Thread by @iowahawkblog

A happy #DavesCarIDService 100th birthday of Chicago's Andy Granatelli (1923-2013), aka Mister 500. Best known as CEO & tireless promoter of STP oil treatment, whose logo was everywhere in 60s & 70s (and later lifted as logo of Stone Temple Pilots).

The #40 car there is the 1967 STP Parnelli Jones gas turbine Indy car. While "Mr 500," Indy was a bad luck story for Granatelli. His own driving career ended there in 1948 when he crashed his Grancor Special Miller in qualifying. As owner, his cars often lost leads in late laps.

After 2 decades of snake-bitten *almosts*, Granatelli finally got his only win at Indy in 1969 via Mario Andretti. So overjoyed was he at the victory, he beat the trophy girl to Gasoline Alley to famously plant a big fat kiss on Mario.

But his real talent was as an entrepreneur & showman. In the 40s and 50s he promoted jalopy races at Chicago's Soldier Field, with pro wrasslin' style scripted crashes and ambulances ejecting dummy "injured drivers." Promoted a NASCAR race there in 1956.

He also had his own oval speedway on the South Side. Before becoming a household name as STP head honcho, he founded Grancor (Granatelli Corp.) to manufacture aluminum heads and manifolds for V8 Fords, which are quite pricy and collectible today.

but enough of my biographical jibber-jabber, time to move on to the car mysteries. Before submitting an ID request, please recite the pledge (and seriously folks, you don't have to tag me with every stupid car pic you see on the internet).

Stocks! Bombers! Midgets! Old family hot rods & race cars always jump to head of the line in my ID to-dos. I can tell you these vintage New England speed demons' car had a 1933-34 Pontiac 5w coupe body, but motor is hopped up Model A/B Ford.

https://twitter.com/fierybraille/status/1635049194640805890

Some spectacular Kodachome color here; you look eager to graduate to big bro's long pants & bow tie, and big brother ready to graduate to Dad's silk necktie & cigarette. Pic would have to be late 1961, car is 1962 Ford Fairlane 500.

https://twitter.com/ffinlay/status/1634603980578779136

Yessir, long before I-35 went through town these old timey Hawkeyes hit the road in a 1912 Mitchell Model 5-6. Ring the first time car make ID bell! And yep, right side steering was still kind of the standard on US cars up to ~1915.

https://twitter.com/HaydenLincoln76/status/1634336749424898048

I've mentioned it before, but most all US cars were right hand steering up to that point, but the Ford Model T (introed 1908) changed the standard to left. By 1918 or so, pretty much all US cars were left hand steering.

Juuuust enough to tell you that Great Gramps was holding a baby and a lung dart in front of a 1949-50 Pontiac Silver Streak 4 door sedan.

https://twitter.com/FederalDebt/status/1632825700787920898

Not 100% sure here, but I think this old timey old timer (according to FB link, a Wisconsinite born in Germany in 1824) is standing by a 1911-14 Case, made in nearby Racine. Quite possibly the oldest person ever to appear in my ID requests.

https://twitter.com/_michaelcurry_/status/1632455790110834691

*dude has some real Led Zeppelin IV energy

Now that there's an amazing family story! Dr. Dad saved Tojo from a botched ritual seppuku after he arrived at the hospital in (I will ask @Harry_Bergeron for confirmation) in a ~1935 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grand Pullman limo.

https://twitter.com/RobertGarren/status/1632441471755341829

And another amazing family treasure here - already pre-ID'd, but Mr Cooke the Elder's patented suspension here is a clever "plunger" style that would appear on British & German motorcyles after WW2. I assume the photo is in Old Blighty.

https://twitter.com/SimonMagus/status/1632428174653923328

Who needs a tractor when you've got a 1937 Chevy sedan? Would also note that the farm wagon rests on a repurposed Ford Model A chassis. My own grandpa converted a few junk Model T & A Ford chassis into hay baling racks.

https://twitter.com/BLMTTT/status/1632411208119713794

Grampa's car was a 1949 Plymouth Deluxe evidenced by its unmistakable 3-rib bumper, beloved of 1950s lead sled customizers. Probably brand new here, as I thiiink wearing 1949 New Jersey plates.

https://twitter.com/StarxScott/status/1632394392681189377

Not 100% sure, but I believe Peter Koch (please suppress your giggles) picked his pecks of produce in a circa 1914-15 REO Speed Wagon Model J c-cab.

https://twitter.com/JosephFKoch/status/1632390578028814337

*for those of you who do not speak old timey farmer, there are 8 dry quarts in a peck, and 4 pecks in a dry bushel.

Also, a rod is 5.5 yards, and there are 320 rods in a mile.

A splendid shot here; RIP Pops & Grandpa, giving the royal treatment to Sgt. Unk's car while he's home on leave. It took some serious deliberations here, but I believe the car is itself royal - specifically a 1937 Chrysler Royal sedan.

https://twitter.com/TbrdDog/status/1632390058945699841

File this one under Souvenir County Fair or Carnival Photo - these lovely ladies I believe are sitting in a circa 1905 "tulip body" Pope-Toledo touring car, inside a photographer's tent or studio.

https://twitter.com/NewYorkGuy212/status/1632035505717035009

Austin, smackdab in the center of Nevada, and one of the few outposts on America's Loneliest Road, US 50. The cowhands here are gathered 'round a 37 Studebaker Commander, off to left is a 37-38 Dodge.

https://twitter.com/ajwimsatt/status/1631995483290845189

Yessiree, US 50 is a speeder's paradise.

By the way, the Levi's sign on Hogan's Dry Goods store makes me wonder if there might be some denim gold in abandoned mines near town. This pair of 1880s Levi's found in a mineshaft in NM auctioned for $76,000, the most expensive blue jeans ever.

Look at that whopper! Better invite the whole town to the catfish fry tonight.

Pretty sure the car with the "V" in rear window is a circa 1920 Velie, and to the right a circa 1920 Chevy 490.

https://twitter.com/tmweber425/status/1631867809754906628

Boy howdy, I love car-chitecture ID requests that include both a swell car and a swell house, like this impressive Craftsman style. Little Gramps is rarin' to go behind the wheel of a 1908ish Buick Model F.

https://twitter.com/Iron_Mongery/status/1631715815862018061

I think little Dad In-Law is holding some sort of souvenir Native American action figure. Would be sort of appropriate as he's perched on a '39 Pontiac, with its Indian head hood ornament. Among car geeks old Pontiacs are fondly referred to as Tin Indians.

https://twitter.com/hedcannon/status/1631368194773377044

Don't know if that's the Chattahoochee Bridge, but this photo really made me think of "Ode To Billy Joe." Casually dressed Sheriff Great Grandpa is crossing it in a 1925 Essex Six sedan.

https://twitter.com/uncleporter14/status/1631067048179642368

Several of you passed along this terrific pic from our ol' pal @TracesofTexas. Vehicle here started off as 1963-68 Jeep Gladiator pickup, then custom bodied for hunting. Per the various fashions I'd guess the photo is circa 1969-72.

https://twitter.com/TracesofTexas/status/1636552935705280512

Yes indeedy, the Dick Special was a semi-cut up 1958 Ford Fairlane Club sedan, and it's packing a FE (Ford Edsel) V8, Ford's big block that debuted in 1958.

https://twitter.com/swizze_gfrank/status/1634698082523791360

Daylight's burning, so time to knock off a few quick wilderness & street finds:

RIP Frank, whose hot rod body & grill are 1934 Chevy cabriolet, but with a Ford flathead V8 & 1940 Ford steering wheel.

https://twitter.com/jmartinmcc/status/1634648288384122881

Surprise! Not a Jeep at all, but a 1951-67 Dodge M37 Power Wagon.

https://twitter.com/jrd02666/status/1634517433032626178

1951-52 Chevy passenger car (dashboards are the dental records of car corpse forensics)

https://twitter.com/ScottRo303/status/1632607217093337088

1947-48 Frazier Manhattan.

https://twitter.com/hillbillydaddy/status/1632456381407301632

the ol' Galena hook & ladder truck is a 1947-53 Chevy.

https://twitter.com/LarryWoods/status/1630048844330180608

1. 1969 Chevy Corvette
2. 1955 Chevy Bel Air
3. 1968 Ford Mustang

https://twitter.com/BeauGeste11/status/1629883010593030147

1938-39 Lincoln Zephyr coupe, but pretty sure a fiberglass replica thereof

https://twitter.com/AbbeHoggan/status/1636942328811376640

Even covered in barnacles and seaweed I can spot a 1917-24 Ford Model T.

https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/1635696911331074048

That's it for me today folks, but I will leave you with Andy Granatelli demonstrating the virtues of STP to Sumo champ Jesse Takamiyama.

Until tomorrow, Happy Motoring!