OHV for Model A engine

[Jim Brierley]

Ken, you sure that is a Cook? The casting looks right but never saw one with that cover or 4-bolt header. What are the rocker arms?

 

[kenparker]

Jim, I can't prove it. I would not know a Cook from a Chef. All we know is what the previous owner said. Car came out of CA. and if I understand Gary (current owner) the car was built in Oregon in the '90"s.

 

[Offy 220]

Bill LaRosa is still around and active, restoring his engines, etc. Mike still lives at home and together they make the necessary castings, etc., to complete the engines. You should see hi collection now!

Thanks Jim! Glad to hear Bill is still active! He worked with my dad at American Pipe & Construction years ago. I am guessing he is around 90+ years old! I need to look him up and check out his collection. I went with him and my dad to Wes Cooper and Kong Jackson's shop and was amazed at all of the 4 bangers. There was also another shop we went to and whoever he was he was adding counterweights to A cranks - I can't remember who that was! One other time we went to see Joe Gemsa at his shop in El Monte and years later I used to sit next to him at our WRA meetings in the Bunker at Burbank airport in the mid '80's.
Thanks for the update,
Bruce

 

[hardtimes]

HardTimes,
Years ago my dad worked with an older mechanic [they were both the same age] his name was Bill LaRosa [or Rosie] and his son Mike worked for the Ford plant in Pico Rivera.
I remember going to his house as a youngster and he had 4 bangers and OHV heads stacked in his garage. He also had a pre WW2 sprint car with a 4 port Riley. He didn't care too much for Strombergs but like a lot of the older generation he had a liking for Winfield carburators. Do you know if he is still around or what has happened to his 4 bangers and other rare equipment he had? I think he had about every "rare" head made back before the war.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

Hey Bruce,
I''ve only heard guys (like you) talk of Bill LaRosa. I've read different pieces written with his name involved. Would be nice to visit with him and to have him explain all of the 'stuff' that he was involved with.
Talking sprint car, the old racer who I mentioned that was visiting, ask me to keep an eye out for a sprint car body/frame for him to build/work. Guess the 'fire' in the belly never goes out while alive, eh !
I found him one possible, but turned out to be 'cardboard' body as the original alum melted everything down to a puddle in a fire during a race(circa 40). Darn near brought a tear to my eye, as the original 4 port riley and winfields were also ruined.

 

[hardtimes]

Typical old farts,

They are worse than top choppers of pristine bodies..

When they die, they THINK their junk will end up in a museum.

In reality, it will go in a skip bin (dumpster to you Yanks) for sure.

If you cannot or will not use when you are alive, then spread it around to us who care about it now in the present....

In 30 years our fossil fuelled cars will be banned,

All electric.....we will all be dead, and the Model A will be but a memory.

Hey pooch,
Dismal painted outlook, but most likely correct.
'30 years'...whoohoo ! That is good news and about all the time that I'll need to get this sickness out of my system
Hey, I do not begrudge any of them hoarders/collectors, what they have accululated thur hard work and love of the 'sport !
I just happen to agree with you about keeping the love for this stuff alive by its continued use. However, I've missed my share of chances of acquiring, for want of more $ !

 

[Jim Brierley]

Offy 220, So you met Gemsa's 'junk yard dogs' !!!

 

[Offy 220]

Offy 220, So you met Gemsa's 'junk yard dogs' !!!

Hi Jim, yes I did! I was amazed at the work he produced from his small shop on his property. If I remember correctly it was a shipping container or something similar, dogs running around and a white picket fence around his property. He owned a "big car" Kurtis that ran a 270 Offy and I believe it was also used in a movie. I think his place was on Rush St. in El Monte and its been close to 40 years since I was there. Jim, do you have any idea what happened to his machinery and his cylinder heads?

Since we are talking about these older pioneers in 4 bangers, what happened to Wes Cooper's Crager dragster? Kong Jackson was a character also and I remember seeing him at Tom Hutchinson's shop while I was picked up some 59a parts for the 3/8 X 3/8 Mercury I was putting together for my 40 coupe. I was just a youngster back then and I had a lot of respect for all of them.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

 

[Jim Brierley]

Gemsa's place was on Rush, good memory! Don't know what happened to his stuff. I heard that when his daughter went to the foundry to get his patterns after he passed, she was given a big box of stuff, when she opened it, it was full of broken concrete! Fitting end for a guy that screwed a lot of people! I think Coopers dragster was gone long before he passed? Don't know any history on it. When Cooper passed, his stuff disappeared in a matter of days! Guys were there as his services were being held! He had a daughter in Australia, and was a nice person. Some of the important stuff went to friends, but a lot of it just disappeared.

 

[DougVieyra]

What is all the hoopla about OHV heads on a Four-banger ?
Without any hassle or heart-break looking for esoteric parts, I continue to run my factory-stock OHV on my 4-cylinder 1928 Chevrolet !
Runs like a scalded dog - beats the hell out of a Velie, Dort, Erskine, etc.

 

[Offy 220]

Gemsa's place was on Rush, good memory! Don't know what happened to his stuff. I heard that when his daughter went to the foundry to get his patterns after he passed, she was given a big box of stuff, when she opened it, it was full of broken concrete! Fitting end for a guy that screwed a lot of people! I think Coopers dragster was gone long before he passed? Don't know any history on it. When Cooper passed, his stuff disappeared in a matter of days! Guys were there as his services were being held! He had a daughter in Australia, and was a nice person. Some of the important stuff went to friends, but a lot of it just disappeared.

Thanks Jim. My dad didn't have much to say about Gemsa and I always wondered about his reputation - I was impressed with what he was able to produce in his small crowded shop! Too bad his patterns are not accounted for and possibly they may show up some day. I think there is a thread on the HAMB about someone recently finding one of his cylinder heads still in a crate.

Mark Dee's "Miller Dynasty" has a chapter dealing with the development of the Miller - Schofield [Cragar] cylinder head and has a photo of Cooper's dragster. I can remember seeing it run at the original Irwindale or OC dragstrip at the
Antique Nationals. Sorry to hear what happened to his stuff also - do you know if Kong passed away before he did? This makes me rethink about all the stuff [family might think it is "junk" or scrap] we have collected thoughout the years and what will happen to it after we are gone!

 

[hardtimes]

Hey Bruce,
I wonder if anyone would have information on how many DIFFERENT Gemsa heads were made ?
Seems like a ton of different type Gemsa heads...and other equipment. Are you saying that this guy did it all in a 'trailer' type shed , machining all instead of castings ?
I was just at a swap meet a week ago and a guy I know has a Gemsa OHV head/intake , etc on a Donovan block set up..very powerful coupe !!

 

[waxhead]

Nice looking setup. Any more pics Rick??

 

[hardtimes]

Nice looking setup. Any more pics Rick??

Here's one more of the coupe that this engine is in.

 

[Offy 220]

Hey Bruce,
I wonder if anyone would have information on how many DIFFERENT Gemsa heads were made ?
Seems like a ton of different type Gemsa heads...and other equipment. Are you saying that this guy did it all in a 'trailer' type shed , machining all instead of castings ?
I was just at a swap meet a week ago and a guy I know has a Gemsa OHV head/intake , etc on a Donovan block set up..very powerful coupe !!

Hi Rick,
Great question! I know some of Gemsa's cylinder heads were stamped but I am not sure if it they were serial numbered and dated. Maybe someone on here or on the HAMB would know. Yes, as Jim B. stated, his heads were cast at a foundry or may have been machined from a solid block or billet.

I remember he had a large milling machine [may have been a Bridgeport or something similar], a large surfacer and in the back he had a 'clean' area to assemble engines. I know he assembled at least one 270 Offenhauser which was done for Bob Anderson and his A pickup and also he put together a 255 or 270 for Louie Senter and his T track roadster. How many modified "A" four bangers I don't know. Hopefully someone would know an answer or details. As I stated earler, I used to sit next to him at our WRA meetings at the Burbank airport bunker once a month and I never thought to ask him questions about his heads or machine work. I remember he was arguing about using Gasoline instead of Methanol and also disconnecting front brakes on our sprint cars because some of the drivers would stand on the pedal deep into the corners and rely on their front brakes to slow them down while they pitched 'em sideways! I am wondering if his daughter is still with us - maybe she could answer our questions!

 

[hardtimes]

Hi Rick,
Great question! I know some of Gemsa's cylinder heads were stamped but I am not sure if it they were serial numbered and dated. Maybe someone on here or on the HAMB would know. Yes, as Jim B. stated, his heads were cast at a foundry or may have been machined from a solid block or billet.

I remember he had a large milling machine [may have been a Bridgeport or something similar], a large surfacer and in the back he had a 'clean' area to assemble engines. I know he assembled at least one 270 Offenhauser which was done for Bob Anderson and his A pickup and also he put together a 255 or 270 for Louie Senter and his T track roadster. How many modified "A" four bangers I don't know. Hopefully someone would know an answer or details. As I stated earler, I used to sit next to him at our WRA meetings at the Burbank airport bunker once a month and I never thought to ask him questions about his heads or machine work. I remember he was arguing about using Gasoline instead of Methanol and also disconnecting front brakes on our sprint cars because some of the drivers would stand on the pedal deep into the corners and rely on their front brakes to slow them down while they pitched 'em sideways! I am wondering if his daughter is still with us - maybe she could answer our questions!

Hey Bruce,
All of the Gemsa heads that I've ever seen (flathead/OHV) were marked something like: experimental head / #*** / and date made.
The coupe that I've shown above has that type stamping.
I've often wondered upon seeing the words 'experimental head', if he only made one off or whether they all were experimental !
Almost bought a Gemsa head/intake last year(from Ohio?) that ran at Bonneville two years ago. It was similarly stamped. I think that I have pics somewhere in this new fangled machine. He, the racer, said that with the injector setup on this crossflow, that 'they' could only get near 140...and that wasn't good enough. Gemsa seemed to be a prolific producer of stuff.

 

[mngreen]

I have one of Wes Cooper's engines in my cabriolet.

 

[Offy 220]

Mngreen,
Did you have Wes Cooper go through your engine or did you purchase it after he passed away? Do you know any details of the engine's internals? I can't tell from the photo but are you running a Winfield? I remember Mr. Cooper always pushing to use a Winfield instead of a Stromberg downdraft. I bet your Cabriolet moves pretty good down the highway! I wouldn't think too many could say they have a Cooper four banger!
Thanks for posting the pic!
Bruce [Offy 220]

 

[mngreen]

Mngreen,
Did you have Wes Cooper go through your engine or did you purchase it after he passed away? Do you know any details of the engine's internals? I can't tell from the photo but are you running a Winfield? I remember Mr. Cooper always pushing to use a Winfield instead of a Stromberg downdraft. I bet your Cabriolet moves pretty good down the highway! I wouldn't think too many could say they have a Cooper four banger!
Thanks for posting the pic!
Bruce [Offy 220]

I am the third owner of this vehicle (since 1978). The second owner purchased the engine from Mr. Cooper while he was alive in the early 1970's. I have never dropped the pan to confirm, but I believe it was plumbed for pressure to the mains on the B block. It had the Cragar and Stromberg 97 on it since acquired. It may have an Iskedarian cam, but not sure. As for speed, it can only go as fast as the stock A ****** and rear end will let it!

 

[hardtimes]

Mngreen,
Did you have Wes Cooper go through your engine or did you purchase it after he passed away? Do you know any details of the engine's internals? I can't tell from the photo but are you running a Winfield? I remember Mr. Cooper always pushing to use a Winfield instead of a Stromberg downdraft. I bet your Cabriolet moves pretty good down the highway! I wouldn't think too many could say they have a Cooper four banger!
Thanks for posting the pic!
Bruce [Offy 220]

Hey Bruce,
I located the Gemsa head that I mentioned above from back east. Thot that you might like to see these. Kinda wish that I'd have gotten that head now. Hey , the injection and headers seen all came with !

mngreen...ford's improvement of the B block over the A, was oiling of the mains.

 

[johnneilson]

Hey Bruce,
I located the Gemsa head that I mentioned above from back east. Thot that you might like to see these. Kinda wish that I'd have gotten that head now. Hey , the injection and headers seen all came with !

mngreen...ford's improvement of the B block over the A, was oiling of the mains.

The "B" block oiling was only a small part of the improvement over the "A".
Even this was not true pressurized oiling as the galley was not closed completely to maintain pressure.

J