AC Owners Club Forum
AC Owners Club Forum => Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum => Topic started by: Bob Smith on January 02, 2010, 14:27:35
-
I own BEX1045 and was told it was onced raced on the the East Coast with an Oldsmoble engine. Does anyone know the history of this vehicle? Or how I would go about trcking down information, I've printed hundreds of page from VIR's web site but VIN are not listed and I've only ran across on Ace running a Buick engine, no Oldsmobile powered cars were listed. By the way the car now has a Ford 302, I didn't install, was that way when I bought it eight years ago.
-
Bob - It can be long tedious process to track down our cars' histories. Read Keith L's saga re BEX333. There are a couple possible sites that have info for '50s/60s US racing. Try www.coldplugs.com for photos of the northeast scene and www.racingsportscars.com for somewhat wider coverage. The latter has grid lists for many SCCA sanctioned events particularly on the west coast. As you point out no one kept track of chassis #s, but you might find some link that will give a clue. Do you have any of the prior ownership history? In my case (AEX456), the ownership was clear back to the original sale in Concord,NH and I was able to contact a friend of the first owner who still remembered racing/hillclimbing against my car. This fellow still has his Ace which was purchased from the same dealer.
Good luck with your search!
regards - tom innes, Scottsdale AZ, AEX456, BE772
-
Hi Bob and welcome to the forum.
If you can provide any previous owner info, it might help in tracing your cars history. I am aware of 1 Olds powered Ace but according to The Hot Rod magazine article (Aug '63 issue) it was a '58, not a '59 and was in the San Francisco area. It had a flat windshield and also had a 1962 Corvette transmission, which I think would have been an aluminum T-10. Since your car was delivered to Toronto originally, it is probably not the same car, but does meet the Olds engine criteria.
Jay
-
Mine has a flat windshield and was once burgundy. I bought my Ace from Frank Mauck of Silver Springs MD, Mr Mauck bought the AC in 1975 in Virginia. He had told that the car had been raced with an Olds engine a 4 speed trans, a 3 point roll bar that ran across the passenger seat and had some sorta of ugly wheels that he threw away. There are signs of damage to the right front fender/headlight area (inside the wheel well). The steering wheel had also been damaged and had to be replaced. By the way my title has the car as a 1960?
-
I noticed that BEX1146 also has a flat windshield. Where do you find the chassic number?
-
Bob,
I wouldn't get to hung up on the year. Factory records show my car was built in April 57. It arrived new in the USA in early 58. It sat in a show room in Connecticut until October 58 when it was purchased and first registered. At the time, new cars sales in the fall were the first of the new model year so it was registerd and titled as a 1959.
If I'm talking to AC owners, the car is a 1957. Talking to the local officials, the car is a '59 just as it says on the papers. No need to confuse the bureaucrats.
Your car could have a similar timeline.
Peter
-
Bob
Welcome to the Forum, According to the ACOC Ace Bristol register.
Great News!! A great start to 2010.... Comfirmation of the existance of a long lost Ace Bristol.
BEX1045 left Thames Ditton on 23rd March 1959, It was originally fitted with a Bristol engine number 100D2926,the body was painted Svecia Red with Black leather Interior and was destined for Toronto.
Very Little is actually recorded in the Official Register, but if you could email a few pictures and any data you have on your Ace, I inturn will redirect it to Tony Bancroft the Official Club Ace Bristol registrar.
I know he is currently updating the register ready for publication so would appreciate any additional information however small.
In the meantime, Tony Bancroft, Tim Isles, Jerry Kalleveen and I will scan our files too see if we can confirm and substantiate any early racing history of BEX1045.
Very few records if any confirm Chassis numbers, So it's a long process of scrolling through Old Racing Programms, Old Magazines. Photos and various web site.
Do you have any Period Pictures of BEX1045? Do you know of any previous owners? or possible competitive events it competed in [?]
Can you email even a few Current pictures of BEX1045?
Keith dot lessiter @ faac dot co dot uk
Between many of us, We have Dozens of Period Racing photos, Some from which we can comfirm the Driver, Some the event .... The Historic Jigsaw Puzzle starts here, Hopefully you can publish some more details and the Pandoras Box Opens, eventually leading to a full historic record of yet another Ace.[;)]
Please keep communications open, any information found, even if not relevent or associated with BEX1045 could well be the missing link of someone elses Ace.
Hope your research proves as rewarding as my efforts have over the past 9 years.
Keith [:)][:)]
-
Originally posted by aex125
Hi Bob and welcome to the forum.
If you can provide any previous owner info, it might help in tracing your cars history. I am aware of 1 Olds powered Ace but according to The Hot Rod magazine article (Aug '63 issue) it was a '58, not a '59 and was in the San Francisco area. It had a flat windshield and also had a 1962 Corvette transmission, which I think would have been an aluminum T-10. Since your car was delivered to Toronto originally, it is probably not the same car, but does meet the Olds engine criteria.
Jay
BEX1045 left Thames Ditton on 23rd March 1959, It was originally fitted with a Bristol engine number 100D2926,the body was painted Svecia Red with Black leather Interior and was destined for Toronto.
-
Jay this may in fact be the same car. According to Keith (AC Ace Bristol) my car was delevered to Toronto.
-
Okay I have the Aug 1963 Hot Rod and on pages 68 & 69 is what could be the Ace that is in my garage!? Does anyone know what became of Jerry Scheberies of Oakland CA?
-
Zabasearch shows a Jerry Scheberies listed on Skyline Blvd in Oakland CA. It does include an address and hone number.
John
-
I spoke to Jerry Scheberies and he sold the car to Chuck Hollum (an actor). He's going to mail me pictures of the car back when he owned it. He had installed the Oldsmobile engine because of his connection with Olds and it was his dads favorite make. Of course he doesn't recall the VIN. He did recall the weld marks that I described on the frame rails, but it's been a long time.
-
Bob,
Wow! It sounds like you are making some great progress. As a clarification on my earlier post, the car I was referring to as having been delivered to Toronto was BEX1045, not the Hot Rod car. Maybe it was delivered to Toronto and then found its way to Oakland. Did Jerry remember anything about its early history before he bought it?
Jay
-
Jerry Scheberies bought his Ace from a man in Canada for $1800. He than change the color to red from the Ruby Red (Svecia Red) to a bright red and installed the Oldsmobile light weight V8 and Corvette 4speed. He also told me that he had to beef up the front spring. He raced the car in SCCA events and took to to concours shows.
-
In 1959 on two AC were exported to Canada according to "Original AC Ace & Cobra by Rinsey Mills". But there were no sales reported in Canada for 1959? Two were sold in 1958 and one in 1960. Jerry Scheberies told me that he bought his Ace in Canada in 1959. Maybe Rinsey Mills book is wrong or Jerry Scheberies is wrong about the year of purchase.
-
Bob
Received your emails and forward on to Tony Bancroft and Tim Isles the two official ACOC Ace Registrars.
Have requested either Scan the relevent hand written page of the
AC Thames Ditton "Build Book" ( The AC Bible), thus confirming the correct Bristol Engine number (100D2 926) allocated to BEX1045 plus colour and possible Agent Destination.
We need to establish some major facts in order to assist your research on the early History of BEX1045.
Quickly reading the Thread todate, I agree with Jay, are we referring to one Ace or possibly two Aces[?]. Must reread the thread, things seem to have moved somewhat rapidly within a matter of a few days.
Which ever, It would appear BEX1045 is one of the few Ace Bristols that has been lost, Well not recorded in ACOC register records since it left the AC Factory 0n 23rd March 1959.
Tony Bancroft, the Official Ace Bristol Registrar is due to update the register within next month or so, We now have record of some 385/386 of the 463 manufactured, a truelly great survival rate especially bearing in mind there Age, use & abuse many received in competition during the 1950s & 1960s.
Will try to get a few of your photos pulished on this thread, in the meantime please confirm your address or at least which State you reside.
Keith[:)]
-
I'm in Nokesville VA and I purchased the Ace in Silver Springs MD
-
Here are a few of Bob`s photos of BEX1045, as it is now, complete with Cobra hoodscoop & glovebox door mounted stereo!!! (And NO, Bob didn`t do that!!!) Click pics to view album (http://"http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/") with more pics:
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/AC_2.jpg) (http://"http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/")
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/ACTag.jpg) (http://"http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/")
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/AC_3.jpg) (http://"http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/")
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/AC_4.jpg) (http://"http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/")
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/Ac_1.jpg) (http://"http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/nikbj68/BEX1045/")
-
Nik
Many thanks for posting pictures of Bob Smith's BEX1045.
Unknown History 1959 to 1975 when Racing Ace Bristol BEX1045 In need of TLC was purchased by Frank Mauck, who owned and restored BEX1045 over the next 26 years ( 2001 [?])
Bob ... ... When Did you actually purchase BEX1045 from Frank Mauck in Silver Springs MD.[?] 29/11/2001 confirmed by Bob Smith
How does the Ace in the 1960s Hot Rod magazine, Jerry Sceberies and Chuck Hullum fit in with BEX1045? or was this feature a different Ace altogether [;)]
AC Owner's Club member "Colin Spong" in Ilford, Essex, England evidentally notified Tony Bancroft that a friend if his in Maryland. USA was carrying out some restoration work on Ace BEX1045 in or around December 1991 and made reference that original Bristol engine 100D2 926 once fitted had thrown a rod, distroying the block in or about 1974.
The block was apparently scrapped ... unless someone knows different and hopefully salvaged the damaged block, gearbox and other remaining engine components, e.g. Head, Carbs, Sump ... etc, etc.
Bob, we really need a name or two who were associated with racing your Ace BEX1045.
Have you any other information? did you receive any paperwork when you bought BEX1045? or any data from your research since ownership [?] [?]
Keith
-
I bought the Ace on Nov.29, 2001
-
Bob, is it safe to assume the car now has an automatic transmission in it? Any idea what kind?
Peter B.
-
Bob, BTW, I'm located in Lynchburg, Va. and own Ace AEX127. There's another Ace here in town also, when the weather warms up we should all meet somewhere for a beer and dinner this spring!
-
Bob, Good looking car you have and I assume it is a blast to drive. What is the hood scoop made out of, and how is it attached? Thanks for posting the pics Nick
Jay
-
The engine and automatic transmision are from a 1970 Ford Torino, (302 and C4). The hood scoop is fiberglass & Frank Mauck told me that when he purchased it instructions were included as to exactly where it was to be located on the hood and the placement of each rivet. He also told me that the new steering wheel was the most difficult part to obtain, the old wheel was hanging in his garage and was bent and splintered. I don't know what became of the OE center button, it now has the AC Cobra emblem in the center.
-
Bob
BEX1045 is now recorded in the ACOC Ace Bristol Register as owned by you (Bob Smith) as purchased in Nov 2001 from Frank Mauck. who owned it from 1975 to 2001. Colour of Body and trim plus V8 power plant also recorded.
Do you know/have contact details of Frank Mauck? (email address?)
Would like to take the opportunity to ask him of previous owner/s, and if he can name any driver/s who may have used BEX1045 in SCCA events over a given period say ... ... (1959 - 1965 ??)
And could he confirm the color of BEX1045 when raced and any idea of Race number/s worn during it's racing history ??
What Period Number plates were allocated to this Ace prior to 1975?
Last but not least, When raced In SCCA events on the East Coast did BEX1045 have any other special ID...... eg. Small race screen?, racing mirror/s? Nose cowl or any distinctive body damage ??
Sorry for so many questions [?][?][?]s but it all aids in trying to ID your Ace in Period race pictures without having Confirmation of actual driver details.
Good Luck with your research.
Keith [:)]
-
I hope that Frank Mauck can shed some light on the history of my Ace, I've emailed Keith his phone numbers. When I last spoke to him he had trouble remembering the previous owners name.
-
Okay, I don't believe Frank is going to return my calls. My Ace has had body repair to the right front fender, the frame rails appear to have had tow tabs at one point (for flat towing or tieing down when being towed). My steering box has had angle iron welded around it and over to the right side frame rail for added support. The left front shock upper mount has also had a small piece of 1/4 flat steel welded over the stock wringled shock mount. In the top center of the firewall is a plate screwed to the firewall that measures 1 1/2" x 4" it has been painted over so I don't what it reads or if it was a factory access opening. There has been aluminum patch work to the lower firewall and the engine sides of both foot boxes, I assume to allow room for the V8 engines. There were once engine mounts weld to the frame rails ahead of the current engine mounts. Frank had told me of a third support from the roll bar across the passenger seat to the frame, making it impossible for someone else to ride in the car. The front spings are no longer fabric wrapped, but the rear spring is still wrapped in cotton fabric. The rear differential, spring and shocks appear untouched.
-
When I bought the car Frank had told me that the car was red with black interior and had an Oldsmobile engine and 4 speed transmission. The car had ugly wheels that he threw in a dumpster with the convertible top years ago. Frank said that he bought the car when he lived in Centreville, VA from Doug Mccroy. (not sure about the spelling of Dougs last name).
-
Jerry Scheberies of the "HOT ROD" story sent me some photos of his Ace. Can the VIN be found by the tag number? If so the California black tag was ACA 237, and yellow tag was UJV 111. I don't know if California used black tags on even year and yellow tags on odd years??? Virginia had used black for even and white for odd years.
-
I have tried in the past to get old records from the California DMV (including the Scheberies car) but they do not have records available from that far back. As for the license plates, Yellow with Black lettering was used from 1956 to 1962 and then Black with yellow lettering replaced them.
Jay
-
A web site called "Bring a Trailer" has shown that BEX 1045 is for sale in what appears to be Virginia in the U.S.. The car is listed for sale on Craigslist for $130,000. The link is below and the Bring a Trailer email I received references this ACOC posting of this subject. Just mentioning that I saw that this car is for sale if anyone in the AC community has an interest.
http://winchester.craigslist.org/cto/3820936128.html
-
Any idea where to find a Bristow engine for may AC Ace? I would need the correct transmission also. Thank for any help in locating.
-
Hi Bob. If you`re here asking for a Bristol engine & 'box for BEX1045, does that mean that you aren`t selling now, or was this a scam ad on Craigslist?
-
I'm looking for a Bristol engine and gearbox for my 1960 Ace.
-
Mr Bill Thumel of Abacus Racing in Virginia Beach now owns the Ace and wants to restore it back to original. I had a call a week of go from someone that claimed to have an original engine. I'd like to find that engine to help Bill get this Ace back to the way it should be. I never had the money to get this Ace back to the way it should be. Bill owns a restoration shop for vintage race cars, it is the perfect fit for BEX1045. I know that it is a good home, and I can still visit. Bill's team is already verify the numbers and researching the cars history.
-
Thanks for the clarification, Bob, and here`s hoping the restoration goes well.
Could you keep us informed, it would be great to hear of Bill`s plans, especially if they include racing!