Thurber's 63

[kingsburgphil]

Great thread!
 We know what Aronson drove, and Thurber, what about Ron Fleming? Did his oval ever graduate from "pre cal"?

Certainly, with an ever present smile as he/they performed the obligatory DKP burnouts entering the usual/monthly rally
registration point. As I remember it the transition from "pre to Cal" in DKP was pretty quick, but I'm not the insider here
and will defer to them.

But I do recall with clarity (forgive me Ron) a well lubricated Mr. Fleming standing on the table's leading the DKP club cheer
after that rally.  (I think the rally subject deserves it's own thread)

[So.Cal.Life]

     If  memory serves me well, last time I saw it when Ron owned it , lowered front, no bumpers, no t-bars, total outlaw , not dechromed , still had pea shooter holes and of coarse BRMs .      I know Speedwell (Fabs) has got to have a pic , and if we are nice to him, he might post one.       KG          

[So.Cal.Life]

      Hey Phil, do you know any DRF guys that might have pics of Thurber's dash? or anyone else for that matter....   IT NEEDS TO BE SEEN...    KG

[kingsburgphil]

     Hey Phil, do you know any DRF guys that might have pics of Thurber's dash? or anyone else for that matter....   IT NEEDS TO BE SEEN...    KG

Sorry Keith, can't help you there. I'm sure someone has an old pic tucked away somewhere. I don't even remember what gauge combo he used,

just that engine turned brass dash and how well it looked with the met-brown paint. And Mark complaining how long it took to create it  


side note: Some painters back then added bronze powders to their paints.

Almost forgot, Ditto on Ron's car.

[Fastbrit]

    If  memory serves me well, last time I saw it when Ron owned it , lowered front, no bumpers, no t-bars, total outlaw , not dechromed , still had pea shooter holes and of coarse BRMs .      I know Speedwell (Fabs) has got to have a pic , and if we are nice to him, he might post one.       KG          

Try me... 

[So.Cal.Life]

    Hey Keith, you really are (fast)! truth is I did think about it, but after my big rambling speech in my last p.m. to you, I thought you might have had enough of my crap for a while and wanted to take a break    Great pic though, thanks, Ill have to try Mike O'Neill to see if he can obtain pics of Thurber's dash, and how the car looked when Rick owned it, I wouldn't have a clue how to find Rick, who bought Marks car, but O'Neill possibly can, we'll see.       Thanks, KG

[deano]

    Hey Keith, you really are (fast)! truth is I did think about it, but after my big rambling speech in my last p.m. to you, I thought you might have had enough of my crap for a while and wanted to take a break    Great pic though, thanks, Ill have to try Mike O'Neill to see if he can obtain pics of Thurber's dash, and how the car looked when Rick owned it, I wouldn't have a clue how to find Rick, who bought Marks car, but O'Neill possibly can, we'll see.       Thanks, KG

And....... Rick was going to turn Ron's car into a fully-decked out A/MC race car at first.

[Sarge]

    Hey Keith, you really are (fast)! truth is I did think about it, but after my big rambling speech in my last p.m. to you, I thought you might have had enough of my crap for a while and wanted to take a break    Great pic though, thanks, Ill have to try Mike O'Neill to see if he can obtain pics of Thurber's dash, and how the car looked when Rick owned it, I wouldn't have a clue how to find Rick, who bought Marks car, but O'Neill possibly can, we'll see.       Thanks, KG

And....... Rick was going to turn Ron's car into a fully-decked out A/MC race car at first.

That would be Rick Rockman, Dean... Rick Goodin bought Thurb's car according to KG.  Here's a pic that's been seen before but I'll add it here again.  Ron's car ran a potent 1700 and a Joe Hunt mag (not to mention a stock fuel pump ).  Back then, that mag scared a lot of potential competitors off!

[speedwell]

       Thurber's dash

keith here's mark's dash

[Worm]

    Hey Keith, you really are (fast)! truth is I did think about it, but after my big rambling speech in my last p.m. to you, I thought you might have had enough of my crap for a while and wanted to take a break    Great pic though, thanks, Ill have to try Mike O'Neill to see if he can obtain pics of Thurber's dash, and how the car looked when Rick owned it, I wouldn't have a clue how to find Rick, who bought Marks car, but O'Neill possibly can, we'll see.       Thanks, KG

And....... Rick was going to turn Ron's car into a fully-decked out A/MC race car at first.

That would be Rick Rockman, Dean... Rick Goodin bought Thurb's car according to Worm.  Here's a pic that's been seen before but I'll add it here again.  Ron's car ran a potent 1700 and a Joe Hunt mag (not to mention a stock fuel pump ).  Back then, that mag scared a lot of potential competitors off!

Wrong guy.  All I remember is Jamie Lavold owning it .  It was probably after Goodin, maybe before, who the hell knows, it was so gdamn long ago and it didnt seem to matter at the time.  But I know for sure Jamie had it just before I got my license in August of 1977.   I also remember the DKP stickers were on it.  I can remember being so impressed by that logo and the fact that there was a car club for hopped up VW's.  Cool.

[Sarge]

Sorry Worm,  I meant to say KG... too much retirement will do that to a guy

[hotrodsurplus]

That mag on Ron's car is the cat's ass.

For those of you who hadn't noticed or cared to ask, that's a degree collar on that mag. This one's off the Spalding Brothers' roadster. They developed and made twin-coil ignition later on but in the late '40s and early '50s they ran Vertex/Scintilla magnetos. They're not expensive and they turn up every now and then.



Forget chrome and billet stuff. Those are the details that turn a cool engine into an awesome one.

[Cheesepanzer]

That mag on Ron's car is the cat's ass.

Forget chrome and billet stuff. Those are the details that turn a cool engine into an awesome one.

Yes, it is!

Truer words haven't been spoken here in a long time.   

[TexasTom]

Where's the pointer?

[hotrodsurplus]

Where's the pointer?

The guy who owns the engine now hasn't gone to the trouble to bend a coat hanger for it yet.

[So.Cal.Life]

      Hi Fabs , yes that is his dash, but its pre engine turned dash, The pic here is the, plexi guage and glovebox area, and stock stereo area. This was kind of a semi Aronson style. Another way I know this is that the engine turned dash was bright brass, not dark like the one pictured,  Im trying to track down pics then Ill have to ( pimp) someone to post them for me , because my tech abilities are still lame.           KG

[Sarge]

That mag on Ron's car is the cat's ass.
Forget chrome and billet stuff. Those are the details that turn a cool engine into an awesome one.

Right on!  It's also what it took to cruise around town daily with #70 idle jets... the size IDA's came with back then.
Most guys bought Webers and never gave much thought to fooling with jets and it didn't take long to foul a new set of 225T1 plugs.

[Fastbrit]

225T1 plugs! I remember those – you're showing your age! 

[hotrodsurplus]

Most guys bought Webers and never gave much thought to fooling with jets and it didn't take long to foul a new set of 225T1 plugs.

I shouldn't have a problem fouling plugs. 



I've been hoarding collecting parts for my '62 sunroof for some time now. Gonna run the tach-drive one 'cause I'm going to run a Jones tach, noisy cable and all. Let the kiddies think their monster tachs are cool.

[Sarge]

– "you're showing your age!"

  why you little.....

Most guys bought Webers and never gave much thought to fooling with jets and it didn't take long to foul a new set of 225T1 plugs.

I shouldn't have a problem fouling plugs.  

So, your going with a twin spark plug set-up, eh.... SWEET!!!

[hotrodsurplus]

So, your going with a twin spark plug set-up, eh.... SWEET!!!

Oh man, could you imagine the poor brass distributor gear? Nah, just running the tach-drive one. It's locked out but the other one has a curve in it.

[Fastbrit]

– "you're showing your age!"

  why you little.....

Most guys bought Webers and never gave much thought to fooling with jets and it didn't take long to foul a new set of 225T1 plugs.

I shouldn't have a problem fouling plugs.  

So, your going with a twin spark plug set-up, eh.... SWEET!!!

No Sarge,  he's converting it to diesel!

[Sarge]

I should'a known... hahahaha!

[kingsburgphil]

That mag on Ron's car is the cat's ass.
Forget chrome and billet stuff. Those are the details that turn a cool engine into an awesome one.

Right on!  It's also what it took to cruise around town daily with #70 idle jets... the size IDA's came with back then.
Most guys bought Webers and never gave much thought to fooling with jets and it didn't take long to foul a new set of 225T1 plugs.

225T1 Bosch plugs!!. Without a mag, 70 idles, and Berg manifolds, I used 175T1's and prayed I didn't foul a plug & puncture a manifold changing it.  

[hotrodsurplus]

No Sarge,  he's converting it to diesel!

Ooh...y'think i could run the fuel distributor off the cam drive?

Well it'll sort of have compression like a diesel!

[So.Cal.Life]

      WHAT!!!!!!  Bosch no longer makes 175 or 225t1s ?       When I woke up the world had changed....   

[Fastbrit]

      WHAT!!!!!!  Bosch no longer makes 175 or 225t1s ?       When I woke up the world had changed....   

[Sarge]

  ....."225T1 Bosch plugs!!. Without a mag, 70 idles, and Berg manifolds, I used 175T1's and prayed I didn't foul a plug & puncture a manifold changing it." 

At one point, I remember trying some 240T1's with the Solex 40P11-4's I was running at the time.  Seemed like the thing to do as the 225's blistered the porcelain electrodes (always seemed to run lean at freeway speeds).  I think the 240's lasted a week.   Your punctured manifold observation reminded me of a loose intake manifold story from our sandrail days at Glamis.  I went around with a 12mm open-end wrench to snug things up not paying any attention to how the wrench "touched" the manifolds (which were paper thin) thus adding a few more "new" vacuum leaks.  sigh... live and learn!

[Cheesepanzer]

Went out the garage and took a pic of these - NOS 225 W5A plugs from GBE "back in the day." 

Does that make me old too?

[kingsburgphil]

Went out the garage and took a pic of these - NOS 225 W5A plugs from GBE "back in the day." 

Does that make me old too?

No, I think those are from the late 70's or early 80's. Good try though