Past Crosley of the Month Winners - Page 8



This nice 51 Super Sports belongs to Steve Gillie of Springboro, Ohio. He says the jack and tools are still in the cardboard box they came in , won by the Stewart family of Hamilton Ohio in a 1951 jingle contest for Mission Orange drink.


The car still has original top interior and side curtains.  Steve has owned it twice the first time was 1965.  It won last years winner of the Peoples Choice Award at The Dayton Concoures DeElegance Here is a shot from the back.


Bob & Sharon Myers of Oneida NY on the Scamp.  Body was a very rough junkyard save.  Bob built this to be as close to a vintage backyard drag car as possible. He has a plaque on the car saying it was banded from one race track for being to fast, interesting reason to ban a race car.

Dave Metzgar (Nominated car for CotM)


"Their 1947 Crosley Drag Racer originally came from a junk yard, but today it turns the quarter mile strip at 10:27 ET - 132 MPH.  The original Crosley frame is boxed for strength with a full roll cage for safety & frame strength.  The power train is a 1965 - 429 Cadillac engine, Caddy Turbo 400 transmission and a 1961 Ford 1/2 ton rear axle.  The racer is destined someday for the "Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia on Long Island NY." 


Dan Knaup of Kansas bought this nicely done 1947 Roundside Pickup converted into a fire truck earlier this year.  


It is all complete and was apparently running when stored several years ago.  He has already started restoration and is enjoying the process.


Ron Marson of Utica, NY, sent me these pictures back in the Spring and some how with close to 4 feet of snow outside it seemed an appropriate time to post. Rear shot looks pretty stock,  Not sure how the controls works.


Ron writes: "Crosley Snowmobile? The body appears to be a CC wagon with a plastic nose cone attached to it. It's not a fiberglass that I'm familiar with. The running gear is a mid engine English motor that I think is an Austin attached to a 4speed transmission directly attached to a very narrow Crosley rear complete with 6 inch mechanical brakes. The workmanship of this thing is excellent. Current owner has no idea of any history on it. So what do you think?"


This appears to be one of the elusive Flat 8 Fageol Marine engines.  Photo from another angle.  Here is a photo from an ad for the Fageol 88. This engine has been extensively modified for car use if it is really a Fageol 88.


Mike Grimes of California shared these pictures and information:

"I picked this engine up about 25 years ago.  It had been in a homemade sports car.  I got the chassis (crude), the engine and transmission.  According to Barry Seel the flywheel/crankshaft configuration makes this a marine engine.  Nick Brajevich told me that they (Fageol) only made 13 of these.  One of these days I'll repair the flywheel/crankshaft joint impending failure and fire it up"


This one Pete & Paula's many Crosleys. It's a '39 Convertible Coupe. They picked it up from near Pittsburg, PA. 


"It was "restored" in 2000.  It has a few minor issues, but nothing serious. It runs and drives very nicely. It's really cool having 2 yellow convertibles!" Pete Radford of Toms River, NJ & Bethel, PA


This may seem like an April Fools Joke but it is for real.  I debated about having another engine as CotM so soon but I just couldn't sit on this any longer.  I recently bought these photos plus another pair of another engine I will share in the future, but this is the wild one.  You are looking at a 2 cycle Crosley engine built by Bendix Aviation Corp, Scintilla Division in Sidney NY in 1957.  Note the distributor with 8 plug wires, going to T connectors so each cylinder fires twice with the same distributor rotation.


I sent copies off to two of our engine experts, Chuck and Barry, for their opinions.  Of course they both want the engine.  They noted it is a whole new block, not a modified Crosley block.  They referred to it as a piston port 2 cycle fuel injected engine. Piston ported engines do not need intake valves.  Anyone know why Bendix built this engine? Does it still exist? Was there more than one? Any other info would be appreciated.  eMail Me, if you have answers.


This was back in 2004 when Geoff Male of Lawrenceburg Indiana was the winner of our Sharkey Drawing.  It looked better than it was and needed a full redo.  Custom built in 1950.  It was originally painted gray and called Sharkey by the family of the builder.


This is Sharkey today (Spring 2010), Geoff has been busy and still has a way to go but he is ready for final paint after more hours sanding than he wants to think about.  He is planning on going back to a gray Shark look as it was originally.  Probably not going to be finish for this years Nationals, but soon he promises.


Paul Gorrell's son Duane sent these photos and descriptions of his Dad's Winter project. "This one is/was not for the weak of heart. If Dad did not restore it no one in their right mind would have. If all goes as planned, it will be at Wauseon or bust!"

"The first picture was taken in November of 2009 as the Crosley Woody Wagon’s were lowered down from above in the shed that has been its home for the last 34 years." "This picture is in January of 2010 as Dad sandblasted the good parts."


"This one was taken on May 1, 2010 as the steel parts are mostly done and the wood is on its way."

Promised for 2010 Nationals, and Paul did it click here for pictures.


Peter Berard of Georgia  recently posted these pictures on the Crosley_Gang message board of his 1948 Pickup.  He  gave this explantion:

"Here'z a pitcher of my huntin rig. Note the gun stays loaded. (Cork hanging from the barrel)  Ready to go out for some corn bread, collards and coon. Got the spot light too! The corn bread goes all to pieces when I shoot it. Mebe 00 buck is the rong load."


He continued in a second post: "Mr.Truk is a regular user and a 20 footer. He gets driven most every day for utilitarian purposes.  In the past I strived to achieve near perfection and lost the versatility and function of the vehicle, along with the fun factor.  Couldn't take it to the grocery store without worry.  There went the pleasure for myself and others who would like to see the cars.  Those cars stay in the car barn now. The Crosleys are allowed to go out and play.  And please those folks in the parking lot, who can smile, giggle, remember when, and reap the yields of my labors.  Very pleasurable for me as well as them.
  And pretty young girls, who are total strangers, will hug my 71 year old neck.  I didn't know (couldn't remember?) about that aspect or I'd started this Crosley re-adventure thing long ago. Dang, what have I been missing?.......................pete"


Jim Welther has been to every National show since 1972.  This year he decided to raise the bar and drove the 329 miles from his home in Illinois, winning the Long Distance award. In mid 90 degree weather that was a hot ride.


If you drive 329 miles in a Crosley with no support team, a tow bar might be useful.  I can see Jim with his thumb beside the road looking for a vehicle with a hitch.

Jim's display was reenacted the art work he did 30 years earlier for the 1981 show.  The old photo shown with the art work was Jim's first Crosley in 1966.


Barry Smedley reminded me about the famous double ended going both way Crosley a few weeks ago.  He assured me it was still being used as a sign in front of a Dog & Suds in Lafayette, IN.

This is a period photo that I got a long time ago, along with an interesting story. for those that want to know why it was really built.  Here is a PDF of the story.


Here is more current (not very), photo that I have had for awhile.  Another shot.  If anyone in the Lafayette, IN area can take a new shot and/or has more info, send it to me and I will add it. One of our members reports it looking much the same in August 2008 when he saw it.
Lewis Crosley

Lewis Crosley, Powel Crosley's right hand man, his go to Engineer and Brother.


Lewis expounding on the virtues of the new Super Sports.

These two photos were furnished by Diana McClure, proud granddaughter of Lewis.




This great display made possible by Evelyn Fasnacht(TX) - Here is the story told by her husband: My wife became enamored a few years back with the VC Crosleys, and we bought a 49 HS as our first three years ago.  I have lots of car projects and offloaded bringing the 49 up to a safe, dependable level to Danny Kurtz (owner/operator of Restoration Techniques in Houston). The 49 got finished and my wife started to drive the heck out of it here in Houston – she is fearless in it which might not be a good thing in Houston’s rush hour traffic. We then decided to move it out to Calif where we spend part of each year. Out there we drove the heck out of it(see photo below of that HS). We then bought a red 51 SS to replace it and redid it with Danny's help. Next came the Class H Racer – pretty nimble little car.  Then another 49 HS I bought off a friend because it needed so much work, I dug into it myself.
Then the white 51 SS. Around that time I got a call from Danny saying he had become so addicted to the VCs he had just bought one himself out of an estate in Florida (the yellow 49 Hotshot, he loves those disc brakes).

The pictures to the left were taken before the Fasnacht's, Danny, and some friends caravaned to a meet in Houston's rush hour traffic. The reactions from the commuters was pretty funny – where did these little cars come from and where were they headed? We had a great reaction from the car meet attendees.



This is the one we drove 2500 miles last trip out west to CA. What great cars they are!  Interesting, it is only 2400 miles round trip to Wauseon from Houston and VC is the Spotlight class in 2011.

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