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1967 Gerhardt Ford DOHC Indy Race Car #32 Driver Al Miller for Lorenzo Bandini

Sale price: $68,995.00 make an offer

Sale type: Fixed price listing

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Year:
1967
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1967 Gerhardt Ford DOHC Indy Race Car #32 Driver Al Miller for Lorenzo Bandini for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2) based on 500 votes

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View Our Other Listings | Contact Us | Print this listing 1967 Gerhardt Ford DOHC Indy Race Car #32 Driver Al Miller for Lorenzo BandiniAutomaniaPO Box 1927Grants Pass. OR 97528Call Us Today(541) 479-8888Ask ForTed or PaulAsk Us A Question

 Vehicle DetailsYear: 1967Make: FordModel: OtherMileage: 0Transmission: ManualEngine: 8 Cylinder. 255 LExterior Color: WhiteTitle: Clear 

More then a few would argue the 60’s were one of the greatest explosions of improvisation and rebirth of Indy Car racing since WW11. Some felt that the Roadsters which had dominated the starting line up for fourteen years prior to the 1961 running of Cooper’s T54 brought a sense of complacency to the iconic event. It was arrival of the rear engined T54 driven by Jack Brabham that introduced the first successful rear engined chassis. opening the door to fabricators from Colin Chapman’s Lotus to Mickey Thompson to try every engine type and layout imaginable. A tire war between Firestone and Goodyear. the backdoor reentry of Ford and GM to motorsports. fuel wars and the like brought sponsorship money that changed the racing industry from dye in the wool fabricators and race car drivers who had raced for the love of the sport to big business and big money. It was a time of terrible tragedies and amazing successes. It was a Golden Era of Indy.

 

By the time the 1967 Indy Race came about. the patterns were set once again. Most cars being constructed were based on either the Lotus 34 or Cooper derivatives with race shops producing similar chassis running mostly either the 255 cu in DOHC Ford. stock block Chevys or the latest competitive reinvention of the 4 Cylinder Offy that had started off in 1939 designed by Harry Miller. Fred Gerhardt’s Commercial Truck Body of Fresno California had been building successful Midget Racers since the mid thirty’s and produced their own custom Indy Car chassis that were being run in the 60’s. The count of chassis they produced between 1965 and 1970 is 37. this car was one of 7 built in1967.

 

Almost every part of the chassis was either made by Gerhardt or built for him. Brake calipers were a simplified Girling style. made by Gerhardt. Uprights. spindles. brake rotors. were cast or forged inFresno. machined by Gerhardt. Half-shafts were a custom combo of Chevy U-joints with early Mopar CVs. Control cables were "off the shelf" marine units. Bought in parts were tough and cheap. like USAF surplus rod ends and misc hardware. onroeshocks. Halibrand (to Gerhardt spec) wheels and transaxle. Schroeder rack. even BAP/Geon master cylinders. Many parts can be found today at a localNapastore. fitting Chey 11’s to current year Ford large size sedans hydraulic parts.

 

The history of the DOHC Ford 255 (first referred to as the Fairlane Motor) is several books in its self. If you have the time. it is almost cloak and dagger intrigue how it came about. Cubic dollars by Ford after it’s potential success made it the favored engine in the first years. Ford lost money on each engine it sold. but made it up for by winning Indy and then as the base engine for the first GT40s. gaining sales successes by winning on Sunday. selling on Monday.

 

This particular car was owned by Cleaver Brooks (Wally Weir) and was entered to be raced in 1967 by F1 driver Lorenzo Bandini. Tragedy struck at Monacowhen he was killed at Harbor Chicane. the exact spot that the film “Grand Prix”’ had James Garner take a plunge into the Mediterranean Seathe year before (which Bandini had driven in). Al Miller. an Indy veteran who had placed as high at 4th in 1965. was hired to replace Bandini. The car qualified 33rd at 162. 602 mph and ran as high as 16th before retiring with a failed oil cooler. The race was overshadowed by the Granatelli’s STP Lotus Turbine car leading all but the last 2 laps of the event. another game changing entry whose presence created another colorful chapter in Indy history. The car was again entered in the 1968 Indy race. again driven by Al Miller. but did not qualify. During practice for the 1971 Indy race. driven as the “30 St Louis Special” by Bill Puterbaugh. it impacted the wall and was parked until being purchased by Pete Schomer and Jim Brokensha.

 

After posting the car on our website (automania dot com). I got the following e-mail from Trevor Cole which shed some further history on the car.

 

“I was curious the other day about what happened to an old Indy Racecar that I helped restore back some years ago. I ran across your website & there it was the 67 Gerhardt #32. This car was purchased by an old friend of mine (who since has passed away) by the name of Jimmy Brokensha from Nt h Vancouver BC Canada. The car was damaged when he purchased it from the States & in several pieces . I helped Jim who was a brilliant machinist repair & reconstruct several parts of the car inc engine covers etc . im was a perfectionist with everything he did & I feel it showed in the final result of the car when he had it. even if he was Australian ( I myself from New Zealand) & the final paintwork was performed by a Brit (from London). So the car was reconstructed by an Aussie a Kiwi & a pom with help from several other folks in Nth Vancouver B. C. Canada. As far as I know it was never raced & I lost track  of the car when I moved out of the area. ”

 

Today this Gerhardt Chassis. Ford DOHC engine. now with a Hewland 5 speed Transaxle. has a colorful history. It was purchased by Pete Schomer and Jim Brokensha of Vancouver BCfrom Chuck Haines in Missouri as a roller chassis needing repairs approximately twenty years ago. Pete and Jim Brokensha formed a loose partnership to repair and recreate the car as raced in 1967. When looking for the FORD DOHC engine Pete drove south to San Diegowith cash in pocket when he heard Judd Phillips had a rebuilt Ford Engine he was willing to sell. Phillips had impounded the engine from a race team that had gone under for unpaid work he had done. a common course of events when the only things left were tools or car parts.

 

Story has it that Judd showed Pete the engine sitting under a work bench. When asked how much it took to own the engine. Judd slowly moved it out from under the counter in $5000 increments. First the front of engine. then half the block. then more and finally at $20. 00. exposed the whole thing. When questioned where the Bundle of Snake Exhaust System was. another $5000 answered the question. Pete and Jim hauled the engine back to Canada in the back of a truck and mated it to the car. The car at the time had the off-set Indy suspension in place and because Pete wanted to compete in his newly formed HIRC Series. a trip to see Fred Gerhardt was made. Fred initially wanted nothing to do with Pete. but it turned out they both had a liking for Jack Daniels and after 2 bottles consumed starting at 3 in the afternoon. Fred offered Pete. his newest bosom buddy. anything that was inside of two rusty old Cargo Containers on the property for the taking. Pete got the equal length control arms and the reverse drive Starter Motor that is also rare. the only way to start the engine (and a headache too boot).

 

The present owner of the car purchased it from Jim Brokensha completely repaired and has had it since. He had the 2 speed Halibrand Transaxle (which is included with the car) swapped out for the Hewland unit by Louie Shefchik of J&L Fabrication in Puyallup. A approximately 6 years ago when it was being prepped for Vintage Racing. The car was “crack checked” at that time and a great deal of time and money went into the preparation including upgrading the fuel cell. installing a fire retardant system and legal roll bar. When Louie finished the car. he pickled the drivetrain (Methanol Fuel is brutal if left for any period of time in the system) after the work was completed. The car has sat unused in the owner’s shop after being prepared for use and not used. The owner is accepting that it is not going to happen for him and the car should be sold.

 

Also included is the Gerhardt Race Car trailer. possibly the first built and only one known to exist. According to legend. it has hauled every Gerhardt Indy Car built and raced at Indy cross country fromCalifornia.   When describing it to Pete I mentioned it looked a little rough for wear. He told me it looked that way when had it.  

 

I have spoken to Louie Shefchik and asked him what would be needed to race the car in vintage events. His answer is that the car would have to be serviced once again before use and that would be approximately a weeks worth of time at his shop. He also offered to do a pre-purchase inspection of the car for $1000 if it was requested by the perspective new owner. again at his shop. The only known defect that we have observed is the front radiator apparently has a leak on the bottom tank and can be seen in the images.

 

The car has no identification numbers on the chassis. A bill of sale and purchase order describing the vehicle will be supplied along with pertinent information. If there is another form of ownership document need. please contact us before bidding or at least allow us to provide it if it is available. For more images send us your e-mail address and I will forward them on to you. The car is available for inspection 9-5. Monday through Friday at Automania. 895 SE Gladiola Drive. rants Pass. R 97526. 541 479 8888. Oregon Dealer DA1287.

 

If you do not have at least 10 positive feedbacks. please do not bid without contacting me first or your bid will be cancelled or blocked. We do not discuss reserve amounts unless the vehicle does not sell. This vehicle is available for sale at our retail place of business and we reserve the right to end this sale early if it is sold. Ebay has very strict rules about links to a separate site. If you look at the me feature on our feedback. it will refer you to more images of the vehicle being offered.

 

We accept collected funds only and for the amount of the sale. A $1000 deposit must be made within two days of the end of the sale through Paypal or other means of collected funds. We offer a 7 day grace period after this Ebay sale closes to inspect the vehicle yourself and if it is not to your liking. a full refund of the deposit will be made. There will be no questions asked. after your inspection at our shop. if you do not like the vehicle. Payment is due in full after 7 days.   The vehicle cannot be picked up until funds have cleared or prior arrangements have been completed. Shipping quotes should be from 97526 Grants Pass. regon to where you are. Please. do not use fly by night shippers. We try to offer clean vehicles honestly and to see some loon strapping a car to an open trailer with bald tires is heart breaking. I can assist the shippers. but that will have to be ordered and paid for by the winning bidder. We cannot accept personal checks. If you have any questions. please e-mail me before bidding and I will do everything I can to answer your questions. Thanks and good luck.

 

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE BIDDING: All items are sold as is. however if you have any problems with the transaction please contact me before leaving feedback and I will do what I can to make it right. I accept PayPal for a deposit only. Please. no personal checks. I leave feedback after receiving it.

 Additional Photos Warranty InformationThis vehicle is being sold as is. where is with no warranty. expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description. authenticity. genuineness. or defects herein. and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness. imperfection. defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle. and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgement solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle.  Terms & Conditions

We accept collected funds only and for the amount of the sale. A $1000 deposit must be made within two days of the end of the sale through Paypal or other means of collected funds. We offer a 7 day grace period after this Ebay sale closes to inspect the vehicle yourself and if it is not to your liking. a full refund of the deposit will be made. There will be no questions asked. after your inspection at our shop. if you do not like the vehicle. Payment is due in full after 7 days.   The vehicle cannot be picked up until funds have cleared or prior arrangements have been completed. Shipping quotes should be from 97526Grants Pass. regonto where you are. Please. do not use fly by night shippers. We try to offer clean vehicles honestly and to see some loon strapping a car to an open trailer with bald tires is heart breaking. I can assist the shippers. but that will have to be ordered and paid for by the winning bidder. We cannot accept personal checks. If you have any questions. please e-mail me before bidding and I will do everything I can to answer your questions. Thanks and good luck.



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On Jan-20-14 at 18:01:43 PST. seller added the following information:

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Comments and questions to the seller:

from Rock, dated 21 march 2015
Thank you

from Chris , dated 16 february 2015
Is the car still available .

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