|
|
Post by 911pix on Jul 22, 2008 21:29:14 GMT -5
OK, I've come across a question that I haven't yet been able to answer for the book. I tried asking a few guys at Riverhead (sorry for bothering you Vin while you were getting ready!) and I got a few very different answers, all sort of in the right direction, but nothing definite. If anyone can provide a concrete answer, or point me in the right direction towards who might know, I'd be grateful.
...I am aware that during the late 50's (?) to early 60's (?) C-trucks were mostly built (and modified) from stock vehicles, and were probably modified more and more as time went on. At some point, however, someone somewhere must have made the decision to start completely from scratch, i.e. build a completely custom C-truck from the ground up as opposed to starting with a stock chassis, etc. My question is:
Who (and/or what team) was the first person to build a completely-fabricated C-truck from the ground up, and when was that?
I'm told Floyd Chivvis might know, and/or Great Neck may have been one of the first...anybody have any ideas?
|
|
|
|
Post by HydroJr on Jul 22, 2008 22:22:16 GMT -5
Well, there are quite a few versions of what you would call custom. You have the stock vehicles which were modified, ( great neck, N. Bell, east meadow )then you have a stock chasis which a custom body was built, ( Glenwood 55 chevy nose, flukes ) then you had the completely custom ( N Lindy, Manhasset, W Hemp )
Not sure what trucks were built by chivis, but Ed Aikem (sp?) and Moser come to mind from the early 70's. Port Wash, E Meadow, Hewlett, NHP
|
|
|
|
Post by Historian on Jul 23, 2008 7:51:02 GMT -5
The first custom, built from scratch, was definitly in the 50's. There were 2 running in the 58' season, one built by the Rough Riders, and the other was built by Bill Bryson of the Massapequa Indians.
There is a entry to the Memories section of NYSDrillteams.com that show the Roslyn Highlanders with "The Flea" and it is dated 1957, and it is a scratch built rig.
It was Submitted by Ex-Chief George T. Richmond from the Roslyn Highlands Fire Company now living in Jamesport. He gave an email address of: Lionheart@systec.com.
Good Luck!
|
|
|
|
Post by 911pix on Jul 23, 2008 9:11:26 GMT -5
Thanks guys - that is exactly what I was looking for!
(...and Historian comes through again!)
Mike
|
|
|
|
Post by bugdriver on Jul 24, 2008 20:31:37 GMT -5
There were many custom trucks of all types built over the years. In 1973 Floral Park built what I believe was the first true low slung roadster / modified stock car type chassis. After it's debut at Lindenhurst, five more were built for Garden City Park, Levittown, Westbury, Oyster bay Tedds Boys and Hempstead Flukes by Ridgerunner Speed Shop. The fabricator was Al Walker, a long time stock car builder from Wantagh. Rigrunner Speed Shop is now Oval Speed Unlimited, ouned by Dennis Freese in Massapequa Park.
|
|
|
|
Post by hnic04 on Jul 24, 2008 21:22:26 GMT -5
my 1950 c-truck formerly of west hempstead known as the "fordillac" was built by frick-tappet motors in freeport ... I have been told it was the first aluminum bodied truck built on a stock chassis..
Kenny
WHFD
|
|
|
|
Post by Historian on Jul 25, 2008 20:54:51 GMT -5
Kenny:
Thank you for the beautiful restoration of that truck. How about posting a few pictures of the engine compartment for the fans?
I also can add that she was one of the first, if not THE first C-Truck with an automatic transmission. It was well respected by the old timers I know, and they always wondered how the Westerners got it to work so good. "Slushboxes" were not as sophisticated as they are today, but yours always ran well. It wasn't until the Mopar Torque-Flights were introduced that we saw more automatics in C-Trucks.
|
|
|
|
Post by 911pix on Jul 26, 2008 10:35:08 GMT -5
Can anyone else corraborate or verify if this is true?
Why were they called "Slushboxes"?
|
|
|
|
Post by Old Fart on Jul 26, 2008 10:40:01 GMT -5
"Slushbox": A slang term for an automatic transmission, possibly because the transmission connects the engine to the drive shaft using a fluid instead of a solid plate......the first automatics shifted very sloppily, hence the term!
|
|
