Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - 02:41 pm:

---

quote:

FOR SALE I HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF VAN BLERCK JR PARTS FOR SALE. MUST GO AS ONE LOT. CYLINDER HEADS. SOME NEW UNMACHINED, SOME HAVE THE WATER MANIFOLD REMOVED CAM SHAFTS, T TAPPETS, VALVES CRANK SHAFT, CONNECTING RODS, PISTONS CAM TOWERS TWO CYLINDER BLOCK, NEED REPAIR OTHER MISC PARTS BEST OFFER

---

Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - 10:24 am:

---

quote:

WHY DID GRANDPA SCARINCE GET INTO MIDGET RACING AND CHOOSE THE VAN BLERCK ENGINE

DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION GRANDPA DID NOT HAVE A FULL TIME JOB. HE WORKED IN A MACHINE SHOP AND GARAGE PART TIME. DRIVING BIG CARS, (NOW KNOWN AS SPRINT CARS) WAS ANOTHER SOURCE OF INCOME BUT WEEKLY RACING WAS NOT BRINGING IN ENOUGH MONEY.

MIDGET RACING WAS VERY POPULAR ON THE WEST COAST AND IT QUICKLY MOVED TO THE EAST COAST WHERE RACING DATES WERE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND TWICE ON SUNDAY. MANY TRACKS WERE SET UP ON BALL FIELDS MARKED OUT BY HAY BAILS. GRANDPA DECIDED TO SWITCH AND BUILD HIS OWN MIDGET. AMERICAN AUSTIN FRONT ENDS AND REAR ENDS WERE POPULAR CHOICES. SINCE THESE CARS WERE SMALL, LIGHT ENGINE CHOICES WERE LIMITED. THE MERCURY 4-60 OUTBOARD ENGINE, HENDERSON FOUR CYLINDER MOTOR CYCLE ENGINE, THE BRITISH JAP ENGINE AND THE CONTINENTAL, WERE AVAILABLE.

THE VAN BLERCK JR FOUR CYLINDER MARINE ENGINE WAS TRIED WITH LIMITED SUCCESS. IT WAS SIXTY CUBIC INCHES, OVERHEAD CAM WITH FOUR VALVES PER CYLINDER, ALL ALUMINUM AND WEIGHED LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED SIXTY POUNDS.

AS A STOCK ENGINE IT WASNT FAST ENOUGH. THE ENGINE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO TURN A PROP BUT NOT A LOCKED REAR END. CRANK SHAFTS WOULD BRAKE AT THE REAR MAIN. AS ENGINE RPMS WENT ABOVE THREE THOUSAND, OTHER ROTATING COMPONENTS FAILED.

GRANDPA LIKED THE FACT THAT IT WAS LIGHT, OVERHEAD CAM, AND HAD FOUR VALVES PER CYLINDER. HE THOUGHT HE COULD SUCCESSFULLY HOP IT UP.

I MAY NOT HAVE ALL OF THE MODIFICATIONS HE MADE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OR EVEN EVERY SINGLE ONE HE MADE. AS I RECALL CHANGES WERE MADE AS THE RESULT OF ON THE TRACK FAILURES.

I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM, AND THAT IS I DONT HOW THESE IMPROVEMENTS WERE CARRIED OUT A CROSS THE THREE CARS HE HAD. THE FIRST CAR WAS NUMBER SEVEN THEN NUMBER EIGHT AND FINALLY NUMBER NINE. NUMBER NINE IS THE CAR WE CURRENTLY OWN AND IS IN THE EASTERN MUSEUM OF MOTOR RACING IN YORK SPRINGS, PA.

ONE OF THE FIRST PROBLEMS HE HAD TO SOLVE WAS THE SHEARING OFF OF THE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE. HE SOLVED THAT BY CUTTING OFF THE REAR MAIN OF A MODEL A CRANKSHAFT AND BORING IT OUT TO FIT OVER THE REAR MAIN OF THE VAN BLERCK AND WELDING IT ON. THEN HE HAD TO MODIFY THE REAR MAIN BEARING IN THE BLOCK TO TAKE THE LARGER BEARING.

AS HE INCREASED THE ENGINES RPM THE CENTER MAIN BEARING FAILED. THE THREE MAIN BEARING CRANKSHAFT TRIED TO PULL OUT OF THE BLOCK AT THE CENTER MAIN. HE FOUND THAT THE HENDERSON MOTORCYCLE FIVE MAIN BEARING CRANKSHAFT WOULD FIT INTO THE VAN BLERCK BLOCK. HE THEN MADE TWO MAIN BEARING SUPPORTS AND BOLTED THEM INTO THE ALUMINUM BLOCK. THIS ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO REV OVER THE THREE THOUSAND RPM BARRIER.



ALONG THE WAY GRANDPA WAS RAISING THE COMPRESSION RATIO WHICH CAUSED OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS BRAKING WRIST PINS AND THROWING CONNECTING RODS OUT THE SIDE. WE HAVE TWO BLOCKS AND A COUPLE OF CRANKCASES THAT ARE �VENTILATED�. THE BLOCK IN NUMBER NINE HAS SEVERAL PATCHES ON THE LEFT SIDE.

WHEN HE BUILT HIS NEXT CAR, NUMBER EIGHT, I BELIEVE THIS IS WHEN HE BUILT A STEEL ALL WELDED BLOCK WITH FIVE MAIN BEARINGS.

MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AS THE RPMS INCREASED. BETTER CHAIN AND SPROCKET SUPPORTS WERE REQUIRED.

I SHOULD MENTION HERE THAT THESE PROBLEMS DIDNT HAPPEN RACE AFTER RACE. THE CAR WAS A MONEY MAKER AND ALWAYS IN THE TOP TEN IN SEASONAL STANDING.

WHEN THE COMPRESSION GOT TOO HIGH CONNECTING RODS STARTED TO BEND UNDER THE STRESS. AT THAT TIME THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO BACK THE COMPRESSION DOWN. THERE WERE NO OTHER STRONGER RODS AROUND THAT HE COULD USE. IN 1938, WHEN THE FORD SIXTY CAME OUT, HE FOUND THAT HE COULD TAKE TWO CONNECTING RODS AND WELD THEM TOGETHER RESULTING IN A MUCH STRONGER ROD. NUMBER NINE HAS EIGHT V8 CONNECTING RODS. PEOPLE SCRATCH THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY HEAR THAT.

WHEN GRANDPA BUILT NUMBER NINE HE DECIDED TO MAKE A STRONGER FIVE MAIN BEARING CRANKSHAFT. HE HAD A FORGED 4140 BILLET MADE AND SPENT FIFTY HOURS CARVING OUT A CRANK ON A SHAPER AND A LATHE. SINCE NUMBER NINE HAS AN ALUMINUM BLOCK, TWO ADDITIONAL BEARING SUPPORTS ARE BOLTED IN.

I DONT RECALL GRANDPA SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT CHANGES IN THE STOCK CAMSHAFT. I ASSUME HE MAY HAVE GROUND THE CAM TO INCREASE THE LIFT. WE HAVE STOCK CAMS THAT CAN BE COMPARED TO THE CAM IN NUMBER NINE.

ALONG THE LINE THE AUSTIN REAR END BECAME TOO LIGHT FOR THE ENGINE AND ITS POWER INCREASE. TO KEEP THE CAR AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE GRANDPA USE A MODEL A CENTER SECTION WITH 4.11 GEARS. HE MACHINED A SPOOL FOR THE RING GEAR AND REPLACED THE HEAVY DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. FURTHER GEAR REDUCTIONS WERE MADE WITH A GEARBOX THROUGH CHANGEABLE GEARS. MODEL A AXLE HOUSINGS WERE TOO HEAVY SO AUSTIN AXEL HOUSING WERE USED WITH A TWENTY 27 FORD BACKING PLATES AND BRAKE.

GRANDPA DROVE NUMBER NINE UP THROUGH THE 1938 SEASON. PRYOR TO THAT HE AND A FEW OTHER EAST COAST DRIVER WENT TO FLORIDA AND RACED IN THE JACKSONVILLE AREA DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.

IN DECEMBER OF 1938 GRANDPA MARRIED MARY ALPERTI WHO WAS THE SISTER OF SAM ALPERTI THE OWNER OF THE BIG CARS GRANDPA DROVE DURING THE MID THIRTIES. MARYS FATHER WOULD ONLY
APPROVE OF THE MARRIAGE IF GRANDPA PROMISED TO QUIT DRIVING RACE CARS. HE PROMISED TO DO SO. EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE COUPLE LEFT FOR FLORIDA ON THEIR HONEYMOON WITH A RACE CAR IN TOW AND A DRIVER IN THE BACK SEAT THAT GRANDPA HIRED. HE WAS A YOUNG DRIVER BY THE NAME OF DAVE RANDOLPH.

I BELIEVE THAT AFTER THEY RETURNED BACK TO N.J. THEY DID RUN UNTIL 1941. ONCE WAR BROKE OUT THE CAR SAT IN THE CELLAR AT TWO JOHN AVE. MADISON, N. J.

AFTER THE WAR IN 1946 THE TECHNOLOGY IN AUTO RACING MADE HUGE ADVANCES. MOSTLY DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY SPEED EQUIPMENT WAS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE V8 60 AND CURTIS CRAFT, DRYER, HILAGAS, AND OTHERS WERE BUILDING PRODUCTION LINE CHASSIS. THE PURE BREAD OFFENHAUSER (OFFY) RACING ENGINE BECAME THE ENGINE TO HAVE IF YOU WANTED TO WIN RACES.

GRANDPA ALPERTI CONVINCED GRANDPA TO TAKE THE VAN BLERCK AND RACE ONE MORE YEAR. GRANDPA AGREED. GRANDPA REPLACED THE AUSTIN FRONT END WITH A CUSTOM BUILT ONE AND ADDED A HEADREST TO THE TAIL. IM SURE THERE WERE OTHER CHANGES BUT I DONT KNOW ABOUT THEM.

SURPRISINGLY THE CAR RAN WELL WITH ONLY MINOR PROBLEMS. DURING ONE OF THE LAST RACES OF THE SEASON THE NUMBER ONE PISTON HAD A DEFECTIVE WRISTPIN FAIL AND SENT THE CONNECTING ROD OUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BLOCK.

GRANDPA DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO END THE RACING CAREER OF NUMBER NINE AND THE VAN BLERCK.
GRANDPA TRIED TO SELL THE CAR BUT ITS TECHNOLOGY WAS TOO OLD. THERE WAS AN AD IN SPEEDSPORT NEWS THAT ASKED $ 100 BUT NO ONE INQUIRED.

THE ENGINE WAS PULLED OUT AND THE CAR DISASSEMBLED AND STORED UNDER THE FRONT PORCH OF THE HOUSE WE MOVED TO AT 268 MAIN STREET IN MADISON. SOME TIME JUST AFTER THE KOREAN WAR ENDED GRANDPA SOLD THE ENGINE TO JOE CAMPANELLA, A BOAT RACER IN RUMSON, N. J. GRANDPA CONVERTED THE ENGINE BACK TO BOAT RACING DRESS WHICH INCLUDED A MARINE HEAD WHICH HAS A WATER JACKET THAT SURROUNDS THE EXHAUST PORTS, SELF STARTER AND REDUCING THE DISPLACEMENT TO NINETY ONE CUBIC INCHES. JOE RAN THE VAN BLERCK FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND RETIRED WHEN HE GOT MARRIED. GRANDPA BOUGHT THE ENGINE BACK FOR $ 100.

I THINK IT WAS AROUND 1956 THAT MY BROTHER TOMMY A I DRAGGED THE CAR OUT FROM UNDER THE PORCH. WE ASSEMBLED IT AND RODE IT DOWN JOHN AVE WHICH HAD A NICE DOWN HILL GRADE. WE COULD NOT PUSH IT BACK UP THE HILL SO IT SAT DOWN BY THE PUMPING STATION UN TILL GRANDPA CAME HOME FROM WORK AND TOWED IT HOME. WE ALSO TOWED AROUND A FIELD BEHIND GRANDMAS OLD 1934 CHEVY. FINALLY AFTER A YEAR OR TWO THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ITS STORAGE PLACE UNDER THE FRONT PORCH.



WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO VAN BLERCK NUMBER SEVEN AND EIGHT? I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE BESIDES THE FOLLOWING. ONE OF THE CARS WAS SOLD LOCALLY AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS NUMBER SEVEN. NUMBER EIGHT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CAR THAT WAS SOLD TO A PROMOTER WHO HAD BOUGHT ABOUT FIFTEEN CARS. HE WAS PLANNING TO SHIP THEM TO SOUTH AFRICA AND TOUR THE COUNTRY PUTTING ON MIDGET RACES. THE PROMOTER HAD SIGHED UP DRIVERS TO DRIVE EACH CAR AND GRANDPA WAS GOING TO DRIVE HIS CAR. JUST BEFORE THEY WERE EXPECTING TO LEAVE, GRANDPA CRASHED WHILE DRIVING SOMEONE ELSES CAR AND HIS INJURIES PREVENTED HIM FROM GOING WITH THE OTHER CARS AND DRIVERS.
MAYBE THAT WAS A GOOD THING.

AS PAUL HARVEY WOULD SAY, NOW THE REST OF THE STORY.

IN 1966 DIANE AND I LEFT MADISON AND MOVED TO WELLSVILLE, N. Y. WHERE I BEGAN WORKING FOR WORTHINGTON CORP AS A WELDING ENGINEER. AFTER LIVING IN TWO RENTAL HOMES WE BOUGHT A HOUSE WITH A VERY LARGE SHOP. I NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO AND SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE FUN THE RESTORE NUMBER NINE. EVERY TIME WE WENT TO MADISON I WOULD HAUL PARTS OF THE CAR UP TO WELLSVILLE.

SOON I HAD PLENTY TO DO BUT IT WASNT WORKING ON THE CAR, IT WAS RAISING FOUR BABIES. VERY LITTLE PROGRESS WAS MADE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IN 1974, AFTER A SHORT MOVE TO ST LOUIS WE MOVED TO ST CLOUD, MN. BY THIS TIME THE KIDS WERE OLDER AND I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK WORKING ON THE CAR. I FINISHED THE CAR AROUND 1976. I USED TO TEST THE CAR ON THE ROAD WE LIVED ON; THERE WERE VERY FEW CARS AND POLICE TO BOTHER ME. ONE DAY I ROLLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AFTER A RUN AND TOLD DIANE THAT THE CAR WAS FINISHED, HER ANSWER SHOCKED ME. SHE SAID �NOW WHAT ARE GOING TO DO WITH IT?� I HAD NO IDEA.

SOME TIME LATER GRANDPA CALLED AND TOLD ME THERE WAS TO BE A REUNION OF FORMER RACE DRIVER AT A RACE TRACK IN ISLIP, N. Y. AFTER THE EVENT HE CALLED ME AND SAID THERE WERE SEVERAL RESTORED CARS AT THE TRACK THAT RAN A FEW LAPS. HE ALSO SAID THEY HAD FORMED A CLUB TO RUN VINTAGE CARS ON VARIOUS TRACKS ON THE EAST COAST. THE CLUB WAS EAST COAST OLD TIMER RACING ASSOCIATION. WE MADE SEVERAL TRIPS EAST TO RUN ON TRACKS SUCH AS FLEMINGTON AND PINE BROOK, N. J., THOMPSON, CONN. YONKERS, N.Y. AND WILLIAMS GROVE, PA.

SOON THERE WERE VINTAGE RACING ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE MIDWEST SO I HAD PLENTY OF PLACES RUN NUMBER NINE.

THE BEST PART WAS THAT GRANDPA WAS ABLE TO ATTEND MANY OF THE RACES AND DRIVE THE CAR. HE DROVE IN A.A.R.A. EVENTS IN OHIO AND I.M.C.A. EVENTS IN IOWA IN ADDITION TO THE EAST COAST TRACKS MENTIONED ABOVE.

GRANDPA DIED IN 2004 AND I RETIRED THE CAR SHORTLY AFTER. IT IS NOW ON LOAN TO THE EASTERN MUSEUM OF MOTOR RACING IN YORK SPRINGS, PA.


DRAFT-6-28-20

---