To get us in the mood for
next months Nationals, I went back to 2005 when the
Special Bodied class was last the Spot Light featured
class and pulled one of the entries I liked. A nice
Crofton Bug.
Only problem I don't know
who it belongs to. It has Florida plates and I can only
read the sign well enough to know it doesn't belong to
who I thought it belonged to. If you recognize the
Crofton and can fill in a little more info send me a
note and I will add it to the description.
Here are two locations for
Milage Motor Co a Crosley distributor, not just a
dealer. The above picture is ar 221 North Shartel
Oklahoma City, OK. The picture to the right is at 921 W.
Main St Oklahoma City, OK.
Dave Edwards remembers buying Crosley parts from a different past dealer in Oklahoma City in the 60s and there was no signs of the Milage at that time.
Dave Edwards remembers buying Crosley parts from a different past dealer in Oklahoma City in the 60s and there was no signs of the Milage at that time.
The Crosleys of the Month
for August was easy, how could any one Crosley beat out
the fantastic collection of prototypes Paul Gorrell and
Family brought to the 2015 Nationals. All came on one
long trailer accept the 1937 CRAD pre-production
prototype that came in it's own enclosed trailer. I can
only imagine the reaction of people seeing this rig come
down the highway from Iowa. Here are a couple of shots
from the full display inside the main building (image 1), (image 2).
What a view.
Chuck Koehler, our
treasurer and long time Crosley supporter, died just 6
weeks after he attended this years Nationals. Many
Crosley people know him as the Tillotson expert and
master rebuilder of Tillys. He was also one of the
wandering Crosley mechanics at the Crosley Nationals
every year, helping many members get their car running
again. He will be missed, rest in peace Chuck.
Chuck has owned many
Crosleys and many other cars over the years, but most
came and went. Two that were in his more permanent
collection was his Terraplane street rod tow vehicle and
his custom roadster see right photo. Above with his wife
Sharon was one of the years he won the best modified
class at the Nationals. A couple of more shots here is
Chuck and Sharon playing Crosley games one year
and a photo
of Sharon Max and Chuck tending their vending booth this
year at Nationals. If you want to take an audio ride
with Chuck here is a link
to my ride back in 2001.
Clarence and Gayle Myers
of Ohio had 3 basket case Crosleys and created Old Woody
in less than one year from what they could salvage.
Since Old Woody weights
considerably more than a stock Crosley it is no speed
demon but it is an eye catcher. Here is a more
complete story.
Curtis Schoellerman of CA
writes: "My SS
is a '51 "Crosmobile". My car is a sad story with a
happy ending. I first found this car sitting in a yard
about 30 years ago. No, it's not for sale because his
kid is going to restore it. I kept checking back every
few years, and suddenly its gone! I asked anyway, and
it is now parked around behind the house. His son was
killed in a motorcycle accident, so now the dad wants
to get rid of it. This car had been nearly
100% complete. Now, there is just the body and running
gear.
The son had torn it apart before he was
killed, and the dad was tired of the parts in the
garage, so he took all the parts to the dump! This car
was a "Crosmobile" in its original configuration.
I collected all the parts necessary to put it back into its original condition. It has had a full ground up restoration. I've put a lot of work into trying to make it authentic as possible."
I collected all the parts necessary to put it back into its original condition. It has had a full ground up restoration. I've put a lot of work into trying to make it authentic as possible."
Glen Hanekamp of Ohio
Clowning around at the Nationals this year. Glens 1948
Clown Car is a regular at the National show and always a
hit.
I missed getting the
pictures of Glen and crew in uniform. Click here for a
shot of Glen's car with the top up.
Erik Mogul found and
bought this 1950 Firetruck this past Spring. Nice
looking Little Chief I hope we see it at the Nationals
in the future.
The "Little Chief" was
made by the Fly and Harwood starting in 1949 it was
built on and extended Crosley chassis with chain drive
from the original rear axle to the new rear axle.
Dennis Terdy of Illinois
writes: "The
picture is circa 1953 with my mother and identical
twin brother and my dad's 49-50 Crosley. After 17.5
years of children's college payments (4 kids, same
wife, 3 decades) and 3 daughters' weddings, I finally
had "permission" from my business manager (wife) to
buy a car to rebuild. After keeping used cars running
for teens and a growing family in a relatively
affluent suburb for 3 decades, it was now my turn."
"I joined the Illinois and National Crosley
club in about 2011 with my eyes on buying a
Crosley...mostly for nostalgia reasons. My adult
children kept their eyes out, and I eventually found
this one, (I am the second official owner-I have the
original title) from, yes, a barn in western, rural
Illinois. The video is obviously my personal
documentation of the rebuilding process...video just
completed in late December. Strangely....April 30, the
day of total completion, was my dad's birthday...hard
to not think something else was going on and I'm the
last guy to think like that."
Dave Heinselman of Ohio
wanted a little more power and watched to much Tim the
Tool man on TV. This is Mighty Mouse a 1948 Wagon sort
of.
I'm having problems
finding the details on the engine
but I believe it is a supercharged Chevy 327. If I find
more info I will update.
Fred Syrdal's latest
prize. This is his 52 Mod SS, serial number VC-40398
highest known VC serial number. Fred saw it in 1993 at
the last Doc Fry meet in Florida, He says he was
"smitten". Unfortunately it went through three more
owners till he managed to buy it.
Fred's modified Super
Spots was owned by Mace (Red) Gellinger, co-owner of
Service Motors in the 80's. Fred was told that Red found
it in Illinois (hearsay?). The story was that this car
was the last off the assembly line and built for a
friend or employee of Powel Crosley. Modified in the
50's to look more modern. If anyone knows more history
on the car let us know.
John Van Sickle of Virgina
has restored two award winning Crosleys. Above John and
his daughter pose with his 51 Sedan, on the set of the
movie Chances Are.
John's latest work is his
52 Super Sports, here it is in front of Johns house in
VA (just joking). Both cars are AACA National winners.
Decided with Racing Cars
the Spotlight class this year we needed some racing
pictures. Instead of the normal H-Mods and such, how
about stock car racing. Picture quality is not the best
so if anyone has better quality stock car pictures,
please send them to me. These were reportedly taken at
Fort Wayne Speedway in Indiana around 1953.
They were posted by fellow
with the alias ClayMart on the Jalopy Journal website 6
years ago. He said "A friend of a friend had a couple albums of
old stock car racing photos that I was able to copy.
Most, if not all of the shots, are from the old Fort
Wayne Speedway in northern Indiana."
I thought I had Jim
Friday's 49 Convertible as a CotM years ago but I got a
note from his wife Lois nominating it and looking back I
had missed it. Sorry for the long over do feature. Jim's
Convertible won the Senior AACA award in 1979, then the
AACA Grand National Senior Award and The Chocolate Town
Trophy awarded by AACA in Hershey, PA in 1981. Jim's car
is now shown in the Winner's Circle at the CAC National
meets. I believe Jim's Crosley may be the first Crosley
to win a Senior and Grand National award.
I understand that Jim's
parents drove their Crosley from Iowa to Washington when
Jim was young and they took the seats out to sleep in it
at night. Jim was president of CAC from 1988 to 2002 and
is currently on the board. In the earlier days Jim had a
school bus modified into a camper and the 49 went in the
back. I looked for a picture, I know I have, with the 49
being winched out the back like the bus was giving
birth. This is the only picture I found of the Crosley Express
with Jim from 1979.
