Gassers and dragsters special exhibit at the GNRS

Hot Rod Delux turned up a great story this month... a found deuce had unexpected history, on El Mirage, and a timing tag turned up!

I just keep getting Hot Rod Delux, it never seems like Hot Rod and Car Craft, wasting our money on endless pages of ads and warmed over articles on rebuilding engines and transmissions... they stick to old photos, cool old cars, and lots of interesting stuff turns up... like this duece.

Lewis McMillan bought this one at the LARS (LA Roadster Show) in 1978, and had no idea it had dry lakes racing history. (I label dry lakes racing as "dry lakes racing, LSR, racing. LSR" in the post labels)

He shipped to his home in Lexington North Caroline, and stored it away til he could get to it... 24 years later when he'd collected all the parts he wanted to add, like a Halibrand quick change, boxed frame, etc

Speaking of cool parts, those headlights are 1943 Seagrave fire truck lights!

So when he dug into fixing up the car, he discovered a matchbook with a guy's name on it, and it turned out to be the guy who raced it in 48! Arvel Youngblood. The new and old owners met and Lewis learned about the car... somehow a friend of Lewis found the timing tag and reunited it with the car. Awesome.

Don Lee Specials, how many did he have? Here are 3...

The above two shots are from the courtesy and sharp mind of Stephan Marjoram, who knew that there were at least 3 "Don Lee Specials" and he let me post the above Fiat Tipo B two from Goodwood http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefanmarjoram/5009392962/in/set-72157624870187185/

the one I photographed this summer:  http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/don-lee-special.html

And the 1936 that Frank Kurtis built below that I just posted from finding it int he 1940 Harper Dry Lake racing film, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/12/anyone-recognize-this-hot-rod-ive-seen.html

A Bugatti racing on Harpers Dry Lake in 1940...Tommy Lee's, same as the next posts streamliner, wow, wonder if it recieved a timing tag for the dash?

The Bugatti was owned by Tommy Lee, who's dad owned some type of car dealership in LA (thanks Travis!)

These are screen shots from the 1940 Harpers Dry Lakes racing video that Dave from http://www.seabrighthotrods.com/  just added to youtube

the Don Lee special, built by Frank Kurtis. Ford body and chassis, Cord fenders, Offenhauser engine

This is the Don Lee special, built by Frank Kurtis in 1936. The other four "Don Lee Specials" are posted in different posts and without much finesse http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Don%20Lee

 Tommy approached Frank with a project. He wanted the best looking and fastest hot rod in Southern California… and he wanted Frank to build it.

Frank thought the Cord was a smart look and Tommy agreed. Frank felt a Cad motor would be appropriate, but Tommy balked. He wanted the best of the best and that meant this car was going to get a 318-inch Offy. A direction was set and work began.

Frank started with a 1936 Ford chassis and Cord front and rear fenders. From there, the car just blossomed into something VERY unique and VERY fast

Don left millions to his son Tommy, who at age 45 jumped from the 12th story of the Wilshire hotel, leaving 10 million to potential heirs to fight over

Tommy’s roadster ran on the dry lakes of Southern California with limited success. Improvements might have been made and potential realized if not for a tragedy that happened just prior to the war. On an intersection in Hollywood, CA, Tommy was t-boned by a truck and he was badly injured.

Tommy lived the rest of his life in a great deal of pain. He tried to play through and continued buying a number of hot rods and race cars as well as a few fighter planes (p38). But the joy of speed just wasn’t enough to overcome the pain.

On January 13, 1950, Tommy had his driver take him to the dentist. He got on the elevator and went to the 12th floor roof. He then jumped to his death leaving behind a 10 million dollar fortune, a huge automobile and aircraft collection, a radio station, and a television business http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=7365

These are screen shots from the 1940 Harpers Dry Lakes racing video that Dave from http://www.seabrighthotrods.com/ just added to youtube

Comparing the above photo with the last photo below that shows this car in street form vs racing form, I don't see a door handle or hinge in the above racing form

notice that the street exhaust is different from the racing exhaust

these last two images from http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=7365

For the other Don Lee Special that I posted this summer http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/don-lee-special.html

1940 Harper Dry Lake SCTA racing home video from a 8mm camera thatSeabrightHotRods.com Dave's uncle brought in

And credit to Travis http://perichbrothers.blogspot.com/2011/12/first-100-unearthed-hot-rod-video.html
 for getting the screenshots, and Santa Cruz Dave for getting the home movie digitized and share with everyone! Dave's website is http://www.seabrighthotrods.com/

Thanks Travis!

if you get a kick out of dry lakes hot rodders, check out the color photos from 1947 and 1948 that have turned up on the internet last year:
 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/04/looks-like-el-mirage-in-1948-they.html
 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/04/back-to-1948-and-el-mirage-im-excited.html
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/chris-at-speed-seekers-foudn-more-1947.html
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/on-lake-in-48-oh-wonder-and-amazement.html

Vic Edelbrock's highboy, set 13 world speed records, and is an icon of streamlined dry lakes racers

Looks like about 4 or 5 inches of lift