ARDUN ENGINE
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
This vintage dirt track Champ/Sprint car was originally fabricated in Long Island NY for Russ Shide circa 1938. It was constructed using modified 1930’s suspension and powertrain components and a custom built aluminum body initially painted with #5, and later #44 livery.
The original powertrain consisted of a Riley Ford four cylinder engine with a 16 valve McDowell overhead valve cylinder head, mated to an in-or-out clutchless gearbox, and equipped with Rudge wire wheels.
Jules Furslew owned the sister car, #15, driven by Lucky Loux (2 time URC winner), and Mike MaGill (20 time URC winner) who took it to the URC championships in 1950 and 1951.)
Lou Johnson (36 United Race Club career wins) and Buddy Powers (13 URC career wins) raced the Riley equipped #44 car at various URC events between 1952 and 1953 (see photos). Buddy Powers went on to win the 1952 URC championship in a different car owned by Frank Weidner.
Shide then installed a Ford Flathead V8 engine equipped with Ardun overhead valve cylinder heads with Bo Clerke (4 time URC winner), and Ed Gallione (18 time URC winner)racing it between at URC events with varying degrees of success until 1956.
Around 1957, Bill Brown (10 time URC winner) purchased the car from Russ Shide for $750. Brown repainted it and raced it as "#59 Brown's B&B". Brown replaced the Rudge wheels with Wide 5 wheels, 8.90-16 tires on the rear, 5.50-16 tires in the front, and installed a Ford floater rear end. Brown raced the car until sometime after 1959 with the Shide-installed Ardun engine.
At an unknown date the car was sold to Bert Dodge of Whippany, NJ who replaced the Ardun flathead with a Chevrolet engine. The car was driven by Dodge under #19 “Ardun Special” livery. During Dodge’s ownership the car reportedly lost control and hit the wall during a race at Williams Grove.
Tom Nelson, a collector from Columbia MD purchased the car as a rolling chassis with no engine. Nelson bought the current Ardun engine from Buster Warke (National Sprint Car Hall of Fame), and had Bill Coleman of Coleman Brothers (Linthicum, MD) complete the modifications to reinstall the Ardun including machine work and fabricating a set of pistons.
Nelson and his son Peter restored the car to its former mid 1950’s configuration, including a new hood and nose section to fit the Ardun engine. He then painted it tan in color and assigned it number 5.
Ownership transferred again circa 1985 to Mel Clark, New Hampshire. The car again underwent a mild restoration reportedly by Sam Packard, who painted the car black and returned it to number 44 livery.
On 21 March 1993 collector Jim Netterstrum of Arnold MD bought the car at auction from Classic Auto Sales, Mt Pleasant SC.
The car again changed hands on 23 October 2000 in a private sale from Audrey Netterstrum of MD to collector Charlie (Chris) Lipscombe of Berwick NS. Lipscombe shipped the car to Holland in 2003 to participate in several classic car events in Europe, notably at Nurburgring Germany in 2004. It remained in Holland on display in a private collection until being returned to Nova Scotia Canada in Nov 2016.
In 2018 the Ardun engine was converted from methanol to gasoline, and a battery, starter, and alternator were installed by A&J Armstrong Automotive & Machine, Wilmot NS Canada. Other work and miscellaneous modifications were carried that year including installation of a new custom fiberglass nose and aluminum grill fabricated by Dave Saulnier, Aylesford NS Canada.
Vintage photos courtesy of Bill Brown and the United Racing Club copied by photographer Bruce Craig, Phillipsburg NJ
Additional United Racing Club information provided by Frank Anfuso (Sprint Car Racing Hall of Fame) of Allentown PA.
And Eastern Museum of Motor Racing - Lynn Paxton (Sprint Car Racing Hall of Fame) of Dillsburg PA
TECHNCIAL INFORMATION
Length: 137”
Height: 45”
Width: 63.5” (with hub caps)
Wheelbase: 86”
Track: Front 55.5”/ Rear 54.5”
Suspension:
Front: I Beam located with hair pins, 8 leaf transverse spring, Houdaille shocks
Rear: 1939-1948 Ford “Banjo” differential modified with Ogan & Zigler 755 quickchange, 8 leaf transverse spring, Houdaille shocks
Steering: 1937-48 worm & sector steering box, pitman arm, drag link, tie rod
Brakes: Front: Hydraulic 9” drums / Rear: Hydraulic 9” drums
Engine:
1946-1948 Ford/Merc 59 Series flathead block
Ardun overhead valve cylinder heads & intake manifold
2 x Stromberg 97 carburettors
