Pre war race cars

[Guest Taco]

Does someone does have a Buick race car? (pre war) I like the race cars of the 1930's

What carbs were used?

Was it a Master 6 of an 8 cilinder straight?

Please put some pics in when available.

When you have a car in a bad state, mostly the chassis is allright. Is it possible to make a race car of it?

Not an Hot Rod or such thing, but like the old days?

Like this one:

1910 Buick race car

Or this one:

This is a 1910 Buick.

Taco.

[Guest rlbleeker]

Here's a (very poor) picture of my '16. It may have been built to race.

[jscheib]

Taco,

Have you seen the photos of the race cars at the BCA 2007 National in Bellevue, WA? They are in the photo gallery for that meet. Are you looking for photos or suggestions of what to do to make a reproduction of a race car of the 20s, 30s? Yes, it is possible to build a reporoduction, using the "period correct" items.

John

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Sorry for the poor photos...I didn't take them...I think one of the kids did. I know one of these is a '29, but I'm not certain which one.

Someone must have a photo of the Buick Bug as well, right? Actually, I think I might....

[Guest Taco]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jscheib</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Taco,

Have you seen the photos of the race cars at the BCA 2007 National in Bellevue, WA? They are in the photo gallery for that meet. Are you looking for photos or suggestions of what to do to make a reproduction of a race car of the 20s, 30s? Yes, it is possible to build a reporoduction, using the "period correct" items.

John

</div></div>

I was looking for <span style="font-weight: bold">pics</span>, the possibility to <span style="font-weight: bold">make one </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold">specs</span>.

I am wondering about the fact that a lot of the race cars did have metal spoke wheels. Was is for the weight?

What engines were build in?

What carbs?

Any blower?

Different cam shafts?

Did they use the normal chassis?

Nice pictures of the race cars.

Please post more of these.

Pics from Belleveu:

Taco.

[progoofoff]

1937 Shafer 8

[Guest imported_arbys]

I am interested in the Pre war race cars also.I have a restored 31 Buick so I was looking for late 20's early 30's chassis so I could start my own. I wound up with a 28 Ford chassis and went from there. There are many types of racers and speedsters from cars that would have raced at nationally known tracks to the local county fair so you could have highly developed race engines and chassis to someone going behind the barn and dragging out the discarded family car,ripping the fenders off, taking the body off, putting some seats in and going racing at the fair.You may be interested in the Northwest Vintage Speedster website.

[Guest imported_arbys]

[Mark Shaw]

A photo of my 15 Buick speedster is in the Bugle issue that covered the National Meet in Bellevue WA. I am making it a period speedster like a teen who got the family car would build in the late teens or early 20s.

Lots of fun so far...

[jscheib]

Taco,

I realize you are in the Netherlands so it is somewhat hard to communicate on this. There must be some books about these and I too will try to find them, as I am working on research also with someone to build a '30s speedster, or race car replica.

I think, basically, the cars were made from a chassis and engine with little done, other then brakes were as good as possible, and usually the original transmission and running gear. Engines quite often had changed carburation. (There is one Buick spedster in RI which I think has one carburator for each of the 8 cylinders. This was followed with probably milling heads and other simply machining to improve efficiency that "stock", or mass produced cars could not do. Many of techniques were followed in the early stages of the 40s and 50s hot rod days, and certainly this was a worldwide effort, with much slower communications.

I thin the metal spoke wheels were likely considered because of the strength to take the corners rather then wood, but that is only my guess. Weight would also be an issue.

I, for one, would like to see as many of these cars in Flint next summer, but would it not be a wonderful sight to see them, perhaps not at "speed" but climbing Pikes Peak at the 2009 in Colorado Springs.

As winter progresses here and after the holidays, I will try to collect some information for you as I am sure will others that use this forum.

I might add, that I think many were built with little recorded design work both in the body, but also engine and other drivetrain modifications.

John

[The Old Guy]

The Buick Bug had wood spoke wheels with sheet metal covers. It also had a 3 speed selective trans, which was not found in many race cars of that era.

[Guest Taco]

I did some googling about race cars. Here are some links (maybe well know to you):

Northwest Vintage Speedsters like ARBYS said:Lots of pics: http://nwvs.org/

Films: http://nwvs.org/Videos.shtml

1937 and 1938 Buick Shafer 8 at: http://www.buickstreet.com/the-great-race.html

Green Hornet at: http://www.buickclub.org.au/Buick_Pages.php/SectionID/10/ContentID/387

1910 Buick:

Here an Buick Indy-racer: http://www.race-inn.ch/index.html?page_id=44&l=2

Vintige rally group: http://www.vintagerallygroup.com/

They sell also some books.

http://www.rumbledrome.com/

I think here are more people interested in the race cars as well.

For me it's not possible to make one from an old chassis at the time. Costs lots of money i think.

I have a Buick, which isn't 100% fixed, that's first.

Then we have to build a garage (heated, because of the weather here in Holland) and then i have to save some new money.

Maybe later i can make one myself. But if a chassis with a straigt 8 is easy to find?................

How is it in the USA to get it on the roads?

Do you need special paperwork, government?

Keep going posting such lovely things.

Taco.

[50jetback]

Here are a couple which were raced in Western Australia in the early 30's.

The first is a 1928 standard model with most of the body removed.

The other seems to be 26/27 standard six with more elaborate body. It is sporting a 1927 radiator cap.

Here's a question for the experts though. How is it the exhaust is exiting the bonnet ( hood ) at the rear of the right hans side??

I think I know the answer but would like some other thoughts.

[jscheib]

I do not have an answer on the exhaust. It seems it is with some sort of crossover pipe. Why, I wonder, as it would seem that they would want to avoid the heat problem for the driver.

I am wondering about the first car and the "light". I wonder if there was a requirement in the race sanctioning body that the race vehicle had some sort of ligt. Or perhaps the owner just wanted to be able to take it out on a dark night and have some idea where they were traveling. Any quess on that?

John

[Guest Taco]

As we know the exhaust is normaly at the left side of the engine.

Did they put another engine in it?

Or was it to keep the heat of the exhaust pipe away from the inlet to make sure that the intake air was as cold as possible?

Cold air means more air in the cilinder means more gas means more power.

But if this will do for this engine?

I don't know.

Taco.

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Based on seeing only one side of the car, another possibility (I don't know how likely though) would be to have created some sort of a dual exhaust system and we just can't see the exhaust on the left side.

[Brian_Heil]

There is a great deal of the tranny to be seen below the frame, meaning the center line of the crank is about center of the frame rail or lower. Dropped for a bettter center of gravity? This would give plenty of room for a cross over pipe mentioned for heat reasons and maybe a special (multi?) carb. set-up? Or for the driver to listen for an exhaust tone or miss?

I know! The steering wheel is on the wrong side and they made the exhaust match? : ) A reversed photo negative!

(My apologies to my Ausie friends.)

[50jetback]

These cars were raced at Lake Perkolilli which is a dry ( well usually ) salt lake near Kalgoorlie in the West Australian Goldfields.

Some of the races were long distance endurance type, hence the lights on the 28 model.

Unfortunately the photo of the 27 or earlier is the only photo of that car we have located to date, would be nice to have one of the left side.

However, it seems that they have turned over the intake manifold to fit a downdraft carby, something that many current owners of these models have done to increase power and decrease fuel consumption. In this instance it seems the exhaust manifold has also been turned upside down, of course when you do this you also have to end for end the manifold. This is fine for the intake manifold but it means the exhaust outlet faces up at the rear of the motor instead of down at the front.

They could have exited the exhaust system in a similar manner through the passenger ( left ) side of the bonnet ( hood ) but chose to make a cross-over and exit it on the drivers ( right ) side. Reason for this? probably because the riding mechanic was in and out of the car more frequently than the driver and may have done critical damage to important anatomical areas of himself stepping over that very hot pipe too often.

[Guest Taco]

This is not a buick:

but if you need a new body, these people: http://www.rekluscars.com.ar/ can make you all you wish.

@50jetback: nice pics. I love the oldies.

Taco.

[Leif Holmberg]

Exhust on left side.

Leif in Sweden.

[Guest imported_Thriller]

With the driver also on the left, this photo looks very close to being a mirror image of the other...I didn't examine it terribly closely though.

[Dandy Dave]

I recently aquired quite a few Factory Photos of Buicks. Two that were of my car, were Mirror Images. Even the photographers autograph was reversed. I had to use a magnifine glass to conferm it, but there it was.

I'm with Thriller. It looks like a reversed image. The shadows on the ground are the same and the cracks in the earth even match.

Dave!

[50jetback]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Leif Holmberg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Exhust on left side.

Leif in Sweden. </div></div>

Nice try Leif, all you have to work out now is how to get the driver back where he should be ( RHD ) and the exhaust pipe at the front of the motor.

[Dandy Dave]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice try Leif, all you have to work out now is how to get the driver back where he should be ( RHD ) and the exhaust pipe at the front of the motor. </div></div>

But is it a Left hand drive car, or a Right hand Drive Car as it is thought to be???

These photos could also have been taken here in the states at the Salt Flats for instance???

Can you read Buick on the hubcaps to see which is correct?

Dave!

[Leif Holmberg]

Hi everybody and Happy New Year.

i have tryed to look at the hub,but I can`t see what`s right or wrong.But I went to the garage and looked at the Head,Inlet, and Outlet.I took 2 picktures so you can see how easy it`s to change from front exhoust to rear exhoust on the engine,also changed from uppdroft to downdroft carb.

After that you can think about left or right hand drive.

Leif in Sweden.

[Mark Shaw]

Flipping the exhaust manifold would create a real nice vertical exhaust stack for my 24 Buick truck.

It would be fun to have the exhaust whistle mounted where it could be seen rather than buried under the vehicle.

If it were a rat rod I would definately do it!

[50jetback]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1DandyDaves</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice try Leif, all you have to work out now is how to get the driver back where he should be ( RHD ) and the exhaust pipe at the front of the motor. </div></div>

But is it a Left hand drive car, or a Right hand Drive Car as it is thought to be???

These photos could also have been taken here in the states at the Salt Flats for instance???

Can you read Buick on the hubcaps to see which is correct?

Dave! </div></div>

Dave,

We know it's RHD, who the driver is ( a Perth West Australia Taxi Driver called Vic Davis ) and the location, this is amongst a number of photos taken at Lake Perkollili in the early 30's.

What we are unsure of is why the exhaust exits where it does, looking at Leifs photos of his experiments with head and manifolds I would say our suppositions are correct. A simple crossover pipe would take the exhaust to the other side and out of the way of the riding mechanic.

[Leif Holmberg]

Stuart.

When looking at the hub cap on right front wheel on the right hand drived car, it looks more like the Buick logo than the converted pickture I did with the LHD car.

But why did they put the exhaust on the right side of the car,maybe it`s a door on left side of the car.

As you can see there are no problem to change the exhaust from left to the right side.

Leif in Sweden.

[Guest Taco]

Someone in England is selling this Buick.(1926)

Maybe this will do for making a race car.

All the important parts are there. As starter motor, generator, carb,......

He is asking 500 GBP.

(Sorry for the small pics.)

Taco.

[Guest imported_arbys]

Except for the high dollar exotic speedsters, Buick makes one of the nicest looking speedsters. The grill/radiator, hood and cowl of the mid to late 20's is soooo sleek and smooth.

[jscheib]

Taco,

Are you thinking of making an offer for the car? I know you indicated you were thinking about doing one some day. Maybe, this is the day. It seems to me there is a roadster body, but I am not sure with the small size of the photo. It almost seems that there is quite a bit there to consider before deciding to scrap the roadster body. As you said, it seems you have some good starting material.

I know someone who is working on a speedster body and I am sure others will help you with design questions, etc. I think you could work on one with creating wood framework, as original. or even with metal framing.. If you proceed, let us know. This could be an interesting worldwide project, with the Australians also having considerable interest.

John

[Guest Taco]

Before i give it a go, i need more information about this issue.

Thought there were some books about making pre war race cars, but i cannot find them...........

Someone who knows?

And 500 pounds isn't maybe not much money for this 'car', but before i have it in the Netherlands? I don't know.

I asked the man about sending me some bigger pics. Lets wait for that pics.

First question: with a normal chassis you can't make a boattail?

Taco.

[Guest imported_arbys]

The boattails that I have seen start narrowing at the rear of the passenger compartment and extend beyond the rear axle 18-24". Usually there is a cover on the rear axle that looks like small "wings".