What ignites a lifelong passion for speed? Let's journey back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, where a 1940 Ford coupe sparked an unquenchable thirst for racing. From joining the Roadrunner's Car Club to the electrifying moment of witnessing Mickey Thompson's streamliner at Bonneville in 1959, we explore the early days of land speed racing. Hear about the camaraderie and the challenges faced during those formative years, racing at the lakes and then moving on to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Ever wondered what it takes to build a high-powered engine that can break records? In this episode, we recount the thrilling experience of creating a "Frankenstein" engine in 1967, with invaluable help from Ack Miller and Art Chrisman. Discover how a homemade fuel injection system and meticulous tweaking led to an impressive 466 horsepower, ultimately resulting in a record-setting run at Bonneville. The story doesn't stop there; we delve into the late 60s and early 70s, recounting the achievements with a 29' Roadster and a Pontiac Trans Am that became the first door slammer to break a record over 300 MPH!
But land speed racing is more than just the pursuit of records; it's about innovation and community. We discuss transitioning into custom car production, detailing the creation of unique metal-bodied cars inspired by 1932 Roadsters. Learn how a thriving component shop evolved into building the sought after Muroc Roadsters that led to building a street legal race car that drove to Bonneville and then raced over 200 MPH there. This episode is a tribute to the legacy, innovation, and community spirit that define the exhilarating world of land speed racing. Join us for a celebration of speed, passion, and the bonds formed on the track.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Landspeed Legends, a podcast talking to
the men, the women, the legendsthat make land speed racing
great.
Discover the stories of theseordinary people whose passion
for land speed racing has madethem legendary.
And now here's your host theBonneville Belle, the High Boy,
(00:23):
honey, the salt princess, alisonVolk-Dean.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Were you into racing or were you?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well, I really wasn't into racing so much.
It was mostly getting throughschool, after high school, you
know, going to JC, gettingthrough, getting over that, and
then after JC, that was around1958.
That's when I bought a 44 coupe, okay, okay, and I kind of like
(00:58):
racing.
So I joined Roadrunner's CarClub S-E-T-A Roadrunner's Car
Club to Roadrunner's Car Club,s-e-t-a Roadrunner's Car Club,
ran the lakes and ran the lakesfor about five or six years just
with the 40 Ford.
And then while I was in theRoadrunners I got acquainted
with a good friend, red Holmes,lowell Holmes.
(01:21):
We became really close and wedecided, gee, maybe we should go
to Bonneville.
Well, okay, that sounds good.
At the time I had a job atAckmiller's Garage and it was
1959.
(01:42):
And I was reading Hot RodMagazine and I reading about
Mickey Thompson and hisstreamliner, building the
streamliner.
So I read it, read it, read it,and it was so, so cool.
I said, hey, red, I call himRed Holmes, red, let's go to
Bonneville.
Okay, so we'll go to Bonneville.
(02:05):
And, um, so we'll go toBonneville.
But he couldn't make it so agood friend of mine that I'd
gone to high school with, wedrove up my 44 coupe to the Salt
.
I had no idea what the Saltflats were, nothing.
I thought I was going to SaltLake City, maybe, so I'm heading
out.
I thought I was going to SaltLake City, maybe, so I'm heading
out, going the wrong way, ofcourse.
(02:26):
And then we finally get here in1959 in my 40 coupe, and I mean
I'm looking around at the holycrap, this is really something.
This is amazing.
So I'm in the pit area and atthe time the pit area was only
from here to that flag.
(02:47):
It was nothing.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, there were maybe 50 cars, but Mickey
Thompson was the center ofattraction so I was in their
pits the whole time.
So he's getting the car allready and pushing it up to the
line.
We followed it and everything.
I thought, okay, they're goingto be running pretty soon.
(03:09):
So we jumped in my 40, went tothe three-mile mark and we're
waiting, and waiting, andwaiting.
Nothing happened.
No CBs, no radios, no, nothing.
So we're just sitting therewaiting.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
The silence of assault.
Hot sun no AC no, nothing.
So we're just sitting therewaiting.
The silence of the salt Hot sunno AC, no nothing.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Not even a shade Bro, nothing.
So all of a sudden I heardsomething Sounded like a kind of
low-pitch noise and I'm looking, looking, looking.
Couldn't see anything Prettysoon.
I see a little dot, a littledot, and it was three miles away
, of course.
And it's getting bigger and thesound.
(03:49):
And here comes Mickey Thompson,right at the three-mile mark,
and I'll tell you, I was hooked.
I saw that car come through andit was a hesitation.
He was shifting into the highgear, it was going.
Oh oh, you know oh, my god, Istill get you, yeah.
(04:11):
So I was hooked big time.
So I came back and, um, I stillwas still running the lakes
because I couldn't afford tobuild a car or anything.
So so I'm working atEckmiller's, make a fairly
decent money.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
That Strasburg Motors loud.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I always like that.
So anyways, I thought, well,okay, let's buy a car and go up
to race.
Okay, let's do that car and goup to race.
Okay, let's do that.
So looked in the LA Times for arace car At the time they had,
you know, canteeks and stuff.
We bought a 34 Ford for 400bucks and so we built that car,
(05:03):
put a Chevy motor in it and cameup here in 1962.
That was my first year ofrunning competitively.
What class were you running?
It was competition coupe.
It was D Okay, it was a300-inch.
Well, it was a 274-inch smallblock, Okay, Okay.
And I was running againstDannenfelser.
(05:28):
Fred Dannenfelser, he had acompetition coupe and he had a
competition coupe, I had a.
Chop 34.
There was no contest.
So he was going 200, 220, 230,whatever it was, and I managed
to go 162.
So we were tickled with that.
(05:50):
We had no troubles, everythingwas fine.
So we come home and I'm workingat Ackmiller Garage and
Ackmiller was a Ford guy, he wasa performance advisor for Ford
Motor Company and he says Jerry,you're running a Chevy in that
car, we got to get you a Ford.
(06:13):
So he talks with his Ford peopleand here comes a new Ford, 260
cubic inch.
The little 260 Ford small block.
And at the time it was new, itwas brand new.
They didn't know this.
What kind of a distributor wasin the front?
And the Chevy distributor wasin the back.
(06:34):
Nobody could.
So he said what's the record inthat class?
The record was 160, 160.
160, 160.
So, okay, we put this motor inthere.
At the time nobody made speedequipment for a 260.
Nobody made it.
But I had the old remember theold Dumour grinders.
(07:00):
I ground off the heads and theports and put Chevy valves in it
and I thought you know, I thinkI need a fuel injection.
Call up Hilborn.
Hilborn says what he says.
(07:20):
We don't make prototypes for a264.
Okay, well, here comes fiveHillborn fuel injections.
Dan Gurney got four of them andI got the fifth one.
So I had fuel injection for a264.
Man, I was on seven, so it wasreally cool.
(07:51):
So we come up to Bonneville and,as luck would have it, the
record was 60 and I went 63.
Set a record with a 264.
Act Miller was beside himself.
He thought this was great, thiswas super.
So after that, here comes allthe Ford motors.
I had 289s, I had everything.
And then I sort of got.
(08:11):
I sort of thought with the 34Coupe it was so crowded I felt
claustrophobic in that.
So we sold the 34 and got a 32Ford Roadster and so I put the
289 in the 32 ford roadster andwe went fairly decent hunt in
(08:33):
the 70s 75.
We never set any records withthat.
But then act miller was uh, hewas a pike speak guy and he ran
a Pikes Peak with a Devon-bodiedsports car with 427 Fords in it
and he went up there and blew acouple of motors and he came
home with these motors and hesays Jerry, take one of these
(08:55):
motors and put it in yourRoadster.
And there was an open record atthe time in the gas class.
And so we put the 427 in therein the roadster and I couldn't
afford to buy a fuel injectionso I made one.
(09:16):
I made a homemade fuelinjection and Popular Hot
Rodding followed me on it andthey put it on the cover of the
magazine.
This 427, it was aconglomeration, it was a
(09:38):
plumber's nightmare, but anywaysit worked.
And Act Miller was an Autoliteguy and Autolite was in Long
Beach and Art Crispin was there.
Autolite was in Long Beach andArt Crispin was there.
And so here comes my—I built theengine with two four-barrel
carburetors and then I took thetwo four-barrel carburetors off
and went to the surplus storeand found an Army surplus
(09:59):
helicopter intake with three bigbutterflies, three giant
butterflies about about thissize.
Wow and uh.
So I I drilled the manifoldeight places and put nozzles,
fuel injection, hillborn fuelinjection nozzles, went to the
(10:20):
swap meet and got a flatheadbarrel you know the barrel valve
fuel injection.
And so I made this up, made allthe linkage and everything and
got the fuel pump.
Everything was just a nothingfuel pump, but it was a Hilborn.
(10:40):
So we take the motor.
Jack says, take the motor, we'lltake it running on the dyno.
And okay.
So I said, how about if we runthe motor on the dyno with two
four-barrel carburetors and thenwe'll take the two four-barrel
carburetors off the motor andput my fuel injection
(11:01):
butterflies on, and I made themanifold and everything.
Fuel injection butterflies on,I made the manifold and
everything.
So here we do.
We run it on the dyno.
It went 420, it went around 427horsepower with the two four
barrels Ran pretty good.
So Ak and Art Crispin go out tocoffee and Red and I are in the
(11:29):
dyno room changing from the twofour barrels to the fuel
injection.
Okay, so they come back fromdinner and coffee it was about
an hour hour and a half and theycome back to the dyno room room
and we're just putting the fuelinjection back together and
it's working, everything islooking good and they okay,
(11:51):
let's fire it up.
So okay, here's the button andit started I don't know who was
more surprised me or Ag or Artand it sat there and ticked them
off at about 1,500 RPM with thefuel injection and Ag looks at
(12:15):
Art, christman and Christmanlooks at Art and they both shake
their hands.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Were you like hot dog .
I'm a genius.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yes, I said what is this?
What is this?
So Art started to run it on thedyno.
The first pull was a little bitlean or something, and he
didn't want to run it, he didn'twant to hurt it.
So he says, okay, jerry,where's the pill?
(12:41):
Where's the pill container?
Oh, here, right there.
Okay.
So, where's the pill?
Where's the pill container?
Oh, here, right there.
Okay.
So we changed it, ran it again,ran up to 390 horsepower and it
was still a little bit lean.
So we put more fuel in.
Finally we get it runningpretty decent.
He put a full pull on it and Iwas ready to die because you
(13:02):
know, if you've ever been in adyno room with your engine on
the dyno, it kills you becauseyou think it's going to blow up.
You're standing there.
Anyways, we wound up putting466 horsepower and they were
both happy as hell, and so was I.
(13:23):
I couldn't believe it.
So that's the car that came toBonneville with me in 1967.
And we set the gas record at192 something and we set the
fuel record at 205.
And that's when I got in myclub, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
It was 1967.
On your engine that you builtyour Frankenstein engine.
It was a Frankenstein.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Plus, and the car was .
I remember in those days youhad to qualify Mm-hmm, and then
the next morning you went downand back, yep, it was, and back,
yep, it was.
Three runs, yeah, unlike today.
So I made my down run I'vequalified.
(14:12):
And then made my down run andI'm sitting there at the eight
or nine mile, whatever it was,and that was the longest hour I
ever spent in my life Justwaiting.
My wife Judy, was there.
We had gotten married in 64.
So we were together and so shewas there, you know, supporting
(14:41):
me and everything, yeah wasthere, you know, supporting me,
yeah and uh.
So, anyways, the I had two bigtubes coming out of the front of
the grill shell for air andthey were.
That was a conglomeration.
Also, they were actually fourbarrel, the little bells you put
on top of a four-barrelcarburetor, you know.
(15:02):
So I had them out there and Iwent to the hardware store, got
some plastic ducts andeverything, and one of them was
flying off, so I put tape onthem and everything.
So on the way back we got thejob done, making our return run.
So that's how I got it.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Nice, and that's in the Roadster.
Right, you're in the Roadsterdoing this 32 and run.
So that's how I got it nice andthat's in the roadster.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Right, you're in the roadster.
32 roads, nice, 32 roads.
Okay, I didn't know.
You got it in a roadster, Iguess.
I mean, I just always know youfrom having the, the coops.
Well, yeah, I uh.
Well then, it was the roadsterand built the modified right,
there's.
Judy.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Knows just as much, because Ford.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
now I was gold with Ford Motor Company and they gave
me a Cammer.
Wow, the single overhead Cam427.
The single overhead cam 427 and, uh, I thought holy crap
(16:12):
they're gonna give me this motor.
I can't run it in this jump 32ford rooster.
I'm gonna build a new car.
So you remember that, judy, wewere.
We were in our living room andI was sitting on the living room
carpet on the living room and Ijust drew a couple of lines,
you know, and where the motorwould go, because I measured the
motor and everything and wedrew a car on the carpet with
(16:34):
chalk and that's how it startedwith the modified Okay.
And we came up here in 60.
And then Rod and Customfollowed that on the build and
everything and, uh, okay, we hada wonderful time building that
car.
It was, you know, a modifiedyeah and and now, not that
(16:57):
modified it, it was they're long, they're, they're 20 feet long.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
So, but in those days they were very short.
Anyways, that was the Cammer inthe 27.
And we had a great time withthat.
We were on 240, 243, 244.
We never set the record withthat car, but we always got a
first place in it.
Yeah, yeah, because it was therecord was pretty high, but we
always got a first place in it.
Yeah, yeah, because it was, therecord was pretty high, but we
(17:26):
had no trouble, everything wasfine and that, uh, and that took
care of the 30, the uh, the 27.
Now, I forgot to mention beforethat, um, there was a, an
electric car, auto light was, um, I set a record with an
(17:46):
electric car oh really, and whatyear, yes, that?
was a 1968.
Yeah, auto light.
R chrisman and danny ames andAk Miller were having coffee one
day and they were it was.
They were saying you know,autolite's coming out with a
(18:08):
brand new big battery for theEast Coast, for the.
You know winter, and wintercomes in East Coast, the
batteries are no good.
So they're coming up with anelectric car.
And it was the Autolite leadwedge.
Okay, it looked like a wedge,it was a glorified go-kart.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
No suspension.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
And it had 20 batteries, 10 on each side.
I sat in the middle withswitches and the switches were
like a four-speed transmissionthe third, fourth, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
So we had to be towed .
We had to be towed and I hadthe tow line in the car and I
could release the tow line so itwouldn't take juice out of the
batteries to run the car.
So he said, okay, I'll go asfast as this station wagon will
(19:15):
go and I'll hit the brake lights, touch the brake lights and you
release.
Okay, so I'm going here.
Touch the release brake, I go.
I hit the first switch Boy.
It was pretty good, and I hadto look at the gauges, the
voltmeter, because the voltmeterstarted dropping off, I hit
another one.
(19:36):
So anyways, we go, all fourswitches and we went 138 miles
an hour, which was a record.
The record had been in thebooks for decades at 64 miles
per hour.
It was an electric car, 64miles per hour, set in
19-oh-something, whatever.
(19:58):
So here we are 30 or 40 yearslater later and in this call
electric wedge, auto light wedge, car, and we set a record.
And that was another thing whyI got the camera as well,
because they were so tickledwith that car setting a record.
And so they said here we'regoing to give you anything you
(20:22):
want.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Anything you want, man, I was there, you were
loving it, it was great, it waswonderful.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
It was a world dance.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
It was what?
Was it A world dance?
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Oh yeah, it was USAC Joe Petrelli.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
I have the framed, and this is the electric one.
The electric one yeah, this wasbig deal.
This was an FIA.
Oh, yeah, I didn't know thatthey had that.
It's in the FIA books.
Yeah, oh, that's really cool.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
I mean, this is major stuff yeah.
And anyways, that car today isat the Speedway Museum.
Oh the.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
NHRA Museum Okay, yes , the Victoria Museum Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Yes, for about 20 years it was at the Indy
Indianapolis Museum, okay, andit was on display there at the
Indianapolis Museum.
The electric car, yeah, and theelectric car at the Speedway
Museum they rotate the cars andsometimes it's in the basement,
sometimes it's out on displayand I've had a couple people say
(21:23):
, gee, I was at Indy and all theIndy cars here and I saw a car
electric auto, light, lead,wedge, and it had your name on
it, driver, jerry Kugel, and Isaid, well, yeah, I know it's at
Indy, but I didn't know it wason display.
Yes, it was, but when Judy andI went there about 10 years ago
(21:44):
or so, a long time ago, itwasn't, it was underneath.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
So we didn't get it.
So you never got to see it.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
We couldn't see it, but anyways, it just went on
auction here about two years ago.
They got rid of anything thatwas not Indy Indy.
So, bill Smith from SpeedwayMotors, they bought the car,
okay, and it's on display.
(22:09):
It's Speedway right now, okay.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Oh cool, Very cool.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
So that's how the camera came about.
And then we ran the modifiedfor three or four years.
Then I got tired of that andsold the modified to Gordon Hoyt
, who runs the car, and he put aChevy in it.
I sold it without the engineand then let me think.
(22:33):
Now I've got to think.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Where are you at?
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Then we built my 29.
Okay, the 29.
And then, of course, then I gotacquainted with you, Larry and
all, because now we were in thesame class again.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
We were in that, and so that was you know.
I don't know how much you wantto.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
I would keep going, man, let's keep going.
So we're just into the 60s.
We haven't even gotten into the70s yet, or the 80s or 90s.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
We're in the late 60s , early 70s yet, or the 80s or
90s.
We're in the late, early, late60s, early 70s, yeah and um.
So we decided to build a carfor um, you know regular nice
roadster.
So we built the 29 on deucerails and, uh, we started
(23:21):
running that in the early 70sand worked our way up to set a
couple of records and they wereset back in 78.
Good year, yeah, the year I wasborn.
One was 245 was a fuel record,and 230 something 236, I think
(23:47):
was the gas record.
You, Larry, well knows, becausewe were all in the same class.
You guys are kind of I ranturbochargers and we started I
believe the record holder at thetime was Bardinoli I believe
the record holder at the timewas Bardinoli and it was a 213
or 18 and first set the recordat 220.
(24:10):
Then kept working up our speedsup to 240s and 245 average and
that held for 15 or 20 years.
It was there for a long timeand it was just broken here
within, oh gosh, the last threeor four years from the um.
(24:35):
Mangali, mangali.
Mangali and water like yeah,those guys you know, and uh,
would they blew it away?
They're in the fifties Now.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
that record is in the fifties and and so.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
But in the meantime, um that we put, we parked uh the
roadster and then we're looking.
Then the boys were looking fora faster car, so we started the
Pontiac, the Trans Am.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
And boys, you mean your sons, right?
That's what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yes, Joe and Jeff.
Yes and so, but they had bothgotten into the club in the
Roadsters.
Oh, okay, yeah, they alreadywere in the club.
But we wanted to go a littlefaster, a little later model car
.
But we wanted to go a littlefaster, a little later model car
.
So we saw McDonald Bits PontiacTrans Am and we had a for sale
(25:26):
sign on it.
We should buy that.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
That one looks fast.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Everybody in that class was trying to go 300.
Everybody Mike Cook, gil Banks,lingenfelter, all of the heavy
hitters were trying to go threebills and they came close.
Lingenfelter, I think, was theclosest, I think he went 290,
(25:56):
high 90s and then the windowsblew out of it, the hood blew
off of it and everything.
And Mike Cook tried it.
He was in the close to 2 alsowhen the back window came out of
that Cook's car.
But that was more of a.
The engine was set back.
It wasn't, it was a standardcar, though they wanted a door
(26:19):
car to go 300.
Yeah, a door car.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
And so we bought McDonald-Pitts cars and totally
went through it Everything Newchassis, everything and put a
small-block Chevy turbochargedand twin turbos, and we've been
watching what they did.
(26:44):
And the engineers at GeneralMotors gave McDonald-Pitts two
new cars they were getting closeto 300, and they said if you
set a record, we want you in anew car, we don't want you in an
old Trans Am Pontiac 90, prettymuch.
(27:04):
So they gave McDonald's twocars and so they built those
cars too and they went fast andwe went fast.
So we were friendly competitorsbecause they were so good.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
We owe a lot to McDonald, dave McDonald.
He was such a nice guy yeah, hestill is, they still run the
car and so we finally got thejob done.
We went 300.
Yes, we were the first ones todo.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
First in a door slammer to go 300.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Yes, we were the first ones to do.
First in a door salon to go 300.
Yes, first door car to go 300with an engine in the stock
location.
You know, didn't change a thing.
The headlights worked, theelectric windows still worked.
I mean it was a stalker.
Yeah, except it the the groundeffect stuff that were standard
(27:58):
you could buy them from chevy.
Yeah, you know the little youknow thing on the little tiny
wing in the trunk okay and so.
So we did the 300 there andeverybody was happy about that.
So, um, you think, now you gotto think that's a big moment.
So 300, but we went 300, for weand we drove and ran that car
(28:24):
for a number of years.
Yeah.
So we and we were having fun,the kids were driving it, and
everybody went over 300 withthat car.
Yeah, I even went over 300 withit.
Wow, we were going, we're allset to go home.
One one year we had set, youknow, bumped the record up just
a tiny, and Jeffrey said, or Joesaid, dad, you want to take
(28:47):
this, take it for a ride?
Yeah, I guess, then we'll gohome.
Okay, so it was done.
I wasn't trying to do anything,but I qualified.
But I went 303, but I saidlet's go home, we're going home.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Oh, no, yeah, I'll go home, you're like that was
enough for me.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yeah, that was enough , Well and then after that we
parked the car.
Yeah, I said you know the lawsof averages before you get in
trouble sometimes you get introuble.
We hadn't had any trouble.
We were so lucky with that car.
It was like a bracket car.
It ran so well, and so weparked it.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
It was a cool car.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
And it's never going to run again.
I never want to have that carrun again.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Are you going to put it in a museum?
Speaker 3 (29:36):
I still have it.
I'm going to donate it toSpeedway.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Okay, cool.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Very cool.
Now did both your boys get inthe three chapter?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Joe is.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Joe, is Okay, joe is.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Jeffrey missed it by well.
He qualified 306.
Yeah, he made a heck of a run.
He was coming back andsomething happened to the motor.
He didn't quite make it.
He missed it by that much, butthey were both we all went 300.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
We had fun, yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
We had fun, very cool .
So then we parked the Pontiac.
So now what do we do?
We went to Muroc and my shopwas going great guns, you know
(30:30):
components and I had MarcelDeLay.
I put a contract with him tobuild 20 cars for me,
metal-bodied cars, handmademetal-bodied cars that duplicate
a Roadster, but they're not 32Roadsters, they're changed.
(30:51):
You look at a Muroc, one of myMuroc cars.
I called them Murocs, yeah andyou look at a stock, or that's
when you notice it, but if it'ssitting here it's a 32-wheeler.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
So we built 20 of these cars and we were doing
great Selling just rollers.
We didn't build complete cars,we just had them fabricated by
Marcel and I built a nicechassis, all independent,
suspensionependent suspensionwithout engine, without trance,
without paint, withoutupholstery.
(31:24):
I sold them as rollers.
That way I didn't have to worryabout registration.
It was parts Okay.
Sold parts.
Yeah, so we did that and wedidn't have a car at the time.
So the kids said, well, let'slearn one of the Murox.
Okay, we'll take one, take oneof those roads and that'll be my
(31:46):
car.
Because I wanted to have Marcelbuild me a nice car.
But I went to Marcel's shop andthey wanted oh my gosh, what
they wanted to build a car wasjust crazy.
So I went home all disappointed.
On the way home I thought, well, maybe if I build more than one
(32:08):
, it might pay.
So next time I said how aboutif we built 10 high boys?
How much would that cost?
So, anyways, I worked it outwhere, if I could sell eight or
nine, I could have one for free,maybe, okay, so anyways, we
(32:29):
built 10.
And then that was going so well.
People said, well, what aboutyou build fender cars?
I said, well, no, just highboys.
Finally, I got talked intoputting fenders.
So I had Marcel build fendercars.
So I built 10 of those and they.
So in the meantime I took oneof the high uh, the high boys
(32:51):
and we put the roll bars in theschool cage and all the systems.
You know what it takes, all thesystems, but it was still a car
I could drive on the street.
I mean, truly, it was a car onthe street.
So Duttweiler had an enginethat he was building for
(33:17):
Magnuson to test hissuperchargers, magnuson
superchargers.
And so they said this engine iswearing out, we're going to
build a new one.
You want the old one?
I said, hell, yes, I'll takethe old one.
So they gave me the old motor.
(33:37):
It was an LS4.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
So that's the engine and blower we put in the Muroc
Uh-huh, and it had run, it putout 700 or 800 horsepower.
I mean it was a stout motor butit was still a street motor.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
So, okay, let's go to Bonneville.
We'll drive it to Bonneville,drove it up, judy and I drove
the car.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
It was an enjoyable drive.
I mean you, yeah?
Well, we all drove it the wholefamily drove it.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
That's so cool.
The whole family drove it.
That's so cool.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Yeah, so we got up here.
It was 2008.
I it was 2008.
I think it was 2008.
Yes, anyways, we make it uphere.
And the car ran like a champ,no problems, 19 miles to the
gallon, wow.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
So you drove it up and you raced it.
How cool is that?
I brought it in the pits, youknow, like this Took the
windshield off, wow.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
So you drove it up and you raced it.
How cool is that?
I brought it in the pits, youknow, like this, took the
windshield off.
I had a tonneau cover made forit, so we had all that in the
trailer.
Took the windshield off, tookthe headlights off, took the
front disc calipers off andtires.
I brought Fodderbill wheels andtires, brought a parachute,
(35:04):
took the license plate off,bolted the parachute on the back
.
I had it all pre-made, so itwasn't a very big deal.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
And the Magnuson Superchargers has an intercooler
.
It's a water intercooler,pretty cool.
So I made a big tank to go intothe passenger seat, took the
passenger seat out, put thistank in fix it full of ice water
.
And we come out here and went myfirst run off the trailer.
(35:37):
I didn't have it on the trailerbut the very first checkout
pass 192.
Oh, wow, 192.
And I shouldn't say this, but Idrove it back to the pits.
I pulled in the pits.
I mean it's against the law,you shouldn't drive a car, but I
(35:57):
did, I was cruising, cruisingit, man, and I pulled under our
canopy and I said it's going togo faster.
So we made another run.
This was more serious, but wegot another run in and we went
200.
(36:17):
Wow, the first time 200.
That is 200.
That is that's what we wantedto do.
We could go 200.
So that was the end of the week.
We almost wore the motor outfor making so many runs.
So we finally got 200 and I leteverybody drive it, everybody.
My daughter, my daughter, shedrove it.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Your granddaughter.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah, my granddaughter.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Very cool.
I was not younger when I droveit.
No, I had to wait in line.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
I was 23 when I drove it.
Oh dear.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
But anyhow.
So everybody had a nice timewith that.
We ran that for three or fouryears and finally, you know,
driving it back and forth andeverything, we finally got it up
to 225.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Wow, this is so cool 225.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
And still a streetcar .
That's awesome.
Right today it's still parkedat the shop in another building
I have and it's just there.
Yeah, every now and then I, youknow, go in there, hit the
button, start it up, and youknow it's got electric cutouts
and everything so and I letpeople drive it.
(37:30):
Yeah, I, you could, anybodycould drive it.
Just, everyone has a automatic.
It has a 400 turbo, hydro, butyou've got to shift it.
Yeah, yeah, and it heldtogether for some reason Never
had a minute's trouble with it.
Yeah, so that's the story.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Was that your last?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
car Pretty much up to date.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, up to date.
Is there anything else thatyou're planning on doing, or are
you kind of just?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
You know what we're trying to think of that.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Oh, so you're not done.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
You know I'm going to run the 29 that had sat for so
many years when we were doingthe Pontiac and during the Muroc
, it was just part, yeah.
So in 2018, I thought this ismy project, I want to rebuild it
(38:19):
.
So I restored the coal car andI'm going to 2018, I brought it
up here, but it was a terribleyear.
It was just bad.
Yeah yeah, and I just drove it.
I thought, gee, this is goingto be cool.
But the course was so bad itdidn't have suspension in it.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I know that's the year my husband got in the club
and it was that year it wasrough.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
It was a killer.
Yeah, I mean I said I'm notgoing to ride this car.
I mean I couldn't see thegauges and I was 80 years old,
anyways, so that then we decidedforget that, we're not going to
run that until it's good.
So now this but the salt isgood.
(39:07):
This year we're going to run it, okay, in October.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Oh, nice Okay.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
It'll be up here in October.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
All right.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
If the gods, I mean, it's a crapshoot.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, In October.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
You never know.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
If the salt gods are on your side.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
You're going to be running it.
Exactly, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Well, I am looking forward to seeing that then.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
Well, we'd like to.
I'd love to go 250 with it, butit's got the same motor.
I mean the same size motor,turbo, I mean just like it was
when I set the record in 78.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
So cool, yeah.
Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
You came out.
You delayed your trip to comedo this, and I'm sure everyone
who hears this will be, superappreciative.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
So thank you.
Well, this was fun.
Yeah, it was kind of scratchingmy memory bank.
I should probably put all thison.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Well, now it's in.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Well, there's been a couple of magazine articles, you
know kind of a biography, butthey're out there, yeah.
But anyways, I had a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Okay, great Well, thank you so much, Sherry.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Thanks for listening to Land Speed Legends.
Make sure you subscribe so youdon't miss any future episodes.
In the meantime, keep up withthe show on Facebook and
Instagram under LandspeedLegends.
Until next time.
Welcome to Landspeed Legends, a podcast talking to
the men, the women, the legendsthat make land speed racing
great.
Discover the stories of theseordinary people whose passion
for land speed racing has madethem legendary.
And now here's your host theBonneville Belle, the High Boy,
(00:23):
honey, the salt princess, alisonVolk-Dean.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Were you into racing or were you?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well, I really wasn't into racing so much.
It was mostly getting throughschool, after high school, you
know, going to JC, gettingthrough, getting over that, and
then after JC, that was around1958.
That's when I bought a 44 coupe, okay, okay, and I kind of like
(00:58):
racing.
So I joined Roadrunner's CarClub S-E-T-A Roadrunner's Car
Club to Roadrunner's Car Club,s-e-t-a Roadrunner's Car Club,
ran the lakes and ran the lakesfor about five or six years just
with the 40 Ford.
And then while I was in theRoadrunners I got acquainted
with a good friend, red Holmes,lowell Holmes.
(01:21):
We became really close and wedecided, gee, maybe we should go
to Bonneville.
Well, okay, that sounds good.
At the time I had a job atAckmiller's Garage and it was
1959.
(01:42):
And I was reading Hot RodMagazine and I reading about
Mickey Thompson and hisstreamliner, building the
streamliner.
So I read it, read it, read it,and it was so, so cool.
I said, hey, red, I call himRed Holmes, red, let's go to
Bonneville.
Okay, so we'll go to Bonneville.
(02:05):
And, um, so we'll go toBonneville.
But he couldn't make it so agood friend of mine that I'd
gone to high school with, wedrove up my 44 coupe to the Salt
.
I had no idea what the Saltflats were, nothing.
I thought I was going to SaltLake City, maybe, so I'm heading
out.
I thought I was going to SaltLake City, maybe, so I'm heading
out, going the wrong way, ofcourse.
(02:26):
And then we finally get here in1959 in my 40 coupe, and I mean
I'm looking around at the holycrap, this is really something.
This is amazing.
So I'm in the pit area and atthe time the pit area was only
from here to that flag.
(02:47):
It was nothing.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, there were maybe 50 cars, but Mickey
Thompson was the center ofattraction so I was in their
pits the whole time.
So he's getting the car allready and pushing it up to the
line.
We followed it and everything.
I thought, okay, they're goingto be running pretty soon.
(03:09):
So we jumped in my 40, went tothe three-mile mark and we're
waiting, and waiting, andwaiting.
Nothing happened.
No CBs, no radios, no, nothing.
So we're just sitting therewaiting.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
The silence of assault.
Hot sun no AC no, nothing.
So we're just sitting therewaiting.
The silence of the salt Hot sunno AC, no nothing.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Not even a shade Bro, nothing.
So all of a sudden I heardsomething Sounded like a kind of
low-pitch noise and I'm looking, looking, looking.
Couldn't see anything Prettysoon.
I see a little dot, a littledot, and it was three miles away
, of course.
And it's getting bigger and thesound.
(03:49):
And here comes Mickey Thompson,right at the three-mile mark,
and I'll tell you, I was hooked.
I saw that car come through andit was a hesitation.
He was shifting into the highgear, it was going.
Oh oh, you know oh, my god, Istill get you, yeah.
(04:11):
So I was hooked big time.
So I came back and, um, I stillwas still running the lakes
because I couldn't afford tobuild a car or anything.
So so I'm working atEckmiller's, make a fairly
decent money.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
That Strasburg Motors loud.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I always like that.
So anyways, I thought, well,okay, let's buy a car and go up
to race.
Okay, let's do that car and goup to race.
Okay, let's do that.
So looked in the LA Times for arace car At the time they had,
you know, canteeks and stuff.
We bought a 34 Ford for 400bucks and so we built that car,
(05:03):
put a Chevy motor in it and cameup here in 1962.
That was my first year ofrunning competitively.
What class were you running?
It was competition coupe.
It was D Okay, it was a300-inch.
Well, it was a 274-inch smallblock, Okay, Okay.
And I was running againstDannenfelser.
(05:28):
Fred Dannenfelser, he had acompetition coupe and he had a
competition coupe, I had a.
Chop 34.
There was no contest.
So he was going 200, 220, 230,whatever it was, and I managed
to go 162.
So we were tickled with that.
(05:50):
We had no troubles, everythingwas fine.
So we come home and I'm workingat Ackmiller Garage and
Ackmiller was a Ford guy, he wasa performance advisor for Ford
Motor Company and he says Jerry,you're running a Chevy in that
car, we got to get you a Ford.
(06:13):
So he talks with his Ford peopleand here comes a new Ford, 260
cubic inch.
The little 260 Ford small block.
And at the time it was new, itwas brand new.
They didn't know this.
What kind of a distributor wasin the front?
And the Chevy distributor wasin the back.
(06:34):
Nobody could.
So he said what's the record inthat class?
The record was 160, 160.
160, 160.
So, okay, we put this motor inthere.
At the time nobody made speedequipment for a 260.
Nobody made it.
But I had the old remember theold Dumour grinders.
(07:00):
I ground off the heads and theports and put Chevy valves in it
and I thought you know, I thinkI need a fuel injection.
Call up Hilborn.
Hilborn says what he says.
(07:20):
We don't make prototypes for a264.
Okay, well, here comes fiveHillborn fuel injections.
Dan Gurney got four of them andI got the fifth one.
So I had fuel injection for a264.
Man, I was on seven, so it wasreally cool.
(07:51):
So we come up to Bonneville and,as luck would have it, the
record was 60 and I went 63.
Set a record with a 264.
Act Miller was beside himself.
He thought this was great, thiswas super.
So after that, here comes allthe Ford motors.
I had 289s, I had everything.
And then I sort of got.
(08:11):
I sort of thought with the 34Coupe it was so crowded I felt
claustrophobic in that.
So we sold the 34 and got a 32Ford Roadster and so I put the
289 in the 32 ford roadster andwe went fairly decent hunt in
(08:33):
the 70s 75.
We never set any records withthat.
But then act miller was uh, hewas a pike speak guy and he ran
a Pikes Peak with a Devon-bodiedsports car with 427 Fords in it
and he went up there and blew acouple of motors and he came
home with these motors and hesays Jerry, take one of these
(08:55):
motors and put it in yourRoadster.
And there was an open record atthe time in the gas class.
And so we put the 427 in therein the roadster and I couldn't
afford to buy a fuel injectionso I made one.
(09:16):
I made a homemade fuelinjection and Popular Hot
Rodding followed me on it andthey put it on the cover of the
magazine.
This 427, it was aconglomeration, it was a
(09:38):
plumber's nightmare, but anywaysit worked.
And Act Miller was an Autoliteguy and Autolite was in Long
Beach and Art Crispin was there.
Autolite was in Long Beach andArt Crispin was there.
And so here comes my—I built theengine with two four-barrel
carburetors and then I took thetwo four-barrel carburetors off
and went to the surplus storeand found an Army surplus
(09:59):
helicopter intake with three bigbutterflies, three giant
butterflies about about thissize.
Wow and uh.
So I I drilled the manifoldeight places and put nozzles,
fuel injection, hillborn fuelinjection nozzles, went to the
(10:20):
swap meet and got a flatheadbarrel you know the barrel valve
fuel injection.
And so I made this up, made allthe linkage and everything and
got the fuel pump.
Everything was just a nothingfuel pump, but it was a Hilborn.
(10:40):
So we take the motor.
Jack says, take the motor, we'lltake it running on the dyno.
And okay.
So I said, how about if we runthe motor on the dyno with two
four-barrel carburetors and thenwe'll take the two four-barrel
carburetors off the motor andput my fuel injection
(11:01):
butterflies on, and I made themanifold and everything.
Fuel injection butterflies on,I made the manifold and
everything.
So here we do.
We run it on the dyno.
It went 420, it went around 427horsepower with the two four
barrels Ran pretty good.
So Ak and Art Crispin go out tocoffee and Red and I are in the
(11:29):
dyno room changing from the twofour barrels to the fuel
injection.
Okay, so they come back fromdinner and coffee it was about
an hour hour and a half and theycome back to the dyno room room
and we're just putting the fuelinjection back together and
it's working, everything islooking good and they okay,
(11:51):
let's fire it up.
So okay, here's the button andit started I don't know who was
more surprised me or Ag or Artand it sat there and ticked them
off at about 1,500 RPM with thefuel injection and Ag looks at
(12:15):
Art, christman and Christmanlooks at Art and they both shake
their hands.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Were you like hot dog .
I'm a genius.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yes, I said what is this?
What is this?
So Art started to run it on thedyno.
The first pull was a little bitlean or something, and he
didn't want to run it, he didn'twant to hurt it.
So he says, okay, jerry,where's the pill?
(12:41):
Where's the pill container?
Oh, here, right there.
Okay.
So, where's the pill?
Where's the pill container?
Oh, here, right there.
Okay.
So we changed it, ran it again,ran up to 390 horsepower and it
was still a little bit lean.
So we put more fuel in.
Finally we get it runningpretty decent.
He put a full pull on it and Iwas ready to die because you
(13:02):
know, if you've ever been in adyno room with your engine on
the dyno, it kills you becauseyou think it's going to blow up.
You're standing there.
Anyways, we wound up putting466 horsepower and they were
both happy as hell, and so was I.
(13:23):
I couldn't believe it.
So that's the car that came toBonneville with me in 1967.
And we set the gas record at192 something and we set the
fuel record at 205.
And that's when I got in myclub, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
It was 1967.
On your engine that you builtyour Frankenstein engine.
It was a Frankenstein.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Plus, and the car was .
I remember in those days youhad to qualify Mm-hmm, and then
the next morning you went downand back, yep, it was, and back,
yep, it was.
Three runs, yeah, unlike today.
So I made my down run I'vequalified.
(14:12):
And then made my down run andI'm sitting there at the eight
or nine mile, whatever it was,and that was the longest hour I
ever spent in my life Justwaiting.
My wife Judy, was there.
We had gotten married in 64.
So we were together and so shewas there, you know, supporting
(14:41):
me and everything, yeah wasthere, you know, supporting me,
yeah and uh.
So, anyways, the I had two bigtubes coming out of the front of
the grill shell for air andthey were.
That was a conglomeration.
Also, they were actually fourbarrel, the little bells you put
on top of a four-barrelcarburetor, you know.
(15:02):
So I had them out there and Iwent to the hardware store, got
some plastic ducts andeverything, and one of them was
flying off, so I put tape onthem and everything.
So on the way back we got thejob done, making our return run.
So that's how I got it.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Nice, and that's in the Roadster.
Right, you're in the Roadsterdoing this 32 and run.
So that's how I got it nice andthat's in the roadster.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Right, you're in the roadster.
32 roads, nice, 32 roads.
Okay, I didn't know.
You got it in a roadster, Iguess.
I mean, I just always know youfrom having the, the coops.
Well, yeah, I uh.
Well then, it was the roadsterand built the modified right,
there's.
Judy.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Knows just as much, because Ford.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
now I was gold with Ford Motor Company and they gave
me a Cammer.
Wow, the single overhead Cam427.
The single overhead cam 427 and, uh, I thought holy crap
(16:12):
they're gonna give me this motor.
I can't run it in this jump 32ford rooster.
I'm gonna build a new car.
So you remember that, judy, wewere.
We were in our living room andI was sitting on the living room
carpet on the living room and Ijust drew a couple of lines,
you know, and where the motorwould go, because I measured the
motor and everything and wedrew a car on the carpet with
(16:34):
chalk and that's how it startedwith the modified Okay.
And we came up here in 60.
And then Rod and Customfollowed that on the build and
everything and, uh, okay, we hada wonderful time building that
car.
It was, you know, a modifiedyeah and and now, not that
(16:57):
modified it, it was they're long, they're, they're 20 feet long.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
So, but in those days they were very short.
Anyways, that was the Cammer inthe 27.
And we had a great time withthat.
We were on 240, 243, 244.
We never set the record withthat car, but we always got a
first place in it.
Yeah, yeah, because it was therecord was pretty high, but we
always got a first place in it.
Yeah, yeah, because it was, therecord was pretty high, but we
(17:26):
had no trouble, everything wasfine and that, uh, and that took
care of the 30, the uh, the 27.
Now, I forgot to mention beforethat, um, there was a, an
electric car, auto light was, um, I set a record with an
(17:46):
electric car oh really, and whatyear, yes, that?
was a 1968.
Yeah, auto light.
R chrisman and danny ames andAk Miller were having coffee one
day and they were it was.
They were saying you know,autolite's coming out with a
(18:08):
brand new big battery for theEast Coast, for the.
You know winter, and wintercomes in East Coast, the
batteries are no good.
So they're coming up with anelectric car.
And it was the Autolite leadwedge.
Okay, it looked like a wedge,it was a glorified go-kart.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
No suspension.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
And it had 20 batteries, 10 on each side.
I sat in the middle withswitches and the switches were
like a four-speed transmissionthe third, fourth, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
So we had to be towed .
We had to be towed and I hadthe tow line in the car and I
could release the tow line so itwouldn't take juice out of the
batteries to run the car.
So he said, okay, I'll go asfast as this station wagon will
(19:15):
go and I'll hit the brake lights, touch the brake lights and you
release.
Okay, so I'm going here.
Touch the release brake, I go.
I hit the first switch Boy.
It was pretty good, and I hadto look at the gauges, the
voltmeter, because the voltmeterstarted dropping off, I hit
another one.
(19:36):
So anyways, we go, all fourswitches and we went 138 miles
an hour, which was a record.
The record had been in thebooks for decades at 64 miles
per hour.
It was an electric car, 64miles per hour, set in
19-oh-something, whatever.
(19:58):
So here we are 30 or 40 yearslater later and in this call
electric wedge, auto light wedge, car, and we set a record.
And that was another thing whyI got the camera as well,
because they were so tickledwith that car setting a record.
And so they said here we'regoing to give you anything you
(20:22):
want.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Anything you want, man, I was there, you were
loving it, it was great, it waswonderful.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
It was a world dance.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
It was what?
Was it A world dance?
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Oh yeah, it was USAC Joe Petrelli.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
I have the framed, and this is the electric one.
The electric one yeah, this wasbig deal.
This was an FIA.
Oh, yeah, I didn't know thatthey had that.
It's in the FIA books.
Yeah, oh, that's really cool.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
I mean, this is major stuff yeah.
And anyways, that car today isat the Speedway Museum.
Oh the.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
NHRA Museum Okay, yes , the Victoria Museum Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Yes, for about 20 years it was at the Indy
Indianapolis Museum, okay, andit was on display there at the
Indianapolis Museum.
The electric car, yeah, and theelectric car at the Speedway
Museum they rotate the cars andsometimes it's in the basement,
sometimes it's out on displayand I've had a couple people say
(21:23):
, gee, I was at Indy and all theIndy cars here and I saw a car
electric auto, light, lead,wedge, and it had your name on
it, driver, jerry Kugel, and Isaid, well, yeah, I know it's at
Indy, but I didn't know it wason display.
Yes, it was, but when Judy andI went there about 10 years ago
(21:44):
or so, a long time ago, itwasn't, it was underneath.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
So we didn't get it.
So you never got to see it.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
We couldn't see it, but anyways, it just went on
auction here about two years ago.
They got rid of anything thatwas not Indy Indy.
So, bill Smith from SpeedwayMotors, they bought the car,
okay, and it's on display.
(22:09):
It's Speedway right now, okay.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Oh cool, Very cool.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
So that's how the camera came about.
And then we ran the modifiedfor three or four years.
Then I got tired of that andsold the modified to Gordon Hoyt
, who runs the car, and he put aChevy in it.
I sold it without the engineand then let me think.
(22:33):
Now I've got to think.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Where are you at?
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Then we built my 29.
Okay, the 29.
And then, of course, then I gotacquainted with you, Larry and
all, because now we were in thesame class again.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
We were in that, and so that was you know.
I don't know how much you wantto.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
I would keep going, man, let's keep going.
So we're just into the 60s.
We haven't even gotten into the70s yet, or the 80s or 90s.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
We're in the late 60s , early 70s yet, or the 80s or
90s.
We're in the late, early, late60s, early 70s, yeah and um.
So we decided to build a carfor um, you know regular nice
roadster.
So we built the 29 on deucerails and, uh, we started
(23:21):
running that in the early 70sand worked our way up to set a
couple of records and they wereset back in 78.
Good year, yeah, the year I wasborn.
One was 245 was a fuel record,and 230 something 236, I think
(23:47):
was the gas record.
You, Larry, well knows, becausewe were all in the same class.
You guys are kind of I ranturbochargers and we started I
believe the record holder at thetime was Bardinoli I believe
the record holder at the timewas Bardinoli and it was a 213
or 18 and first set the recordat 220.
(24:10):
Then kept working up our speedsup to 240s and 245 average and
that held for 15 or 20 years.
It was there for a long timeand it was just broken here
within, oh gosh, the last threeor four years from the um.
(24:35):
Mangali, mangali.
Mangali and water like yeah,those guys you know, and uh,
would they blew it away?
They're in the fifties Now.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
that record is in the fifties and and so.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
But in the meantime, um that we put, we parked uh the
roadster and then we're looking.
Then the boys were looking fora faster car, so we started the
Pontiac, the Trans Am.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
And boys, you mean your sons, right?
That's what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yes, Joe and Jeff.
Yes and so, but they had bothgotten into the club in the
Roadsters.
Oh, okay, yeah, they alreadywere in the club.
But we wanted to go a littlefaster, a little later model car
.
But we wanted to go a littlefaster, a little later model car
.
So we saw McDonald Bits PontiacTrans Am and we had a for sale
(25:26):
sign on it.
We should buy that.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
That one looks fast.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Everybody in that class was trying to go 300.
Everybody Mike Cook, gil Banks,lingenfelter, all of the heavy
hitters were trying to go threebills and they came close.
Lingenfelter, I think, was theclosest, I think he went 290,
(25:56):
high 90s and then the windowsblew out of it, the hood blew
off of it and everything.
And Mike Cook tried it.
He was in the close to 2 alsowhen the back window came out of
that Cook's car.
But that was more of a.
The engine was set back.
It wasn't, it was a standardcar, though they wanted a door
(26:19):
car to go 300.
Yeah, a door car.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
And so we bought McDonald-Pitts cars and totally
went through it Everything Newchassis, everything and put a
small-block Chevy turbochargedand twin turbos, and we've been
watching what they did.
(26:44):
And the engineers at GeneralMotors gave McDonald-Pitts two
new cars they were getting closeto 300, and they said if you
set a record, we want you in anew car, we don't want you in an
old Trans Am Pontiac 90, prettymuch.
(27:04):
So they gave McDonald's twocars and so they built those
cars too and they went fast andwe went fast.
So we were friendly competitorsbecause they were so good.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
We owe a lot to McDonald, dave McDonald.
He was such a nice guy yeah, hestill is, they still run the
car and so we finally got thejob done.
We went 300.
Yes, we were the first ones todo.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
First in a door slammer to go 300.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Yes, we were the first ones to do.
First in a door salon to go 300.
Yes, first door car to go 300with an engine in the stock
location.
You know, didn't change a thing.
The headlights worked, theelectric windows still worked.
I mean it was a stalker.
Yeah, except it the the groundeffect stuff that were standard
(27:58):
you could buy them from chevy.
Yeah, you know the little youknow thing on the little tiny
wing in the trunk okay and so.
So we did the 300 there andeverybody was happy about that.
So, um, you think, now you gotto think that's a big moment.
So 300, but we went 300, for weand we drove and ran that car
(28:24):
for a number of years.
Yeah.
So we and we were having fun,the kids were driving it, and
everybody went over 300 withthat car.
Yeah, I even went over 300 withit.
Wow, we were going, we're allset to go home.
One one year we had set, youknow, bumped the record up just
a tiny, and Jeffrey said, or Joesaid, dad, you want to take
(28:47):
this, take it for a ride?
Yeah, I guess, then we'll gohome.
Okay, so it was done.
I wasn't trying to do anything,but I qualified.
But I went 303, but I saidlet's go home, we're going home.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Oh, no, yeah, I'll go home, you're like that was
enough for me.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yeah, that was enough , Well and then after that we
parked the car.
Yeah, I said you know the lawsof averages before you get in
trouble sometimes you get introuble.
We hadn't had any trouble.
We were so lucky with that car.
It was like a bracket car.
It ran so well, and so weparked it.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
It was a cool car.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
And it's never going to run again.
I never want to have that carrun again.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Are you going to put it in a museum?
Speaker 3 (29:36):
I still have it.
I'm going to donate it toSpeedway.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Okay, cool.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Very cool.
Now did both your boys get inthe three chapter?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Joe is.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Joe, is Okay, joe is.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Jeffrey missed it by well.
He qualified 306.
Yeah, he made a heck of a run.
He was coming back andsomething happened to the motor.
He didn't quite make it.
He missed it by that much, butthey were both we all went 300.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
We had fun, yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
We had fun, very cool .
So then we parked the Pontiac.
So now what do we do?
We went to Muroc and my shopwas going great guns, you know
(30:30):
components and I had MarcelDeLay.
I put a contract with him tobuild 20 cars for me,
metal-bodied cars, handmademetal-bodied cars that duplicate
a Roadster, but they're not 32Roadsters, they're changed.
(30:51):
You look at a Muroc, one of myMuroc cars.
I called them Murocs, yeah andyou look at a stock, or that's
when you notice it, but if it'ssitting here it's a 32-wheeler.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
So we built 20 of these cars and we were doing
great Selling just rollers.
We didn't build complete cars,we just had them fabricated by
Marcel and I built a nicechassis, all independent,
suspensionependent suspensionwithout engine, without trance,
without paint, withoutupholstery.
(31:24):
I sold them as rollers.
That way I didn't have to worryabout registration.
It was parts Okay.
Sold parts.
Yeah, so we did that and wedidn't have a car at the time.
So the kids said, well, let'slearn one of the Murox.
Okay, we'll take one, take oneof those roads and that'll be my
(31:46):
car.
Because I wanted to have Marcelbuild me a nice car.
But I went to Marcel's shop andthey wanted oh my gosh, what
they wanted to build a car wasjust crazy.
So I went home all disappointed.
On the way home I thought, well, maybe if I build more than one
(32:08):
, it might pay.
So next time I said how aboutif we built 10 high boys?
How much would that cost?
So, anyways, I worked it outwhere, if I could sell eight or
nine, I could have one for free,maybe, okay, so anyways, we
(32:29):
built 10.
And then that was going so well.
People said, well, what aboutyou build fender cars?
I said, well, no, just highboys.
Finally, I got talked intoputting fenders.
So I had Marcel build fendercars.
So I built 10 of those and they.
So in the meantime I took oneof the high uh, the high boys
(32:51):
and we put the roll bars in theschool cage and all the systems.
You know what it takes, all thesystems, but it was still a car
I could drive on the street.
I mean, truly, it was a car onthe street.
So Duttweiler had an enginethat he was building for
(33:17):
Magnuson to test hissuperchargers, magnuson
superchargers.
And so they said this engine iswearing out, we're going to
build a new one.
You want the old one?
I said, hell, yes, I'll takethe old one.
So they gave me the old motor.
(33:37):
It was an LS4.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
So that's the engine and blower we put in the Muroc
Uh-huh, and it had run, it putout 700 or 800 horsepower.
I mean it was a stout motor butit was still a street motor.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
So, okay, let's go to Bonneville.
We'll drive it to Bonneville,drove it up, judy and I drove
the car.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
It was an enjoyable drive.
I mean you, yeah?
Well, we all drove it the wholefamily drove it.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
That's so cool.
The whole family drove it.
That's so cool.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Yeah, so we got up here.
It was 2008.
I it was 2008.
I think it was 2008.
Yes, anyways, we make it uphere.
And the car ran like a champ,no problems, 19 miles to the
gallon, wow.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
So you drove it up and you raced it.
How cool is that?
I brought it in the pits, youknow, like this Took the
windshield off, wow.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
So you drove it up and you raced it.
How cool is that?
I brought it in the pits, youknow, like this, took the
windshield off.
I had a tonneau cover made forit, so we had all that in the
trailer.
Took the windshield off, tookthe headlights off, took the
front disc calipers off andtires.
I brought Fodderbill wheels andtires, brought a parachute,
(35:04):
took the license plate off,bolted the parachute on the back
.
I had it all pre-made, so itwasn't a very big deal.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
And the Magnuson Superchargers has an intercooler
.
It's a water intercooler,pretty cool.
So I made a big tank to go intothe passenger seat, took the
passenger seat out, put thistank in fix it full of ice water
.
And we come out here and went myfirst run off the trailer.
(35:37):
I didn't have it on the trailerbut the very first checkout
pass 192.
Oh, wow, 192.
And I shouldn't say this, but Idrove it back to the pits.
I pulled in the pits.
I mean it's against the law,you shouldn't drive a car, but I
(35:57):
did, I was cruising, cruisingit, man, and I pulled under our
canopy and I said it's going togo faster.
So we made another run.
This was more serious, but wegot another run in and we went
200.
(36:17):
Wow, the first time 200.
That is 200.
That is that's what we wantedto do.
We could go 200.
So that was the end of the week.
We almost wore the motor outfor making so many runs.
So we finally got 200 and I leteverybody drive it, everybody.
My daughter, my daughter, shedrove it.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Your granddaughter.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah, my granddaughter.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Very cool.
I was not younger when I droveit.
No, I had to wait in line.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
I was 23 when I drove it.
Oh dear.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
But anyhow.
So everybody had a nice timewith that.
We ran that for three or fouryears and finally, you know,
driving it back and forth andeverything, we finally got it up
to 225.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Wow, this is so cool 225.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
And still a streetcar .
That's awesome.
Right today it's still parkedat the shop in another building
I have and it's just there.
Yeah, every now and then I, youknow, go in there, hit the
button, start it up, and youknow it's got electric cutouts
and everything so and I letpeople drive it.
(37:30):
Yeah, I, you could, anybodycould drive it.
Just, everyone has a automatic.
It has a 400 turbo, hydro, butyou've got to shift it.
Yeah, yeah, and it heldtogether for some reason Never
had a minute's trouble with it.
Yeah, so that's the story.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Was that your last?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
car Pretty much up to date.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, up to date.
Is there anything else thatyou're planning on doing, or are
you kind of just?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
You know what we're trying to think of that.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Oh, so you're not done.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
You know I'm going to run the 29 that had sat for so
many years when we were doingthe Pontiac and during the Muroc
, it was just part, yeah.
So in 2018, I thought this ismy project, I want to rebuild it
(38:19):
.
So I restored the coal car andI'm going to 2018, I brought it
up here, but it was a terribleyear.
It was just bad.
Yeah yeah, and I just drove it.
I thought, gee, this is goingto be cool.
But the course was so bad itdidn't have suspension in it.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I know that's the year my husband got in the club
and it was that year it wasrough.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
It was a killer.
Yeah, I mean I said I'm notgoing to ride this car.
I mean I couldn't see thegauges and I was 80 years old,
anyways, so that then we decidedforget that, we're not going to
run that until it's good.
So now this but the salt isgood.
(39:07):
This year we're going to run it, okay, in October.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Oh, nice Okay.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
It'll be up here in October.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
All right.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
If the gods, I mean, it's a crapshoot.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, In October.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
You never know.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
If the salt gods are on your side.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
You're going to be running it.
Exactly, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Well, I am looking forward to seeing that then.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
Well, we'd like to.
I'd love to go 250 with it, butit's got the same motor.
I mean the same size motor,turbo, I mean just like it was
when I set the record in 78.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
So cool, yeah.
Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
You came out.
You delayed your trip to comedo this, and I'm sure everyone
who hears this will be, superappreciative.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
So thank you.
Well, this was fun.
Yeah, it was kind of scratchingmy memory bank.
I should probably put all thison.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Well, now it's in.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Well, there's been a couple of magazine articles, you
know kind of a biography, butthey're out there, yeah.
But anyways, I had a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Okay, great Well, thank you so much, Sherry.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Thanks for listening to Land Speed Legends.
Make sure you subscribe so youdon't miss any future episodes.
In the meantime, keep up withthe show on Facebook and
Instagram under LandspeedLegends.
Until next time.
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