1940 Ralph Schenck Streamliner

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the Ralph Schenck streamliner When I ran the lakes modifieds website that landed me in this job (thanks, Cris, for adopting it), I’d often come across an early streamliner that Ralph Schenck built. At first glance, it looks a lot like the Golden Submarine that Barney Oldfield piloted around board tracks decades earlier, but careful study of the Schenck streamliner reveals a much more individual approach to a different sort of racing. As Terry wrote: Ralph started racing in 1933 racing on the street, dry lakes and circle tracks. He ran the roadster at Jim Jeffries Ranch, Santa Maria and San Jose and possible other tracks. According to Ralph he helped Frank McGurk alter his drivers license so he would appear to be old enough to drive the race car for him. The engine used in both the cars was a 1925 Chevrolet block with a 3 port Olds head, model B Ford crankshaft, Hudson water pump etc. Ralph passed away May 30, 2003 at 91 years. He didn’t have much else to say, especially about the streamliner. Pictures did pop up, though: I also recently came across some vintage photos of the modified and the streamliner in Jimmy B’s pre-WWII modifieds post on the H.A.M.B. The photos came from the collection of Bob Giovanine, who seems to have either been an Albata member or closely tied with the club. Interestingly, the photo of the streamliner reads, “Built with Grosso,” but we’re left wondering who Grosso was or if I’m reading the handwriting correctly. The trail went cold after that, and while I haven’t heard anything else about the streamliner, I don’t think I’ve been asking the right people. So I’ll start here – has anybody seen this historic streamliner? Does anybody know anything more about it? UPDATE: No new info, but aussiesteve at the H.A.M.B. took Jimmy B’s lead and posted several more vintage photos from that era, including one of the streamliner. Other photos in the set include the Rufi streamliner and the streamliner that Stu Hilborn eventually made famous. No info (dates, people) to go with the photos, though. UPDATE UPDATE: No real information, but I’m wondering why Schenck could run the streamliner with the SCTA rather than the Rusetta Timing Association? The latter was formed because the former didn’t allow enclosed cars (coupes) to run for times in its early history. UPDATE (21.May 2008): Jeff Norwell just posted an awesome painting of the Schenck streamliner that I thought worth linking to. Source - http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2006/12/30/the-ralph-schenck-streamliner/	Only problem was, I had little but a bunch of photos to go on. I did receive some help in June of 2003 when Terry Baldwin of Ventura, California, wrote to me regarding Schenck. He enclosed two pictures: the one above and one below. The streamliner at its debut at the May 19, 1940, SCTA meet at Harper Dry Lake, where it ran 118.57 mph. Eldon Snapp photo scanned from Dean Batchelor’s “The American Hot Rod.” Albata, which you can see written under the side window, refers to one of the oldest SCTA clubs, the same one that Bob Rufi and Art and Jack Chrisman were members of. Of note is the date – streamliners were a rather new phenomenon at the time, with only two recorded full-body-streamlined competitors in land-speed racing in 1939: Jack Harvey’s and the Spalding brothers’, both open cars. To see a homebuilt, fully streamlined car in 1940 was a rather rare sight, and Schenck’s may have been the first enclosed streamliner to compete in land-speed racing (other than Rufi’s, which debuted at the same time and ran much faster – 143.54 mph). In Robert Genat’s “The Birth of Hot Rodding,” (Don Cox photo) he notes that Schenck built the streamliner in 1940 and ran a best of 126.89 mph with the Chevrolet four-cylinder. Here, the car was photographed at an SCTA meet in 1948, owned by Henrich and Seaton of the Quarter Milers club, where it ran 112.07 mph in the C Streamliner class. The streamliner, likely around the time Schenck debuted it in 1940, judging from the No. 4 on the side. Scanned from Ed Almquist’s “Hot Rod Pioneers.” And, finally, a scan from a 1961-ish Popular Mechanics magazine, clipped and saved all these years by The37Kid on the H.A.M.B. By this time, it looks rather well-finished, with all the seams filled and a snazzy chrome tube grille to complement the wheelcovers. Can’t identify the club plaque set behind the grille, though.
Pebble Beach Concourse
The Ralph Schenck Streamliner Kustomrama Streamliner owned and raced by Albatas car club member Ralph Schenck. The streamliner was later owned by Culver City Screwdrivers member Bob Arner. When Bob owned the car, it had the name "69'er" painted on to it.	The Ralph Schenck Streamliner at a dry lake event. Photo courtesy of Sondre Kvipt, from the Kustomrama Photo Collection. The Ralph Schenck Streamliner at a dry lake event. This photo was published in a getnlemans magazine. Photo courtesy of The HAMB The Ralph Schenck Streamliner at an SCTA El Mirage meet in 1948. Photos Courtesy of Jill Durkee-Burgoyne. The Ralph Schenck Streamliner at a Rosamond lakes event. At the time, the old streamliner was owned by Culver City Screwdrivers member Bob Arner. The caption written on the back of this photo reads: "Being towed in Rosamond". "69'er" is written on the cowl of the streamliner. Photo from The Chuck and Joanna Quesnel Photo Collection. Another photo of the 69'er carrying the number 75B on the side. This photo was taken by George Shugart, and the year 1949 is printed on the back of it. Photo by George Shugart, courtesy of Reed Shugart. Another photo George Shugart took of the 69'er. This one was also marked 1949. Photo by George Shugart, courtesy of Reed Shugart. George Shugart took his photo of the Ralph Schenck/Bob Arner Streamliner in 1949.

1940 Ralph Schenck Streamliner

the Ralph Schenck streamliner

The Ralph Schenck Streamliner