Bill Wendt’s Replication of the 1959 Indy 500 Winner Is Actually Meant for Bonneville.
Wendt wanted his race car to be as close of a replica to the original winner sitting in the Indianapolis 500 Museum as SCTA rules would allow. He weaved construction between toeing the authenticity line and bending when it came to safety, reliability, or class rules. Aerodynamically, things like external oil tanks, steering linkage, and bulky suspension components—all pretty much standard fare for these Indy roadsters—will kill your speed at Bonneville. The hurdle for Wendt at every turn (no pun intended) was to find examples Watson built with wind-cheating features, then present photographic proof to the rules committee. What better way to sift through the 10 or so years of Indy roadsters and Champ cars than to enlist the maestro; Watson himself was still residing in Indianapolis and, once approached, became an enthusiastic participant.
Tom McGriff in Indianapolis has built a number of roadster replicas and was commissioned for this unique recreation. The wheelbase, tubing diameter (1 1 ⁄2-inch for the main chassis as original, and 1 3 ⁄4-inch for the driver area, per SCTA rules), powerplant, and bodywork—which, except for the aluminum belly pan, is fiberglass from AJ Watson’s original molds—all adhere to the 1959 winner’s specs. Visually, the tipoffs this is not Ward’s winner are the Goodyear Bonneville 15-inch tires, rollcage, ’chute, and windscreen.
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Hot Rod.
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Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Hot Rod.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
What Is Pro Street?
You know it when you see it.
Pro Street in Pure Vision
Builder Steve Strope weighs in on the Pro Street look and what he would build today.
THE GAS ERA LIVES ON
These vintage race cars chart the evolution of technology in the early days of drag racing.
MOTOR HEAD FOR LIFE
Scott Sullivan is one of the original Pro Street pioneers. He still builds cars today out of a small shop in Dayton, Ohio.
BRINGING BACK PRO STREET!
David Freiburger and Roadkill Garage built a Pro Street Nova.
SWEET ASPIRATIONS
Jerry and Matthew Sweet added an 800ci Pro Stock mountain motor to chase HOT ROD Drag Week's Pro Street NA Record.
Making Bad Decisions Badder
Bradley Gray's 1970 Nova is a Hybrid! It's a streetable Funny Car.
ART PROJECT
This Rad Rides by Troy-built '63 split-window Corvette went from restaurant prop to ripping up the street!
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
THE PRO STREET ERA PEAKED IN THE '80S. ARE WE IN THE BEGINNING OF A RESURGENCE?
Making Connections
Project T-top Coupe: We install a Terminator X Max for big power.