Prewar Dry Lakes Hot Rod Racing in 8mm 

What a fine collection of early hot rodding history!

Fabulous music track attached. Jammin' just like all the drivers and their hot roadsters.

Wow! Amazing footage - interesting to see a Bugatti at the meet, along with my old buddy, the late Earl Bruce, in his then-new customised '40 Ford coupe! Thanks for sharing.

We need more of this hot rod history to whet the interest of this and future generations, if our hobby is going to survive......good job !!

I just saw this mentioned in Hot Rod Deluxe, and I am glad I did. This is amazing footage... and perfect tunes added too.

This is my favorite hotrod/music video of all times! Well done, Sir.

This reminds me of my Dad's friend Claude Neal, who with Hi Halfhill, set a record at Muroc in 1933, in a Riley headed '29 Ford, of 114.65mph. In 1955, Claude, his son Robbie, my Dad and I went to Goldstone, north of Barstow, to search for and retrieve a 1919 T Touring body that Claude knew about. We found it (which he picked up later) and left the area by way of the "Camp" Irwin Tank Range, only to be stopped at the gate by MPs, who wondered how we got into the post. Obviously, they let us go.

Not only dry lake racers, some fantastic pre-war customs as well. This made my day!

These boys are flying for pre-war chassis.. must've had balls of steel. Amazing footage, thank you Dave for sharing.

One of the best vintage videos Ive ever seen. Way to go. The music was perfect and elevated the film to fine art. More please!

Great video, nothing beats the way it was done in the early years. Thanks for sharing, still enjoyable in 2020.

This is a great question. Those are Riley OHV conversions. Amazing to see multiple examples, as they made very few sets.

Thanks a ton for posting this. I'll watch it many more times...so cool! BTW, I think the car at 2:23 - 2:29 is one of the five 1935 Ford Indianapolis race cars Preston Tucker built for Henry Ford.

Must have been wonderful times.

That was amazing, car guys just doing their thing. Well shot and edited.

GREAT FILM!! And your choice of music is FABULOUS!!!

Amazing footage!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!

Such a cool video!!! Thank you and your Uncle Tommy!

Great footage. I really enjoyed this. Thanks.

Great piece of History... $

Great Video!!! This is obviously mixed footage even though it's titled as being Harper Dry Lake. It looks to me that most of this footage is out at El Mirage Dry Lake, one can see Shadow Mountain numerous times in the background. At about 3:40-3:45 I see what appears to be Black Mountain in the background, which would then be Harper Dry Lake. Nevertheless, love the old Hot Rodder footage from those days (it's so rare), and the music is quite fitting as well!!!

My dad use to race with Earl Scheib's sons on Forest Lawn Dr in the 50's, Dad had a 56 or 57 Dodge Saratoga, they swapped out Dads intake for one of the Scheib boys dual quad set

Thank´s a lot for sharing this great piece of hot rod history! Lot´s of interesting cars, one I think is a pretty early Miller racer. Feel sorry for that poor -39 coupe though:-( Amazing with those customs, not many people would do such radical modifications to a car only one or two years old today...

Killer stuff! Thanks for uploading!

This is unbelievably cool! TP

thank's for the upload,

Great stuff, thank you for sharing!

So much fun thanks Dave awesome !

Very awesome. Thanks for sharing. I think I saw my dad... :)

Don Montgomery books LIVE!!! Just totally AMAZING!

EDSLIDES, It is outstanding footage......I can't say for certain, but I believe that could be Ry Cooder's slide guitar work.

@edslides1 Ry Cooder, "Cherry Ball Blues"

SIMPLY AWESOME !!

My Pop"is" one of the original lakesters...Bob Swordfish Larson - 91 & possibly the last living Hollywood Throttler Club member

Hello Dave, it's David Steele writing to you once again. I am in the process of transferring all of the American Hot Rod Foundation footage to the next step of digital ( hard drives ). Currently we have most everything on DVCAM. In the process I came across the footage we transferred from you. Once again, it is simply astounding. Because I'm the one overseeing this process, I'm getting to see a good portion of all of the footage we have. That being said, the footage you donated has to be my favorite that we have. It is just astounding, and for so many reasons. If you would, please email me sometime so that we can communicate more about it. I have some follow up questions that I'd love to get answers to so that we can have it all in the files with the film footage. I thank you in advance... David oldschooldave@mac.com Best and thanks!

Costa WAY to much to do this nowadays here in CACAFORNIA !

just can't get enough!! I just can not get enough... just can't get enough!!

Perfect!!! Thanks Bigtime.

fantastic!

@rentatrip1 Does he attend the Throttler's Picnic at Johnny Carson Park? If not he would be able to reunite with Bob North and one other Hollywood Throttler. Bob is 94 and a founding member of the Throttlers he lives in Malibu and is in great health although he is no longer buying green bananas.

I learned recently that "Muroc" was NOT an Indian name, but the reverse of Clifford and Ralph Corum, as it was given its name on Dec. 25, 1910, by the Santa Fe RR as a station, though it became a station in 1882, it had many names. Its Post Office was established on Dec. 17, 1910, so the lake was a slam dunk. Then the name of the dry lake and the Air Force Base was changed on Jan. 27, 1950, to honor the test pilot, Capt. Glenn W. Edwards, who had been killed in a test flight over the area.

Very cool!

At about 5:07 it looks like a clip of one of the 1935 Miller Ford Indy cars, and the background doesn't look like the dry lakes. Something just crept in?

Is that a belly tank racer @ 4:08? I thought belly tanks made their first appearance in 1946 after WWII

Awesome celluloid gold.

I wonder how many spectators were hit in those days. I can't believe how close to the track the photographer and others were! Bonneville Racing News, Wendy

Absolute jem! Could someone help me identify the song? thanks!!

i think that is a bugati and it looks like Howard Hughes driving it

My question is what were those overhead valve V8s, at the start of the film? They definitely were NOT Arduns, on a "Flathead". The rocker covers almost looked like Y-block Fords, but could not have been.

This shows one thing ... how stupid my neighbours are :). All they ever nag about is airco, power steering, gps and itunes in their cars. I nag about jet sizes, cam lobes and flow rates on my flathead :). Lovely vid !!!! Piece of history right here

@modernwarfre2495 - He used to go to those picnics- not much any more - he told me Bob Cressey was still living over in Burbank - Bob Cressey's son still runs out at Bonneville, Salt Flats ? i spoke with Cressey Sr. 2 years ago - I will ask my Pop about Bob North ? OK? and ask about green bananas - ask North if he remembers "FEETS" , Grumpy, Liver Lips Van Luven , Ed the Mole Donovan ?

Hello Cruzpch, Love the film, the footage of the dry lakes are awesome. My company Hutman Media is working on a film for the Colorado Grand a charity Organization based in Colorado. The Tommy Lee Special participated in the years Grand and your film has footage of it. It would great if I could have access to a short clip. Let me know. Thanks Todd This is a last minute request I just got your link today and I will be wrapping my project up on 11-15-2012.

A list of cars, as posted by a user of jalopyjournal.com: 0:05s - 0:05: #9 Bill & Tom Spalding T modified. Riley OHV heads Mercedes roots blower. Post war Don Blair rebuilt it into The Goat. 0:10s - 0:17s #8 Danny Sakai Modified outfitted with Mal Ord speed equipment. 0:09s - 0:09s #111 Sandy Belond Sandy's Speed Shop. 0:18s - 0:21s #42 Uncle Tommy's A? 0:49s - 0:49s #20 1932 Roadster 1:02s - 1:02s #224 T modified. 0:58s - 1:04s 1939 Ford convertible custom I have seen this pictured somewhere. 1:09s - 1:14s #360 Sprintcar Streamliner 1:14s - 1:22s #9 Spalding bros. Mod 1:23s - 1:24s #26 1932 roadster 1:24s - 1:25s 1930-31 Model A RPU 1:49s - 1:49s #402 Model A Phaeton 2:06s - 2:08s #20 '32 roadster 2:23s - 2:25s #410 1935 FWD Miller Ford entered by Willet Brown owned by Tommy Lee speed 116.88mph 2:26s - 2:31s #311 1929 A roadster banger 2:31s - 2:37s #414 Tommy Lee's 1931 T-51 Bugatti 2:38s - 2:42s #414 Bugatti T-51 straight 8 engine 2:42s - 2:51s Tommy Lee 2:51s - 2:52s #265 '32 roadster 3:07s - 3:09s #350 modified Rod Pugh 3:13s - 3:17s #151 '29 A roadster Clint Seccombe V16 cad 124mph 3:17s - 3:24s #113 '28 A roadster V16 Cad 3:28s - 3:30s #69 Bob Knapton / Jim White (aka Jim Harrell of Harrell speed equip.) Mod was later run by Doug Caruthers and is still around as Art Chrisman's #25 dragster. 3:42s - 3:45s #32 1928A roadster 3:35s - 3:46s Tommy Lee Kurtis Offy special 3:47s - 3:49s #290 '31 supercharged A roadster 3:50s - 3:54s 1940 ford coupe from earlier in clip appears to have had a rollover 3:54s - 3:56s #244 Arnold Birner's '28 A roadster 3:56s - 4:00s #265 1932 roadster Hornets 4:00s - 4:15s Bob Rufi's Streamliner 4:15s - 4:19s #286 Sakai modified. 4:20s - 4:24s #2 entered/driven by Bill Spading. Roadster owned by Bill Kurten. Riley OHV Engine owned by Gene Von Arx. 4:24s - 4:39s Earle Bruce '40 Ford Custom 4:29s - 4:29s #44 sprintcar streamliner class 4:40s - 4:43s #155 T modified 4:43s - 4:47s #270 T modified 4:47s - 4:54s #265 '32 roadster 4:54s - 4:56s Tommy Lee Kurtis Offy special 4:56s - 4:59s #265 '32 roadster

It was Willet Brown.

@Dave31452 At first I thought it was Bob Rufi's however, looking at his 1939 photo when it was #6 I see it was a lakester not a streamliner and the nose seems to be less pointed. Mystery. Wendy @ Bonneville Racing News

awesome

Wow how and/or with what do you convert old film like this? Is this regular 8mm? I'd like to convert some film for my Dad of his old rods. He's not quite as saavy to this stuff

Bitching ....... it almost makes you cry that you were born to late, I would have loved to be there

Dave, I can't thank you enough for posting this. I have to ask; was your uncle Tommy Lee? Thanks

What is that soundtrack...? A little slide guitar blues, huh...?Who is that...?

BILL GOLDBERG!!!

Car #414 was indeed a Bugatti and probably a 35 (3.5 liter?) 4 banger, but definitely NOT Howard Hughes.

Car #414 belonged to Tommy Lee.

I was definately born in the wrong era! Around (2.44) in the video, was that a Bugatti? Maybe a T35?

Wow, a Bugatti T-33 at 2:30?

I've often wondered what those guys could have done if they'd had just a little of today's technology. They'd take a piece of junk and build it into something that would really run.

Fuzzy vid, but very cool gitfiddle

Somebody throw that band in the lake. Boy are they terrible.

Film Cool music sucks had to turn it off !

That #77 car towards the end of the video was pretty cool for way back then. Does anyone know what it is?