Traco Engineering started when Jim Travers and Frank Coon partnered together using their surnames to create TRACO.
When I stopped in Jim Travers was very friendly and showed me around their very humble but legendary machine shop.
It was on Jefferson Boulevard in Culver City which was also known as "Thunder Alley." I think the cops turned a blind eye to what went on at this street ! People such as Lance Reventlow in his Scarab, James Garner, Dick Guildstrand plus Iskendarian cams and Edelbrock were all known to test their cars and engines along this street.
Sadly Jim Travers died last month at the age of 95 but his engine work will long be remembered.
I found this article in a 1966 Sports Car Graphic magazine which I will try to share with you.
As you can see it was a pretty inconspicuous building and surroundings in this 1966 photo and it still looked much the same when I showed up in the early eighties.
This was a typical scene in the sixties with Frank Coon checking out a Lance Reventlow Scarab outside Traco's "back door" off "Thunder Alley."
(Jerry Entin photo )
(Ken Hyndman )
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