> > Q: Are any of Barney Oldfield's cars still raced today?
>
> Yes...the "Golden Submarine", which is an early Miller project (1916-1917)
> with a 4 cyl.engine displacing about 289 c.i
The car
> is fully restored with the top back on it. I saw it at Monterey on the
> "Miller Year" -- The old guy burns a lotta oil. I have no idea who the
> current owner is, or even if this car gets brought out on a regular
> basis...I've only seen it once -- which is enough of a treat for me.
The car you saw is an absolutely perfect recreation. It was built by a
master craftsman in Michigan from plans, period photos and what-have-you
as data sources. Buck has been a fanatic in coming up with the remaining
parts of historic one-off racing cars and remaking them. I was
priviliged to see it as a work in progress many years ago when I
delivered a two-seat Indy car to him and bought and picked up the
one-of-a kind Siata Bertone Spyder Corsa that he had gotten from
Holman-Moody.
The original Submarine, after being first partially stripped and then
rebodied was destroyed in a major garage/shop firein the early 30s,
being burned and then crushed when the roof collapsed. Buck eventually
acquired the remains of the engine and a few other bits (these had not
been in/on the car in the fire) and started to remake the car in the mid
70s. I saw it about 1980. During the Miller year at Monterey, those of
us there had a chance to see and hear it. Much about the car and color
photos in its new glory are in Automobile Quarterly v23 #1 from 1986.
I'm sure Buck Boudeman still owns it. Last I heard, he was working on
one of the original Novi Indy race cars. Jarl de Boer
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