the Eddie Miller Lakester.

[Dez]

i found this whilst researching using the same motor for a 'special' i plan to build.

this thing was built in 1949. on a guys driveway, with no specialist tools. the majority of it was built using little more than some oxy gear, a hacksaw and some files. just think about that for a minute.

sadly it wasnt massively competitive, as it was a bit outdated by the end of its 3yr build. but what it looses in outright competitiveness, it makes up for by being amazingly engineered given where/how it was built, and for looking totally bad ass.

it has now been over-restored and shown to a laod of rich idiots at pebble beach, but there are the historical/as found pics, which are the ones really worth looking at.

[markbognor]

I love the drilling in this pic:



Liking the chain drive to the axle too, keeping the crankshaft way below the axle line.
I'm surprised it doesn't have wheel disks in any of those pics too, loads of drag from all those spokes.

[markbognor]

Just seen some pics from Pebble Beach - shiny does not suit it! Especially the polished plumbing/fittings etc.

[Dez]

yeah, I'm sure you can see why I omitted the PB pics. its not a very sympathetic restoration at all. the paint and polish are not for a racecar.

there is some odd omissions given the technology in some of it, I too would have expected some aero on the wheels, and probably lighter ones to start with- 19" wires aint gunna be light!

the drilling work is inspirational, the very definition of adding lightness. I think I'm going to be buying a lot of drill bits for my build.........

[Deleted]

According to the jalopy journal, It was originally beer bottle brown anyway.... So although the PB pics are a bit of a shock to the system after seeing it in naked form. Its probably more sympathetic to the original build than first thought.

Very cool car either way... Gonna email the link to my dad, Hes had a 6 pot Pontiac in the past..

See some of its original "shine" in this pic

[RA40tony]

Love it, there was a big article with loads of old and new photos in the Rodder's journal a little while back.

[luckyseven]

It's like a little mini fixed-head Auto Union In a good way, obviously ;D

[VWPowered]

brilliant find that

[sonus]

Very nice!

Is that grill from an Allard k2?

[Dez]

mark, if you read the last paragraph bottom right on the mag feature pic teeone posted, it says it don't run aero on the wheels for classification purposes- as a class b lakester i assume its avoiding becoming a streamliner, and therefore having to run against the really serious kit.

[markbognor]

Ahh, nice one Dez, I should do what I'm usually telling the kids to do and actually read the info infront of them rather than just looking at the pics.