Marsh Runyon’s 1928 Ford Roadster
While attending Valley Nationals, a classic car and hotrod event located in Central Valley of California, I saw a Model A Roadster. The Roadster not only caught my attention, but it also drew me into wanting to find out more about it.
On the front clip of the car was painted 2009 Bonneville Record 153.688; below that was 2011 El Mirage 151.634. As I walked around the car, there were stickers from Bonneville Speed Week 2007 thru 2018, and on the inside, there were five metal timing tags. Two of the tags were from El Mirage dry lake speed races, and three were from the Bonneville Salt Flats.
As I continued to walk around the Roadster, I saw the names of people painted on the car and stickers located throughout the vehicle. It was clear that they meant a lot to the owner.
It got me wondering about this car and the owner of this incredible-looking Roadster. However, I didn't see the owner around to ask him about it at the time. I finally got to meet Marsh Runyon at another event in the Central Valley. Marsh was the owner of the Model A Roadster that caught my attention almost two years earlier.
After talking with Marsh, he invited me over to his shop next to his home. As you walk in, you quickly realize that Marsh was not only into hotrods. It turns out that he has been racing motorcycle dirt bikes for most of his life and building bikes as well.
As we walked around his shop, Marsh told me about the many photos on the walls. The images were from his motorcycle racing days. Most of the pictures were of him, his friends, and their motorcycles.
One of the photos that we came across was of Marsh racing on his bike. Marsh points to the photo. He says, "in that one, I was 70 years old when I won the heat and the main in Peoria IL on my 1947 Knuckle Head" Marsh raced lots of different bikes but mainly was known for racing Harleys.
Another photo that Marsh took me over to see was a photo of his grandson on a 50cc motorcycle. His grandson was four years old, and now he is 31 and is still racing motorcycles.
Marsh has been building and racing motorcycles throughout his life. Shortly after the race in Peoria, IL, Marsh decided to quit racing motorcycles. With help from his close friends, he began building a race car. He always had hotrods and liked the Model A, so he collected the needed parts. The frame tubing was purchased from Consolidated Metals and welded up by Daniel Skuken. The Roadster has a 114" wheelbase and the body built by Poli-Form in Watsonville, CA.
Marsh went with a 1947 GMC 302 inline-six engine that came out of an old truck. He tells me that his dad and his dad's long-time friend Tony Waters (another name painted on Marshes car) were into Jimmy's. They were a significant influence on why Marsh likes the GMC engine. Without a doubt, this 302 inline-six sounds excellent, and when Marsh fires it up at an event, you will quickly get a crowd around the car to check it out.
The Roadster has five Stromberg carburetors, and Joe Boghosian designed cam, Jasper 4 speed transmission with racing gears. It also has a dry-sump oil system; a four-gallon oil tank located behind the seat. Oil is pumped up from the tank to lessen the oil sitting in the pan and dragging down the crankshaft.
Marsh got the Model A body originally painted black in November of 2006 and was out racing it at the next Bonneville Land Speed event in 2007. After coming back from that first event, Marsh took the car back apart and painted it a perfect shade of orange as it is now.
Marshes car numbered 2257. The numbers come from his motorcycle racing days. His race number was 22, and Marsh's childhood friend and race buddy Digger Helm's number was 57, and that's why Marsh had chosen 2257 for his Model A Roadster. Marsh helped Digger with his motorcycle's and Digger helped Marsh with his car.
On the rear 1/4 is painted XO/STR, which designates the race class Marshes car raced in. All the cars, bikes, and everything else that races out at El Mirage and Bonneville has the race class destination on the vehicle. It can tell you a lot about the vehicle, like the XO/STR on Marshes Roadster; XO designates the vintage inline-six engine with the stock head, and STR is for street class. If Marsh puts on a Wayne 12-port head like the one sitting on his workbench, it would be an XXO engine class.
Marsh had to have the rear fenders on the car to run in the street class. Since Marsh no longer races the Roadster at El Mirage or Bonneville, he removed the rear fenders for a more traditional hotrod look. Marsh also removed the hood scoop to show those Stromberg carbs. Marsh installed an additional seat as the car initially had one seat while racing. He also replaced the small roll cage mounted in the vehicle's interior for racing to a roll bar that he moved farther back so he could have a little more room on the inside.
In 2010 Marshes 153.688 Bonneville record was surpassed by less than 1 MPH at 154.274; that record still stands today. However, at El Mirage in 2011, his record run 151.634 didn't get in the official El Mirage record book. You need a minimum of 155 MPH in the XO/STR race class to get into the official record book at El Mirage. As of now, no car has made it into the official record book in the XO/STR class at El Mirage.
They have been racing on the El Mirage dry lake bed for over 50 years. To run at El Mirage, you need to be a member of one of the 11 SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) member clubs or as guest. Marsh belongs to Milers SCTA club. Marsh is also a member of Fresno's Pan Draggers car club in the Central Valley.
Marsh plans on taking his Roadster to the Hotrod Dirt Drags. You can also see his Roadster at events throughout the Central Valley. Marsh also has a 1929 Model A Roadster with a 351 Windsor that he likes to drive and take too events. He is also building another GMC 302 Inline-six that will get that Wayne 12 port head sitting on his bench. Let's hope we see the engine in another roadster or maybe a coupe this time.
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Check out blog post El Mirage Land Speed Races it’s all about speed
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