Norwich - Rolling Antiquers
Car Show. An event greatly
anticipated every year is the
Norwich car show, one of the
largest, if not the largest show
in our area. A hot, balmy day
with a threat of
thundershowers in the
afternoon greeted us, this is
shorts and hawaiin shirt
weather.. right up my alley.
The club was well represented
with seven cars on hand. John
Mason and Mike Newell
brought both Don Beagell Jr.
#29 cars along with the history
of their connection. The bug
was built first around 1964 and
raced at 5 Mile Point and
Midstate mainly, Don was very
successful in the car but a
rules change at the point
required him to change bodies I
believe after the 1967 season.
The Bantam body came off the
chassis, a new cage was built
and the sedan body was
attached. Basically the same
car rebodied. Again Don
enjoyed sucess with the car at
both 5MP and Midstate until it
was totaled at an event at
Rolling Wheels in 1969 (I'd
have to check with John on all
these dates, my best guess..)
John's display included both
the replica bug as well as the
original sedan, photos and
clippings on one of the
Southern Tiers best, and
perhaps overlooked, drivers.
Alan and Roxanne Weaver also
brought two cars, their Seamon
built Chip Lanz Pinto and
equally immaculate Ed
Thompson asphalt coupe. I
looked the coupe over more
closely this time around, it's
equipped with Chrysler torsion
front and rear which was a
common modification in the
early 1970's but hard to find
now I'm sure. The Weavers both
made the long tow down from
Verona and as always, their
cars were the most pristine of
the group. Bud Hinman
brought his smile along with
his sweet Hillegas Sprint car,
that thing is just flat nice with
all the correct equipment
attached, watching him load it
later I'd say it rolls nice too..
Dad got the Mouseville Monster
out for the show. A local car it
drew many observers in to our
display and I must say that
with each year that passes, it
gains patina that enhances it's
look. And do people smile when
he fires it up, still sounds
great. I brought thte 'field
fresh' McClure 15 and was
pleasantly surprised at how
many came up to it pointing
'That's Bill Strosahl's Car!' - it
was more than a few.. needless
to say it was quite a hit.
Thumper pulled it along nicely
up Route 12 and it turned
heads the whole way. As Alan
Weaver said, "You have a bit of
work ahead but it's all pretty
much there." Which is true, a
littel bondo, think I made a
deal for a beer keg and engine,
Dad has a good seat and a
quickie with 3" offset, this will
come toghether nicely. Off to
scrounge parts - Pat Hanley
comes by with his score - a
GTO wing and a racing seat,
both had for $40 - schweet -
the 'Flying Cockroach' is
getting closer. Carl and Wade
Camenga stop by to chat, as
deos Carl Carpenter, the
Tatich's, John Clark, Ray
Bunzey, Marty Ackley, Phil
Wagner and Chris Leib.
Amazing how many 'car guys'
are at the 'car show'....?? My
brother Tom has both his Truck
and newly finished '65
Mustange at the show and they
both look, and sound, great. Off
to get some chicken, Dad finds
a few 17" tubes for some
knobby's he has and that's
about it for parts. I did more
networking that parts buying,
as I'm now in the hunt for big
block Ford equipment, Chris
Leib realtes - "You know why
they call that FE don't you?" I
was thinking heavy iron... "I t
because it's F$#$%^&*
Expensive." Grasshopper has
much to learn.. be a fun
experience. John Clark and I
had a nice talk about the Jim
Shampine car that recently
sold at an auction he attended.
He related the car was as it
came off the track, everything
was there, injectors, magneto,
427 side oiler - unfortunately
the intakes had not been
covered and the engine was full
of nuts - damn squirrels! The
new owner - Steve Miller -
wasn't going to get to ir right
away but the car is in the right
hands. Steve has done many
Indy roadsters and if you've
ever seen one you know the
type of work he does, plus the
car will stay local and not be
sold off. Great news for such a
time capsule of history. All in
all a great day, see you at the
07 Racing Collectibles show on
the 13th of June.
Car Show. An event greatly
anticipated every year is the
Norwich car show, one of the
largest, if not the largest show
in our area. A hot, balmy day
with a threat of
thundershowers in the
afternoon greeted us, this is
shorts and hawaiin shirt
weather.. right up my alley.
The club was well represented
with seven cars on hand. John
Mason and Mike Newell
brought both Don Beagell Jr.
#29 cars along with the history
of their connection. The bug
was built first around 1964 and
raced at 5 Mile Point and
Midstate mainly, Don was very
successful in the car but a
rules change at the point
required him to change bodies I
believe after the 1967 season.
The Bantam body came off the
chassis, a new cage was built
and the sedan body was
attached. Basically the same
car rebodied. Again Don
enjoyed sucess with the car at
both 5MP and Midstate until it
was totaled at an event at
Rolling Wheels in 1969 (I'd
have to check with John on all
these dates, my best guess..)
John's display included both
the replica bug as well as the
original sedan, photos and
clippings on one of the
Southern Tiers best, and
perhaps overlooked, drivers.
Alan and Roxanne Weaver also
brought two cars, their Seamon
built Chip Lanz Pinto and
equally immaculate Ed
Thompson asphalt coupe. I
looked the coupe over more
closely this time around, it's
equipped with Chrysler torsion
front and rear which was a
common modification in the
early 1970's but hard to find
now I'm sure. The Weavers both
made the long tow down from
Verona and as always, their
cars were the most pristine of
the group. Bud Hinman
brought his smile along with
his sweet Hillegas Sprint car,
that thing is just flat nice with
all the correct equipment
attached, watching him load it
later I'd say it rolls nice too..
Dad got the Mouseville Monster
out for the show. A local car it
drew many observers in to our
display and I must say that
with each year that passes, it
gains patina that enhances it's
look. And do people smile when
he fires it up, still sounds
great. I brought thte 'field
fresh' McClure 15 and was
pleasantly surprised at how
many came up to it pointing
'That's Bill Strosahl's Car!' - it
was more than a few.. needless
to say it was quite a hit.
Thumper pulled it along nicely
up Route 12 and it turned
heads the whole way. As Alan
Weaver said, "You have a bit of
work ahead but it's all pretty
much there." Which is true, a
littel bondo, think I made a
deal for a beer keg and engine,
Dad has a good seat and a
quickie with 3" offset, this will
come toghether nicely. Off to
scrounge parts - Pat Hanley
comes by with his score - a
GTO wing and a racing seat,
both had for $40 - schweet -
the 'Flying Cockroach' is
getting closer. Carl and Wade
Camenga stop by to chat, as
deos Carl Carpenter, the
Tatich's, John Clark, Ray
Bunzey, Marty Ackley, Phil
Wagner and Chris Leib.
Amazing how many 'car guys'
are at the 'car show'....?? My
brother Tom has both his Truck
and newly finished '65
Mustange at the show and they
both look, and sound, great. Off
to get some chicken, Dad finds
a few 17" tubes for some
knobby's he has and that's
about it for parts. I did more
networking that parts buying,
as I'm now in the hunt for big
block Ford equipment, Chris
Leib realtes - "You know why
they call that FE don't you?" I
was thinking heavy iron... "I t
because it's F$#$%^&*
Expensive." Grasshopper has
much to learn.. be a fun
experience. John Clark and I
had a nice talk about the Jim
Shampine car that recently
sold at an auction he attended.
He related the car was as it
came off the track, everything
was there, injectors, magneto,
427 side oiler - unfortunately
the intakes had not been
covered and the engine was full
of nuts - damn squirrels! The
new owner - Steve Miller -
wasn't going to get to ir right
away but the car is in the right
hands. Steve has done many
Indy roadsters and if you've
ever seen one you know the
type of work he does, plus the
car will stay local and not be
sold off. Great news for such a
time capsule of history. All in
all a great day, see you at the
07 Racing Collectibles show on
the 13th of June.
Updates 6/1/09
I received a nice letter from member John Mason who set me straight on a few dates relating to the
Don Beagell #29. The 'bug' was originally built over the winter of 1962-1963. It was run through the
1966 season and then re-bodied with the sedan over the '66-'67 winter. The sedan body was run
through to the summer of 1969 when it was totaled at one of Waterloo's 100 lap open competition
shows which was paying $1001.00 to win, big cash at that time. The right front king pin broke on the
car, sending Don into a series of flips and he related "that car damn near killed me!" Probably why he
held on to it so long. Thanks once again to John for the information.
I received a nice letter from member John Mason who set me straight on a few dates relating to the
Don Beagell #29. The 'bug' was originally built over the winter of 1962-1963. It was run through the
1966 season and then re-bodied with the sedan over the '66-'67 winter. The sedan body was run
through to the summer of 1969 when it was totaled at one of Waterloo's 100 lap open competition
shows which was paying $1001.00 to win, big cash at that time. The right front king pin broke on the
car, sending Don into a series of flips and he related "that car damn near killed me!" Probably why he
held on to it so long. Thanks once again to John for the information.