Home Built Racer: ’41 Olds Special
This car was built by two guys from the Oneonta, New York area in the mid fifties. They began with a 1941 Oldsmobile frame shortened 18 inches, and a small diameter tube frame was built to hold the hand formed aluminum body. The racer was built using an Olds Flathead 6 but soon was replaced with a Olds 394 CID Rocket V-8 sporting three Stromberg 97 carbs, and fitted with a 1963 Corvette transmission purchased new from the local Chevy Dealer. The car retains this drivetrain along with the hand fabricated exhaust system. This engine configuration makes 186hp at 4200 rpm with 232 ft/lbs of torque when last on the dyno in 2009. This car was raced in period at Watkins Glen and raced for numerous years at the Keene International Hillclimb in Keene Valley, New York. In June of 1964 Nick, one of the builders, won the Hillclimb at Keene with a run of 1 minute 28 seconds making him class winner and fastest time of the day. The next year he bettered his speed by two seconds, but coming in third place behind a Stanguellini and a Ford Cobra. This car is in running condition and is currently road legal and registered in Connecticut. The sale includes 3 binders of historic photos, race results , and race programs from the Keene Hillclimb. Click here for the listing.