Chassis 8980366
 

• Featured on the cover of Hop Up Magazine in September 1952
• Shown at the 1950 Oakland Grand National Roadster Show
• Achieved multiple speed records in period, including 152mph at Bonneville
• Driven by hot rod legends Jazzy Nelson, Lee Titus, Dean Moon, and Chuck Sarno
• Restored by Sarno in 1999, in a private collection since 2008
• Class winner at the 50th anniversary Grand National Roadster show in 1999
   

The early days of hot rodding were bursting with creativity and ingenuity, and Southern California happened to be a particularly fertile source of innovation. On the vast and open dry lakebeds like El Mirage, hot rodders quickly learned that you needed more than just power to go as fast as possible, giving rise to a breed of low-slung streamliners known as “Lakesters.” Many car builders had flown during the war and learned a thing or two about aerodynamic advantage. One of the earliest examples of a streamlined Lakester appeared on the cover of the very first issue of Hot Rod magazine, in January 1948. The cover photo depicted the heavily modified 1927 Model T of Reg Schlemmer, equipped with full belly pans, a streamlined radiator shell, and with a body deeply channeled and set way down low on the chassis to minimize its aero profile.

Groups such as the Southern California Timing Association and California Roadster Association sprang up to organize competition among car builders and drivers, and rapidly, Hot Rodding grew into one of the most popular sports/sub-cultures in America. Cars were raced hard, constantly evolving as the latest parts were developed, and their experimental nature meant many were crashed or sacrificed for parts for the next project. As such, very few Lakesters survive in their original configuration, if they survive at all.

An extremely rare and spectacular example of an authentic early Lakester is this 1927 Model T, known as the “Jazzy” Nelson Special. In 1946, hot rodder Jim “Jazzy” Nelson and his brother Paul began work on this car from their home in Culver City, California. The Nelson brothers campaigned the roadster at the dry lakes in 1948 and 1949, with the Mojave Timing Association, achieving a B Roadster record of 141.06 miles per hour, allowing them to display the coveted number 1 for the ’48 and ’49 seasons. The brothers also entered the car in the first two Oakland Grand National Roadster Shows in 1949 and 1950, earning class prizes there. In 1950, Jim entered the T Roadster in the third annual National Hot Rod and Motors Sports Show in Los Angeles – and it also had the distinction of being the event program cover car.

By late 1950, this was a famous and well-respected car in California, and Jazzy sold it Lee Titus, owner of the famous Lee’s Speed Shop in Santa Monica. Titus built a fresh 296 cid flathead for the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1951, achieving a top speed of 151mph. Dean Moon, founder of Moon Equipment, took the helm and squeezed a bit more out of it, hitting 152mph, and marking the first time the legend Dean Moon topped 150mph at Bonneville.

In September of 1952, the Model T was featured on the cover of Hop Up magazine, with Lee Titus at the wheel. In 1954, Titus sold the Jazzy Special to Palms Garage in Palms, California, and it was campaigned on their behalf by Chuck Sarno at El Mirage Dry Lakes, and the Sand Fernando Drag strip. It remained with the Palms Garage until 1963, when Chuck Sarno, a lifelong fan of Jazzy Nelson’s cars, purchased it for himself for $250. The Jazzy Special was restored by Sarno in 1999 on behalf of the previous owner, who then sold it at auction in 2008. It has been in the same private collection ever since.

The wonderful detailing reflects Sarno’s experience with the car in period. Power comes from a bored and stroked flathead displacing approximately 276 cubic inches, equipped with a 3/4 cam, Edelbrock heads, and triple Stromberg carburetors. Fabulous period-correct touches include curved glass Stewart Warner dials, and center-mounted Bell Auto Parts steering wheel. The chassis features a Mor Drop front axle and a “Culver City” Halibrand quick-change rear end, with 1940 Ford axle bells. Kelsey-Hayes 16-inch bent-spoke wheels wear chrome trim rings and period correct Firestone “Ascot Block” rear tires.

Authentic hot rods and lakesters are finally recognized for their historic significance in American motoring history, with ample opportunities for collectors to show and drive them in concours and revival races. Possessing a rich provenance with legends Jim “Jazzy” Nelson, Lee Titus, Dean Moon, and Chuck Sarno, this wonderfully restored, record-setting Lakester beautifully demonstrates the creativity and engineering prowess that flourished in hot rodding’s formative days.