Early Days of Hot Rodding and Racing in Santa Barbara and beyond.

[khyndart in CA]

As can be seen from the previous shots that the Mendenhall Cutlass could be refueled from either the left or right side depending on how the gas pumps were set up whereas the Garner car just had right rear refueling.
Here is a shot of one the special 50 gallon fuel tanks built for the Baja Cutlasses.
Just in case the fuel gauge quit one could check the sight tube as a back up.




(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Now it is time for a bit of a movie interlude from YouTube.

The first shows Garner in both the 1970 Cutlass # 25 and the 1972 Cutlass "Banshee" # 30





(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

The other modern day clip is of Jay Leno having fun in the restored off-road 1972 Olds Cutlass known as the "Banshee"






(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

Jack Mendenhall would compete in the Cutlass in desert and other off-road races until about 1975.
The Cutlass looked a bit out of place as it checked in amongst the VW desert specials.





In the later years he had the pleasure of having his son Mark along as his co-driver.
(The car was now painted white.)
The numbers always changed as the number was how they qualified for an event.
The Buellton boys had fun as they "cut loose" in their Cutlass.






Today this car sits in the Mendenhall Museum just across the alley from where it was first prepared over 50 years ago.





(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Jack and Mark Mendenhall also liked to build cars and enter into "acceleration meets" across the dry lake at El Mirage and then later they moved on to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
They had a 1932 Ford Roadster known as "Sally the Salt Dancer".
They both went above 210 MPH in this car over the timed mile during the 1990s.


Mark has been rebuilding this car in honor of his dad who passed away in 2005.



(Ken H )

[Roger Dowding]

Good stuff Ken H,

News of the Motoring Moment here is that " Pukekohe Race Track " will close for Car racing in April 2023, as the Horse racing fraternity need it for their own use.
A Sad day for New Zealand Motorsport - not the greatest Track but all we had in the North of the North Island in 1963.

Off to your part of NZ tomorrow - Matamata and environs, Te Poi,. [ " Oldfart " has lived there too !! ].

This should be familiar ... maybe someone can recognise the heads in the picture - now much older and grey-er or balder !! ..



A John Larry Lawton photo- before he cropped it.



Forty years ago this Young Fella was arriving in L A California for the first time, and went to Santa Barbara and other places near to you.

Keep up the West Coast posts, lots of stuff I never knew about.

[khyndart in CA]

Thanks Roger.
I think it might have been Jim Boyd in the Lycoming that almost went up the front steps of that church at one of the Matamata meets I was at.
Perhaps Rhys has the correct story to tell ?

(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

As I mentioned earlier some things don't change much here in the Buellton and Los Olivos area.
Although Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos is being renovated for the first time in 100 years the Garland Garage building is just the same.
1970 at Buellton across from the Garland Garage.


July 22 2022 at Buellton across from the Garland family building.



( Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

To tell of racing folk from Buellton would not be complete without mentioning the aptly named "Slick" Gardner.
He purchased the off-road Cutlass from James Garner and then he crashed it heavily at a desert event almost destroying himself and the car.


Slick's need for speed led him to the Winston Cup Grand National circuit in 1973
.

Some 1973 information about Slick.


(He lives near here and he is always an interesting person to talk o even if the stories might be perhaps a little stretched ! )
Note his son's name is Racin .


(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

Gardner's need to go fast took a big step in 1978 when he purchased the jet powered "Green Monster" from Art Arfons.
Slick wanted to be the fastest man on wheels on earth! At least he is still around to talk about his attempts.
This is a brief description from a "Hemmings" article about how Arfons built this machine.
"It was called Green Monster for the surplus green paint he had laying around that he used to spiff them up) and apply that knowledge to a land-speed racer. For the Green Monster, he'd essentially build up a vehicle from parts he had laying around his Pickle Road farm - an axle from a Dodge truck, a steering assembly from a Packard, the instrument panel from one of his old airplanes - around an afterburner-equipped J-79 from the F-104 Starfighter, good for about 17,000 pounds of thrust."

Another quote regarding the Green Monster and which engine was in the 2nd version, both built by Art Arfons.
" The most famous "Green Monster" was powered by an ex-F-104 Starfighter General Electric J79 jet engine, producing 17,500 lbf (78 kN) static thrust with four-stage afterburner, which Arfons purchased from a scrap dealer for $600 and rebuilt himself, over the objections of General Electric and the government, and despite all manuals for the engine being classified top secret.!"


Whatever, these guys were brave !

Slick Gardner's optimistic announcement of his upcoming land speed attempt.


Slick about to enter the course at the Bonneville Salt Flats.



(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Here are some quotes of Slick Gardner and the Green Monster speed attempts in1978.

" Slick Gardner never set a land speed record, but in 1978 he announced that he would attempt it driving Art Arfons' J-79 powered Green Monster, soon to be renamed the "Andersen's Pea Soup Monster". With Arfons' assistance Gardner was actually on the salt in 1979, but no record, or even recorded speeds, came, although he claims that he did go faster than the current Blue Flame record during tests, then lack of money and loss of interest had him quit the attempt. Other sources suggested that maybe he lacked something else...

By the way, the car we are talking about, which Gardner bought and ran ... is not the famous Green Monster that set the record several times in 1964 and 1965 and was destroyed in 1966, but a similar, more refined car Arfons had built immediately afterwards, tested extensively, and even set a FIA standing start quarter-mile record with, at Fort Stockton, Texas in 1969.

Arfons always regretted selling that car, which he did only because he was desperate for money: he also says that he was not very comfortable with the responsibility of somebody else without his experience driving it and that he was relieved that the project had eventually been shelved."

Getty images of Slick in 1978.






The last 20 years have not gone well for Slick and much of what he owned has been taken but he will not be soon forgotten in this area

(Ken H ).

[Ray Bell]

For all of his years in the high speed business, Arfons wouldn't have had a lot more experience than Gardner in cars like this...

Maybe an hour or so?

[khyndart in CA]

Off to Laguna Seca on Saturday just for one day of practice and qualifying this year for the Pre-Reunion Event.
They are doing this format as last year so many cars did not make it to the following weekend which was the Monterey Historic Reunion.
As you can see it is a fast moving day with about 5 minutes between each session.
Here is a list of this Saturday's schedule.
If any of you want a particular group photographed let me know and I will see what I can achieve.





(Ken H)

[Roger Dowding]

Ken H, thanks for the offer..
" If any of you want a particular group photographed let me know and I will see what I can achieve. "
the 1955-66 SCCA cars and the 1923 - 1955 Le mans cars - but really any photos will be good,
- you lucky Fella !!.

40 years ago was the only time I went to Laguna Seca.** the Ninth running of the event.
Some photos I took have never been seen as sent the negatives back to New Zealand to my Cousin, and they are now missing..

Cheers
from very cold New Zealand, [ 2 degrees c this morning in Omokoroa, Matamata and surrounds were zero... brrrrrr ...

Roger



Post script ; Next weekend is the " Northern Sports Car Clubs " 50th Anniversary Celebration " for the Clubrooms.. First time back at the Club since about 1980..