Hot rod racer

Bentley sold the coupe to Tom Cobbs who continued to run it at Bonneville. On the salt, Tom set the record in C/CC at 187.987 in 1956 running a blown Chevrolet engine. Cobbs' best one-way time was 196+ mph. In 1958 Tom Cobbs sold the coupe to Bob Joehnck. Bob installed a Chrysler engine and planned to take it to Bonneville as well. After attending the Bakersfield National 1/4 mile he scrapped the idea after experiencing handling problems. He sold the coupe to one of his employees. The next owner found it parked on the street in Santa Barbara and bought it after making some inquiries. He took it to Redding, California where it was stored in a barn for about fifteen years. Dick Schell of Central Valley bought the coupe from the son of the Redding-owner. The owner was not aware of the sale at the time. Schell attempted to prepare the coupe for Bonneville. He sandblasted the car to remove several coats of paint. Unfortunately the sand-blasting damaged some of the aluminum panels. Schell was discouraged with the project, and sold it to Tom Bryant in June of 1980. Bryant bought the car without an engine or transmission. The coupe was in a decent condition and it still had the original closed driveline and a mediocre roll cage. It was painted in red primer and the original firewall had been removed to allow a 25% engine setback. The grille opening had been covered with a piece of aluminum and it still had the original type Ford shock absorbers, Halibrand Quick Change rear axle and knock-off type Halibrand Magnesium rear wheels and spindle mount Halibrand Magnesium front wheels. The steering box was a Ross unit, which steered a 1937 Ford "60" tube front axle and the driver was seated on the original left side position. The cooling for the engine was provided by an aluminum, twenty gallon water tank mounted in the rear of the car


en 1980

The Bonneville Speedweek was only about 2 months away when Bryant bought the coupe. Tom equipped the coupe with a better roll cage and put in an order for parts needed to convert the coupe to an open driveline. A 302 cu. in. Chevrolet engine and an aluminum Powerglide transmission were installed. After a few changes were made and safety equipment such as a fire-extinguisher system, five point seat belts, new lexan windshield and window coverings and necessary gauges were installed, Bryant got the coupe ready for the 1980 Bonneville Speedweek. Unable to come up with a rear drive shaft yoke before the Speedweek, he manufactured one himself. After a couple of runs that yielded times in the mid-170's, the yoke snapped and Bryant was unable to make any more runs. Not aware of its story yet, Bryant found out during the week that his coupe was the old Pierson Brothers coupe




Tom Bryant made over 100 passes on the salt before retiring the car in 1991. Tom set more records than anyone else with the coupe and he holds eight world records at Bonneville and El Mirage with it. The fastest records which are 221.898 mph average speed for 2 miles, 224.679 mph for the fastest mile and 227.330 for terminal velocity. After retiring the old racer, Tom sold it to Bruce Meyer of Beverly Hills, California in January of 1992. Bruce commissioned Pete Chapouris and his crew at So-Cal Speedshop to restore the coupe to its 1950 configuration. When Chapouris got the car, most of the sheetmetal was intact, but over the years extensive frame bracing had been added. Chapouris peeled away the layers until it looked exactly like it did in the Rex Burnett cutaway drawing and on Tom Medley's old photos. Chapouris saved as much of the original steel as he could and metal master Steve Davis massaged the old panels back into shape. During the restoration, traces of the original paint were found underneath several layers of newer color coats. With traces of the original paint saved, the original candy red and blue paint could be duplicated. The front A-pillars were shot, so they had to be replaced during the restoration. Bob Pierson, Dick Pierson and Bobby Meeks helped oversee the restorations. Bobby did also build a new Flathead engine for the coupe.

The restored version of the coupe made its debut in November of 1992. Since then it has made countless public appearances, and it has been on display at various museums such as the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Blackhawk Museum. Meyer is not afraid to use the old race car, and he has raced the coupe up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England several times. The old Pierson Brothers' coupe was the first car inducted into the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame, and in 2001 it was amongst the first hot rods to be displayed at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.



article original:
http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Pierson_Brothers'_Coupe

Ah, le Salinas Special est l'un de mes rods préférés

D'ailleurs il m'avait inspiré ça :

On n'y est à Bonneville là

 


 

 

1930 FORD MODEL “A” SPEEDSTER FOR THE GREAT RACE

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A REGULAR SPEEDSTER

CAR

PROBABLY 90% OF THE GREAT RACE WINNER HAS BEEN SPEEDSTERS OR LOW 30'S V-8 FORDS

THIS CAR WAS PROFESSIONAL PREPARED FOR THE GREAT RACE WITH LOT OF SPACE FOR LUGGAGE, WATER PROOFED, LUGGAGE, TOOLS AND PARTS.


THIS IS PROBABLY THE FASTEST MODEL “A” IN THE GREAT RACE WITH ENOUGH GAS TANK FOR THE WHOLE DAY WITHOUT REFUELING

TWO STROMBERG 81, TWO BARREL CARBURETOR

HIGH COMPRESSION HEAD

TWO POINTS MALLORY DISTRIBUTOR

19 GALON EXTRA GAS TANK WITH ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP PLUS ORIGINAL 10 GL. MODEL “A” GAS TANK [TOTAL 29 GLS]

[ORIGINAL 10 GLS TANK DOESN'T MEET THE 200 MILES G.R. REQUIRED RANGE], YOU DON'T HAVE TO REFUEL SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE RACE, JUST ONCE AT THE END OF THE DAY

GAS TANK GAUGES

MODERN STYLE SHOCKS

EQUALIZER MANIFOLD FLAT

ORIGINAL FORD MODEL “A” HEADERS [A VERY RARE ONE, I HAD NEVER SEEN ANOTHER ONE.]

ALL STEEL BODY, NO FIBERGLASS

SEAT BELTS FOR BOTH DRIVER AND NAVIGATOR

TWO STRAIGHT FIBERGLASS MUFFLERS

HALOGEN LIGHTS

REAR OF THE CAR IS TWO 1940 FORD HOODS WELDED TOGETHER

SURI CAMSHAFT

12 VOLT ALTERNATOR

TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS

8 POSITION FUSE BLOCK FOR ALL THE ELECTRICAL EXTRAS

MAIN CUT OFF SWITCH

FIRE EXTINGUISHER INCLUDED

TEMPERATURE PROBE

AMPERAGE GAUGE

A POCKET FOR PAPERS OR NOTES AT EACH SIDE [DRIVER AND NAVIGATOR]

STARTER KEY ACTUATED

SINCRONIZED GEAR BOX [NO NEED TO DOUBLE CLUTCH]

PROTECTIVE ROW BAR

REAR LIGHTED TRUNK SPACE BEHIND SEATS FOR A BOX OF TOOLS, HYDRAULIC HEAVY JACK, PARTS, PLUS TWO CARRY-ON

PLASTIC TOP CAN BE EASILY REMOVED

INCLUDED ARE REMOVABLE SIDES AND REAR PLASTIC WINDOWS TO PREVENT GETTING WET IN THE RAIN

HAS TWO ADDITIONAL PLASTIC COVERS:


1.- PLASTIC COVER TO TOW THE CAR IN A TRAILER

2.- OVERNIGHT PLASTIC COVER JUST FOR DAILY USE DURING THE RACE

THIS GREAT RACE SPEEDSTER PROBABLY IS THE ONLY ONE WHERE IF IT RAINS YOU WON'T GET WET

POWER PAINT COAT WHEELS

V-8 CLUTCH

LIGHTENED FLYWHEEL BY 34 LBS

1939 FORD'S BIG FORK TRANSMISSION

DIAMOND BLOCK BORED OUT 100 OVER WITH ALL NEW COMPONENTS [PISTONS, VALVES, CAM, ETC.]

HEAD IS A 7 TO 1 THOMAS ALUMINUM HEAD

354 HIGH SPEED REAR END

TWO STROMBERG [#81] CARBURETORS

BEAUTIFUL SHINY BLACK PAINT

ALL PLASTIC SIGNS MAY BE REMOVED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE PAINT IF DESIRED

I HAD DROVE THE CAR UP TO 70 MPH, IT CAN GO HIGHER BUT IT IS UNSAFE

CAR WAS RACED IN THE GREAT RACE

SECOND FASTEST MODEL “A” IN THE SOUTH EAST HILL CLIMB

1926 FORD LAKESTER ROADSTER

HAND BUILT BODY SITTING ON A MODEL A FRAME
THIS IS COOL - TITLED AS A 1926 MODEL A!!!

MODEL B 4 CYLINDER MODIFIED ENGINE

WEIND ALUMINUM HIGH COMPRESSION HEAD

STRONGBERG CARBURETOR

3 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION

It's hard to live life if you keep thinking about all the "What ifs" and second guessing everything you want to do. In fact people that think too much about the negative "what ifs" are usually destined to fail because they'll talk themselves out of the things that might lead them to success.

On the other hand, when it comes to building hot rods and customs we wouldn't be here if we didn't constantly ask "What if." When Sam Barris saw the 1949 Mercury for the first time you know he immediately asked himself, "What if I chopped that top?" Racers work the same way. "What if we lose some of the excess weight and drop in the bigger engine? What if we mixed a little nitro into the fuel? What if we mixed a LOT in?"

Steve Kormondy is no stranger to traditional hot rods. He formed a relationship with Jason and Jim Smith at the Hot Rod Garage in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, several years ago and worked together with them to restore the Rollin' Stone drag/street '32 Ford roadster. Over the years, Steve had also owned an Ardun-powered roadster that he sold not too long ago. He liked the Ardun so much that he knew he had to have another one. When he heard about the new aluminum blocks Don Ferguson was introducing, he decided he wanted to go a little overboard and assemble the ultimate Ardun. He gathered all the pieces and had the 296ci aluminum engine assembled by Chas Rose. Once he had the engine complete he had a problem. He didn't have a hot rod to showcase it in.
1932 Ford Roadster Gauges

This is where he got together with Jim and Jason again and they came up with their own "What if." The group started brainstorming and kept coming back to the glory days of the dual-purpose drag race/show car days of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. Images of the Orange Crate, Scotty's Muffler T and others kept coming up. So it was thrown out: what if John Mazmanian had built a Deuce? The Mazmanian '61 Corvette and '41 Willys not only tore up the track but could hold their own (and did) at an indoor car show. Mazmanian's cars were always covered in his signature Candy Apple Red so the color was a no-brainer. The rest of the details now needed sorting out.

With the idea born it was presented to artist and designer Jimmy Smith who took the idea and put pen to paper and soon had a concept ready to go (in case you don't remember you can check out our Dream Car of the Month in the March '09 issue to see the results). Over the next 15 months the Hot Rod Garage crew took Steve's inspiration and Jimmy Smith's vision and built an over-the-top Deuce to showcase an equally over-the-top engine.

Rod & Custom Feature Car

Steve Kormondy
Sand Springs, OK
1932 Ford Roadster

Chassis
The roadster's foundation consists of a Squeak Bell perimeter chassis built with ASC `rails and a custom center tube X-member. The rear section was bobbed and raised with a Model A crossmember and a C-notch. The rearend needed to be as strong as it was good looking and what looks better than a quick-change? The Hot Rod Works was called upon and built the quick-change with Moser axles and Wilwood 12-inch disc brakes to stand up to the blown Ardun's power. The Hot Rod Garage suspended the rear with custom hairpins, a Posies spring and Bilstien shocks (mounted on raised shock mounts). Up front behind the painted Moon tank resides an original `32 heavy axle that has been drilled and chromed and located with custom hairpins and a Posies spring. Pete & Jake spindles work with Total Performance drilled stainless steel discs to give it a racy look with stopping power to match. A Flaming River Vega-style `box keeps it pointed straight when the time comes. Custom jamb nuts were machined to cover all the exposed threads of the suspension bars. Stainless steel tubing was used throughout to plumb the chassis.

Drivetrain
Right from the start Steve knew that the engine was going to be the centerpiece of this project. He started with a new Don Ferguson aluminum block and sent it along with the rotating assembly to Stanley Morton at Morton Machine Shop (Broken Arrow, OK) to get it all balanced and blueprinted. Chas Rose at Rose Motorsports (Tulsa, OK) took the finished pieces and assembled the engine. A Moldex Tool Co. billet crank with a 4.25in stroke was used with Smith Brothers rods and Ross forged 7.5:1 pistons for a final displacement of 296ci. Crower ground a special billet roller mechanical cam to work the titanium valves in the aluminum Ardun heads. The Blower Shop 6-71 blower sits on a Ken Austin intake and is fed by a pair of Carter 550cfm AFBs. A Joe Hunt magneto lights the fire through clear red plug wires. The Hot Rod Garage built the custom 1-inch stainless headers and 2-inch stainless exhaust using Stainless Specialties mufflers to quiet the blown Ardun. A Mattson aluminum radiator keeps it running cool.

There was no way an old Ford three-speed was going to do the job so a Tremec five-speed was called in and connected with a Wilcap adapter, aluminum flywheel and Centerforce clutch.

Wheels & Tires
When it came to the rolling stock the drag influence definitely took precedence over any street duty the roadster may ever see. Spindle-mount 18-inch Radir 12-spokes wrapped in some skinny rubber lead the slicks and 16x8-inch Real Rodders Wheels mags.

Paint & Body
Unless you're a purist there's really no reason not to start fresh and begin with a Brookville steel body. Once Shawn Craig at the HRG got his hands on the body he started massaging it. The body mods were kept to a minimum with the most obvious being the custom rolled rear pan (protected by a single chromed push bar), filled cowl, and Stanley Wanlass curved windshield. When it was ready for paint Jason Smith and Tom McDonald were given the chore of spraying the Planet Color custom-mixed Candy Apple Red. The Moon tank is held in place with a pair of custom mounts off the spreader bar and leads the way in front of the Brookville grille filled with a Plexiglas cover both of which have been gold leafed and striped by Ron Myers. The Hagan hood top was modified with a scoop to feed the hungry Ardun. Jon Wrights Custom Chrome (Grafton, OH) was called upon to get all the shiny stuff looking perfect.

Interior
The interior carries the drag theme but with much more detail than any quarter-mile pounder would have ever had. The dash panel features a mixture of painted steel, red Plexiglas, button-head screws, and chrome and is filled with Stewart Warner gauges. The custom maple-rimmed Speed & Chrome wheel is mounted on a Limeworks Speed Shop column flanked with the speedo and tach mounted in custom cups. The Recovery Room (Plattsmuth, NE) was given the task of covering the interior in black leather, white vinyl, and red fabric. Black and silver thread Trinidad carpet was used to cover the floor. The stainless bell-holed panels, HRG-machined swing pedals, and roll bar built to match the body's curves by Chuck Walker at the HRG contribute to the drag look. The pinstriped mirrored red Plexiglas firewall, aluminum trim and chrome welting add to the show car points. Jason Smith flawlessly wired the roadster (not an easy task with a see-through dash) with a Centech panel.

Inside the trunk you'll find the 16-gallon fuel tank covered in more Candy Apple Red and gold leaf along with more of The Recovery Room's stitch work and stainless bell-holed pieces.
www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/0906rc_1932_ford_roadster/viewall.html