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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 12, 2012 23:07:16 GMT -5
Below is a picture of "Spasmodic", a classic lakes style single seater modified waiting in line sometime on either side of WWII, although if I had to guess I'd place it around 1946. It appeared on the back cover of Albert Drake's seminal book "Flat Out", perhaps one of the finest histories of pre-war and early post-war hot rodding ever written. It appears to be either a cut down Model T or Olds roadster. Repeated and exhaustive web searches have produced absolutely nothing about this mysterious and fabulous car. It's obviously meant to be street driven - you can just make out a taillight and the interior is fully instrumented and upholstered. I have never seen a finer representation of this style of car. Does anyone know anything more about it? In the meantime, it's definitely TRaKable!
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Post by draggon on Jan 13, 2012 19:00:16 GMT -5
Damn thats cool!
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Post by Kit Karson on Jan 14, 2012 4:55:42 GMT -5
Below is a picture of "Spasmodic", a classic lakes style single seater modified waiting in line sometime on either side of WWII, although if I had to guess I'd place it around 1946. It appeared on the back cover of Albert Drake's seminal book "Flat Out", perhaps one of the finest histories of pre-war and early post-war hot rodding ever written. It appears to be either a cut down Model T or Olds roadster. Repeated and exhaustive web searches have produced absolutely nothing about this mysterious and fabulous car. It's obviously meant to be street driven - you can just make out a taillight and the interior is fully instrumented and upholstered. I have never seen a finer representation of this style of car. Does anyone know anything more about it? In the meantime, it's definitely TRaKable! Not much ever recorded on this little one-man track roadster, Bro... but it has come up in a couple of conversations, recently! Notice any similar design elememts? Hosted on FotkiThe Oldster Hosted on FotkiOne-Man Modified Hosted on Fotki#23 track style modified Hosted on FotkiDeuce T Hosted on FotkiT Modified Definitely time to do a true replica of the original, B! KK
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Post by johnnyhotdog on Jan 14, 2012 12:44:26 GMT -5
wasn't that one man modified recentley in street rodder magazine? I Freakin' LOVE that car
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Post by Kit Karson on Jan 15, 2012 4:01:14 GMT -5
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Post by roddratt on Jan 15, 2012 9:14:43 GMT -5
Seeing that little red "Thimble Drome Special" as it's called, on the cover of SR ;D has gotten my desire to drag my scale version out and get it going again....after the '27 roadstar....
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Post by harron68 on Jan 15, 2012 11:57:05 GMT -5
I doubt the original foto is of a T. The parallel front leaf springs seem to say it's a different car and the body just looks un-T-like. All cars/models shown later are magnificent!! thanx!!!!!
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 15, 2012 12:19:42 GMT -5
I doubt the original foto is of a T. The parallel front leaf springs seem to say it's a different car and the body just looks un-T-like. ... The chassis of a lakes modified generally had little to do with the body. They frequently used Model T or Model A Ford frame rails but the front suspension was most often a parallel semi-elliptic setup like on the Spasmodic. Unfortunately it offers little in the way of clues to the body. I agree that the body is, at this point, very un-T like, particularly the cowl area. The main body appears to have been cut down and joined at the door line, but there's no door proper, vestigial or otherwise. Albert Drake's book has more fascinating detail stuff on these types of cars. I'll post more info later including some great pre-war chassis and build shots.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 15, 2012 18:45:06 GMT -5
Flat Out, Albert Drake's masterful book about California hot rodding from 1930 until 1950, is rich in detail about the dry lakes modifieds and their evolution and influence. The modifieds were heavily influenced by the board track speedway cars on the 1920's, and from the very beginning adopted many of the engineering and styling details of these cars. Among them was what was known as "three spring suspension" where the rear suspension used a single transverse rear leaf spring and the front used two parallel semi-elliptic leaf springs. The front suspension was commonly sourced from either Franklins or Chevrolets. The Franklin setup, which featured a lightweight tubular front axle, was quite often hung on a Ford Model T or, later in the 30's, Model A frame. Towards the end of the 30's Chevrolet front suspension became more common, often using the front half of a pair of Chevrolet frame rails, as in the Hurst modified from 1941 pictured below. Rear suspension was most frequently from a Model T or Model A, along with the rear crossmember. Below are some pictures and text from "Flat Out". It's a must read (and own) for any die-hard early rodding enthusiast. Albert Drake self-published"Flat Out" and you can buy it on his website here: www.flatoutpress.com/ . His other books are equally fine, especially his marvelous oral history "Hot Rodder! From Lakes to Street" with one-of-a-kind interviews with Karl and Veda Orr, William Kenz, Dee Wescott, Joe Bailon, Big Bill Edwards, and Henry Gregor Felsen, among others, and his recent "The Age of Hot Rods".
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