1946 HAL Sprint Car

During the winter of 1945 and into the spring of 1946, Joe Guida of Santa Clara, California built this HAL Sprint Car. The dimensions were drawn onto the floor of his garage and from there he used a single-tube chassis and suspended it in place with a suspension system that consisted of double pitman arms, drag links, and cross springs. The braking used hydraulic assisted drums, steering by Norden steering, and a Pat Warren quick-change rear end. The body was formed from aluminum giving it lightweight yet rigid features. The engine used a Model B Ford Cylinder block with Harold Hosterman's HAL double-overhead-camshaft cylinder heads. The completed unit was mated to a Ford Model T transmission and used Guida's own bellhousing.

Guida was never able to complete the car. That task would be performed many years later. Dick Lowe, a race-car collector and restorer, came across this still-unfinished racer in a garage in San Dimas, California. It was without an engine, as it had been sold prior to the Harrah museum in Reno. Together with his friend, Les Edwards (the California Racing Association car owner), the task of completing the car got underway.

A replacement engine was acquired in similar trim to the original. A complete Hosterman engine was obtained that featured engine blocks cast by Tampa Marine and had the exact dimensions of the Model B Ford unit. There were five main bearings (Ford's had three), and had an 8-valve 'Hemi' head that used O rings instead of a head gasket. The unit displaced 219.2 cubic inches and weighed 400 pounds.

Work on the car was completed in May of 1983, a mere 40 years after the project had started. Upon completion, the car was entered into the Western Racing Association league. It received a restoration in the mid-2000s and in 2007 it was brought to Carmel, California where it was offered for sale at the Bonhams auction, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia. The lot had an estimated value of $75,000 - $100,000. It failed to find an interested buyer willing to satisfy the vehicle's reserve and left the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008