1957 Air Box Racer

[John N.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Some trivia about that 1981 Cypress Gardens debut: Bill confided in me that he didn't dare run the engine long enough to get it warm. He feared the "casting date" on the block, formed out of modeling clay, would melt and slide off!



Jim

(Hopefully that show is far enough in the past to be beyond the statute of limitations!)

Jim
He had put salt or sand into the clay to add a texture (appearance like a casting) to the casting date. Bill as a past national judging chairman was having a great time at that meet.
Regards

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

john: i don't recall Bill being a past national judging chairman.regards,mike

[Jim L.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Jim
He had put salt or sand into the clay to add a texture (appearance like a casting) to the casting date. Bill as a past national judging chairman was having a great time at that meet.
Regards

John,

Now that you mention that, it does seem familiar.

Somewhere around here, I've got a picture of the "casting date" of Bill's engine. A fleck of orange has popped off and a glint of green is just barely showing through. I probably can't find that picture before this thread goes stale, though.

Jim

[Mike E.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

I acquired from Bill, a long time ago, original driver's passes to Sebring and Daytona 1962. Those fit well with the old Gulf #2 car. I enjoyed Bill back in the early 80's--a good guy!

[Bruce B.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Tom,
The cover around the tach is very interesting, and you are correct, it is one of a kind. The owner actually has the GM drawing for the part. It is made of sheet metal, possibly stainless and covered with vinyl like material.
I talked to the restorer, Joel Lauman and asked if I could make a drawing of the actual tach bracket which I thought was under the cover.
I was surprized to learn that there is no bracket under the cover. The cover holds and supports the 8000 rpm tach.
Great stuff.
Attached are a few pictures of an 8000 RPM tach I have put together for my 57.
Bruce B




MVC-027S.JPGMVC-028S.JPG

[Dan H.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Mike, I believe Steve raced at the 87 Monterey/Laguna Seca Meet you had your Gulf car at. Bill's old engine grenaded the first race Steve ran with it, clay numbers and all! Has a much newer engine now, sounds gooood.
Dan

[John N.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

john: i don't recall Bill being a past national judging chairman.regards,mike

Mike
I was going by my memory (which I consider suspect at times). However I had just visited with Dick Robinson and he said " Tell Mike that he is old and his memory is really bad, Bill was the first National Judging Chairman (approximately 77-79) and for you to give Dick a call" . I will believe what ever you guys agree on. Hope to buy a beer for you this year.
Regards

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

As I recall the Bill Rhodes white / blue stripe 57 was featured on the cover of vette vues in 1983 and a multiple page article inside about its restoration.

I can't recall why the blue stripes were added but I do remember Bill telling me the guys at Bloomington told him don't bring the car back with stripes.

I didn't ask why.

[Dan H.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Joe, it was April 1981 Vette Vues. Nice article and history of the car. Still wears the stripes today, lots of 'patina' from racing now. I traded the special FI air meter adapter to Bill for an old jack for my 59 in 1980. He was very happy to find the original 4 inch air meter adapter! A really neat car to work on! Hope to have it running nicely so it can be shown at the San Diego Convention for all to enjoy.
Dan

[Jim L.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

I can't recall why the blue stripes were added but I do remember Bill telling me the guys at Bloomington told him don't bring the car back with stripes.

.

Joe,

My (dim) memory is that he had pictures of it being raced with those stripes. He acknowledged that the decision to add them or to leave the car in its factory livery was a real conundrum for him. In the end, obviously, the stripes won out.

In that regard, I guess Bill deserves some credit for being the first to recognize that returning a car with significant history back to factory-sterile condition isn't always the right decision.

Jim

[Tom P.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Joe,

My (dim) memory is that he had pictures of it being raced with those stripes. He acknowledged that the decision to add them or to leave the car in its factory livery was a real conundrum for him. In the end, obviously, the stripes won out.

In that regard, I guess Bill deserves some credit for being the first to recognize that returning a car with significant history back to factory-sterile condition isn't always the right decision.

Jim

Jim,
AMEN!!! I agree 100%!
I will be kind with my comments below.
In the past, there have been numerous narrow minded, short sighted factions within the NCRS ranks, which has generated some unnecessary animosity among car owners. It is, and has been, unfortunate that past issues have occured, but so be it!
Over the years, I've often been quite critical of NCRS's ocassional lack of vision, BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, in all fairness, there have been some definite improvements for the better.
As I've said several times in the past, I have maintained my NCRS membership over the years just to be a thorn in the side of NCRS.
(that was as kind as I could be)

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Mike
I was going by my memory (which I consider suspect at times). However I had just visited with Dick Robinson and he said " Tell Mike that he is old and his memory is really bad, Bill was the first National Judging Chairman (approximately 77-79) and for you to give Dick a call" . I will believe what ever you guys agree on. Hope to buy a beer for you this year.
Regards

john (and dick robinson as well): i just went thru the Restorer vol 1-1 thru vol 6-4 and the only time bill rhodes was mentioned as a judging chairman was in the vol 5-2. And he and charles saganek were both mentioned as judging chairmen. good thing i've kept my old Restorers. mike

[Dan H.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Mike, check Vol 3, number 4, Spring 77, Vol four , number one. Our boy Bill was the man!
Dan

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Joe,

My (dim) memory is that he had pictures of it being raced with those stripes. He acknowledged that the decision to add them or to leave the car in its factory livery was a real conundrum for him. In the end, obviously, the stripes won out.

In that regard, I guess Bill deserves some credit for being the first to recognize that returning a car with significant history back to factory-sterile condition isn't always the right decision.

Jim

Shortly after I bought the Nassau car and started researching, I came across the vette vues issue with the Rhodes car featured. Must have been 23 years after the issue came out. Bill's phone number was listed in the article so I gave it a try. He answered the call and we had a nice chat.

I agree, not all cars need to be restored as delivered. I have always loved the white w/blue stripes and blue side coves.

The 57 Nassau car is the only known survivor with the white and blue original paint still on the car albeit covered from a gold paint job in 1961. If I am mistaken and there are other original examples of 56/57 factory race cars that still have the original white w/blue stripes..please advise.

Cars are still missing and still surfacing.

Joe
479-435-1855

[Dan H.]

Re: 1957 Air Box Racer

Hi Joe, spoke with Bill Rhodes yesterday, he's doing fine! He got scalped for $700 for that air box car, the theivery never ends! I'll send him some pics of the car when it's outside again. Regards,
Dan