Started on July 27 by dennisg

1934 Vintage Race Cars { once it was a post office jeep}

65

A 1930’s style racer made from a post office jeep. It had to have a 4 cylinder engine older than 1934 to compete[race] with model A based cars so I used an Allis Chalmers engine. I have had several kinds of engines in it since then. It is fully street legal and is run in dry weather .

Latest updates
Nov. 03
2018 upgrade

I upgrade this car annually. This year I changed its rear suspension to coil springs …

Aug. 12
quick release steering wheel

At a car show, seeing its steering wheeel stowed on the side of the car, …

Aug. 12
outside shift

Reaching under the steering wheel was inconvenient, so as the engine and transmission were out, …

Aug. 12
I'm learning

The downdraft carb leaked fuel and the lowest cylinder hydrolocked. So this time I used …

Aug. 12
updraft zenith

As the burst cylinder was due to hydrolocking, I played it safe using an updraft …

Aug. 12
burst cylinder

I did not know engines did such things but here is a picture of its …

Feb. 11
water under the bridge

Last summer, after 7 years, I finally had the bugs worked out, or so I …

Jan. 04
in summary

It finally works well, but it took some time getting there. After finishing it, I …

Aug. 24
changed the wheels

I recently changed from 16” 1935 ford wire wheels to 15” stamped steel disk wheels. …

April 30
needs better brakes

Badly needs stronger brakes. I will be adding disk brakes to my 56 ford front …

Jan. 03
its first paint (I disliked it as it was good only at sunset)

I first painted this car in a paint which was dazzling at sunset, but which …

Dec. 13
water-methanol injection

I’m going to put a fog nozzle above the carburetor throat and feed it a …

Dec. 11
stealth

I have always run a turbo muffler on #58. Had to have a heat shield …

Dec. 04
better front view

the color is better in this photo ( the front axle is wider but this …

Dec. 04
pulls its own trailer to racetrack

Seen at the Cottage Grove race track, it pulls a small teardrop trailer with extra …

March 25
good power

it has good power so I made a teardrop trailer and a trailer hitch. No …

March 16
instruments update

I went to an Innovate wideband oxygen fuel to air meter. Now I can rejet …

March 16
hatch shut

Just to show that you can cut an opening into a fiberglass body and the …

March 16
carb access

It has no hood so I cut in a hatch over its carburetor (so I …

May 29
aluminum dash

I have been monitoring exhaust gas temperature and exhaust gas oxygen. I liked them giving …

May 29
airflow control

this shows a hinged deflector in its chin air intake. A wooden dowel supports a …

April 15
second annual spring rebuild

Its fuel cell was too small, 5 gallons was not enough gasoline..I would run out …

Feb. 24
what it began as

this was what it started as so you can see how much it changed

July 02
right side updated

note the dangerous steering shaft is now gone. It runs on high profile Chinese truck …

July 02
left side revision

After it’s 100 mile teardown and rebuild, It has -new steering [rack and pinion] -new …

March 17
100 mile rebuild

After driving it i decided some changes were needed: 1. different ring & pinion [as …

Oct. 02
traction masters 2

I made them from a Toyota panhard bar and a idler arm rod[for the rod …

Oct. 02
traction masters

Light cars with limber rear leaf springs must have a linkage to stop wheel hop …

July 30
lengthened

This shows the frame just after I made it 2 feet longer. Now there is …

July 29
central steering

A single passenger car steers from its center. I use chain and sprockets to move …

July 29
making steering wheel

Showing the construction of a steering wheel from wood and a circular saw blade.

July 28
tall engine

As you can see the engine’s size dominates the Jeep frame which had to be …

July 28
be comfortable

Running a car like this is best described as violent, so a comfy boat seat …

July 28
sideview

its sprintcar body ancestry shows here, but it began life as a post office jeep. …

July 28
#58 side

the ford wheels make it look really old. The odd aircleaner is a Ford pickup …

July 28
#58 interior 1

Quickly removable [release button seen at top center of its hub ] steering wheel made …

July 28
#58 front

that is two halves of a Lincoln Continental grille bolted together and turned on its …

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Comments
carson
July 27, 2009, 11:20 p.m.

That looks incredible! Do you have any more pictures or a build site?

dennisg
July 28, 2009, 12:42 a.m.

Thanks and yes, I have a web group on which a full series of construction photos of it can be seen, go to yahoo groups find "speedsterowners" enter that group look in "photos" for "gwynn carrier special" For those who I've email addresses,I'll send invitations to join the group.

dennisg
July 28, 2009, 12:50 a.m.

I've just joined the grassroots group and do not know how to post more than one photo, and a single picture does not give a good idea of how it looks. [ I've a set of 6 completion photos] and too many construction photos to post.

Tim
Baxter
July 28, 2009, 8:57 a.m.

That is crazy-cool.

JohnBrown
July 28, 2009, 9:09 a.m.

Simply awesome. Dennis, you are a hero among supervillains.

Rusty_Rabbit84
July 28, 2009, 9:24 a.m.

im completely awe-struck...

MiatarPowar
July 28, 2009, 9:34 a.m.

Wow. That's awesome.

Rad_Capz
July 28, 2009, 10:03 a.m.

That is a WAAAAY cool car!

walterj
July 28, 2009, 11:27 a.m.

This is positively nucking futts. I love all of the odd sources for parts and they way it all gels together. Completely bonkers in a good way.

jrw1621
July 28, 2009, 11:47 a.m.

Wow! Center engine (full engine behind the axle)

Woody
July 28, 2009, 7:50 p.m.

Very, very cool.

dennisg
Oct. 2, 2009, 9:50 p.m.

I just made and added traction masters to it. Not for huge torque but because I removed most of the leafs from the rear springs to get a reasonable spring rate with the lighter load they carry. They seem not to be binding and the ride is much better with the softer springs.

Ashleigh
EastCoastMojo
Nov. 6, 2009, 9:40 p.m.

Got my vote! Very cool!

Raze
Aug. 12, 2010, 8:40 a.m.

Um.... WOW HOW DID I MISS THIS FOR SO LONG!

dennisg
Aug. 28, 2011, 10:45 p.m.

the new engine overwhelmed its old radiator so I changed to a two row radiator laying in the junkyard.

IanF
Dec. 5, 2011, 1:57 p.m.

Awesome car! I'm with Raze. Not sure how I missed this.

dennisg
March 1, 2012, 7:13 p.m.

And I can drive it around on the street.. It is as fun to drive to a race as to be in one.

ArthurDent
May 29, 2012, 10:47 a.m.

That is fantastic. I love it!

dennisg
June 8, 2012, 12:37 a.m.

Actually, it is more fun on the street as I'm not always turning left and people go bonkers when they see it.

dennisg
July 2, 2012, 1:55 a.m.

I changed to a cable operated clutch today as: 1. It was inexpensive ($5 for a swapmeet brake cable and $5 for some bolts 2. It was simple 3. It adjusts well 4. The old mechanical linkage was crude, nearly impossible to work on ...and it had worn out.

dennisg
Feb. 14, 2020, 2:21 a.m.

feb 2020 Engine changed, again....the 4th for it. Electrical system done over again...Kubota alternator (5 lbs) replaced its (25 lb) generator. The old headlights looked nice but were too dim for night driving so it was time for different headlights, headlight relays and heavy wiring (# 10 and #12)on a short run direct from its alternator..it is now much brighter and has a controlled pattern.

hobiercr
Nov. 27, 2022, 6:44 p.m.

This was the Featured Ride on my front page and I just bump this awesomeness build back to the top for a bit.

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