Hit the California Jackpot!

You know what I’ve always wondered? Why we don’t see more contest cars. That is, cars won by entering some kind of contest back in the day. Flipping through old magazines, it seemed there was at least one car you could win in every issue, so if those contests were on the up and up, there’d be plenty of cars won in such a manner showing up at car shows and in car magazines.

Such as the 1951 Crosley Super Sports above, the October Crosley of the Month on the Crosley Automobile Club’s website. Owner Steve Gillie of Springboro, Ohio, didn’t win the car in a contest, but the Stewart family of Hamilton, Ohio, did, after entering a jingle contest sponsored by Mission Orange, a soft drink maker.

How Mission Orange chose a Crosley Super Sports as a prize, I dunno. Whether the Stewart family took possession of their five-acre California orange grove, I dunno (though it’d certainly be worth way more than the Crosley nowadays).

Know of any other contest-prize cars still out there?

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LTD Update

Although a freeze-out plug popped out of the block sometime during the winter, the LTD’s 302-cu.in. V-8 that I rebuilt last year is back on track, and is running nice and smooth with not a leak in sight. I only wished the variable venturi carb that I rebuilt functioned as well.

So on the advise of Hemmings Muscle Machine’s editor, Terry McGean, I bought a used, period-replacement carburetor. It’s a two-barrel Holley, with automatic choke, that’s set up specifically for the car’s AOD automatic transmission. After I purchased a rebuild kit, I discovered many little things wrong with the carb while rebuilding it, such as bent linkage arms, wrong fasteners and a clump of JB Weld to seal a leak on the bottom of the fuel bowl.

Because I want this full-frame station wagon to be my daily driver again, and want it to run as smooth, efficient and trouble free as possible, this way I can better use my free time working on my other restoration projects, I’ve decided to send the replacement carb to Holley and have it rebuilt professionally. Besides a thorough sonic cleaning and replacement of all the gaskets, diaphragms, power valves and needle/seat assemblies, it will also be tested on a flow bench to ensure that it conforms to the correct metering and air/fuel volume specifications. This service will cost me $332.50, and will take four weeks. As soon as I get the carb back and bolt it to the intake I’ll let you know if the rebuild was worth it.

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