Does anyone remember Irving Orth and his tank powered lakester, late '80s or early '90s. He worked for me the last year before he died. I heard lots of stories and he had some of the pieces. I would like to know more about it and does anyone have pictures?
Fred
Fred,
I worked for Irv in 1964 in Irvington, California. I was 18, right out of school and kind of Irv's apprentice. I left in Jan 65 to become an apprentice mechanic at United Airlines and soon lost track of him. I heard he moved to Las Vegas and worked on Jags. In 1970 he entered a Champ Car race at Sears Point but failed to start. He worked for Harry Banta in Reno on Harry's road race car some time around 1968 also.
When did he work for you and as what? Mechanic probably. Got any pictures of him? And when and how did he die?
Rgards,
Bill Williams
Yes I remember him well, Really sad to hear he has passed. :cry: He was a great character, a real think outside the box kind of guy. He brought that V12 powered rear engined lakester in 1988 and for some reason beyond any obvious thing it was not cleared to run. Sorry no pictures. :cheers:
Quote from: bill williams on November 22, 2009, 04:47:13 PM
Fred,
I worked for Irv in 1964 in Irvington, California. I was 18, right out of school and kind of Irv's apprentice. I left in Jan 65 to become an apprentice mechanic at United Airlines and soon lost track of him. I heard he moved to Las Vegas and worked on Jags. In 1970 he entered a Champ Car race at Sears Point but failed to start. He worked for Harry Banta in Reno on Harry's road race car some time around 1968 also.
When did he work for you and as what? Mechanic probably. Got any pictures of him? And when and how did he die?
Rgards,
Bill Williams
You were an apprentice at UA? I started there in March '65 as an apprentice in the machine shop. Must have seen you at CSM or something.
I believe the engine was part of the frame and may have had something to do with it's not being allowed...I remember it...JD
I remember that tank engine car,they borrowed my little 12 volt compressor to blow their tires up because the inspectors said the frame flexed to much, but the crew guy thought it was just in the tires.
JL222
I thought Irv told me they eventually got to make a run or two, maybe the next year. I think he told me it ran in the 160's.
Fred
If it is the same "Tank Powered Lakester" that I remember (I don't know how it wouldn't be) Irv must have been teamed up with Mort Strain. It wasn't allowed to run at SCTA but made a couple passes at a USFRA event. The drivers were Don Vesco and Monty Wolfe. I believe it had clutch problems. Monty is on here every now and again maybe he can elaborate more.
I forget the year at a World of speed meet I drove the tank engine thing. Don Vesco was suppossed to drive it but got busy helping Rick on his car and Mort Strain asked me to drive it. I was told to hold it under 125mph and it ran 124. Broke the coupler and never ran again. I heard Irv died in a car accident in Texas. That group knew how to have fun.
Monte Wolfe
Pictures anyone?
Yes Irv and Mort were partners. Last time I heard from Mort was right after Irv was killed in a car wreck in '97.
Fred
I think I have a picture but it will take a little digging. The lakester originally belonged to Les Leggitt. It was in the mid 80's when it ran.
Anyone ever come up with pictures of Irv at the salt flats?
Regards,
Bill Williams
I have three pictures and will send to Jon to load on the web. I am having trouble trying to load. Interesting car. It was on the salt in 1988 and Don Vesco was going to drive it. Never got in a run.
Go ahead and email them to me. Either I'll put them here directly - or will send then to Photobucket and from there to this Forum. But I'll figger out a way to get them displayed.
Good night, all.
Glen, did you mean 1988?
Fred
Fred, yes. I fixed it. Jon is going to post the pictures.
Here they are, ladies and gentlemen:
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii147/SeldomSeenSlim/IrvingOrthtankenginelakester.jpg)
You're welcome, Glen.
Later:
Crud. I see they're kinda small this way. I'll try another tactic to see if I can get them enlargeable. Bear with me (said the pregnant lady, about to give birth, to the woman in the next bed).
Next attempt. It looks like this is as big as they're gonna get.
Thank you for the pictures of Irv's car. Wow! I think even in my youth I wouldn't drive it. But, my interest is with Irv himself. I worked as Irv's sort of apprentice in 1964 and was curious what he looked like now (1980's I guess).
Thanks to whomever might have some pics.
Regards,
Bill Williams
Bill, looking back at the whole thread, I seem to not have answered your questions. Irv worked for me in '96 and '97 as a mechanic. I had several different rebuilding projects going on. In the summer of '97 Irv was moving back to Las Vegas and was killed in a 1 car accident about 100 miles east of El Paso.
I met Irv in '91, he had a Jag repair shop in Vegas. From '91 to '96 we went to various meets at Bonneville, he seemed to know everyone. I got to meet many of the legends and even help with some cars. Really good times.
Fred
Thanks again Fred. Since I knew him in my formative car years I was curious how he turned out. Last time I saw him (late 70's) he had a 3.8 Jag with a chevy engine. He hadn't worked out the Powerglide linkage yet so had to shift by fiddling with a rod through the floor. One thing he was known for was solving problems quickly, if not inelegantly. If his formula race car needed main bearings, no pulling out the engine; he tilted it up 90 degrees on its wheels and slipped in new ones. Another story I remember was his driver came in during a race and yelled "Overheating!" Irv grabbed a hatchet and sliced some air holes in the nose. As far as the tank engined car goes, good on the officials for banning it. One dead driver would have resulted.
regards,
Bill Williams
I remember the tank powered lakester too. Neet project, sounded great. But when he started and revved it up, the frame was seriously loosey-goosey. Sorry, no run. :cry:
I don't know if this is the same vehicle I saw on the salt sometine between 1985 and 1988. I think it was in 85 or 86 that I saw a Ford tank engine powered car that was not wearing any body panels, so I do not recognize the photos. The car was parked and not allowed to run because of extreme deficiencies in construction. The inspectors thought it was funny and gave no consideration to allowing it to run. I don't know anything about frame flex, but did a close inspection of the frame and mechanicals. Ugly does not describe it. Poor welds, Poor design and just plain dirty. The photos appear to show a better car than I saw. Could there be two? I do recall that the motor was started in the pits, but that is all the action it saw. It was during Speed Week and not any other meet.
That was the only tank engine car built for the salt. One of the major problems was the roll bar bracing was welded to the cage and bolted to the engine. One roll over would have tore the roll bar off the car plus other major and poor construction. I saw the car before it was at the salt at Muffler Tom's shop. Scared me. Many people and inspectors looked it over.
I first met Irv when he went to work for Sweeney British Cars in San Rafael about 1967 or 8.
He had a white 3.4 Jag MK1 with a Chevvy engine and trans. I think a 283.
I bought the white car from him in about '69 and painted it blue. It had not shift lever and to start it he had a remote jumper juts stuck through the shift hole in the floor and clipped on the starter solinoid.
We both left SanRafael about the same time and he took a job in S.F. as service manager and he hired me to be a lead mechanic.
When the place folded I bought the business.
He went on to Vegas where visted him in about 70 when I raced at Riverside
He had a Jag shop and we drove a customer's 190 SL with a Buick engine and maybe a Jag trans.
He had a nice wife but was getting ready to split with her.
He married a gal named Dawn and they later moved to L.A. and bought a house. She listened to somebody that talked her into leaving him and getting house for herself. She lost, they split.
Irv stooped to visit me in Hayward (he was born and raised in Hayward)and got an apartment in San Rafael, Ivisited him there.
He went to Texas twice and started shops after leaving Dawn.
Befor the second time he came by and visited me for lunch when I was in Berkeley and he went back to Texas.
Some time later he said he couldn't stand the heat in Texas and he called me and said he was leaving Texas tha t day for good and he'd call me when he got back and setteled.
I think that was in '97. I never heard from him, now I know why.
IRVING F. Orth.
I knew him well.
He called me when he was leaving Texas the second time and said he would call me when he got settled in Ca. I never heard from him.
Now I know why.
Death records show he died in June, 94.
I am somewhat familiar with the Ford 1100 ci in tank engine and although those pictures are pretty small for my old eyes I don't think that is one. The Ford was a V-8 and had a one piece valve cover and the pictures look like individual covers and more than 4 per side. More likely a V-12 Allison or Rolls.
Jim
I thinks its a conti av1790.
i was helping irv with the lakester it had a flex fuel continental V 12 direct cylinder fuel injection was air cooled.
when irv lowered the engine in the car it hit the floor so he added gussets/plates till chassis held the engine up.
the clutch was custom made by bill harrison from parts out of a trash truck operated by air pressure, on the one and only run air pressure was too low and it slipped burning it up scta officials were concerned if the thing fell apart they had no way to pick up the engine off the coarse. the first time we loaded the car in the trailer it went through the floor an adventure for sure with morts encouragement and irvs tenacity we made it to the salt
and yeah it sounded great with 12 megaphones wish i knew where it went
Hello, Long shot here. Just checking for more info or story's about Irving Orth. He married my mom right after high school in Castrovalley and she ended up in Las Vegas in the early 60's.
photos of him and projects would be wonderful. I see the shots of the Lakester V12, would have loved to be stand close by when that thing fired up!!!
Any info would be appreciated, thanks Jon Shines/Orth