1937 Kurtis Tommy Lee Special
by Bill Dutting
Title
1937 Kurtis Tommy Lee Special
Artist
Bill Dutting
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Custom built in '37...now in the spotlight. The "1937 Kurtis Tommy Lee Special" was a handbuilt boattail roadster built by Frank Kurtis for Tommy Lee in 1937. The Cord influenced speedster was based on a 1936 Ford frame and running gear. Frank used Cord front and rear fenders when he built the car, the rest of the body was hand-formed in aluminum. The Cord 810 inspired grille consisted of chromed grille bars that wrapped around each side. The car had wind-up windows, but no top. Under the hood the car was powered by an Offenhauser engine manufactured by Meyer & Drake that had bought Offenhauser Engine Company and taken over the production of the Offenhauser racing engines. Meyer & Drake made a new engine for the car that displaced 318 inches, had twin cams, and an estimated 300 horsepower. The engine was the largest Offenhauser engine ever built. The engine was hooked to a LaSalle three-speed gearbox and a Columbia two-speed rear end. The car had lower gearing for drag racing, and a tall ratio for high speed driving.
The car featured Oldsmobile front and rear bumpers that were easily removed for high speed runs. The fenders were also easily attachable. The exhaust system consisted of four separate coiled pipes that eventually exited the engine bay and ran along the side of the car. A shorter competition exhaust could be easily adapted. Tommy primarily drove his car on the street, but he also took it to the dry lakes where it was *clocked at 123 mph in street trim, and 130 mph without the fenders.* Grand National Roadster Show, Pomona CA, Jan 2011
Uploaded
October 12th, 2011
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Viewed 835 Times - Last Visitor from Ann Arbor, MI on 03/04/2024 at 12:20 PM
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