Forum: Racing From The Past (go)
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Is this car still around, here is what i know. Kenny sold the car to Dennis Everheart who ran the car some in 1980 or 1981 in NCRA. There is a picture of it in Bob Mays book High Plains Thunder page 182. Dennis told me he sold it complete to Fred Tucker and the car was ran at Goldby, Ok, since then Fred Tuckers wife said they never owned it. I have talked to a lot of old racers in the OKC area nobody remembers where it went. I feel it never left that area, all i here is everybody is looking for it maybe it is gone maybe not. I can be reached at my email ( [email protected] ) thanks

Since we talked several months ago I have had a couple of Tulsa viewers believe the car may have run in the Tulsa area after Dennis had it. The 55 was dropped.

It is funny how soon memories fade. It just seems as popular as this car was people can't remember where it went.

A replica would be cool!

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

If I had any 'build' pictures that would show the cage or the frame then it could be possible to recognize it should I come across it. A 2 hr.s body change can add ten years of confusion on the ID. The work underneath doesn't change so easily. The frame is the longterm signature. We can always get more bodies somehow.

Warren has done so much for this thing that has bitten us. He deserves a break on this car. I have met many who feel this way.

From looking at the pictures and talking to frankie, the front end was a old ford beam axel, the frame looks to be rect. tubing or channel, the most telling part will be the rear suspension, it was torsion i was told Kenny was in a salvage and seen it and thought it would work but cannot remember what it came off of. It would be a 100" car, and the cage would be large to fit the sedan body, if the body was still on only about a foot of the back was all that was used, it was a 30 or 31 model a.

If one were to try this as a replica, here's what I'd think-

'34 Ford front axle machined to fit '56 F-100 spindles (larger kingpins) and backing plates- model A reverse eye spring for the front and don't forget the wishbone linkage., 2"x4" rectangular tubing.

The MOST common torsion setup around here in those days was off of a Volkswagon. The arms and stops were splined I guess to fit after they were cut from 1"x2" steel stock.

The rear end - my guess would be either a 48" tapered open axle champ center or a 3/4 ton floater housing and champ center(11 bolt sideplates). A modern wide five, steel housing quickie could do this. Depends on how authentic you

want. Then there were v8 rearends but they are pricey and hard to find uncracked if they're original.

'30 or '31 model A's are not too terribly hard to come by. Just have to look enough. 4 door sedans would have the same back on them as well. I noticed the sides were flat sheetmetal on the 55

Roll cage - You could get those lengths from a side view picture. Just measure (using the picture with a machinists caliper)a 15" wheel, add 1.5" for the beadflange, thus 16.5" total diameter-right? Then take the calipers measurement of said wheel- divide 16.5 by that measurement and you will have a constant number to use. What ever measurements you get after that, multiply that with your constant number. You'll get close enough.

Authentic nostalgia parts are getting harder to come by as everyone has discovered e-bay. What became junk is now rising in value. Cars like this one though were built by family men on a tight budget. They used anything that would work. Even a mig welder was exotic in those days. Many times a tubing bender was a tree and a rosebud torch after of course you filled the tubing with sand to keep it from collapsing. Of course we are talking mild steel here. I have heard that quite few competitive cars were built with mild steel tubing and arc or mig welded together well into the '70s. We were allowed to think they were all 4130 tig welded.

Steering box- Schroeder manual- pricey (up to $650 for a new one) yet they are authentic and available new and used. Crosley rearends for steering boxes are heavy and can be a headache or more like a fingergrabber from what I hear.

Driveline- My guess is one would use a small block chevy, thus I would go for an early '50s Chevy truck tranny with an enclosed driveline housing and mate it with an enclosed driveline housing back half from an early Ford to possibly hook to the rearend. Have to check on that one. Driveshaft would have to be shortened and resplined, I'd get both from the chevy and ford then use the thicker of the two and machine down the one end to fit the smaller (rearend or tranny). Might even have to have a new one altogether.

These things can be intimidating, but if it keeps you hooked every once in a while you get a break and things go together pretty smooth.

A replica can be replaced, and you will be less concerned about throwing it sideways into a turn and closer to see what it was like to be Frankie.

These are just thoughts, but most of them would work. Not sure about the driveline........................

On e-bay. NOT THE 55,BUT CLOSE

She's a little wide but then they all were in those days compared to the later supers.

the 55 car showed up in tulsa in 80 or 81 with the number changed to 65 or 56. i do not know who had it but he did bad enough that he never made it into any of the programs i have from 81 and never scored any points.

"its useless to put on the brakes when you are upside 
down"   -Paul Newman

Here's a site that I about fell at of my chair on. I get a lot hits from this site also. It should give atleast Dwane hope?

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224955&highlight=dirt%20track%20racer

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

This car had a Lincoln tranny with flat head bell housing and I think a Wil-cap adapter. Chevy flanged flywheel with Ford pressure plate and big splined clutch disc. However at the end of the cars running it carried a Indy multi disc clutch in the same bellhousing and tranny setup. The car never had a scatter sheild, I remember Merricks crew inspecting the car in 1974. The inspector said you guys are carring a scattersheild right?? He never looked in the car!!! Gene and I said sure we have a sheild!!

Does anyone know how many versions were built?? If you look at the early pictures, it appears to have a modified stock frame(32?) and a slightly narrowed steel body. The later pictures show a fiberglass body and looks like a 2x3 frame with VW torsion rear end. I wonder if the very first chassis is in a gully around Herrington. I just saw what is supposed to be Davie Ross's very first car, sitting in a pasture in northern Kansas. Could still make out the 54, and had a Buick straight 8.

"I just saw what is supposed to be Davie Ross's very first car, sitting in a pasture in northern Kansas. Could still make out the 54, and had a Buick straight 8."

I'll bet with a post like that you may have got bombarded with private messages, like where's is this car located?

Is it this car?

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1050452408014707808NvzPTh

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Don't want to get off the subject of the 55, but will for just a minute. The car in the link looks like the one with the Hudson that the Burnetts have restored. The Buick is alot less refined(built when Davie was about 16) with the steering box sitting on the frame beside the motor. The owner has been in contact with Davie and is supposed to be getting back a 2x2 carb setup that Davie gave away. Several other jalopie types here(early Mel Potts and Roland Crocker cars) as well as a modified from Nebraska rotting away in the trees, complete with fiberglass coupe body, QC, and space frame made from 1 1/2 sq. tube. Other than the modified, most of the cars are rough and getting rougher by the day. Not for sure if anything is for sale.

One jalopy still has a cut out acetylene barrel with a stamped implement seat welded in it for a seat.

When I get back that way, will get pictures and post, when I learn how.

This person who has these cars was probably the one that got all of the cars over by Solomon that were in a field. The guy in Solomon passed away and his name slips my mind right now. I heard is name a hundred times. When they use to introduce Jack Petty and #77 at Salina Speedway in the 70's his name was announced has the engine builder, I think. Sounds like a gold mine to me.

You've probably got people driving all the back roads not knowing where there going just looking. I know I was checking out every farmstead from Beloit to Smith Center today on my run. Yes I did see a couple of race cars west of Beloit on 24 oon the north side. I think west of Downs.

Warren

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Going to put a fork in the road. I don't want to dilute Dwane's original forum on the 55, as I too want to get more info on it. I really appreciated Engine Pro 5x comments. Sounded like he crewed on the car and knew alot about the nuts and bolts of it. I wonder if it did have a VW torsion rear. If so, is very similar in alot of ways to Dwane's Henry Ellington's sedan. Was looking at a side view of the 15 that I took at Jetmore a couple of years ago, and was amazed how much it looked like the 55. The 15 has bolt on wheels instead of ko's, and the body appears to sit higher, but I think the 15 still has a steel body, which would explain some of it. And, might just be the perspective of the 2 different pictures. Haven't looked close at the pictures of the 55, but with 6 pin ko's, wonder if it was a live axle rear. That is why I wondered if it was a VW torsion, or two bar similar to a sprint. If it is a VW then the frame had to be very similar to the 15. All for now on the 55. Anyone that has info it, please post whatever you know about the car.

For those that were interested in the collection of old racers in a pasture, am going to open another forum. See ya in the Field of Dreams.

Knockoffs would be an open rear axle. My guess would be a 48" tapered deal out of a sprinter close to the area. I've never seen ko's on an enclosed housing QC. I'm sure the QC was a very exotic piece at the time. Vw's gave up a lot of torsion bars in the late 60s.