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Mid-South ride, eat, and meet

Right on schedule, Leo was back, carb in hand. We drained the gas, added fresh, Leo hooked up, and installed a fresh battery. Pumped the pedal a few times and that little engine barked a few times then pretty much kinda ran. Leo then set the timing and got it running half way decent. I was impressed. Be back tomorrow Barry to check out the brakes, if they kinda work, we're taking it for a spin. What? Leo was smiling ear to ear as he left. We're driving this tomorrow, Oh my.

I couldn’t wait, pretty excited.
 
Leo was back at the shop the next morning with some brake stuff. We got the car jacked up on all four corners. Leo was sliding under on the dolly. He barely fit, but it was just high enough. With me assisting, we got the brakes half ass working. We set the car back down and added air to the tires. Barry go find some thing for us to sit on, we're hitting the road. I came back with some milk crates set up front and folded up a couple towels on top, deluxe bucket seats. :). Leo was laughin and smilin. Let's go and we were off on the trial run.

Just about ready to drive.
 
Cool story, I'm really gettin into it and I was there over 20 years ago. We were cruisen around Memphis, car didn't run half bad, it smoked a little. Leo would look over at me from time to time, all smiles, giving me a thumbs up. Top down, it really didn't have a top to put up. We had our arms hanging out. All the other drivers were looking us all over, smiling and pointing. I could see them mouthing, what the hell is that car. But they liked it none the less. Off to a restaurant for lunch. Leo was, this is one really cool car. No doubt, Leo. Back to the shop, the resto was a go.

The story continues.
 
Some time later, the resto was on. Leo came over and pulled the engine and tranny, it was happening. Over at Leo's shop Leo rebuilt the engine.
View attachment 67090
Looking good Leo. Hard to believe all the cars and motorcycles that were serviced, built, restored here. Engine was coming togather.
View attachment 67091
View attachment 67092
Looking good Leo. Cadillac's first ohv V8. Pretty crude, but a step up from flat-heads. :)

The Cadillac was 331ci. Kinda crude and cool at the same time.
 
While Leo was engine and transmission building, I started gutting the cockpit. A lot of it was already removed. Did what I could. It was really simple stuff, but I wasn't sure of myself. I felt like a lot of it was one off stuff, didn't want to destroy anything. Moved on to the trunk. Pretty simple stuff, I could handle it. It was actually in pretty good shape. Getting the carpet and panels out. There was something stuffed up inside the crevasses. Old dried yellowed newspapers wadded up in balls. Took my time carefully removing them. Some were in pretty good shape. I wasn't planning on saving them, but they were readable. These Kurtis cars were were assembled in Los Angeles. These were L.A. Newspapers. I could read the front page of one day's paper. McArthur invades Inchon, North Korea. The Korean War was in full swing. Well this car was really in original condition, it hadn't been messed with. Those guys putting this car togather, were sitting their one mourning having coffee at the table, thinking we need insulation. They grabbed up all the newspapers laying around the shop and stuff them in there. I really thought that was cool.

Old newspapers used as sound deadening.
 
As an aside, thought I would mention this little detail. I'm kind of a Korean era veteran. 7-27-53. The day they signed the Korean War Armistice, is my birth date. Being a history buff, stuff like that interests me. The goofy looking dictator of of N.K. is the grand son of the the dictator of N.C. that started that war. OK, history lesson over, back to the Kurtis. Feel free to luck up Frank Kurtis, interesting read on car development and car racing and the guy behind this car.

Continued
 
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Car show at Overton Park Memphis, Tn. Parked in front of the old Friday's. Took my girl the friend here back in 1972. Whoa, that is just to long ago. Best girl friend, I ever had. But that's another
The Kurtis was a fun car to drive, it always got a lot of attention. It actually drove like any American car from the 1949-50 era. The 331ci V8 had a nice sound, thx you much, Leo. I got the opportunity to drive it in the New England 1000 Vintage Car Rally, in I believe '98. Nice event and I got to ride my R90/6 a few days up there. Best part of the trip. You remember the visit to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. :thumb
Another double post. Oh, the car's cool, and I clean up OK.

Probably a year after the big unveil, I’m driving it to local car shows. The car needs some exersise.
 
Thx Leo. U did the work and I got to drive the car. I’m sitting here smiling, thing back to the 90’s. Still got more coming. 50’s Indy cars may be next. Streamliner and Offy’s; U made them run. Smokey Yunick was impressed with your work on the 1954 Keck Streamliner. That was one helleva a compliment. Got those pics coming soon.
 
How is it to drive? Nothing to write home about; pretty much like any American car from the late 40's and early 50's. The car had a big steering wheel to get a handle on turning. It did have an early GM automatic transmission, again just, ok. I wouldn't want to drive it any distance. Got a lot of attention at car shows and drive ins.
 
View attachment 53538
Me at the wheel. Drove it about 100 miles then handed it off to the boss. It was fun and not so fun. Hangin with the Rich and Famous. Had a billionaire boss, a millionaire girlfreind, but most importantly, my '74 BMW R90/6. The billionaire and millionaire are long gone, but I still got my trusty R90. :)

Thx Leo, U built it and I got to drive it.
 
I hoped U enjoyed learning about a cool but obscure American car from over 70 years ago, pre Corvette and Thunderbird. Thx Mike for the Kurtis sites. Leo built it and I drove it. Leo built a lot of cars and bikes I never drove or rode. They were too exotic, expensive, too fast so I passed on the opportunity. Got some more obscure stuff coming up, hopefully.:thumb
 
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