Earl McMills

[sn0tjockey]

Glad you found a copy but sad there isn't more about Earl within.  Possibly you can share how he became involved with Volkswagens and making more power.
[/quote]

I've been toying around with the idea of getting back into VWs and a casual conversation with my mother made me curious about my grandfather and his machine shop.  What really set me down this path is she mentioned he had been in a magazine, and that search brought me here.  Honestly, I grew up knowing my grandfather as a "VW guy" who manufactured, modified, and tuned parts.  His shop wasn't very busy later in life and I perceived it, at the time and I was a child, as more of a hobby he could share with friends.  A lot of people would stop by the shop to visit or have work done.  I remember a German fellow named Ludwig who used to love hanging out and getting into fantastic arguments with granddad.  I think they had some sort of love/hate kinship.  Another guy was Speedy who drove an early model Porsche.  We'd also visit another machine shop and drop off valve guides which he manufactured by the box.  I could be wrong, but I remember the owner's name as being Dick and they had a rail-type dragster which may or may have not been VW powered.  Another guy as that same shop had a black hopped-up beetle with a NOS bottle mounted on the passenger side.  He took me for a blurred spin around the industrial park.  Other people who were friends of Earl who I probably bumped into as a child are Ed Barker and Ed Iskenderian, but I was too young to remember.  My parents and I relocated to the San Joaquin Valley when I was 6 y/o, so there was probably much more going on than I was exposed to.  We did spend holidays at the Inglewood house, and I also stayed there most summers between the ages of 7 and 16 when I wasn't working for my father. 

Finding information is a little difficult because the McMills family is from back east and ties were very loose.  Our immediate family was every small and now consists of my mother and myself.  I'll have to sit down with her and see how much more she knows, but there's a good chance it's not much more than what I know already.  I feel like there is so much more and he had a life I was too young to remember or comprehend.  I wish I could jump in the VW time machine, but I'll just dig around for now and see what shakes loose.  I really appreciate the photo above and the help I've received.  Hearing Keith's tape of Ron and Sarge would be interesting.

Here is a link to the photo I mentioned before with the Squareback in the background, same as the one in the photo in Keith's book.  I'm the kid on the trail bike.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/S4d564leWrA0pkrxGTIBHJXWVePJqeScoOLeIpZtXZ4

[WCB Hitler's Hot Rod]

I wonder if that other machine shop you visited was EMS (Engine Machine Services) @ 835 W. Olive Street Ingelwood home of the Madness race car. Dick Nuss & Bill Duncan.

[neil68]

Finding information is a little difficult because the McMills family is from back east and ties were very loose.  Our immediate family was every small and now consists of my mother and myself.  I'll have to sit down with her and see how much more she knows, but there's a good chance it's not much more than what I know already.  I feel like there is so much more and he had a life I was too young to remember or comprehend.  I wish I could jump in the VW time machine, but I'll just dig around for now and see what shakes loose.

Earl McMills is mentioned in some of the Porsche 356 forums & registries, so you could introduce yourself.  Here's one conversation where Earl is mentioned a couple times, including someone who was providing piston kits:
http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13887&start=165

Sterling Vaden wrote:
"I once visited Earl McMills shop in LA. Was it in Hollywood? He had piles of engine cases everywhere. He died shortly after that. I don't know what happened to all the parts."

John Ward wrote:
"I was friends with Earl. Snarly old coot at first, then got to be a great friend later on.
I`d hang out in his shop, behind his house in Inglewood. I used to sell him NPR big bore kits (He would buy 10 sets at a time). I would deliver the P&C`s to him after I would deliver the same amount to Vasak`s shop
Boy, that name sure brought back some great memories."

[sn0tjockey]

Thanks for the names and references.  I'll ask my mom about Dick Nuss, Bill Duncan, and John Ward.  John's comments really piqued my interest.  I had looked at the 356 Registry before but missed them for some reason.  I looked up EMS but they don't have a web site and the street view from Google Earth doesn't look familiar.  Could be a bad view, the shop had an old location, or that's just not it.  I'll find out.

[johnl]

Thanks for the names and references.  I'll ask my mom about Dick Nuss, Bill Duncan, and John Ward.  John's comments really piqued my interest.  I had looked at the 356 Registry before but missed them for some reason.  I looked up EMS but they don't have a web site and the street view from Google Earth doesn't look familiar.  Could be a bad view, the shop had an old location, or that's just not it.  I'll find out.

The name John Ward caught my eye.  Years ago when I was GM at the Auto Haus Stores there was a John Ward that worked at Goodwin Automotive in Costa Mesa very close to the AH store.  John and I became friends and he had a nice '59 sunroof car in dark green as I recall.  Later he worked at Don Burns VW in Garden Grove. 

When I ordered a new 1970 vert, Reggie the Ragtop, I stopped at Don Burns and picked up four new 5.5 chrome wheels from John and then delivered them to Plunkett Motors in Sunland for the car.  See photos attached.

I lost contact with John after that but heard he had moved to the San Bernadino mountains.  The other thing I remember is John had a very beautiful wife but don't remember her name.

[sn0tjockey]

Great photos!  I can Email John through the 356 Registry but was going ask my mom before trying to contact him.  Speaking of the San Bernadino mountains, I stay at a friend's place in Angelus Oaks and fish Jenks Lake several times each year.  Both are just above Riverside on the 38.  Would be a small world if he ended up in the same place.

[johnl]

Great photos!  I can Email John through the 356 Registry but was going ask my mom before trying to contact him.  Speaking of the San Bernadino mountains, I stay at a friend's place in Angelus Oaks and fish Jenks Lake several times each year.  Both are just above Riverside on the 38.  Would be a small world if he ended up in the same place.

Maybe a smaller world than you think.  As a youngster I was very involved in the Anaheim YMCA and use to go to their camp Osceola in that area.  Started out as just a camper and eventually became an assistant cabin leader and then on to a full cabin leader. 

Once I got my driver's license cars took over my world and I attended camp no more.  This is a great regret I have today as those were wonderful times.  One of the places we would always hike to was Jenks Lake which was only a couple of miles away.  Several years ago my wife and I drove up there and went to all of my old haunts.

[sn0tjockey]

Small world indeed!  On a similar note, my stepdad runs into Ed Iskenderian from time to time, probably at SEMA.  I just found this out and that he got invited to a birthday party a couple years ago. Isky supposedly lives about an hour away and may have some history I'm looking for.  I'm not sure I'm bold enough to look him up, but at least I have the option.

[johnl]

Some years ago I was approached by Ed when he saw our '57 Chrysler 300C at a local show.  (photos attached)  He told me how Chrysler contracted him to build the cams for these cars.  Also, invited me to a weekly lunch he has with his car pals.

I think you will find him very user friendly and if he remembers Earl I'm sure he will share with you.

[sn0tjockey]

Fantastic 300c!  Makes the new ones look awful by comparison 

BTW, thanks for the tips.  I'll talk to my stepfather about how I'd go about getting in touch with Isky.  As for the other fellows mentioned above, this is what I got from my mom so far:

Engine Machine Services is familiar to me. Bill Duncan is a name I remember
the best of the three. Then John Ward and Dick Nuss. I think Dad knew Bill
the longest. This is pretty cool connected with Dad's past and friends.

I'll be talking with her during the following week.

[WCB Hitler's Hot Rod]

Last time I saw Bill Duncan and Dick Nuss they have relocated to 8416 Osage Ave. in Los Angeles. They are located really close to the world famous Randys Donuts! I think its awesome you are reconnecting with old friends. Keep us posted!
That brings up a point with the involvement of Chrysler and Earl. From what I understand, most VW high performance cams were designed from Chrysler grinds. I'm wondering if Earl played a part in the engineering of VW cams. Maybe someone who knows more about this can chime in?

[johnl]

Last time I saw Bill Duncan and Dick Nuss they have relocated to 8416 Osage Ave. in Los Angeles. They are located really close to the world famous Randys Donuts! I think its awesome you are reconnecting with old friends. Keep us posted!
That brings up a point with the involvement of Chrysler and Earl. From what I understand, most VW cams were designed from Chrysler config. I'm wondering if Earl played a part in the engineering of VW cams. Maybe someone who knows more about this and can chime in?

Well, being a Chrysler guy most of my life and owning numerous Hemi cars over the years I'd like to think that Isky had involvement but I don't know.  What I do know is what Ed told me about the 300 Letter Series program that he was involved with in the early days of the series.  He may have also worked with Carl Kiekhaefer who owned Mercury Outboard and was very instrumental with Chrysler performance way back.  Kiekhaefer who dominated NASCAR is the early days was really the guy that put the 300 name out there.  He also raced in the Chryslers in the Carrera Panamericana prior to NASCAR.  For those of you who have interest look him up and you will learn what a driving force in racing he was.  There is also an excellent book on his life, "Iron Fist".  Here is an excellent link to learn more of him.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Kiekhaefer

In reading through that you will see then name Ray Crawford and back in the sixties he owned several super markets in SoCal.  I worked for him at the Anaheim Store located at Euclid & Crescent.  Further on you will see mention of the Road America 300s.  The Charcoal Grey car and only surviving example is owned by one of my closest friends, Wayne Graefen of Kerrville, Texas.

Beyond all of this there was some good info I learned in being involved with this link.  http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,19486.0.html  You will see how maybe the Flat Head Fords played a part in VW cam development.

[sn0tjockey]

WCB, A Google Street View of 8416 Osage Ave looks very familiar, but I'm wondering if they were located there when I was a child.  If so, their shop would've been in the back on the right.

I've been talking, texting, and Emailing my mom about the information and names I've found here.  Here's a snipplet:

Engine Machine Services is familiar to me. Bill Duncan is a name I remember
the best of the three. Then John Ward and Dick Nuss. I think Dad knew Bill
the longest. This is pretty cool connected with Dad's past and friends.

And another:

I just thought of a good friend of grandad's. Jack Feeder, or Feder. He was
German, and his  brother or close friend was a connection to the local clubs.
That guy, Helmut, owned a VW and foreign car mechanic shop in Culver City
or nearby.

I'm still working on this stuff but it's been going a little slower since I'm back to work after the Holidays.

[WCB Hitler's Hot Rod]

Glad I could help. Keep us posted! Very interesting thread.
Bill and Dick are super nice people and very intelligent on how to make a VW fly. They were always fierce competitors to The Bergs when racing took place at the Bug Ins in Orange County!! There shop is located back /right.
Steve Niendorf