The VESCO HONDA CB750 Brat Bike

Posted on November 29, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

29 Nov

Well, many of you have followed the Blog on this machine, right now I am just enjoying the build as its running pretty darn good, so will keep it as a runaround until such time as if it either sells, or I get some time and I can strip bare and make a full custom project from this Motorcycle. But it sure was a great find, I purchased the bike though a contact and headed just a few miles down the road to the city of Orange here in Southern California to check this 1974 CB750K Honda out that had been in storage for many Many years and had not even run since the mid 1980’s.

I have purchased so many CB750’s in the past but, its always great when you have the unknown ahead of you, most of the times they are so badly damaged or neglected, that you need to take a foot pump with you and a Mallet, as the tires are usually flat and the front brake will always stick due to some corrosion inside the caliper and the Rubber mallet will release the piston so you can push the bike into your van or trailer.

Found out that the family’s last name was Vesco, I inquired not related to Don are you? “Yup sure am” he tells me about it and this bike is actually his lads and he ran out of time, money, patience and enthusiasm on this machine and has been sat a long while. And now it was time to make some room in the garage, so it has to go, I made an offer and after a little bit of haggling a price was agreed upon and there it was, this old snotter that had a hard life but for the last 30 odd years had sat used and abused in all sorts of places, and now it was coing home to my shop to see what I could do to at least resurrect this vintage piece of tin.

It sure was hard work loading it ion the van as everything was corroded or semi seized up, but managed to get her up and into my van and then we were on the way to its new abode- my place.

Back home in 20 minutes and took the bike out and placed on a wheel chock so I could have a look at what we got, it had good potential but many people go in head strong and then kind of lose their drive in completing their dream and I purchase many machine in this guise and much worse too.

Brakes were seized and it took sometime to be able to get the bike onto the driveway on my own, the kick stand would not function as it was too long and kept getting in the way, I knew I had my work cut out but needed to know if I could get this old girl to run, as I didn’t want to strip this right away, always best to see how the motor is first before you dive in. You can see the plug caps have electrical tape over them, a warning sign that this had issues back in the day right away.

The carburetors had seen better days, not only were the bodies of this rack of four corroded, the slides had stuck inside, so another issue to sort out, but it did have compression when I kicked it over and thats a great thing to know.

Old Mac exhaust wouldn’t of ran well as the underneath of the header was squashed flat, must of hit a speed bump years ago and no way would it run that well with a restricted collector.

I wanted to just have fun with this bike, as I said, not sure how I was going to go until I got her running, but to get to that stage there was a few things that I thought would be cool so I could at least ride it once I figured all the issues out on this honda, and as you have probably experienced, there were many issues, but, whilst I had her in my shop, i wanted to change the seat set up and make a fun Brat style machine just because, well I can.

OK, so I made a steel seat base and tried another gas tank too, as I needed to clean the inside of the other one as I always do when I get tanks that has sat for many years, I had to change out the wire harness and the handle bars and controls and glad that I did as the old ones were so badly corroded, they would of caused a fire for sure. And then with a New set of intake manifolds and rebuilt carburetors this machine w\was almost ready for a fire up.

Below is a little iphone video I did on Face book, not sure how the motor would go but I had compression and now spark, so, with gas, this should in theory fire up.

So, as you can see, I had the bike on my work table and I used an old lawn mower tank as an iv to feel the motor, I was pretty sure she would at least back fire but as I re-jetted it and cleaned bowls out, I was certain that with new coils, battery and plugs and of course New oil and filter, that this puppy would run, and was pretty stoked with the end result.

Carbs redone and all clean with new intakes and my stainless steel clamps too, fitted some spun aluminum Velocity stacks with gauze for that old style look and re-jetted once more.

To make sure all is well, I need to be physically able to take this bike for a little ride, as no idea how the clutch is, the gears etc and the general running of this bike, I fitted another headlight and then whilst I was there at my storage, I removed some Old Lester wheels I had, I had taken them off a Vintage CR750 AHRMA race bike and simply stored them, tires were a little hard but thought what the hell, lets bung them on as the wheels on this bike anyway were toast.

I also had to make some sort of tail light assembly up as riding up the road, I still want people to see that I am braking etc, so put this set up together and it works really well being LED.

As you can see, I fitted the Lester rims, 19 inch front and 18 back, I also upholstered the seat in a soft brown leather with Diamond stitching and its sure comfortable I was surprised, the gas tank needs some work but I shall address that no worries, I also cut my 4 into 1 down that I ceramic coated titanium color, as I wanted an aggressive look to it and think that this does come across quite well.

As the sun goes down I managed to fire this up and it felt good to hear the bike run and run quite strong, I fitted a 530 O-Ring red chain that I had and it looks pretty tough, as you can see, I made one of my side stands and now the bike sits up nicely, so many dont or need bits of wood under them.

I also fitted an oil pressure gauge kit to make sure that I had good pressure, and it did, it fired up to about 70 pounds, so am more than happy about that, exhaust looks really cool.

OK, now it is time to address that gas tank and it needs some love, i think I shall go all out 1970’s Candy Custom style on this one as it needs some color for sure, but I noticed it had pin holes, so- went back to the original tank that came with the bike and decided to cut off the neck and weld in a Harley Bung instead.

So, the best thing I do is use a sawzall and cut the neck as far down as I can first as this needs to be flush on the tank for the bung to weld in nice and smooth.

As you can see, it takes some time and of course, I made sure that there was no residual gases exiting from the tank, be careful and make sure you wash your tank out before emmiting any sparks near this thing. LOL

So, with the neck sanded smooth to the tank, I used a Harley gas tank bung, I sell this kit on my website, and wanted to use it for this build to be a little different as the original locks always break on the Honda and knew that this would like quite trick once finished.

This is perfect for the Honda Gas tank and there is enough room to be able to TIG weld the bung in place with no distortion to the surrounding areas of the filler neck.

Now all Tig welded and cooled down, this is ready to attach the screw in gas cap, I did this a long time ago on the Cobalt Special Honda I built, so was eager to see how this looked.

Well, that looks so much better than the stock configuration and once painted will really set off the gas tank from the others out there and a neat Custom touch to this machine.

With New rear shocks and a comfortable seat, this is taking shape as a cool little Muscle style Brat bike that will turn heads where ever it sits and the paint will make you need Sunglasses.

Here we are at El Mirage at a SCTA sanctioned meet, last races of the year – so wanted to attend and take a few photos of this Vesco Honda and I am so glad that I did.

There is still a lot more to do to this but right now it just needs to get a few miles under its belt, I always say the first 100 miles will tell you how the bike will perform, so a ways to go as I only have 14 miles on it so far but of course shall do many more on it.

Don’t want to take this apart yet anyway, i mean its fun right now, no show bike but easily could be if I took her down to the frame and started from scratch, but right now I want to have fun with it and what better place than El Mirage Dry lake.

She sits real well and is a blast to ride, she got plenty of looks as you cannot miss the paint job, no matter how fast you drive.

So I am happy with the way she is and looks to be honest and I love riding the bike around to be honest as it sits so well and not too low as many are these days.

Jennifer my Girlfriend loves it too, she has a triumph of her own and loves all Motorcycles, love seeing Girls with bikes too and we go out riding a lot together to be honest.

Final look at El Mirage before we head home, it is only 100 miles from our house so always fun to come out here and view world speed time trials record attempts

Gas Cap sets off the tank nicely and the paint job is so reminiscent of them Customs days of the 1970’s back home and around the world, I think its a nice balance in color.

Fish Gills and shadowing are becoming a lost art but this really came out well, using house Of Kolor Candy paints and Pearl bases with light flake added.

The bike sits well, I like the smaller headlight, they have L.E.D’s inside it for turn signals, so keeps everything neat and out of the way, the Lester Rims gives it that Old School period right away.

Added 2.5 inch mechanical Gauges to tidy top end out, of course my Hand Made and chromed Euro Bars really make this comfortable for your shoulders and Cole Foster grips soak up any Vibration that you may have.

I think the Man above digs it too, No thunderbolts when I stopped outside his place, Phew!

I really enjoy riding the bike around my Town, the roads are smooth and its a joy to blap about on and even though I want to do way more to it, I need to sit back and have fun riding it for a little while as it was and still is a super fun project.

Slowly clocking the miles up but amazing that this runs and hasnt since the mid 1980’s, and its a joy to jump on and take for a spin around town.

I used a Biltwell Mirror for legal reasons and it works pretty well to be honest, Id love to paint the frame later but not right now, The motor runs strong, the gear transition is really smooth.

Eventually the Motor will be painted and tricked out but as I am having so much fun on this, I will wait until later, unless someone buys it of course.

Thank you for following me and purchasing My parts for your projects, it means a lot, this is my Passion and life, so I really do appreciate all your business.

So, until next time I work on this, I will leave you with a list of things I changed, just in case you are curious as to what I did on this machine through the build up.

This was the Very First ride after it had not run since the mid 1980’s, so stoked to be able to experience great moments like this, unless you are a bike builder, you really wont understand the Euphoria that you feel when you click into first gear and ride off down the road.

Peace and Grease to you all.

Carpy

Lester Rims 19″ front 18″ Rear.
Drilled Front Rotor
Euro Bars I made 7/8
Cole Foster grips
New Handlebar Controls
New Throttle Cables
New Clutch Cable
New Speedo Cable
New Tach Cable
New Wire Harness
New Coils and Caps
New Iridium Spark Plugs
New Battery
New Red 530 Chain.
New Custom Side Stand.
Custom Gas Cap Kit.
New Side Covers.
New 2.5 Mini Gauges.
New 4 into 1 exhaust Shortened and Ceramic Coated Titanium
Rear Frame Hoop
Rear LED tail Light assembly
New Finned Piggyback Shocks.
Rebuilt Carbs.
New intake Manifolds
Stainless Hose Clamps
Braided overflow pipes.
Custom 5 3/4 headlight with internal LED signals.
New Horn.
New Flat seat in Leather with Diamond Design.
New Brake and clutch levers.
New Biltwell Mirror
New Chrome Fork Ears.
New Oil Pressure Gauge kit.
Chromed Rear Stabilizer bar.
New Foot pegs and Rubber.
New Custom Weld in Gas Cap Bung and Screw in Cap.
Custom Candy Flake Paint.

The Vesco Honda at El Mirage

Posted on November 13, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

13 Nov

On Saturday, Jennifer and I went out to watch the races at El Mirage dry lake in Southern California, this place has been having speed trials since before ww2 and continues today through the SCTA. (Southern California Timing Association.) So we took the van and the Honda and drove up to the lake bed and set up our ezy up and radio etc and food for the day.

Such a fun day watching cars and motorcycles race the clock, some reaching speeds well over 250 miles an hour, its awesome to spectate as you are so close to the action.

Took some snaps of the Vesco Honda and thought that I would share them today, above you can see the Shorty Turn out that I did for this particular build, the bike is all running now and am happy at the outcome of this machine that had not run since the 1980’s.

This is not a show bike but, it could easily be, as I was thinking of running for 100 miles, then stripping the bike down to the frame and painted the chassis silver and start a cool custom project, but also this is up for sale as she is right now as I do have other builds to continue with for my Customers.

The Bike runs well now and fires right up with either a Kick start or hitting the starter, it has nice low end torque all through the range of gears and is a fun machine to ride.

Sitting Pretty on this famous Dry lake where even Don Vesco himself has raced, the Honda does look at home sat here in the So-Cal Sunshine.

My Custom, Hand made and chromed handle bars – Make this bike so comfortable to ride, no back breaking leaning over the gas tank, a sit up and cruise feel that I enjoyed.

The exhaust system of mine flows so well to help exit the gases from the engine and it has a velvet tone to it as she pulls through the curve.

Old style lights but really are modern LED, that way it looks old school but people will see you with these bright lights, plenty of travel in the suspension on the rear too.

See if you can visit the dry lakes when they have sanctioned races on, its an awesome event to go to and everyone is approachable.

These Lester rims are 19 inch front and 18 rear, I took these off a CR750 Road racer some years ago and have had them in storage for quite a few years and I am so glad that I got to use them, fitted my New side stand as original one had broken off, the bike sits well.

This is a comfortable bike to ride and has loads of potential to be a really cool Custom machine, it has some rare parts on and are only getting harder to locate these days.

It has New Handlebars, Bar Switches, Harness, Battery, Pipe, Shocks, Grips, Cables, Chain- as well as many other new parts, like totally Rebuilt Carbs and New intakes and Throttle Cables etc.

A fun weekend on the lake bed and Jennifer and I had a blast, chatting to Racers and meeting up with folk we haven’t seen in a while, the commeraderie is second to none.

Jennifer taking in some of the racing as she helps move the bike onto the Lake bed.

Time to get some miles on this puppy, but wanted to at least share some photos that I took whilst out at El Mirage, this bike will be up for sale soon, if interested call or text me on- 714-598-8392

Thanks for reading today.

Vesco Honda build so far.

Posted on November 4, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

04 Nov

Well, I was lucky enough to get a call from a film Producer, they are doing a TV Commercial this weekend and needed a couple of bikes to use, so I let them take my Sportster Cafe and this Vesco Brat, as its not finished yet but pretty much altogether now.

But wanted to share a few photos of how she is right now as its getting closer to be able to ride, that will be quite exiting as it had not run since the 1980’s, I have fired her up a few times now and happy with the idle and the oil pressure, so this week I shall be able to fire her up and take the bike for a quick run around the block and see what happens.

This gas tank needs painting and I have side covers for it now, just need painting etc, thats why you can see all the electrical and the oil tank, but once it is painted and side covers fitted, the bike will look a lot better.

What then? Well not sure, depends on how the bike runs and handles to be honest, but this coming weekend, Jennifer and I will load the bike up and go to EL MIRAGE, to watch the races, meet some friends and to ride this about a bit. Sure it will get covered in dirt and dust but, if I am to strip and rebuild this into a show bike, thats not going to matter as dirt wipes off right?

The gas tank and side covers later will be painted a Yellow color, just wanted something really different, so we shall see how that goes.

I changed the front headlight from a 7 inch to a more compact 5.75 version, and to be honest, i really like the look of this on the bike, so will be keeping that on there.

I fitted New foot pegs too, as the old ones were so bent out of shape, this will make for a fun ride, the Brat seat has soft Leather and memory foam, so another bonus there to ride on the dry lake.

I also used my Own brand of handle bars, these are the Euro-Tracker Bars I have had hand formed, then triple chromed and I do love the way they lay on the bike and give the whole machine a different look and feel for that matter.

Yes, its not a finished bike, but- you have to get a bike going to see what the issues are before pulling it all apart and throwing all your time, money and hard effort into a project.

I also pulled the old rusty rims off and had a set of Original Lester wheels that came off a CR750 Honda, the front wheel is dated 1978 and the rear is 1977, the front is a 19 inch and rear is an 18 inch set up, these are getting harder to locate these days and wanted to use them.

I did change out the swing arm as the old one had been chromed back in the day and the elements had gotten to it and it was as rusty as the Titanic’s Crapper, but I am thinking of remaking some Boxed swing arms again and will offer them on my website when available.

I had noticed that the Kick stand on the bike was an old 70’s Chopper one and it did not sit well, you had to push the side stand all the way forward for it to stay, I looked closer and noticed that some of the frame bracket has broken off many years ago and that is why the side stand would not stand upright.

My trusty Miller Mig welder helped me out and I built up a platform again and used one of my own kickstands, and now it sits right, and am happy with the look of it now.

The shocks were pretty knackered on the bike, so i chose some aftermarket SRC piggy backs, they work fine and are Liquid Nitrogen filled and sets the stance where I want it to be honest.

My 4 into 1 I had fitted great but, this time I wanted to cut the tail pipe right back and fit the baffle just before the turn out, for a more aggressive look and I really do like the look of this system and it sounds pretty tough to say the least.

Later on when I strip the bike down, I will clean up the Lester Rims and re-paint them and add some Knobby Tires, but I am in two minds whether to change the front end for a CBR or, stick with the traditional fork set up and just rebuild the fork lowers and add New Upper tubes that will be 2 inches shorter. The front brake works and thats surprising for how many years it has been sat, its functioning but will of course totally rebuild that or fit newer brakes as I am a dealer for Beringer and may fit their set up, but all depends on funds etc.

It is all to easy to let a Custom build get away with you, financially, I have created some awesome machines for customers but, if you start to add a modified engine, you will be into $5000 in a flash just in the engine itself, these bikes are fun and fast enough, you really do not need a big cam and heavy duty head studs but if you want response, just port and polish the head and go no bigger than a 3/4 street cam.

I love the stock ignition system as they are dependable, I am not a fan of electronic ignition systems and points take very little maintenance, if you keep it simple, you disperse any issues with modified stuff, most of the time its a waste of money as many that have bigger displacements have over heating issues or head gaskets blow and for what? 10 MPH? Just have fun with your bike, a good pipe and jetting is more than enough for many roads here, of course if you are on a race track, thats a different game all together , but just watch your budget on these machines, as it can easily get away from you and you then tally all your receipts up and have a small heart attack when you add it all up at the end of the build.

So for right now, I will run this old bugger around with a painted gas tank and covers but the rest as she is, as I want to put a few miles on her to see how the motor responds to daily life, then- when I am ready I shall pull back off the road and strip the bike and create a cool Brat bike thats fun to ride and easy on the eye.

Of course I offer these for sale, as thats what I am in business to do, its hard to let them go but I have a New Scrambler I use for riding about and it makes it a whole lot easier to let another creation go off into the sunset and then, the fun begins with another creation.

So, its a Sunday and I have taken a couple of photos and blogged on here today, she is looking pretty fun now and YES of course if someone wanted to Purchase this machine from me as is I would probably sell it, as I love create machines from junkers that have not run for years, but I shall still add more bits and pieces to this machine until I am ready to tear it all apart once more.

This Vesco Brat has a really cool ride stance and I am glad I took a chance and grabbed this inline four, its a fun ride and more to come too.

Hope you enjoyed my Blog today and of course I put the build up on my face book too. steve richard carpenter or carpys cafe racers or carpys garage you can look at any of them pages too.

Thanks for reading and have fun with your project.

My 1928 FORD AV8 Roadster

Posted on July 13, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

13 Jul

Well, Hot Rods really are never finished, you just continue to wrench, change looks and idea’s etc and thats what I love about Hot Rodding, My 1928 Ford Roadster is no Show ride, it is no super high Dollar Performance machine, nor is it a trailer Queen either.

What it is, well- To me anyways, is a Nostalgic styled AV8 Hot Rod that you would of seen on the streets on Southern California back in the late 1940’s.

It is something I really have a passion for since I was a Teenager. lucky for me I had a Three Window Coupe in the UK but my Dream was a Roadster and to have one in California, so dreams do come true and wanted to share my little Model A machine with you.

This is a real Henry Ford Body and Chassis, and the stance I have as you see it here is right on the money, have a look at many Vintage pics and you may see a late 1940’s Roadster similar to mine, I wanted to keep the Side Aprons on, these are the step covers that your fenders bolt to. Below is Jack Mickleson’s Roadster in about 1942. I think it was the last dry lake run before World War 2 was underway, I believe Don Francisco owns it but have yet to see if this Roadster survived.

Back in the day, the Hot Rodders would drive to the Dry lakes such as Harpers, Muroc or the famous El Mirage and then strip the fenders and head lights off as well as the windshield and then see how fast they could run on them dried out lake beds.

This is how she is right now, still may change a few little things and then fine tune all the time, I am hoping to eventually Louvre the front hood and the rear Rumble Seat lid.

I used a Genuine 1932 Grill and Shell and fitted the Model A Hood to it with Old style belts, then used one of Limeworks Stainless Steel dropped headlight bars with stock Model A Lights.

Shorty shocks up the front soak up as much as possible, dropped I-Beam front axle sits this front end just how I want it , I then made a Spreader bar to complete the Nostalgia going.

Not as powerful as the locomotives behind me but eventually I shall build a Hopped up Flathead for this Jalopy, right now it has a 1939 24 stud mill with Edelbrock Heads.

I shall be shortening the exhaust pipes, I did have the original Bumpers on there when the exhaust set up was made, but shall cut them back and may make a Nerf Bar for the rear.

She is sat on a set of Kelsey Hayes wire Rims with Vintage style Firestone 16 inch tall tires and it is fun to drive, she tracks a little on the freeway but thats the feel I wanted.

I have a chopped Stainless Steel windshield, another common touch that was done in the day and of course sit lower now else my head would sit up too high. LOL

it is always fun to take out, this place isnt that far from me and wanted to try and take some decent pic’s, im no pro at this but I am really happy at how these came out.

She runs stock pistons but New and right now a stock cam, later I hop to build a little growler motor that has an Isky Cam, just to get me out of trouble if I need it.

Plenty of old freight train and shunting lines around where we live and whats great is to think about 70 Years ago, this was full of Dairies, fruit trees and Flathead Motors.

Sadly, more common than not, all you will see these days is Graffiti, personally not a fan of it at all, but as it was close to the color of the Roadster, I thought a photo Opportunity awaits.

One hauls freight and the other hauls Arse!!! LOL!

Sat patiently awaiting me to jump in and stamp the right pedal and head back home, so much Hot Rod History in and around where we live in La Mirada.

A great ride and more to do, I have a Columbia 2 speed rear end for it, but have to send it away to get Bullet Proofed, not cheap but that will give me a good overdrive.

Long way to go as I would like to have Oxblood Leather interior, but for now this old Naugahyde will suffice as leather is not cheap.

Hot Rods and Trains have always gone together like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Hot Rods use to try and race the train if there was a good straight away.

VHRA Vintage Hot Rod Association of which I joined in the 90’s back in the UK, huge part of my life to be honest and going so strong there today.

I shall always keep this Roadster, I drempt about one as a kid and here I am 5400 miles away and living that dream , totally amazes me sometimes and have to pinch myself.

I have always liked vintage stuff, be it Hot Rods, Motorcycles, Juke Boxes, Chris Craft Boats, Spitfires, Hurricanes, Thunderbolts to Dakota’s, Vintage is in my blood I guess.

Hope you like my little 1928 AV8 Roadster? I really have fun with this and enjoy the experience of feeling what a traditional Hot Rod feels like to drive and work on.

Maybe some of you can relate? As I have spoken to a few people that have Motorcycles and Hot Rods, it is a fun and to me, a therapeutic Hobby.

I will still be working on this for many years but enjoying what i do, some things work and then sometimes they dont but, mechanical parts are great to work on.

I shall be selling Hot Rod parts and Apparel so will be revamping the website a little, stay tuned to the site if you want to see what I do to this Model A Roadster of mine.

Thanks for reading my Blog today, I enjoy doing it and people often email me to say that they like looking at what I am up to out here in La Mirada.

Let me know if you have a cool ride, love to see what you are creating and of course having fun in these days, I always have a smile on my face driving the Roadster, sometimes bugs too.

Have a great weekend and enjoy life to its fullest.

El Mirage Meet was fantastic!!!!

Posted on July 18, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

18 Jul

OK, for those of you who don’t know what Dry Lake racing is, its something way back after WW2 that many people came to in California to run their ModelA’s B’s and T’s, a souped up Jalopy that ran as hard as it could to set some sort of record or at least get into the books as a fast Speed trials car, thus HOT RODS were born and as far back as 1948 The SCTA -Southern California Timing Association was Born.

For all to see and do, these dry lakes, be it El Mirage, Muroc or Harpers etc, was a fun and wide open place to take your Hot Rod out to and go flat out with no cops giving you a ticket.
Oh yeah, and for Motorcycles, man- we have come a long way as well, this chap ran 207 on a back up 205 and is now in the 200MPH club, how cool is that?

Here is some footage below that an SCTA member took of the 2015 meet, just to give you a little insight as to what goes on at the El Mirage dry lake.

Here is some more El Mirage footage for you to watch if you cannot make it to these events.

I never ever tire of this stuff and hope that you enjoy it as much too.

A super day out, I left at 4am and got here just before the Racing started and the temp was nice in the early hours but, soon warmed up.

Next up was actual footage I took with my Iphone, so forgive me for audio and not television standard filming, i was enjoying it too much to try too hard.

My mate Steve Ricketts- Fellow Brit- pushing the flying Swede out to the staging lanes. Thats

Håkan Karlen, a very cool Guy indeed and made me feel at home as soon as I arrived to the track at 6am.

Taking it all in as I set up the Eazy up and get cold drinks sorted before it gets too damn hot as it will be over 100 degree’s here in about an hour.

Motorcycles and Hot Rods pass All day, I had Jennifers Radio with me and tuned into the Control tower so i could hear who was racing and what machine they have, as well as what speed they hope to achieve of beat.

Here we are at the Staging lanes at El Mirage. With Steve Rockets and

Håkan Karlen

Staging lanes gets bloody hot and you hope nobody has a break down, or spin out as that can hold things up for a while.

Approaching the Race line, weather had turned up the heat too. Håkan Karlen

I am in the Push truck as the Flying Swede gets back on it in his 5 winchow chopped and channeled coupe. Hoping for a good run.

At then return lane, and a 183 MPH pass, hoping for more but spun a little.Håkan Karlen

Last run of the say, 1927 Model T with later Motor, sounded wicked on the pipe.

It was a superb day and lots to see and do, try and make it to a SCTA event as you may even get hooked into the sport like I am.

Below, Steve Rocketts Pushing the Flying swede Håkan Karlen in the staging lane, I helped push this coupe on the next go around, that is bloody heavy and my legs are still aching from pushing it. LOL!

Here is Håkan Karlen sat waiting to take his turn to fire the V8 up on this coupe and go into the 180’s.

The heat was only going up- so trying to stay cool is the main thing at El Mirage and hope that the cross winds do not pick up on the course.

The good thing about this event is that you can get so close to all the action, everybody is so friendly and more than happy to help, its great commeraderie for sure.

Below, wicked 29 Roadster getting set to take a run on the lake bed.

Plenty of Motorcycles too this time and another passion of mine as you well know, which has now lit a fire under my arse to maybe build a bike for the Dry lakes.

I loved some of the Motorcycles and the Rigs that towed them up to the track, check this combo out it was so cool to see.

I really enjoy coming out to the dry lakes, its less than 2 hours from our house and some of the best spectating around.

People starting their machines up and making sure they are running bang on , is fun to watch for me.

If you dig Nostalgia, then this event is right up your street, I saw so many cool machines, it took me ages to see it all as the lake is bloody huge if you are walking.

The bike above must of been going for the record of fastest towed motorcycle, as I saw that bike go up and down all day…behind that Mercedez.

The good thing about this lake bed is that you can get to so many different areas, the course is marked off well and Track Marshall’s all over the place to keep you in check.

The sound, the smell, the heat, the excitement, its all here at El Mirage dry lakes, so try and make a trip out here as it is so much fun.

Even Indians made a presence and that was great to watch going down the track.

Above- Supercharged 350cc “Red Baron” Getting set to take his turn at the start line.

Great to see this bike and Old Fella give it the Beanz and belt off down the track, I knew he would get a fair speed up eventually, as i noticed how tiny his Rear sprocket was.

Another Roadster getting ready for the off, Loved every minute of it here on Sunday.

1927 Roadster this time, long wheel base and this hauled arse all day, sounded so nice on the pipe at half track.

Harley with later Metric front end on is getting ready to be removed from trailer and run up the lake bed as fast as it can.

Seemed to be plenty of Model A’s at the course at this meet, which I love, since I own a 1928 A Bone.

Plenty going on in the Pits and look how close you can get to see all the action, a fantastic place to watch something you only get to see in magazines these days.

The Sun was just starting to get warm in the early hours, but by 1pm is was cooking us all where ever you stood.

Little Harley Davidson Sprint was getting into the action and saw this machine do a few Full passes too.

This Tiny 2 stroke turned a few heads and I was amazed at how tall the rider was, and secondly, how low the clip on’s were on the forks, new meaning to down in the dirt.

I loved this cameo Chevy Pick up with his Pit Bike on the front and little Harley racer in the back of the truck.

Above, this Harley was such a nice set up, plenty of time, sweat and tears must of gone into this little Speedster machine.

Another 350cc machine in the same class as others, looked to be a tough section to compete with but so much fun to watch and hear as they take off and get tucked into their little bikes.

Getting ready down the staging lanes for this Harley Davidson Sprint to make some dust and go for a Record.

WAAAAAAAGHHHH! WAAAAAAAAAGH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!

Getting the final OK from the Marshalls and are all set to go down this Dry lake for all its worth.

Off he goes and hoping to get a good time as he blasts forward and towards the mountains of El Mirage dry lake.

Looks like Harley Davidson was well represented for this Sunday meet on the lake.

British Racing Green Triumph Thruxton bought these 2 to the lake bed.

This Fella seemed to be taking it all in his stride, and why not, what a fantastic feeling that must be out there man and machine. (Women too)

Little GS650 Getting scrutinized to make sure all is well, safe and within the parameters of whats allowed for that class of Motorcycle.

Above, I have no idea what Brand of Motorcycle this is but it sure is stealthy. And below a V Twin has a go up the Course and looks great.

The weather was really good, it is always Hot but the wind stayed down for the races, and am sure glad I attended this SCTA event at El Mirage.

You will see many styles of Cars, bikes and Hot Rods at the dry lakes, a lot of work has gone into this Modified special and was fun to watch too.

Above, the Push truck was very cool, a converted 1949 Studebaker Pick up, always loved the Spudbaker trucks but this is a cool push vehicle.

Giving it as much right hand as he can and these bikes are fun to watch and have me hooked thats for sure, just got to work out what class I would like to run in.

Must be such an exhilarating experience to be able to have an opportunity to have a go at this.

Roadster getting the Push, just love the whole racing experience here at El Mirage and in less than a month I will be in Utah for speed week at Bonneville.

Now thats low to the ground and even though it is fast, it must feel twice as fast and feel every bump on the track but a whole lot of fun for sure.

So next time you see an SCTA race posted, see if you can come along as I guarantee you will enjoy the whole experience at one of these meets.

So glad I got here early to see the pits and races start at 7am as its a lot cooler in the morning and less dust to start off with.

That is the start and the control tower where you can tune into 88.7 and hear the commentary where ever you have a radio.

Great photo to me as the Harley heads of, Lovely Roadster sat there on the left and a 1978 CB750 Honda sat far right.

On the gas and sounding great.. Below, My Royal Enfield as I was parked Mid track, you can just make out a Motorcycle on the track flat out.

So a super day, I arrived early to stay in the cool check the pits out and get a good spot to park my Van and, get the Royal Enfield out.

So stoked to make it here, always excited to come to this place and have to pinch myself sometimes to believe I am here.

Yup, the Brits are here, Both of us are Steve’s too, me and Steve Ricketts hang out in between races.

My buddy in the 59 Club Eduardo came to visit and brought along a couple of buddies from Finland Timo and his wife.

Hard to believe that I am here, you can Just make out a Motorcycle giving it the Beanz in the background.

Staging lanes as we push Hakans Coupe to the start for a 183 run along the Lake bed.

The Flying Swede ” Hakan Karlens Deuce Coupe is super reliable and consistent, that’s a well built Hot Rod right there.

Next stop Bonneville Utah for Speed week, will be seeing friends, maybe even wrenching a little too and my girlfriend is taking me out there as this is a life long trip I have wanted as a kid in the UK, and in 23 days, 15 hours and 31 seconds, Jennifer sun and I will be on our way to the Salt flats.

Hope to see some of you there, should be a great time and will blog about that one when I get back.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this.

This Sunday I shall be at El Mirage dry lakes for the SCTA Racing.

Posted on July 13, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

13 Jul

Well, this weekend seems to be coming up fast and on Sunday I shall be heading off to El Mirage to check out what is running on the dry lakes there under the sanctioning body of the S.C.T.A.

Sponsors of the Worlds FASTEST Speed Trials

Since 1948 Sanctioned races have been held at this Lake and 61 years later they still run Time trials for world records, for what is a pre-cursor to Bonneville Speed week, this event is a 2 hour drove for me and something I look forward to seeing every time.

It hot, its dirty and its dusty, but this is exactly how it was back in 1948- Nothing had changed on the lake bed and thats what gives me some of that Nostalgia Tingle when I reflect on who raced out here over the years in Hot Rods and Motorcycles.

Saturday is registration, so I shall be driving up at about 5am as its a 2 hour jaunt from me and I shall take my White Traansit 250 with my Royal Enfield in the back, an Easy Up, generator and a cool box full of fluids, I shall also have a radio to tune into 88.7 so I can hear the control tower informing me who is up on the line and ready to make their pass and attempt to break a record, or- at least give it a real go.

Hope to see some of you out here, next year I hope to drive up for the weekend in My Model A Roadster as It has a 1940’s look with a 39 Motor and box on 35 rims etc I cant wait to drive that on this infamous Lake bed.

if you are into Old Hot Rods or Classic, Motorcycles or unique machines that haul their arse as hard as they can in a straight line, then this is the place for you, the sound of a motor flat out is a unique sound, the dust plume or rooster tail as it is mid track is a great visual, you hear the motor and you listen for the commentator to tell you their name and speed, I love it.

Its like its back in 1948 and I am reliving what the “Original Hot Rodders ” did back then just after WW2.

Come by and say hello as it will be great to meet you, I am a huge fan of dry lakes racing and get a kick out of sitting there watching.

You can text or call me on 714-598-8392 if you are out there and I will tell you where I am, most probably halfway up the track, Big white Ford Transit 250 and a Red and dusty Royal Enfield.

My 1928 Roadster

Posted on July 27, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

27 Jul

Well, here it is, my 1928 Roadster, with a Flatty hooked up to a 1939 Box. But, it needs some work and over the next few weeks, I hope to have this running well and driving down the road.

I shall be changing this to a more traditional AV8 Roadster of the era I really love and that’s post WW2, I will be selling the top and making a lower version with chopped windshield too.

I am looking forward to changing the look and this is pretty good shape too, even though it is cool, there is a lot of re-work that has to be undertaken.

There is the beloved flathead, the very first V8 came from ole Henry Ford himself, but the Motor sits too far back so need to move an inch and half forward to make it right and no vibration.

Below is a list of things that this A-Bone already has. But the note to the side is what I am changing.,

1938 v8 motor late 24 stud
39 rebuilt trans
40 ford juice brakes front and back
40 ford master cylinder
New hoses and plumbing
New shoes and cylinders
Edelbrock polished intake
Edelbrock Aluminum heads
Original A radiator modified – Changing to a Original 1932 deuce grill shell and insert later.
Rebuilt generator – Its junk so I have purchased a Powergen.
New Distributor
New battery – Battery is only 6 volt, so converting to 12 volt. And repositioning .
Original model A dropped axle
Original banjo rearend- been gone through- The Banjo is going to be changed for a Columbia rear end I have.
Rear drum locks
Original model A Steering column- Pulling that out and fitting an F1 steering box.
Stromberg 97 carbs only one hooked up
Electric fuel pump
6volt – Am changing over to 12 volt.
New cloth spark plug wires with rajah ends
1935 Wire wheels
New 1934 v8 caps
New Firestone bias plys
Original unsplit bones – Rears will be getting 1936 Radius Rods.
Slanted windshield- Will be replacing with a 2 inched chopped windhsield.
New Smithys dual mufflers- Replacing with Race headers and New pipes.
Original Points ignition

Limeworks 40 Ford steering wheel.

New X member and re worked pedal assembly.

The electrical is a disaster, the guy who had it did a terrible job and I am having many power issues now and am trying to source the issue as this is still a 6 volt system, so nothing wants to turn over long else the battery will die. This is all going to change as I shall have it converted to 12 volt as it makes for far more easier starting and can see at night with no dim Glow from 6 Volt bulbs.

This will still need a ton of work and I hope I can get there soon as I want to be able to drive it in the next month or so as I love the look, just mechanicals need sorting.

I shall be fitting a 2 inch chopped windshield and later get a chopped top for it and of course I will lower the seat a few inches to allow for that.

Above will be the New X member that will be going in place of the shoddy one some fella attempted at welding in with some cheap stick welder, so this is going to be gone through and make sure all is safe and strong, as my Girlfriend will drive it too and need it to be roadworthy, right now I have a few issues to get ironed out but will get there bit by bit.

The Motor is now going to be moved forward, as well as the rest of the running gear, the Muppet who originally fitted the flatty put it back too far and the motor was pushed against the firewall.

Takes time, Money and Patience but I shall be keeping the Roadster in memory of my dear MUM.

I will run with No bumpers later and will also be taking the A-Bone Radiator and Shell out, and replace with a genuine 1932 Grill shell and insert as I have always loved that look.

This will be such a fun Hot Rod and dream of the day I take it for a run across El Mirage dry lake later on, as thats been a dream for so many years.

Above, 1936 Rear Radius Rods, these will be fitted to my Model A to give it much added strength for the V8 Flatty Motor.

Later on I shall be making this 1936 Ford Dashboard, fit the 29 Model A Gas tank, as I love this Post war style that was popular in Southern California back in the day and will simply swap out once painted and gauges fitted etc, but that’s a little later on down the road, but exciting stuff none the less.

I want to make sure this A Bone is safe and with a X member I know the chassis wont be flexing as much, as I have seen so many crack over the years on the shitty roads we have here in California as the freeway beats Hot Rods up for sure.

As you can see, the body had to come off for a number of reasons, and one was to move the engine forward and secondly to be able to fit the X member and over riders correctly, glad we have got to this point,

A better solution than the crap that was one there before, and also Bungs were welded in chassis to make fitting Roadster body easier.

Up in the air and soon to be laced back on the strengthened frame and I will be feeling a lot happier for that.

Flatty Motor is a 24 stud 1939 Era with Edelbrock heads and intake with three 97 Strombergs, The Radiator fan is now replaced with new bearings too, and the 6 volt system has been removed and 12 volt system now lives there with a one wire powergen to make sure I have plenty of electrical Voltage.

My 28 Roadster Body is in pretty good shape, Later on i shall be replacing the gas tank with another as I will be fitting a 1936 Dash in the old gas tank area.

Looking forward to when she is sat back on the rails and can get on with a few other things as she will be having 1936 Ford wish Bones on the rear and I have a 2 inch chopped stainless steel windshield to fit, along with a 1948 F1 steering box with a Limeworks 40 Ford style steering wheel.

The 1936 Rear Bones were cut and shortened and the welded and will make a big difference in the Rigidity on the rear end for sure, as this is a proven Formula from back in the day.

The complete X member kit is now in place with Boxing plates and this really is a good thing for me as I will feel a lot safer, I have seen many stock Model A frames that have stress cracks as they fitted a Flathead and the power does cause a lot more stress on the chassis, this was a Hot Rod Fab back in the day too.

Well, the stock winshield posts have gone and now a 2 inch chopped Stainless Steel set up is in place, looks way better now and am stoked to have it on the Roadster.

The Body is about to be plopped back onto the rails, all the old nuts that sat under the frame have now been replaced with threaded bungs, so no more struggling to hold the nut with a wrench under the chassis.

Now I have the 1936 Ford rear Radius Rods in and the Handbrake cable from 40 ford to Model A in Place, things are getting closer to be finished.

Slave cylinders are all good , as is the brake shoes etc, bit of adjusting to do but on step closer to getting her ready for a road test.

New fuel line will be added to the pump, filter and to the Strombergs.

New OEM 1939 Fan assembly but with New bearing and to help with Battery, a New Powergen, this goes from a 6 volt ride to a 12 volt.

Limeworks 1940 Ford steering wheel will be fitted to the F1 Column I have and wil be smooth to turn now, before, the notchy A Bone Column was a nightmare.

I shall keep the Model A Grill shell for a little while but have a genuine 32 one to replace it.

Reworked Model A pedal assembly will be fitted today, then the handbrake will be made to fit the 39 gearbox and a New floor to be added too.

Bit by Bit she will get stuff done, wont look much different but will handle so much better than it did when I first got iy.

Hope you like how she is turning out, this is something I shall keep as it is in memory of my Dear Mum!

Steering Column is in, just needs the tube cover to go on but it looks the right height, although I want to lower the seat somewhat.

I am glad how everything is working out as this needed a lot of work that someone had thrown together badly.

I have a Limeworks Steering wheel on that F1 Column and it looks great, great value for money. Also fitted 40 Ford pedal tops to Model A pedals.

Looks great in Black and White photo and wont be too long now before I can have a test drive.

Next up was to make a handbrake for the Rod, as there was not one in it at all, so a hunt for a few parts was needed as this A Bone now had Juice brake, lucky for me I located the handbrake, the wires and attachments as I need to be able to have a handbrake in this Jalopy.

Sat back on the floor for some more work, wiring needs to be addressed and as she is now 12 volt, make sure the bulbs are changed in the 6V lamps etc.

Bit more done but the battery will be repositioned, then, new wiring as well as securing the F1 steering box and fitting new switches for fuel pump and ignition etc.

Up next was some floor work that needed to be rectified , as the original is just wooden and I did not want that, this body is now sturdy to the chassis since the X member kit was added, and the doors will not pop open like many stock version do when the Ford goes up a drive way hill or a dropped kerb etc.

These are hand rolled and sure look nice in steel rather than ugly timber.

You can see that the Model A pedals have been reconfigured and now have 40 Ford tops on them.

Feels more like a Hot Rod now, rather than a Resto and will not be long until I can test drive her.

The Motor now runs and is smooth, only running the middle Stromberg right now but hope to use all Three later on once all the bugs have been worked out, straight through pipes for now until later in the year when I remove the fenders and run as a high boy and will use 1936 Torque Tubes for the headers like they did back in the Dry lakes days.

I am so glad that she is running Now, sounds quite smooth now that is fitted with a New Old stock fan and as she is turned from 6 Volt to 12 volt, she will fire up a lot easier and no more dim headlights.

Well, time has just tocked on a few days and I am glad to say I at last got the chance to drive it for the first time yesterday, mind you it was 100 degree’s outside.

Sitting pretty, this was a big moment for me, I dreamt of having my own Roadster in California for ions, and now here I am and its great.

She sits well but have to tell you, the rear shocks are shot to bits, so I will need to find some slightly longer and robust versions, maybe Pete & Jakes, but have to weld on shock mounts as the person before set these up for standard car shocks with no clevis at the top, but that’s all repairable and even though it bumps pretty hard, its so much fun.

I am happy at the style right now as I parked it outside my Motorcycle shop in Anaheim, it was 100 degree’s but I still drove it around and smiled all the way.

I will eventually remove the fenders and grill and fit a Genuine 1932 Grill shell and change lights and that is what Hot Rodding is all about.

Looks way better with the 2 inch Windshield chop and eventually I will get a retractable top but not just yet, but- I do need to cut the seat riser down about 4-6 inches I think.

The seat is Bone stock Model A and I sit too high, but I will try and locate another seat Riser and channel it a few inches to sit lower and have that early look too.

The flatty runs pretty good and right now, just on the middle 97 Stromberg but hope to hook the other two up at a later stage, once I have worked all the bumps out.

Having a bit of fun with a 1956 Flying Cloud Airstream,as these are the coolest trailers and easy to tow because they are so light and balanced well.

Yes- reverse does work and had to get used to the old style clutch pedal and it worked really well indeed on this AV8 Roadster of mine.

This looks like back in the day as I put it in Black and white, Classic lines and thought I would share with you.

Eventually I will locate a 1940’s trailer and be able to tow it to the dry lakes.

My Girlfriend loved it, it was fun driving it on the road for the first time, albeit 100 degree’s out and I live about 13 miles from the shop, so as I pulled into our street the radiator started to puke hot water out of the top cap, but that’s to be expected from the summer heat. All was good later on in the evening when I drove it around the block with Jen to try it out.

I have more plans for the Roadster, I will change the Radiator and the grill shell for a 1932 version and will remove the fenders too, then use 1936 Torque Tubes for headers and run them out the sides for an older style of Hot Rod, the car is always an on going challenge but that’s what Hot Rodding is all about.

So stay tuned for more on my 1928 Roadster…………………..

So now its time to get a few miles on her and work all the bugs out of it, that all takes time, money and patience.

MY Hot Rod Heroes

Posted on May 17, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

17 May

There is so many Iconic Builders, designers and owners or creators of Vintage Hot Rodding, it would take so many volumes to fill, but I am going to do a few of my own personal favourites of Hot Rod Royalty that inspired me when I was a kid and, 9000 miles away on a little Island you call Great Britain.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on Hot Rodding magazines in the UK in the late 1970’s and, living nearby all the old ww2 Bomber and Fighter Airfields, I felt a strange Euphora over WW2 American planes, Post war Belly tanks and of course Hot Rods.

I had my own 1932 Three window coupe in England and lived the American lifestyle and yearned to make that crossing to the United States and actually live my Dream, and here I am and live it every day.

So, one of my Early influences to this crazy Hot Rod fraternity was this Bloke- Dick Scritchfield.

THE DICK SCRITCHFIELD ERA
Dick Scritchfield has had a long and illustrious career in hot rodding. Yes, that’s right–career, being involved most of his adult life, both as professional (speed shop owner, the first NHRA Regional Rep, and Safety Safari participant, Associate Editor of Car Craft, and Advertising Manger at Rod & Custom), just to name a few, all the while actively participating as a hobbyist as well.

In 1944, as a lad of 14 living in Missouri, Dick purchased his first car, a ’29 Model A coupe, and was granted a valid driver’s license. Other cars would follow, with his first Deuce (a Sport Coupe) acquired in Washington, D.C., while he was stationed there as a drummer in the Navy, which he joined in 1948 (Dick is still a percussion instrument kind of guy). Dick went on to be stationed in Puerto Rico, where he cruised in another Deuce, this time a five-window, which was the only hot rod on the island. As Dick was one of those “hot rodders,” he was asked by the base brass to organize a drag race to keep the sports car guys (both enlisted and locals) from racing on the streets, where there had unfortunately been a few fatalities. Can you imagine for a moment that it was the sports car boys who were the ones they were trying to get off the streets? Dick eagerly complied, then promptly kicked some serious sporty car butt with his fender-free and channeled Deuce coupe. It was also while in Puerto Rico that Dick became a partner in a garage where he honed his bodyworking and painting skills during off-duty hours. He would later return to the island after his tour of duty, where he and his partner imported speed equipment from the States and performed engine swaps. However, as he was already an NHRA rep by this time, he returned to his new rodding career Stateside, moving to SoCal in ’56 to work at NHRA headquarters. One day Dick chanced to see a great looking yellow Deuce highboy roadster for sale in a gas station and acquired same forthwith. Now if you guessed it was Bob McGee’s roadster, you’re correct.

If the roadster had been both daily driver and race car to Bob, Dick added yet another element–movie and TV star. The “B” movie producers were always on the lookout for prop cars that screamed “HOT ROD!” and were willing to pay good money to rodders who wished to supplement their incomes by renting them to the studios, as evidenced by Norm Grabowski, Tommy Ivo, and numerous others. This concept wasn’t lost on seminal L.A. Roadsters member Dick, and soon the Deuce was involved in all kinds of socially inappropriate automotive hijinks on the silver screen. Dick, Tex Smith, Tony LaMesa, and other roadster owners decided a club dedicated to topless motoring would not only be fun, but give owners of such cars a responsible, public image as well. So, on one fateful Spring day in 1957 (A Sunday afternoon to be exact) the first formative meeting was held at Weiand Equipment Co., where Dick was voted President, and awarded membership card number one! His roadster went on to appear in such flicks as Hot Rod Gang, Hot Rod Rock, and other, more forgettable films as well. The now Scritchfield roadster (he owned it for some three and a half decades, 1956-90), also appeared on movie posters and lobby cards, album covers, and in many magazine how-to articles as well, making it one of the most visible public representations of the hot rod esthetic of its day. It also appeared on television shows like Dragnet, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Real McCoys, 77 Sunset Strip, and of all things, The Lawrence Welk Show, serving as a hot rod stage prop for the Lennon Sisters, which showed rodding’s more acceptable side to the “Geritol Generation.”

Over the years the ’32 was subject to many mechanical changes (flathead exchanged for 283 Chevy small-block, etc.) and cosmetic changes (first non experimental Metalflake paint job in 1960, which was the subject for a breakthrough article in Hot Rod, inspiring a young Jerry Weesner to do likewise with his own set of wheels, a ’48 Ford convertible). Dick would then build, with Dave Carpenter’s help, a 350cid small-block Chevy that would carry the roadster to a two-way average of 167.212 mph at Bonneville in 1971, with full street equipment. He not only set a record (C/STR) that would stand for a number of years, but the car was given the enviable title of The World’s Fastest Street Roadster as well. In a recent conversation with Dick (who now resides in Hawaii), he disclosed that he would drive the roadster on the street equipped just as it had run on the slat, so the title was both legitimate and well earned. And by the way, those over-the-frame headers that Dick ran and nobody could ever quite seem to identify, were Sanderson Chevy marine items turned upside down.

To backtrack just a scoach, in 1964 Scritch had it made, sharing a bachelor pad with fellow L.A. Roadsters’ member Sam Conrad, had a garage full of roadsters and parts, and a new position with his then employer, the Auto Club, where he had been transferred to the Claims Division. When our boy was introduced to his new secretary, one Marian Wilson, that was it–love at first sight! So what did our young couple drive on their honeymoon? If you guessed the Deuce, you’re still in the ballpark.

When Scritch finally retired to Hawaii around a decade ago, Marian restricted him to only taking some half-dozen vehicles with him. So, with all kinds of motorized transport to choose from, including a Deuce Phaeton he built while at Car Craft (and which he still regularly drives), the roadster was put on the block, as Hawaii still had those pesky fender laws (which varies from island to island), which had caused Bob McGee to sell the roadster all those many years before as well.

An Icon and always will be.

Photos taken from Internet from Rod & Custom, HAMB and google, please let us know any other credits so we can show the people who took these wonderful shots.

175 MPH ON A PUSHROD 650 TWIN WITH 40-YEAR-OLD PARTS

Posted on April 13, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

13 Apr

My friend Dan’s pickup truck rattled to a stop near a dusty bungalow in Shadow Hills, a neighborhood on the north side of Los Angeles, tucked up under the 210 freeway, with an inexplicably rural/small-town vibe. The door of the two-car garage was open. Maybe that was part of why it didn’t feel like L.A. to me. Whoever lived here wasn’t afraid of prying eyes seeing a garage full of tools and bikes.

“This is Alp,” Dan said.

Alp shook my hand with less than total enthusiasm. I wasn’t sure whether he was shy or already worried that another journalist was probably going to get the technical details wrong. But he seemed to grudgingly accept that when your Triumph 650 goes 175 miles an hour — unfaired — strangers will show up, wanting to talk.

Alp Sungurtekin is 42 but doesn’t look it. He grew up in Turkey and Germany and studied industrial design in Istanbul, where he operated a tattoo studio. He moved to the United States in 2002 and got a job working for a naval architect.

That might not seem like a good prelude to building motorcycles, but the R&D department where he worked had a full fabrication workshop, where he taught himself how to make the things he designed. With new skills in hand, he began building and racing Triumphs at Southern California Timing Association events.

The prevailing dress and facial hair codes at SCTA events run somewhere on a spectrum between “Duck Dynasty” and ZZ Top. A lot of those old guys are running cars and bikes they’ve been developing for decades, since they were new. Only now they’re running them in vintage classes.

So even if Alp hadn’t showed up with a leggy fashion model as his crew chief, people probably would’ve noticed the new “furriner.” They may also have noticed that he seemed to have built the fastest stock-framed Triumph Thunderbird in history.

He became an SCTA tech inspector, which was a good way to see what everyone else had already tried. Over the years — and after making many, many land speed runs trying idea after idea — he formed his own notions of what a true land speed racing motorcycle should be. That tiny, tiny motorcycle was up on a work stand in the garage as I interviewed him.

“This is an A-PF 650-class machine,” he said. “A means special construction, P means pushrod, and F means fuel. It’s a top fuel motor, running on 90 to 100 percent nitromethane.”

“Special construction” means it’s not a factory frame. Alp designed and fabricated the chassis himself, from chromoly tubing. It looks a bit like a vintage drag bike; too short, too light, and too lacking in rear suspension to fit in as a land speed racer. The rear hard-tail loop is as short as possible, with a member that actually penetrates the gearbox, which keeps the final drive short, too.

Check it out. He’s got his own serial number sequence. Triumph pattern cases are new, supplied by Thunder Engineering in Leicester, England. Photo by Mark Gardiner.

It’s a pre-unit motor, but part of his design concept was to join the cases and gearbox with a pair of massive aluminum plates. That allows the combined motor and tranny to be used as a stressed member in an otherwise-slight main loop. The motor’s actually hanging off that spine, more like a modern bike than a classic Triumph.

The fork legs are NOS Ceriani items from the 1970s (he thought, maybe from one of the Aermacchi/Harley-Davidson dirt bikes) with Tomaselli clip-ons and Pingel controls. Rear axle plates are adjustable for both height and wheelbase. The RC Component wheel is shod with a Goodyear drag slick.

The motor’s built up on Thunder Engineering pattern cases. The cylinder block is a 750 cc pattern from Triples Rule, sleeved back down to 650 cc with special sleeves from Northwest Sleeve. The head began life as a 1964 alloy Triumph item, fed by 1 3/8-inch Amals.

The carbs aren’t the largest ones available, but the jets needed for nitro are huge. Basically, if you could see into the ports when a bike like this is running, you’d see big droplets, not finely atomized fuel. Since nitro also tends to quickly dissolve into engine oil, Alp’s happy that Klotz is a sponsor; he changes the oil after every run.

Land speed racers are generally pretty open about stuff you can see. They’re more evasive when discussing inner workings: porting, cams, mag timing…

“It’s not a secret,” Alp told me when I asked questions about those things, “but I don’t talk about it.”

Hmm…

He allowed that the pistons were nothing special: Hepolite items with some hand-shaping. Valves were 1.66-inch Kibblewhites. “Standard oversized Bonneville valves. They’re, like, $28 a piece,” he said. A belt primary drives what he says is a stock tranny.

Nitro burns slowly, so it doesn’t need to spin over 7,400 rpm. You can’t really run a top fuel motor on a dyno, but Alp’s has to be making at least 150 horsepower.

He had planned to run it at Bonneville, but the salt was lousy all last year. So he broke it in at the Mojave Mile, on an airport runway, where it obliterated the SCTA record by 25 mph.

“People who are 50, 60 years old have been doing this for years, and they move the record up one or two miles an hour,” he told me. “You can imagine that I show up, with my funny accent…” His voice trailed off, but then he added, “There was this one guy, a BSA racer, with a streamliner. He made a post listing about 10 things that are wrong with my bike: the bore/stroke ratio, the angle of the inlet tracts… I told him, ‘Can you imagine if I did it right?’”

Experts said his rigid frame would have traction problems at El Mirage, because it’s a dry lake, but it went even faster there: 175.625 mph. Fast enough to set the record in the 1000 cc class too, if he cared to enter it.

To put this in perspective, a couple of years ago, Shunji Yokokawa set an official record for the fastest production 600 cc motorcycle. That’s one of Honda’s top R&D engineers, on a Honda CBR600RR. He went 170.828. Alp went faster than that, on a motorcycle with a cylinder head — among other components — older than he is.

This video makes record-setting look easy, although the reason so many of those SCTA racers are literally grizzled veterans is that it usually takes a long time to master this seemingly simple discipline.

Key sponsors, like Lowbrow Customs, help to defray his costs and, as word of his record-breaking spreads, Alp pretty much always has a customer project or two in the garage, as well. So although he still does a bit of custom design work outside the motorcycle world, most of his time’s spent building customer bikes or working on his own projects.

For his next trick, Alp wants to break into the 200 Club on a partial streamliner powered by one of his 650 cc pushrod twins. That would make him the first guy ever to go that fast on a “sit-on” motorcycle (as opposed to a full streamliner). He’s already sketched out the bodywork, which will be all aluminum he plans to hand-form himself.

I made him promise to call me when that bike’s ready for a record attempt, so hopefully you’ll read all about it here.

Hot Rods are part of my Life too !

Posted on March 4, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

04 Mar

OK- many people think that I am only into Motorcycles, and I can understand that, as I have been building Cafe Racers here in California in the last 14 years, but- since I was a youngster, I had the Car bug big time.

I grew up near to many American Air force bases and that’s where I got my first influences from of cool old American cars, I loved everything about the cars, the country and the lifestyle as well as the passion for Hot Rods.

Then, I had my first Hot Rod, a 1932 Deuce Coupe, it was Chopped and channeled and was a Right Hand drive Model, this Deuce meant so much to me and I felt like I was living in the U.S.A. with that ride.

I wish I had kept it now, as we all do when we look back at things we have had.

This was my ONLY form of transport and I drive it in all weather, I didn’t have a floor in it for a year, the snow and rain used to blast up inside the Coupe, until I lost a couple of cassette tapes and then my keys jumped out of the ignition as I was driving back from work and that’s when I decided it was time for a floor.

This used to be so much fun blasting about Brighton and I traveled all over the UK in my 3 window and some super fun memories that’s for sure.

I was a lot thinner back then, maybe from pushing the damn thing when the battery dies or I ran out of gas as my gas meter did not work.

I drove up to Hemsby for the traditional Rock n Roll weekender and then visited some old school mates and friends in that area, it was such a blast to drive, loud old and bumpy but that’s an old traditional Hot Rod in the 1980’s in Britain for poor working class folk like me.

The I-Beam axle was a 4 inch drop and shorty shocks, made sure you didn’t fall asleep at the wheel when ever you drove this Coupe.

Watch ya head, this coupe was chopped and channeled and with a 4 inch windshield, not much vision, plus when it rained you couldn’t see anything, and- to get me through the yearly MOT test, you have to have a windshield wiper, so- I took a complete motor and wiper arm off a Volvo Headlight and fitted it indie the coupe, it was perfect.

Such fun times and glad I actually took some photographs, else they would just be my own views in my head.

We were all a close knit community and had so much fun at Rock N roll weekenders, especially on the beach etc.

How about this shot, many many moons ago with my First car, a 1961 Low line Ford Consul, with a 4 banger and a 3 on the tree, I drove the lug nuts off this machine.

Oh dear- what was I thinking? But this was my 1959 Ford Zephyr that I 2 door-ed and made some mad steel fins on the car, this had Candy Red and white tuck n Roll too, I was in a crazy zone when I did this.

This was me in 1997 when I moved to Australia, and I bought a 195 XP For Falcon, very similar the the American Ranchero, this was a cool ride, they call them Ute’s out there but it was a fun ride that I played about with and really liked that car.

I used to pain the old race style numbers on the doors of my rides back then, I still do on the bikes I build sometimes, this time I painted the car flat black in my mates driveway and then fitted pin line whites and then fitted a cool set of MOON discs.

But I get restless and have to keep trying things out on this machine.

I cant leave anything alone for too long, this time I scalloped the car and pin lined it, as well as fitting a steel sun-visor.

I fitted a Black Tarp on the back and later on I located some fender skirts for it too. Then I painted the Coop Devil on the back and added more scallops!

But I will always love tinkering with stuff, just the way my Brother and I was bought up, not really had a happy child hood but kept busy.

I started to get into this Roadster when I moved to Australia from the UK in 1997 and then continued over here in the states as I shipped the body over, the photo above is me in New South wales, I was patching the side of the Roadster body as it was completely shot with old bullet holes, but- I wanted the same thickness steel and the contour, so used a 1940 Ford truck door to use and it worked out so well.

Above, Anthony Castaneda of the Infamous Shifters gave me his old Dodge Dash Board and I spent the next few days cutting my old gas tank and fitting this set up, I was so stoked to have accomplished this and loved the way the dashboard flowed, similar to the 1936 Ford versions.

I used a Belgian Flat head in the end and this was a great motor, I love the sound of side valve motors, a very unique sound of their very own.

Jeez, this was a while ago, i was wearing a watch, who wears watches any more?

I chose a eggshell Blue and a Flat white firewall as it reminded me of the Al Sharp Coupe.

I also had My 1958 F150 short bed painted by Anthony Castaneda in his old shop (RIP mate) I stayed up and hand painted the logo and lettering getting ready for me to go with the shifters to Paso Robles back then.

I will have to look to see if I have any more photos of this 29 Roadster of mine, I loved that car but had to sell it when everyone moved out to go forward in their lives and I knew I would have another later on.

I had so much fun building this in the garage at home in Southern California and sure wished I still had this Roadster.

Days of old but soon I will be getting back into another 1929 Roadster that I located in Indiana and My Girlfriend Jennifer Bought for me,I am looking forward to driving it with her in the following months.

This was a fun build and now resides in the land of the rising sun, sure hope to see photos of it as I sold it to a very cool friend of mine Ken Sakata.

I now have this 29 Roadster at my shop, needs a ton of work but- I will get there eventually, once I have located all the parts I need.

I have a super amount of work to do to this little A-Bone but it will be worth it and cannot wait until I can get onto El Mirage and of course one day at Bonneville Salt Flats.

I am not sure what color it will be but I will be running a Flathead, not the 4 Banger that’s in it right now.

My plan is to locate a cool Vintage dash board, be it a 36 ford, Chrysler, Pontiac or Caddy etc and have a unique look to it with cool Gauges.

I will be running a 1932 Truck grille, so that will all change but will still use original chassis etc and Kelsey wire wheels of course.

I have an original Moredrop axle for the front but will need 1940 Ford Hydraulic brakes all around too. And below, I was so fortunate to locate this Original plaque that used to be on the guys Roadster back in the day, a nice bit of history right there.

I will be using old plates as well to capture the spirit of the style that I am into and hope that this will make people smile once completed.

This will be a cool build but maybe a year before I am halfway there I believe, hard to do on a low budget.

But stay tuned, as i will up date when I get more parts together etc.

Håkan Karlen, a very cool Guy indeed and made me feel at home as soon as I arrived to the track at 6am.

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