New Car,

[Vicky]

It does have a Model A Transmission and Rear-End. The engine is a pressurized "B" with the oil pump driven from the cam, Berg water pump attached to inlet, McDowell OHV, Side Drive Mag, two Winfield Model S Carbs, Dayton Knock-Offs, lots of interesting old "stuff".

Car is 11 foot, front of tires to tail, 5 ft 6 inches wide, -and weighs about 1,000 pounds.

[Phil]

Most cool!

[Juggler]

I'm in love

Do you have any pics of the engine please?

[William Kelchner]

Me want

[1931 flamingo]

Just to go get milk??


I like ! !
Paul in CT

[Vicky]

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This is a picture when I bought the car. In the process of cleaning it.

There is very little room beside the engine.

[Juggler]

Loving it even more

So tell us the story...

[John Stone]

Is this the car you are running in the great race next year?

[Ross/Kzoo]

That is one sweet car!

You definitely have to tell us the story.

[QGolden]

Sweet! Congratulations on that find. Love to see/hear more about it.

[james hitchcock]

Wowie kazowie !!! We need to get the story of this find from the very beginning. Love it !

[Vicky]

I hope this post is not too long for Ford Barn, but here goes.

This vehicle is an Early 30’s Flat Tail Race Car built by Joe Gertler Sr., who operated the Raceway Garage in the New York. He built and modified race cars (Sports Cars, Land Speed Cars, Custom Cars, Midgets and Sprint Cars) from the 1930’s into the 1970’s. He estimated he built over 200 cars, and modified many more. One of his modifications occurred in 1935, when he modified Malcolm Campbell’s “Blue Bird” to install fairings over the wheels to make it more aerodynamic; the car then set the World Record at Bonneville at over 300 MPH, becoming the first car to surpass the 300 MPH barrier. I understand Joe Sr. passed away in the 1990s. More information regarding the cars, and aircraft items can be found on their web-site, at: www.memaerobilia.com.</SPAN>A picture of this car is under the Race Car tab, then under “The Raceway Collection”, then “Modern era Sprints and Original Restorations”.

I purchased the car from his son, Joe Gertler Jr. Joe Jr. was thinning his collection as he currently has some health concerns. He gave his children the items they wanted, and this car was part of the remaining collection. The day after I purchased the car, he was contacted by a collector who bought all of his race car related items.

I don’t know for sure when the car was built, and I don’t think the car was ever raced as there is no damage or repairs to the car. All of the items used on the car, except for newer replacement items like fuel lines, etc. are vintage parts. The body is all hand formed Aluminum, including the polished aluminum radiator shell with removable center grille bar insert and there is no Roll Bar, and there is no Seat Belt.

The car was “Pull Started”, with usually a pickup or tow truck doing the pulling. A rope was wrapped with one loop around the front axle with the driver holding the other end. Once the engine started the driver let go of the rope and it just fell off of the axle. There was someone in the back of the tow vehicle that pulled in the loose tow line on the way back around the track to get ready to start the next car. That was the standard way of starting these cars until well into the 1950s. This method of pull starting was even used at Indianapolis during the roadster era when someone spun out or stalled and wanted a restart.

Let me know if you would like any additional information.

[stouchton]

Congrats!!

An absolutely gorgeous car with a tremendous history

[Russell in Tulsa]

Was this a local (to you) car or did you find it in NY? What a nice find!

[Vicky]

The car was in the Florida panhandle, near fort Walton Beach. It did have Gulf Coast corrosion on the chrome, but it cleaned up nicely.