Period RACE CAR Images to Relieve some of the Stress

[AHa 549]

This car was named the "Wasp" I guess because of the pointed tail.

Edited August 12, 2020 by AHa (see edit history)

[AHa 549]

This was real auto racing! It's called "Wearing the Track."

Edited August 12, 2020 by AHa (see edit history)

[AHa 549]

Now, this is racing!

[AHa 549]

 

This is not an official period race car but rather a thesis project of an artist. He created the car using period parts as an art project as a static display, it is however a vehicle that is usable as is and is another example of the use of a belly tank on a race car as the body of the car. The car was for sale at the taking of this picture. That front axle don't look too safe but I've seen worse.

Edited August 10, 2020 by AHa (see edit history)

[AHa 549]

[AHa 549]

This is the 1905 Locomobile. It was commissioned by Harold Thomas of Chicago Illinois. This car has the drilled seat and the gas tank under the rear of the car.

[AHa 549]

This is one of the 1906 Locomobiles. In 1906 Locomobile built two identical race cars. In the 1908 Vanderbilt cup race this car carried the number 1 and came in second while the other car carried the number 16 and won the race.

 

Above is the sister car, numbered 16 in the 1908 Vanderbilt cup. The other difference between the two cars is the color. One was painted white while the other car, old 16, was painted grey.

[AHa 549]

1913 Russo-Balt

This is how the Russians went racing.

[AHa 549]

[AHa 549]

[AHa 549]

 

 

 

 

[George Cole 685]

[George Cole 685]

[George Cole 685]

[George Cole 685]

[Fossil 460]

5 hours ago, George Cole said:

Great photo. 

I wonder if those wooden spokes survived this abuse? The tie rod sure didn't. 

[Ozstatman 395]

32 minutes ago, Fossil said:

I wonder if those wooden spokes survived this abuse? The tie rod sure didn't. 

Think the tie rod is OK, it follows the dip in the front cross member. While what could be the the crank handle is held stationary by a pair of "stays" which are at awkward angles and attached to the front frame horns.

[wayne sheldon 1,202]

Wood spoke wheels are a lot tougher and more resilient than most people will ever believe! About 45 years ago, I was very fortunate to be involved in one of the best ever vintage racing reenactments in the past half century.One weekend every summer for four years, a half dozen or more model T racing cars got together and put on quite a show. Over an hour in the morning, and again in the afternoon both Saturday and Sunday. Cars ranged from basic T speedsters on up to full overhead valve racing cars (I was just a kid and had one of the slowest cars). the track was an over half mile dirt track usually used for modern high power sprint cars. The track record for a modern sprint car was barely under 27 seconds! The faster model Ts were running in the 37 down to 32 seconds. When I say the "track record", that means the fastest of the fast! The fastest model Ts were running equal to many of the modern sprint cars!

The wheels used on the model Ts were about evenly split. One third steel disc wheels, one third wire wheels, and one third wooden spoke wheels. In four years, believe it or not, the wooden wheels had fewer failures than either the disc or wire wheels did! One wire wheel folded, two broke hubs, in the four years. The worst were the steel disc wheels, several broken axles and broken hubs. Wooden wheels had a couple interesting incidents. One collided with a car who's wire wheel broke. The collision caused the king pin to break and the wheel came off. The wooden wheel was not damaged. Another wooden wheel broke the steel hub (probably a defective hub?). A replacement hub had the wheel repaired and racing again a couple hours later. The only wooden wheel to actually break spokes in those four years, had collapsed the tie rod causing the front wheels to splay out and hit the wall! Damage was minor, and it was the collision with the wall that broke the wheel, not the abuse from the track.

 

Of course, all antique automobile wheels need to be inspected often, and well maintained. Wooden spoke wheels more so than wire or disc wheels. Wooden wheels are susceptible to aging, shrinkage, and splitting of the wooden spokes. A loose wooden wheel will eat itself alive if driven on more than a very small amount. However, as long as they are known to be in reasonably good condition, and tight, I love wooden wheels and have no fear of their reliability. I also check them often for any signs of developing age troubles.

[AHa 549]

I would like to know if any of Apperson's Big Dicks survived or parts thereof. I understand 15 were made and produced and sold though pictures of the car aren't plentiful.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by AHa (see edit history)

[AHa 549]

[AHa 549]

Turns out this is the Apperson Big Dick George Robertson wrapped around this pole. He and his mechanic survived with minor injuries and the car was repaired and raced again. This was the factory car though and it was plagued with bad luck.

 

Here's the car after they pulled it off the pole. A little blacksmith work and it was off again.

This is George's account of the accident.

Edited August 15, 2020 by AHa (see edit history)

[AHa 549]

Here is an Apperson Jack Rabbit. It was nothing to sneeze at, rated at 50 Hp and guaranteed to do 75 mph.

[wayne sheldon 1,202]

AHa, THAT is an incredible story! And whoever wrote it wrote it very well.

It is amazing some of the wrecks that people survived. In that case, they surely were thrown out a fraction of a second before the car was hairpin bent. This is an excellent example of why I would never willingly put seat belts in my model T speedster or racing car. I would no more want seat belts in such a car than I would want to be tied onto a motorcycle!

[AHa 549]

 

 

[wayne sheldon 1,202]

I notice the Cutting has a wire wheel up front, and a wood spoke wheel rear. Wish I could see the other side. Race cars often switched wheel types and size to fit track or road conditions. Occasionally, I do see a combination of wheels in racing car photos. 

[Ozstatman 395]

Enlarging the photo, appears the only wire wheel is the right front. All the rest are wooden wheels.

[wayne sheldon 1,202]

Kind of what I thought also, but I am not sure about the front wheel. The wood spoke wheel that can be easily seen is on the car behind the Cutting. The Cutting's left front is lined up almost perfectly behind the right front. I didn't look as closely as I would have liked as I don't like fooling with many of those commercial links.

[Ozstatman 395]

2 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

 The wood spoke wheel that can be easily seen is on the car behind the Cutting. The Cutting's left front is lined up almost perfectly behind the right front. 

I see 2 further wheels beyond the wood spoke wheel.

[AHa 549]

There are two cars behind the Cutting.

[nzcarnerd 986]

This photo was posted on a facebook page today. No info with it at all. Any ideas?

 

 

[AHa 549]

5 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

This photo was posted on a facebook page today. No info with it at all. Any ideas?

 

 

This car is one of the two cars Locomobile entered into the 1908 Vanderbilt cup race with Joe Tracy behind the wheel. The picture was taken at a race camp while both cars were being race tested. Both cars carried the number 12 at this time. Despite the long hood, it is a 4 cylinder, three speed, car. I have just discovered new information on this car with a report coming soon. Stay tuned

[Uncle_Buck 144]

It certainly is not May, but today is the 2020 Indy 500 and this my salute, a big Texas hat off to A.J. Foyt !!
 

35 consecutive starts and 4 wins at the ‘brickyard’.

[AHa 549]

Just Curious, is the brickyard still under all that asphalt?

[JACK M 2,165]

The only bricks left are at the start/finish line.

Winners often "kiss the bricks".

Another oddity, they don't celebrate with Champaign. They drink milk.

[AHa 549]

See my blog, What Car Is This, page 3, under Locomobile, in this forum for interesting new information concerning the above posted Locomobile.

[nzcarnerd 986]

Shared from facebook page to facebook page.  Origin a page called Vintage Women I think.

 

No info on the car - 

 

 

[AHa 549]

WHAT A TROPHY!!!

Silver I guess

Must have been an important race.

[AHa 549]

Alco/American Locomotive Company

[AHa 549]

The mighty Alco six

[AHa 549]

The mighty Alco

 

 

 

How do you like those ear pockets?