Early Fords define hot rodding in automotive history, and when the popular and plentiful people-movers became semi-disposable used cars, low-budget wrench-turners exchanged dirty wads of hard-earned bills for the chance to give them new life. Eyes wide with possibilities, these gear-heads cracked their knuckles and went to work making the simple machines of the day as fast as possible. Not all became road-going tire-burners, and this 1934 Ford Tudor found its glory on the circle and oval tracks of the American southeast. Wheel man Herb “Tootle” Estes won 29 straight races before this speedster was banned. Check out more pictures and stories on Facebook Marketplace. Hand over $11,000 and you can put this slice of racing history in your collection. Thanks to reader T.J. for spotting this fenderless flyer.
This vintage photo shows the Number 6 Ford including the drill-lightened frame. More on that later. Trial and error led to go-fast innovations as clever as those concocted by any modern Engineer or computer simulation. Some of this car’s first-hand history may be lost, but builder James “Jabo” Bradberry clearly had some smarts and a good partnership with Estes. Tootle continued racing literally until the moment of his death in 1982 from a massive heart attack minutes after winning a race.
The claimed 200 HP about doubled the output of the legendary Ford “flathead” V8. The seller reports this car runs and drives and they started the process of fitting lights and other elements to make it street legal, presumably for the first time in about 80 years.
Welded tube bumpers front and rear keep incidental contact from ruining this Ford’s functional bits, and side bracing protects against wheel entanglement on these lightweight racers.
Speaking of lightening, part of this Tudor’s success was attributed to some 2700 lightening holes, each representing a circle of metal traded for air in the quest for speed. The grip-taped wheel and tooled leather on that crude bucket seat could tell some stories for sure. Do you admire the tough-as-nails drivers from the bygone days?
This is around the time that men began doubling their cars from regular transportation to running illegal liquor. In my opinion, moonshiners put more time, energy and love into their cars than any other racer ever did. Lose on the track and you go home…lose with a load of booze and you went to jail! It’s no coincidence that Junior Johnson was never caught on the road with a load of liquor. He knew what could happen to him so he built the fastest cars in Wilkes County. As we kick back with our favorite beverages today and watch the Daytona 500, let’s give these fine brave men a toast!
Right on Fitch. Thanks for the article. Good find TJ.
Tootle obviously was some driver. How anybody wins 29 races in a row is absolutely unbelievable. 🏁 🏆
They even drilled the dash to save weight. This car is the yang to the ’70 Cadillac on this page’s yin…they couldn’t be more opposite. And I remember as a kid seeing cars like these at our now long gone racing oval. I think if I bought this I would just tool it around the back streets here occasionally, forget about making it road-legal!
“Back in the day” while in high school, we had two cars. Mom’s 55 chevy with the big back seat for “date nites”, and our boy toy cheap hot rods. Mine was a ’50 Ford Coupe affectionally known as “the Dorf” (yes, we changed letters on the hood). Friend in shop class made me a hood scoop, and I found an old tri-power carb intake set up for $20 at the junk yard. With the overdrive I could keep up with those 265’s. We spent many nights in a farmers field making our own dirt track. Occasionally we ended up on the side, but no worries, the fenders were solid and didn’t dent easily and we always had a log chain and a spare case of oil to refill the engine. Best car I ever bought for $60 that geve me so many good memories, except mom’s ’55.
This is a pretty cool old race car with a interesting history. It would be great to finish making it street legal so you could just choogle around on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I hope that someone buys it that appreciates it for what it is.
This is a pretty cool old race car with a interesting history. It would be great to finish making it street legal so you could just choogle around on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I hope that someone buys it that appreciates it for what it is.
This is a pretty cool old race car with a interesting history. It would be great to finish making it street legal so you could just choogle around on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I hope that someone buys it that appreciates it for what it is.
These cars were from the fun days of racing. My racing started in the early 60’s with a 36 and 38 Chevy’s , 265 punched to 274, Lincoln trans, welded rear gears, 3 big tires and 3 wheel brakes. We ran on dirt and blacktop by just changing tires and spring stops thought we were setting the world on fire. You did what you had to beat the next guy and to help him when broke or wrecked. Had a lot of fun and did not spend a lot of money. Some tracks run these cars once in awhile. Definitely the great old days If I were a bunch of years younger I would be interested, good luck to new owner.
What a cool find! Thanks for the great write up Todd, and to TJ for sending it. This takes me back to the dirt track races (I called them roundy rounds) I went to with my dad during the 60s at Lakewood Speedway in Denver. That’s a pretty amazing record, especially for a guy who checked out at only 27 years old.
Went with Mom and Dad to Englewood Speedway in Denver (paved oval) once in the early 70’s. Stopped at Dennys afterwords for dinner. When we got home and looked in the mirror, we were absolutely covered in black dust from the tires. Had a good laugh wondering what they thought of us at Dennys!
I was on a flight to Cal. that went over Colorado, and east of Denver is pretty desolate. Looking down I noticed a long forgotten figure 8 east of Denver a ways, with pit area and a long dirt road leading to it. The stories that track could tell, I bet.
That sounds like Englewood Speedway that Wademo mentioned and I bet it could too. Your comment jarred my memory and I remember going to some figure 8s with my dad a few times and Lakeside was only an oval track so it had to be there because it was the only figure 8 track in the Denver area back then. It closed in ’72 and it is desolate out there, or was anyway. By now it may be all built up. At any rate the Colorado Community Media website has a neat writeup on it with an arial view so you can compare btw.
Also if you’re interested checking out Lakeside the Speedway And Road Racing History website has a great writeup on it with some awesome pictures, including a few “over the rail” pics that were exciting to watch but unfortunately all too common. About halfway down the page is a shot of Wayne Stallsworth who was a regular racer, I met him in the pits with my dad one night when we went through to look at the cars and talk to the drivers. What a blast that was.
It is a neat recreation, and street updated a bit. A DOT cop would still have a field day. After the war, these cars dominated every backwoods oval or figure 8. Cobbled together from cars that missed the scrap drives, every county fair had a track, and racing was as popular as baseball,,,well, almost. I’m freaked out this “Tootle” guy died moments after winning a race, WOW, can you imagine,? Talk about determination. Herb, you won,,,Herb?
Since we’re in a racing mood, how about that Daytona, hey? I tune in with about 30 laps remaining for all the fun. Like we all know it’s going to happen, and sure enough, WHEEE, into the air we go,,,America!