Vintage Stock Cars. Hows and Whys??

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I always figured it would be fun to find a 1930's stock car like they ran in the '50s. My neighbors loved the old flatheads and raced them for years. One had a '34 tudor sedan and his brother had a '32 three window. Both pushed the limits on the rules and sometimes they got caught, but they really had a good time. I worked the pits with them during the '60s. The last flathead they ran was in a '37 tudor slantback. I helped them gut it, put in the roll cage and get it ready. The car lasted a couple seasons then went behind the barn and a '56 two door with a Y-block replaced it. I'd love to have the '37 now and restore it to it's original glory. But I just don't have the space.

[Enbloc]

Ron, I'm listening!

Does anybody know how the wide-5 passenger wheels were adapted to the truck hubs and were the stock truck brakes used with the truck hubs?

[Ol' Ron]

We never used the truck drums we used an aluminum version. The heavy floaters were detrimental to acceleration. Trying to remember how we did this.

[Ol' Ron]

I posted some pics of our car, wonder where they went.

[Ol' Ron]

Try again. the picture on the right was printed backwards.

[51 MERC-CT]

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Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

Try again. the picture on the right was printed backwards.

That's OK, with the steering wheel on the right side the Aussie's willl feel right at home

[Lawrie]

We lived next to the speedway back in New Zealand,
It was THE place to be on sat night,
We saw it change from flathead powered cars to modern purpose built race cars
The last guy to use a flathead used a 36 sedan I think with the flathead,he got rammed into the fence in front of us,it snapped in half.
BUT he had the last laugh when he returned next season with a purpose built race car made from 1/8 or 1/4 plate ,it had no chassis,called the tank.
They still use that type in NZ now
Lawrie

[Ol' Ron]

I can't count the number of times this car was into the fence.

[PeterC]

Gosh - now I know where all the Coupes went!

[Lanny]

Here's my '40 with a 286 Flatty with 2 carbs and a 5 speed alum trans.
We had about 25 active members and raced at many tracks here in Mn.
and also a couple tracks in Iowa. I sold it in 2001 and got out of racing then.

Click on pic to Enlarge

[40 Deluxe]

Lanny, Ever race at the Jackson Speedway? I went to a lot of races there in the early '60's as a teenager.

[Lanny]

Originally Posted by 40 Deluxe

Lanny, Ever race at the Jackson Speedway? I went to a lot of races there in the early '60's as a teenager.

================================================== =======

Yes, I also started going to Jackson, as a spectator, in the mid 60's.
They had some of the best Sprint Car racing around.
I raced there a few times in the late 90's, with my '40.
I always liked it when they blasted off the cannon balls,
as the National Anthem played, when the cannon balls exploded
they rocked the whole place. Great racing program there.




.

[DICK SPADARO]

Here you go this might bring this 3/4 ton hub into perspective.You have to remember these cars were battle cars if you made it to light it broke either due to the rough competition or the rough track surface.

The first picture is the snout of a 3/4 ton Ford rear axle. This unit was used in the rear complete and as a donor part to make a safety hub RF.

The second picture and the third picture are of different year 3/4 ton cast iron hubs from the late 30's early 40's, smooth hub is early with the original brake drum kind of 50's era, ribbed hub with the finned Buick aluminum drum is later combination era version mid 60's.

Now to adapt the floater hub to the front axle for safety purposes. This is picture five. You took an old housing and cut the end snout off just behind the flange, it has the same backing plate bolt pattern as the front spindle. Since this was kind of thin, an adapter was made up to locate the spindle and the snout. These parts were then bolted together to form a safety hub spindle based upon a full floating hub. Later on bolt on spindle snouts became mass produced by a number of companies all based upon the 3/4 ton Ford bearing size which is still used today.

[alanwoodieman]

Most of those pictures of cars in Dawsonville belong to a man in Greenville,SC (JB Day) and he has a museum call Riverside or Riverbank Racing Museum. If you are ever get to this area you need to call him and go have a look. His museum has many pictures of "back in the day" and is located near the Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

[Enbloc]

Originally Posted by DICK SPADARO

Now to adapt the floater hub to the front axle for safety purposes. This is picture five. You took an old housing and cut the end snout off just behind the flange, it has the same backing plate bolt pattern as the front spindle. Since this was kind of thin, an adapter was made up to locate the spindle and the snout. These parts were then bolted together to form a safety hub spindle based upon a full floating hub. Later on bolt on spindle snouts became mass produced by a number of companies all based upon the 3/4 ton Ford bearing size which is still used today.

wow, thanks Dick. Great description and pictures.

Do you know how much further out the wheel would sit with the truck floater and adaptor compared to the stock passenger setup?

Whats the weight of the truck snout and drum? I'm guessing very heavy!?!

Is the truck wheel pattern the same as wide-5?

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by alanwoodieman

Most of those pictures of cars in Dawsonville belong to a man in Greenville,SC (JB Day) and he has a museum call Riverside or Riverbank Racing Museum. If you are ever get to this area you need to call him and go have a look. His museum has many pictures of "back in the day" and is located near the Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

I didn't know that Alen. Will try to remember that and stop there in March on my way to/from the Barner's Bash/Billetproof Show in Ocala, FL.
My favorite part of the Moonshine Festival was watching and listening to those old Stock Cars driving from downtown Dawsonville back to Thunder Road. An awesome sight and sound!

[SUHRsc]

Clark,
here is another option... this spindle has been adapted by cutting and welding the larger floater "spindle" to the stock spindle... but... they left the stock one inside...

this gains you a bit on the width as you can see in the photos... possibly what you will need to do to stay inside your fenders?

Zach
see the offset difference...the right bolt on would have its flat surface against the stock backing plate surface...

you can kinda see the stock spindle inside...

[DICK SPADARO]

Zach, That spindle adapter is rather hard to find, The 3/4 ton snout didn't weld on it actually threaded on the donor spindle nut thread until it seated against the seal boss.

[SUHRsc]

Ahh I see the threads in there now...

well in any case... could possibly be another option to weld on a floater end with a plug at the tip to keep it centered??
Then machine back to specs for the seal or bearing...

Zach

[Ol' Ron]

We got allot of our car parts from California speed and sport in Patterson NJ There was a place called Bells where you could get your crank assy balanced, took about a month.