sedan resto-rod, powered by a late model, overhead valve V8 of indeterminate displacement; sold at a bid of $11,000.

   Stepping outside the open building where the aforementioned cars were housed, auctioneer Rick Little continued with an arcane 1960 NSU Sport Prinz coupe, powered by a two-cylinder engine. It had seen better days and might have been bought, for a bid of just $1,000, as a parts car. The buyer wasn't saying.

   The 1959 FIAT Multipla series 600 van that sold next, for just a $2,050 bid, was suitable for only a parts donor car, or a vocational-technical school project. The buyer didn't say. 

    Next came a 1956 Dodge Royal four-door sedan that reportedly ran (but wasn't started). The odometer reading was 79,000 miles and from the looks of the car, those might have been actual miles. Painted two shades of blue, it drew a lot of interest, with bidding - and the sale - stopping at $4,750.

    The Dodge was followed by a 1964 Chevrolet Impala two-door hardtop, which certainly looked as if it could run, as reported; however, it was slightly modified with chrome, aftermarket wheels with knock-offs. Up front, inside, were bucket seats. The transmission was an automatic. Bidding stopped with a sale at $7,500.

  
A 1948 Studebaker Champion convertible from the front three-quarter view. Looked at from the rear, the lack of an interior and a top were obvious; but the body was straight and the panel gap was good.  (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 
 
  Then the crowd engulfed a rare piece of Americana: a 1948 Studebaker Champion, two-door convertible. While it looked complete, save for the lack of most of the interior and a top, it was unknown when it had last been run. But as the auctioneers say, where are you going to find another?  Studebakers are a bit of an acquired taste and the bidding, as well as the condition of this car reflected that. It sold at a bid of just $3,750.

 
Auctioneer Rick Little takes the final bid on the 1948 Studebaker Champion convertible, sold for just $3,750. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The next offering was a 1962 Mercury Colony Park four-door station wagon. Painted light blue, with a white top and fake wood on the side, its blue interior looked well perserved and original. It was a good, solid looking car but its mechanical condition wasn't known; so it sold for a bid of just $2,500.

 
The only station wagon at this auction, a 1962 Mercury Colony Park, sold for just $2,500. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

But it was Lot #37, a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado two-door convertible, for which the most money was paid.

 
This 1956 Cadillac Eldorado was a car someone wanted enough to bid $16,500. It sold for that, plus a 10 percent buyer's fee. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The Eldorado was in decent shape and the chrome looked,  presentable. Notable was the fact that the engine was a 305 horsepower, 365 cubic inch V8 engine, topped by dual four barrel carburetors. Altogether, it helped sell the Cadillac for a bid of $16,500, despite no word on when it was last r

  That help bump up the 1954 Cadillac Eldorado two door convertible, sitting just next to the first Caddy. It was missing a headlight, and the engine was a 230 horsepower, 331 cubic inch V8; but it still sold at a bid of $13,000.

 
This 1954 Cadillac Eldorado two door convertible sold for a bid of $13,000 (plus 10 percent buyer's fee). (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Another convertible, a few rows over, showed how interested the bidders here were in post-WWII American convertibles. Lot #55, a 1949 Chevrolet Deluxe two-door convertible, drew bidding between a few bidders who had their eye on it. The front seats were reduced to mostly wicker basket status, the top was gone and the last time the car had been run was unknown. Despite all that, the winning bid of $10,500 went to a man whose wife held up his bidder's pass to enter that bid.

 
Bought for a bid of $10,500, this 1949 Chevrolet convertible promised to be a family project, given how the bidding process was shared. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Reflective of the fact that Harold LeMay was as interested in trucks as automobiles, there were noteworthy and rare trucks offered. These included some machines that didn't start out as trucks, such as a 1924 Hubmobile.

w 
A 1924 Hubmobile touring car, converted into a wrecker truck, was amongst the more unusual offerings. The Manley wrecking crane was sold separately. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

   The Hubmobile, equipped with its original four-cylinder engine was questionable as to its value as a truck; nonetheless, it sold for a bid of $2,250, not including the Manley three-and-a-half ton capacity wrecking crane in the bed, fabricated in part with wood. The crane sold for a bid of $700, possibly to the new owner of the Hubmobile.

  But all the other trucks were outside, setting nestled next to trees, where they'd been for years, due to their size. The first one to be offered was a 1952 International L-185 fire pumper; sold at a bid of just $1,800; after a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair quickly sold for $1,700 bid.

 
Auctioneer Rick Little and Harold Mather (sitting down in the small tractor used to move the podium) take a break from selling trucks outside, to sell a 1960 Dodge station wagon (foreground) for just $100. Such cars are usually bought as donor parts cars for others undergoing restoration. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 That's when a rare 1921 Armleder KB111 truck, comprised of just a remaining cab and chassis (with engine) sold for $1,300. Four trucks sold after that: a 1960 Ford pickup truck with an American Motors engine of indeterminate displacement at a bid of $1,000; a 1952 International L-160 stake bed farm truck at a bid of $1,650; a 1977 Chevrolet 1/2 ton, fitted with a short wide box at a bid of just $1,000; and finally, a 1926 Chevrolet truck at a bid of $1,200.  

  Sold earlier, with just photos of them inside the building where the cars were offered, were a huge 1966 Mack B75 diesel truck for just $900 and a 1925 Pierce-Arrow tow truck for a bid of $1,750. None of the trucks were running.

  The remaining 34 offerings were a potpouri of autos, trucks - some just in pieces - a 16 foot ski boat with trailer, two vintage tractors and a hearse. One of those tractors was a 1926 Cletrac, complete and seemingly restorable, that sold for a bid of just $500.

  Some cars were setting next to assemblages of related spare parts, and so, were sold as one lot; despite having originally been listed as separate lots. For example, a complete 1941 Ford coupe was sold with a spare front clip and two hoods, for a total of just $500 (plus 10 percent buyer's fee). Then, 10 cars later, a 1947 Pontiac two-door fastback and front clip, top and four doors for a '47 Pontiac, became one lot and all sold for just $700 (plus the same buyer's fee).

  Once in a while, a bidder would have picked out what he wanted and just stood by it, awaiting the car or truck to come up for sale. That's what happened with a 1960 Cadillac hearse. As soon as auctioneer Rick Little started his chant, one bidder standing against the wall of a shack where the hearse had been parked for years, put his bidder's number up in the air and took it down only once or twice, to mull things over; and then, he put it up in the air until his last bid of $1,900 ensured it was his.

 

The 1960 Cadillac hearse - the only hearse offered - that one dedicated bidder paid $1,900 plus buyer's fee to own. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The last vehicle to be offered was a huge 1951 GMC one-ton stack bed grain truck. Complete, it was anyone's guess how long it'd had been since it was run; however, that didn't stop someone from bidding $1,800 to own it. No word on how he got it home. -- Terry Parkhurst

Recommended websites:

www.matherauctions.com

www.lemaymarymount.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The vintage VW Beetle is the New American Hot Rod

 
Rod and Justin Ewing's customized 1963 Volkswagen Beetle is painted "Sweet Orange," a Custom Planet Color mix, and powered by an air-cooled 1,835 cc four cylinder engine equipped with dual Kadron carburetors. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Once upon a time, the 1932 Ford was the basis for most American hot rods, a term derivative of "hot roadster," so the story goes. But these days, a different group of enthusiasts have embraced the venerable air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle, and some of its derivatives, as the basis for their hot rides.

It's understandable, since now the air-cooled Beetle shares traits that the '32 Ford possessed, in the aftermath of the Second World War; (1) easy to work on; (2) ready availability of automobiles and parts (both stock and performance); (3) low cost of entry. Just as the flathead V8 engines in the old "Deuce" were "ported, relieved and bored over," so too are the flat fours of the car designed by Dr. Porsche to be "the people's car."

  There are a number of clubs, around the United States, that have been organized to exchange notes about air-cooled Beetle restoration or modification. On July 16, at Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, Washington, several of them had a combined swap meet and show. 130 cars were formally entered and another 20 or so showed up and registered the day of the show. The entrees evidenced a cross section of the entire Volkswagen scene.

  Doug Sprague, who owns a collision repair and body shop in Tonasket, Washington, brought a 1959 Karmann Ghia with body modifications that made it look more like a Porsche Carrera GT. Setting within its engine bay was a 455 cubic inch V8 from an Oldsmobile Toronado.

 
Doug Sprague's Karmann Ghia, powered by an Oldsmobile 455 cubic-inch V8 engine. (photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

  Parked right next to the radically modified Ghia, was a much more restrained, and mostly stock - save for a two tone paint job - 1952 Volkswagen cabriolet brought up from West Linn, Oregon by owner Dustin Howell.

 
Dustin Howell's rare 1952 Volkswagen cabriolet was a restrained example of the air-cooled Beetle, save for a two-tone paint job that wasn't standard in '52. (photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

  Two rare, Volkswagen W527, type 3 Karmann Ghia coupes were just across the way and drew a number of interested spectators who talked to one of the owners, Mark Morales.

 
Two VW series W527 coupes, built to offer an alternative to a conventional Karmann Ghia, at the Northwest Volkswagen show and swap meet. Mark Morales, owner of the red '65 on the left, explains to people what they are. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst) 

  An example of how far an owner can go in making a vintage air-cooled Volkswagen into a full custom was Alan Meier's 1957 Volkswagen cabriolet. Painted an irridescent shade of what was called "Iris Blue," and with many chromed pieces underneath, it set above a mirror. At the end of the show, Meier's reward for bringing his car over from Issaquah, Washington was a First Place in Class.

 
It's hard to believe that, somewhere beneath all the chrome and numerous body modifications, is a 1957 Volkswagen cabriolet. Alan Meier, the owner, got a First in Class for his vision of what an air-cooled Beetle should be. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst) 

 

  Air-cooled Volkswagens are popular in Hawaii and a contingent from a group of former residents, now mainlanders, club Kahiko Kula, showed up. Reportedly the vintage Beetle makes a good island-car.

 
The green, lowered 1962 Volkswagen Beetle type 1 of Marcus Leorna in the foreground, was part of a showing of air-cooled Volkswagens at the Shoreline show. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Paul Bubak brought a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, type 1, which combined a stock body with a complete re-engineering. Sandy Auto Body of Sandy, Oregon was where the Seattle resident had taken his car to get it refinished in a glossy black; then it was fitted with alloy wheels from Airkeweld Surprise, sourced from Surprise, Arizona. It had been fitted with a well-named "Freeway Flyer" transmission and a heavy-duty flywheel by Strictly Foreign of Grants Pass, Oregon. Bubak built the rest of the car, along with help from his friends, Shane Medberg and Tim Walbridge.

 
Paul Bubak's 1968 Volkswagen Beetle type 1 had been re-engineered to be a freeway cruiser. The engine (below) was bored over and ported, then equipped with two 44 mm. Weber carburetors. Strictly Foreign, of Grants Pass, Oregon put the engine together. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

  Not every Beetle at this show was modified. A few owners made it a point to keep their cars as stock as the day they came from the factory. Julie Danforth's 1962 Volkswagen Beetle, equipped with the rear square window, looked as if it just stepped out of one of those old "Small is Beautiful" ads.

 
This 1962 Volkswagen Beetle, correct in every regard, gave spectators an excellent example of the way it was. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  So what, you might ask, took Best of Show amidst this varied collection of Volkswagen heritage? Dan Crist, a math teacher from Everett, Washington, brought that vehicle: a 1967 21-window Volkswagen microbus.

 
Dan Crist shown with his Best of Show, '67 VW 21-window microbus. From the rear, one can see the period roof rack. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

A member of Cascade Kombis, He said he'd owned it two years and still has a 1991 Volkswagen Synchro van that he bought new.

Considering that, in June, a 1965 Volkswagen 21-window "Samba" bus sold for $82,500 at an auction in Costa Mesa, California, math teacher Crist is ahead of the curve. - Terry Parkhurst

Recommended site: To learn more about that '65 21-window Samba microbus and a '63 23-window microbus that sold for $217,800, look at www.barrett-jackson.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The allure of British roadsters endures

   
  The MG stands for Morris Garage and the octagon shaped badge with those letters within it have been synonymous with the words "sports car," for decades. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Oscar Wilde once defined a cynic as a man who knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing. He might have been hard pressed to figure where to stand on traditional British roadsters, if he'd lived to see them. They've created a lot of automotive cynics, given the costs of operation. Still, how can you put a value on the wind in your hair?

 
Mark Adler ready to hit the road in his 1955 MG-TF 1500. That's a side curtain sticking up in the bodywork behind him - no roll up windows in a true roadster. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  A smile on his face and his wife by his side, you'd have seen Mark Adler driving his green 1955 MG-TF 1500 on a 75 degree day in Seattle, recently. Last month, he drove that same MG to Reno, for the he All MG Register rally and gathering in Reno, Nevada, June 13-17. (Find out more at www.mg2011.com.)

  T-series MG roadsters were made from 1936 to 1955, with a break for the Second World War. The TA and TB were made before the war; and the TC, TD, TF and TF-1500 were made after the war. The engine in the TF-1500 was a 1,466 cc. In-line four cylinder engine that produced 63 block horsepower at 5,000 rpm. The production run for the TF and TF-1500 models was 9,600 made.

 
As British as can be, with right-hand drive, is this MG-TC on display at last year's Kirkand (Washington) Concours D'Elegance. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

   The TF-1500 was the same automobile that caused the man who many called “the dean of automotive journalists,” the late David E. Davis Jr., to have the life-changing experience of his life, back in 1955. He passed away in March, at the age of 80, from complications due to bladder cancer surgery; but when he flipped a TF-1500, while racing, he was lucky to survive.

  It was at a race in Sacramento, California in late October, as David E. recalled in the 25^th anniversary edition of Car and Driver magazine. He was leading the race, when he hit the hay bales – that's what they used on road courses then – in the first turn. The car rolled and caught his head between the back of the seat and the pavement. (Rolls bars wouldn't become mandatory until 1956.) To make things worse, the car slid across the track, upside down. It then hit hay bales on the other side, and challenging credulity, flipped onto its wheels.

  That's when David E. realized that the visor for his helmet was torn and hanging on his right shoulder. He felt his face and realized his nose was gone and his face was a bloody mess. He'd lost both eyelids on the left side of his face, knocked out all but a dozen teeth, suffered over a hundred compound fractures on his upper and lower jaws, and wedged the roof of his mouth into his throat.

  However, the MG had only suffered about 250 dollars worth of damage. David E. went on to become a legend in his own right; so you could say one legend begot another. Still, the next time he raced, in 1958, it would be in a Volvo 444 sedan; provided as part of a Volvo team that went up Pikes Peak.

 The Sacred Octagon – as most MG enthusiasts refer to the MG badge shaped as such – would go on to become legendary in America, before exports to America ceased in 1980.

   But to those enthusiasts, the most desirable MG automobiles don't have roll-up windows, but the side curtains that mark a real roadster; the term was misapplied to a variety of convertible sports cars, in the late 1990s, and the term has lost true meaning to anyone but those who aren't afraid to spend the time to fiddle with side curtains and a manual actuated soft top.

  As MG abandoned the T-series with their low flowing fenders and elemental mechanicals, Austin-Healey, built the “bug-eye” Sprite – another true roadster. When you see one from the front, you know right away from where its name was derived. On the same sunny day that you'd have encountered Mark Adler in his TF-1500, you would have spotted a bug-eye Sprite, down at the south end of the same mall.

Caught in the glow of a setting sun, is this Austin-Healey "bug eye" Sprite, in a parking lot on a perfect day for top-down motoring in Seattle. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)  

  The bug-eye Sprite was produced for three years, starting in 1958. Power was supplied by a 948 cc. In-line four cylinder engine with just 43 block horsepower at 5,200. The number made was just one short of 49,000. It was followed by a more conventional looking roadster – no bug-eyed headlights.

  In an age where many automobiles have become rolling digital entertainment centers, the traditional British roadsters appeal to those who value a visceral experience, based on simple mechanical components and unique exterior design. - Terry Parkhurst

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping tradition alive is the goal of truck collectors

 

 
Dan Morley's 1958 Mack B-75 on display in Issaquah, Washington. Power comes via this rig's original Mack Thermodyne 205 in-line 6 cylinder diesel engine; linked to a triplex transmission. The bulldog sculpture that presaged the iconic hood ornament, was created back in 1932, by then-chief engineer, A.F. Masury. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  A good case could be made for the belief that the truck, especially the pickup truck, did as much to transform America in the 20^th century, as did the Conestoga wagon in the 19^th century. One family-based company – Studebaker - made so many wagons, it later transitioned to making trucks. Two brothers with the last name of Mack, also started out making wagons, and transitioned first to buses, and then trucks. Trucks become a part of people's lives, oftentimes because their livelihoods were connected to them; sometimes it was on farms, or other times, it was on highways or even combat zones.

  A group of people who understand the value of a good truck, and the history behind them, assembled along with those interested in buses and station wagons, at a drive-in, just off of the I90 freeway, in Issaquah, Washington on July third, just before America's birthday. The venue was the XXX Drive-in, which is so named, not because it indulges in adult fare, but because it started out as a XXX root-beer stand. It still serves food that a self-mocking sign posted by the front door, admits is not what your doctor might wish you to eat; but the burgers and burritos are so popular, that a variety of auto clubs stage events there, from March through September.

  Sometimes, collecting vintage trucks runs in families. Dan Morley of Gig Harbor, Washington bought a 1958 Mack B75 from his cousin, Bob Brown; who used to run a wrecking yard on Pacific Highway 99, right on the line between Washington's King and Pierce counties. That yard was for vintage trucks and its specialty was the Mack.

  “Bob's 77 now and this was his last truck,” explained Morley of the venerable machine on display. “I bought it to keep it in the family. The triplex transmission has 15 speeds; a three speed auxiliary with a 5 speed main - each of the main gears are split. The diesel has a limited range. 1,500 to 2,100 rpm is about where you want to keep it."

  Morley is also the president of the Northwest SAAB owners club. He credits his cousin with getting him interested in trucks.

  “I've always liked antique things and Bob certainly played a role,” said Morley. It was 11 years ago, that he purchased a 1951 Chevrolet 1-and-half ton flatbed truck. Now, he's affiliated with the Northwest chapter of the American Truck Historical Association; which brought trucks for the show.

 
The Wallace's 1928 Ford Model AA dump truck, brought from Graham, Washington. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Michelle and Bill Wallace brought a 1928 Ford Model AA truck, painted the correct Ross Moss Green, up from Graham, Washington. It was fitted with the same in-line four cylinder engine you'd find in a Model A Ford automobile, capable of just 40 horsepower at 2,200 rpm. As such, Michelle said, “We trailered it up or we'd still be driving it.”

 
Somewhere in its life, perhaps at the dealer which originally sold it, the Wallace's 1928 Model AA truck had been fitted with a bed and dumping mechanism. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

  It had been equipped with a rear platform from the factory. Somewhere in its lifetime, there'd been the addition of a pickup bed and a dumping mechanism – perhaps a dealer made modification. Like all Model AA trucks, the chassis was similar to that of its automotive counterpart, but was substantially larger and heavier to accommodate heavy hauling.

  Other unique features of the Model AA truck were an updraft carburetor on the engine, a 6-volt generator, a two-blade fan for the engine, mechanical water and oil pump, a four-row radiator and an electric starter; however, the engine could be hand-cranked to start, if need be. The transmission was a four-speed manual.

 
The "Green Machine," a rare military specification 1942 Dodge WC-53, owned by Keith Klosterman. He did a careful, six year restoration to get it to this point. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Keith Klosterman's “Green Machine,” a 1942 Dodge WC-53, one of just 8,402 built for military use, made people stop and stare. With few remaining, most people had never seen one of these SUV-like Carryall enclosed cab rigs. When set-up for military use, they were equipped with a radio for communications and meant to serve as an officer's portable command vehicle during the Second World War.

  The original engine was a 92 brake horsepower, 230.2 cubic-inch flathead, in-line 6 cylinder; but the “Green Machine” had been retrofitted with a Chevrolet V8 of indeterminate displacement. The engine was left in the frame and made operational again; the frame the body sets on is original. The transmission is a SM 420 unit, fitted with a PTO (power take-off unit).

  This truck was reportedly purchased for restoration in 1993. It had been setting out in Seattle rain for 8 years, previously. Like most military vehicles, it had been “run hard and put away wet,” as the saying goes. Most of the sheet metal was all right; however, there were reportedly stress fractures everywhere and the electrical system had been gutted.

  Restoration started in 1995. Klosterman replaced all missing body panels himself, he said, with OEM (original equipment manufactured) pieces; or he fabricated them. The interior was restored with all original sheet metal. The instruments were replaced, but all dash lights and knobs, as well as dash plates, are original. The seats were replaced, but the floors and trim are original.

  While the “Green Machine” was deemed roadworthy in 2001, Klosterman said, “As with all restorations, fine tuning is always going on.”

 
An ad for Chevrolet once equated the marque with "Mom and apple pie." Rod Parkinson's 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup shows that still the case. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  On an adjacent part of the parking lot was Rod Parkinson's bright red 1950 Chevrolet series 3100 pickup truck. With the hood up, you could see in the immaculate engine bay a “Stovebolt Six,” a 235 cubic inch, in-line 6 cylinder engine; modified with a finned and chromed valve cover and two,c chrome side-draft carburetors.

 
Detailing is epitomized in the engine bay of this 1950 Chevrolet series 3100 pickup truck. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  To some it might be just a truck. But to those assembled for this Sunday, it was a four-wheeled paean to what made America the country it is. – Terry Parkhurst

 

For information on the American Truck Historical Society, look at: www.aths.org

or write them at: P.O. Box 901611; Kansas City, Missouri 64190-1611

 For information on Pfahl Mack truck restorations, in Connecticutt, look at:  http://www.macktruckrestorations.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flying Merkels to BEV "White Zombie" at eclectic show in Seattle

 
 

"Flying Merkel" motorcycles were made in Ohio; these two - 1912 and 1914 models - belong to John Viljoen, Antique Cycle Northwest. They're shown setting in the bed of a 1939 Studebaker coupe express, owned by Alan Kunosky, at the Greenwood Car Show in Seattle on July 25. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 Seattle, Washington is far from being known as a city friendly to automotive enthusiasts. Bicycle lanes have sprouted up all over the city, thanks in part to a mayor best known for bicycling to work and being a member of the Sierra club; however, a car show on the last Saturday of June, in the Greenwood district of Seattle, showed enthusiasm for the automobile in a variety of forms, is alive and well here. 

John Walker, owner of John Walker's Workshop, a Porsche repair shop in the Greenwood district and one of the organizers of the show reported after it was over that, “There were 710 cars. We walked it off to get an accurate count.”

 

The Greenwood show from above. (Photo by Diane Jacobson)

  That would've been quite a walk, too. Unlike other car shows which are staged on private lawns or commercial facilities – think the lawn at Pebble Beach CA or Forest Grove, Oregon – the Greenwood Show is held on both sides of Greenwood Avenue North. Traffic going longitudinally is suspended for the duration of the show.

This year's show ranged from the where North 67^th Street crosses Greenwood Avenue, up to 90^th Street- one-and-a-half miles. Traffic going across, at two major intersections, was still stopped by traffic lights; with police on hand to ensure that the multitude of show-going pedestrians got across safely before traffic rolled.

 
The 1935 Pierce-Arrow 7-passenger sedan, owned by Gerald Garman, at the Greenwood Car Show. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  The multitude of vehicles ranged from a 1919 Cadillac four-sedan that was a restoration project – unknown if it was driven or trailered – to a collection of electric-powered cars and trucks, displayed by the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association (SEVA).

  Typical of any car show in America, some of the most fascinating offerings came from that period of unrestrained exuberance in industrial design, the 1950s.

 
Gilbert Lynn brought this 1956 Nash Ambassador to the Greenwood Car Show. His research showed it to have once been "the official car of Disneyland" and had the same owner for 26 years of its existence. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

   Gilbert Lynn exhibited a dazzling 1956 Nash Ambassador that had one woman crouching down, just to get a photograph of the grille. It was equipped not only with a Pinin Farina-designed body, but also a Packard-built 260 horsepower, 352 cubic-inch V8. Lynn explained that it was the only year that Nashes had Packard engines.

 
The 1950 Studebaker Champion of Lance Lambert. It was powered by an 85 horsepower, 169.6 cubic-inch 6 cylinder engine; backed up by a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

   Lance Lambert, well-known host of The Vintage Vehicle television show was on hand to show his 1950 Studebaker Champion four-door sedan; the car best remembered by automotive enthusiasts for its bullet-shaped nose. The power-train combination for this particular example was an 85 horsepower, 169.6 cubic-inch, in-line six cylinder engine; backed up by a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive.

 
A 1964 Datsun NL320 pickup truck, equipped with a 60 horsepower, 1200 cc engine, owned by Dave Firestone; displayed at the Greenwood Car Show. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 
The 1964 Datsun L320 pickup truck, with separate bed, owned by Jack Kampa, on display at the Greenwood Car Show. Kampa said he'd owned it since 1971. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Japanese collectibles were well represented by two well-restored little Datsun pickup trucks, both models NL320.

 
Dave Firestone, owner of one of the Datsun L320s cheerfully showed how the engine on one of them was fully capable of being started by a hand crank, if need be. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  It was the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association (SEVA) gathering that seemed to merge the past and future in some interesting ways. John Wayland brought his “White Zombie,” a 1972 Datsun 1200 coupe up from Portland, Oregon; equipped with two electric motors, Wayland has been able to achieve 117.21 miles-per-hour in a quarter mile, from a standing start, with an elapsed time of 10.4 seconds.

 
This 1972 Datsun 1200 is capable of 117.21 miles-per-hour in the quarter mile. Just below is the reason why: a "Siamese 9" electric motor consisting of what used to be two separate 9-inch electric motors, now one. This custom built electric motor is coupled to a 2000 amp Zilla brand controller. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 

  Roderick Wilde displayed a street rod, based on a replica fiberglass 1932 Ford “deuce” roadster, powered not by a the usual V8, but instead a Advanced DC 8-inch electric motor with AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries. The battery pack consisted of 24 batteries in series, producing 288 volts.

 
The electric-powered street rod of Roderick Wilde, owner of EV Parts in Port Townsend, Washington; brought down to the Greenwood Car Show. Just below is the Advanced DC 8-inch electric motor installed in the engine bay. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

 
 

Wilde's company, EV Parts, offers the conversion components to produce a similar example of a true 21^st Century hot rod. Wilde said that while he's only had his creation above 70 miles-per-hour on the freeway, “It's capable of more.”

 
The archer hood ornament on the radiator grille of Gerald Garmon's 1935 Pierce-Arrow is an example of why vintage autos are collected as art. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

So there it is, the 19th staging of an auto show that demonstrated the changing nature of automotive technology, amidst the best automotive history has to offer. - Terry Parkhurst

Recommended websites:

Vintage Vehicle television: www.vintagevehicletv.com

EV Parts for electric vehicle conversion: www.evparts.com

Complete information on the "White Zombie" '72 Datsun racecar: http://www.plasmaboyracing.com/whitezombie.php

 

 

 

Auction of Don Short's Stutz collection was no short sale

  
The collection of Don Short, which included 8 Stutz automobiles, inside the Port Townsend Aero Museum, awaiting auction. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Oftentimes, automobile collectors will pick one marque as their favorite; and then, they'll fill as many buildings as they can with variants of it; but not many collectors have chosen the legendary American make of Harry Stutz.

When they do, those collections aren't large ones, due to the fact that Stutz didn't make a lot of cars, to begin with, and thus fewer survived than most other serial production cars. Harry C. Stutz, the founder, was able to see his company produce 759 cars in its first year, 1913, increasing production to just 2.207 by 1917. Frederick E. Moskovics arrived in 1926 to take the company over from its founder; and introduced new open and enclosed auto “Safety Stutz” models that same year. By  1933, production of Stutz automobiles was somewhere under 50; exact production figures, are unavailable.

However, given the history of Stutz, any collection of them is important. Harry Stutz, based in Indianapolis, built a racing car with his name on it, in just five weeks, to prove the durability of his gearbox/rear-axle unit. He then entered that car in the first Indy 500 and finished eleventh; thus, was born the company's slogan, “The car that made good in a day.”

 
The 1929 Stutz Blackhawk L-6 two-passenger Speedster from the Short collection. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 
The overhead camshaft, 85 horsepower, 6 cylinder engine installed in the 1929 Stutz Blackhawk. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Moskovics followed in those footsteps. A Stutz Black Hawk Speedster finished second in the 1928 24 Hours of LeMans.

  That's what led people from around the world to take notice of an auction in Port Townsend, Washington, up in the upper left part of the United States, on May 21. The offerings were a collection of 24 early American automobiles, including 8 Stutzautos, and a diverse collection of Stutz spares parts, literature and photos. Other manufacturers included Buick, Cadillac, Chalmers, Ford, Lambert, Locomobile, Mitichell, Oldsmobile, Pierce-Arrow, Studebaker and Tourist.

The 1919 Tourist model K side-entrance touring car from the Short collection. It sold for $155,500. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Bonhams & Butterfields did the honors and when things were done, the final tally was almost $1.5 million in sales.

The collection was the legacy of the late Donald M. Short of Port Ludlow, Washington, who'd passed away of leukemia in 2002 at the age of 74. He'd been a real estate investor until his retirement; but he remained a Stutz aficionado until the end; after buying a model K, back in 1953, at the age of 26, according to his wife, Lynette.

 
The 1911 Mitchell model "T" five-passenger touring car from Don Short's collection, awaiting auction. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  “He didn't buy a car unless he could drive it. He paid $300 for that model K and drove it off the dealer's lot.” she said. “Don loved speed. He once had the (Stutz) Bearcat up to 105.”

  Lynette Short said that her husband, “Started with Ford model Ts and went up,” and he liked the Stutz because “it was a heavy car, went very fast and was just an extra good kind of car.”

  Mr. Short developed his a network to assist in his acquisition and maintenance of his collection; including a relationship with Ralph Dunwoodie of the Harrah's Auto Collection. That led to a good collection of spare parts and several automobiles from the collection, including a 1920 Bearcat in 1976.

  When the varied collection of Brass Era cars of Alexander K. Miller, of East Orange, Vermont was auctioned off in 1996 by Christies, Don and Lynette Short were in attendance; and purchased engines and other spares, in order to keep their collection of cars functioning.

 
A 1920 Excelsior/Greuter four-cylinder overhead camshaft engine for a Stutz. It was believed to be the only surviving four cylinder designed by Charles "Pop" Greuter. It sold for $8,775, including buyer's fee. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Malcom Barber, CEO of Bonhams and sales auctioneer, was certainly the right man to sell this collection; since he personally owns a 1903 Peerless 5-passenger touring car, a 1902 Curved-dash Oldsmobile and a 1914 Cadillac 50 horsepower touring car. While he works from San Francisco, California, he still maintains an apartment with a garage in the United Kingdom and “that's the important bit” he said.

 
Malcom Barber, CEO and auctioneer (at rear of auto) for the Short Stutz auction assists with unloading the bare chassis of a 1911 Buick model 21 touring car.(Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  On Saturday, May 21, the auction started off with service and sales literature, photographs, spare parts and even bodies. Since the parts and body parts are difficult to find, yet crucial to a restoration, the bidding was intense and some of the prices achieved exceeded estimates made, before the auction. For example, three magnetos netted over $13,000; a set of Solarclypse head-lamps sold in excess of $12,870; and a beautiful radiator badge sold for a bid $1,150 (final price, $1,170 with buyer's fee). That badge had been estimated to bring just $150.

 
Interested bidders look through boxes of Stutz parts prior to the auction of Donald Short's collection. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  It was a portent of what was to come, with the automobiles themselves.

  
 Bob Hylend, who knew Don Short for 20 years, looks over the 1920 Stutz Bearcat that sold for $159,000, including buyer's fee. The Bearcat had once been in Bill Harrah's collection. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 The first car on the docket was a 1929 Stutz Blackhawk L-6 two-passenger Speedster; powered by an in-line 8 cylinder engine, it was identical in most respects to automobiles that raced at Lemans, circa 1929 to '32. Bidding ramped up quickly and when the hammer came down it had sold for $159,000 – a record setting price. This automobile would stay in the States, as it reportedly sold to an American bidder. The previous record for a 1929 Blackhawk was $92,000.

 Lot #602 was a 1920 Bearcat from the Harrah's collection – the same automobile that Don Short had taken on a joy ride to 100 mph. It sold for a record setting $260,000; with the previous record being $64,625. It reportedly sold to a buyer in the Far East, via a bid entered by telephone.

 Lot #604 was the very same 1924 Bulldog 6 that started Don Short's love affair with the marque. It sold for a record-setting $79,560; with the previous record being just $44,650.

 
The 1907 Locomobile model E, five passenger touring car, that sold for $155,500, including buyer's fee. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

  Another ex-Bill Harrah automobile, Lot #619, a 1907 Locomobile model E, five-passenger touring car, sold for $155,500; the previous record – via Bonhams itself – was $125,000.

 Lot #614, a 1919 Pierce-Arrow series 31, 38 horsepower with an unusual four-passenger roadster body, sold for $141,200 (including buyer's fee).

 When the auction was over, auctioneer Barber said, “Despite the remote, albeit gorgeous location, collectors and enthusiasts participated en masse,” adding,”We're pleased with the results and witnessed the continuing strength of the collector car market.”

 That's what rarity and good staging will do for an auction. So while the Short collection has been distributed to others, around the globe, the legacy of Stutz has been preserved for future generations. - Terry Parkhurst

For complete results, look at http://www.bonhams.com