Joe Szabo - Page 3

**kwhizz** · #21 11-30-2005, 08:19 AM

I'm pretty sure the contact came thru Von Essers Speed Shop which was about a half mile east of Nickey on Irving Park rd......

Ken

**kwhizz** · #22 11-30-2005, 08:21 AM

Or Speed Service that was in the same area......??????? That all happened B4 I got involved

Ken

**Stefano** · #23 11-30-2005, 08:36 AM

Part of the story I got said that Joe was buddies with Austin Coil?

**Xplantdad** · #24 11-30-2005, 05:00 PM

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Wow.......Talk about memories.......Like I told Steve earlier......Ralph's family owned a machine shop around Southport and Addison and they bought one of the first Lakewood Scattershields that were made,when it was assembled to the block we found that the bore that located the trans was not concentric with the crankshaft......the assembled engine was set up on a boring mill and we bored the hole oversize and made a sleeve to center everything up........I also remember helping mount the fuel tank....we were also color co-ordinated at the track with pin striped Bell Bottoms and matching shirts

......I think the car survived better than the rest of the guy's........Danny Rush did most of the mechanical work on the car and the last time we were together was a year ago....the rest of the guy's I last had contact with in the early 70's...............I could go on and on......
Ken

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You better keep going...this is very cool!

**kwhizz** · #25 11-30-2005, 08:27 PM

Bruce......Time to Empty your P.M. Box..........

Ken

**Xplantdad** · #26 11-30-2005, 10:09 PM

Sorry Ken...It's emptied a bit!

mrtimstik · #27 12-01-2005, 12:11 AM

In honor of Ken's knowledge and recollection on this topic I feel like I should change my name to G whizz, because this guy is amazing to listen to. I mean we asked Helen Gibb to write a book, How about kwhizz writing some memoirs?

I also had an auto shop teacher at Triton College in River Grove named Frank Szabo in the early 80's.

**kwhizz** · #28 12-01-2005, 01:10 AM

When this car was finished, like I said in an earlier post......the first time out we had the Blue windshield problem......the first run was a mid 11 second run......that was it, then the windshield was changed from Blue to clear.....there might have been another weekend where a run or two were made.......then we went to Minnesota for a UDRA Gasser meet.....it rained all weekend and the car never came off the trailer.....next time out we went to another Gasser meet at the Edgewater Dragstrip in Cincinatti......the first run down the track, the car went like a 10.00 flat.....that was with like 5 or 6 runs on the car since completion......the next run down the track, the car didn't make it to half track before breaking, when we got to the car and saw water coming out of one of the header pipes....we knew there was a major problem with the engine.......loaded it up and took it home.....when we got home we found a broken valve that took out the piston, cyl wall, head, etc.....After that interest was lost by Joe and Ralph and eventually a new motor was built......but the car never went down the track again....due to Joe's Tax problems with the Government....the car was hidden in Northern Wisconsin until it popped up here......a virtual time capsule.......

Ken

**Xplantdad** · #29 12-01-2005, 01:50 AM

[ QUOTE ]
In honor of Ken's knowledge and recollection on this topic I feel like I should change my name to G whizz, because this guy is amazing to listen to. I mean we asked Helen Gibb to write a book, How about kwhizz writing some memoirs?

I also had an auto shop teacher at Triton College in River Grove named Frank Szabo in the early 80's.

[/ QUOTE ]

I feel the same way...Ken, are you listening? We should have "Ken's Corner" where anyone who has cool drag racing/street racing and musclecar stories could post (this should/would/could include Ken, Joe G, Belair Bob, the Clary's and on and on...)

I live for this stuff...and eat it up!!

**Stefano** · #30 12-01-2005, 02:24 AM

Bruce,
This is the forum for such things! Did Ken share where he spent most Saturday Mornings, back in the day?

I can't wait to open the Engine up and see what's inside.

Ken,
There are signs of body filler on top of the original paint around the wheel openings. Which would lead me to believe the car had some fabricated wheel openings at one time early in its life. Were they that hogged out when you guys ran the car? The Vintage M&Hs are 13 inches wide and it had '16 steel wheels on the back.

Think you can dig up an old pic or two?

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