1950 Austin

Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Manual

Other

Gasoline

Up for Sale from a Local California Collector is a World Famous 1950 Austin Dorset With a great deal of Race History! Here's how it all started!!! The car was purchased at Blondie Pilson's Yard. In Henry County in the Fairystone Park area by Jim Duncan of Bassett, Virginia in 1959. Jim Duncan started building the car, spending his time on a 1957 12 bolt Chevyrear end. (narrowed) with Mercury axles, cut and resplined with the Ford brakes. Before the engine was installed the car was sold to Ben and Coy Harmon of Bassett, Virginia. Coy Harmon took the engine and 4-speed transmission out of his 1959 Chevrolet, a 348 cu. in/ 280 horsepower with 3 x 2's and put it in the Austin. They ran it for awhile, later changing the rear endto a 5:12 geared Olds unit. (They kept twisting the axles in the original one) They ordered and installed an Isky cam, a dual point distributor out a 348 cu. in. / 335 horsepower engine and built a set of headers out of electrical conduit. They ran this engine until the Roanoke Drag Strip closed. They were the 'Little Eliminator' at the last race at the drag strip. They continued to race at Lynchburg; Lakeview (Henry Co,. VA); Piedmont and Farmington. (Both in North Carolina). After Roanoke, they replaced the first engine with a 409 cu. in. Chevy engine with an Isky cam and two four barrel carburetors. They later replaced the 2x4's with a Hilborne fuel injection unit that they purchased from William Mason, Mason's Speed Shop in Oak Level, Virginia. The hood scoop was added when they changed from carburetors to fuel injection. The original dash was replaced with an aluminum one when the clutch blew at Farmington. No one was hurt, but a homemade scatter schield was added. With the 409 they changed to a 1963 Chevrolet truck radiator; replaced the original gas tank in the trunk; and changed the Chevrolet shifter to a Hurst shifter. They always used the stock driver seat as their seat, took the headliner out and replaced it with a Confederate flag. The car was painted "North American Van Lines" blue since Ben worked in the body shop of the van lines in Martinsville, VA. Ben and Coy towed the Austin with (they had matching coupes) a 1938 Chevrolet coupe. (It was never flat towed). Ben Harmon was the driver and said that the car "Didn't carry the front end bad" and "It went straight". In 1972 the car was sold to Danny Boyd of Floyd and then later to Marshall James of Floyd, Virginia. The lettering was done by the art teacher of Floyd and a neew engine (the third) was installed. It was a 409 cu. in/ 425 horsepower Chevrolet engine. They used the Isky cam and Hilborne unit on this engine. Marshall James said that "The car carried the front end high" and that "the brakes weren't much. They raced the car at Farmington, North Carolina and Elk Creek in Grayson County, Virginia. After racing it for several years the engine and transmission were pulled out and the car was sold to Sonny Ray Hatcher of Floyd, Virginia. (Sonny Ray had quite a collection of old drag and oval track cars at one time- nothing is left). The car was sold came out West , now has a FRESH 348 TRI POWER, BUILT UP WITH A 4 SPEED TRANSMISSION! THIS CAR IS BEING SOLD WITH A BILL OF SALE, AND SOLD AS IS AND MUST BE PICKED UP 10 DAYS AFTER AUCTION THANKS!