24 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

Bill Wiswedel's grand daughter Gracie Jo learning to Hula Hoop her friend Morgan looking on

Every weekend after Labor Day in Western Michigan, Bill and Mary Jo Wiswedel have a great party for their friends and family. Bill owns a machine shop in Holland, Michigan. It is called Olive Engineering.

Bill Wiswedel also has a very large car collection which is on display. I am going to show some of the cars that came to this event yesterday.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 09 September 2012 - 15:05.

[Jerry Entin]

Pam Babbitt's 1962 Corvair Monza Spyder convertible nice Mini next to Corvair Monza

It has the 150 hp Turbo charged engine and can't be told from new. Car has 4 speed transmission

Edited by Jerry Entin, 09 September 2012 - 12:38.

[Jerry Entin]

Chef Chris Steele making hamburgers and hot dogs
Inside were all kinds of side dishes, desserts and various appetizers. Bill Wiswedel's wife Mary Jo also had her families secret Lemonade and ice tea, there also were plenty of soft drinks and beers and wines for the friends to enjoy

Edited by Jerry Entin, 09 September 2012 - 22:09.

[Jerry Entin]

A few of the street rods at the party

Very nice Austin Healey at Bill's party

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:23.

[Jerry Entin]

Lusso Ferrari with hood opened

Beautiful 1963 Ferrari Lusso Coupe of Art Burmeister of Sterling, Michigan
The Mustang next to it is a 1968 Shelby GT 500 of Vern Helder of Holland, Michigan

middle photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:10.

[Jerry Entin]

Punk DeBoer's Custom Ford truck with Hot Rod model on back Punk is from Grand Rapids, Michigan

Punk DeBoer's roadster and the model of it.

bottom picture: Mike Botsko

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:24.

[Jerry Entin]

Flathead Ford with tri power in Street Rod

Hemi powered street rod

Edited by Jerry Entin, 09 September 2012 - 06:40.

[uechtel]

Is he any relative to the German pre-war MG driver Arthur Wiswedel?

[Jerry Entin]

Sand Dune Cruiser
This machine was built by Andy Prins of Spectrum Fabrication of Holland, Michigan. It is Chevy powered.

Uechtel: Bill Wiswedel isn't related to the German race driver.

photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 11 September 2012 - 20:21.

[Jerry Entin]

Bill Wiswedel's Eisert Indy car
This car was known as the Harrison Special and is Chevy powered

Rear view of Harrison Special
This car was built for the 1965 Indy 500. Jerry Eisert was commissioned to build it for J Frank Harrison.
Drivers who tested it were Skip Hudson and Al Unser.
This car was converted by Jerry Eisert in later years to be one of the first F-5000 cars and Stew McMillen was the driver of it. It was raced in New Zealand by Dennis Marwood.


photos: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 11 September 2012 - 20:26.

[Jerry Entin]

Nice Hot rod Ford brought by member of the Relix hotrod club of Grand Rapids, Michigan


Pontiac powered Hotrod at Bill Wiswedel's party
Car is currently owned by Denny Lesky who is the owner of the Ionia Hotrod Shop.

Bill Waddill of Flint, Michigan was the original builder of this car and it ran at the 1958 NHRA National Drags in Oklahoma City were it ran in B/Gas with a 392 cu in Chrysler Hemi.


bottom photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:11.

[Jerry Entin]

AJ Foyt Coyote tub
This was a spare Tub built for the 1974 season in AJ Foyt's Houston, Texas shop. This car is a Bob Riley designed chassis. AJ Foyt ran a chassis similar to this one from 1973-1978 winning the Indy 500 in 1977.


photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 02:08.

[Jerry Entin]

Cecil Indy car
This car was a Brabham clone built in 1969 by Dick Cecil of the MVS Indy Team and it was originally run with a Turbo Ford with Ronnie Bucknum driving at Indy in 1970

It was then powered by a stock block Ford engine in 1974 and 1975. It was driven by Benny Rapp for Lloyd Gifford of Fort Wayne, Indiana.


photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 11 September 2012 - 20:41.

[Jerry Entin]

Moss 1/2 Midget Cushman powered
These cars ran in the early 60's

bottom photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:23.

[arttidesco]

That's a bewildering collection of vehicles you saw Jerry

[Jerry Entin]

Bombardier CanAm Spyder 3 wheeled Motorcycle and trailer
This machine belongs to Scott and Nancy VanLeeuwen
Scott is Bill Wiswedel's wife Mary Jo's cousin, they rode this motorcycle from Battle Creek, Michigan and back. They are regulars at the end of summer party and my wife Carmen had a great time talking with Nancy VanLeeuwen.

RJ: As they say you have seen nothing yet. The food and drinks and just being with other car enthusiast is hard to capture on a post. Bill has several more Indy cars and I am going to show them soon.


photo: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 16:31.

[Jerry Entin]

Lotus 7 clone of Josh Fisher
This car has a 900cc Honda motorcycle engine and is used for Autocross competitions.


1928 Ford Hotrod and Mini and Corvair convertible
The black Ford is a 1928 Ford Model A with a dual carb 4 cylinder engine. This was considered an early hotrod it is owned by Bill Wiswedel.

The two fellows next to the 1928 Ford are Carl and Jack Heideman and they brought their right hand drive Mini to the event

photos: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 16:42.

[Jerry Entin]

Chopped Model T Hotrod

Chopped rod top
This car is owned by Mike Boerema who owns the Gas Axe Garage in Grand Rapids. Mike is over 6 feet tall and gets into this car.

photos: Gail Wiswedel

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 16:55.

[Jerry Entin]

Bill Wiswedel's 1982 Indy car
This car took the best features of the Eagle and the Penske PC 9 and was Chevy powered. It was designed by Pete Swingler and built by Jackie Howerton in Indy for Gary Irvan to drive.

photo: Mike Botsko

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:44.

[Jerry Entin]

Bill Wiswedel's 1970 Coyote Indy car
This car was originally driven by AJ Foyt in the 1970 Indy 500 were it qualified on the front row
This car was driven by Lee Brayton in 1972 and it was Ford Indy DOHC powered.

The engine has been freshend by Walter Goodwin and the car is waiting to be finishined.


photo: Mike Botsko

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 16:47.

[Jerry Entin]

Bill Wiswedel's 1970 M 15 McLaren Indy car
This car was driven in 1970 by Peter Revson who was replacing Denis Hulme after he was burnt in practice. The entrant was Team McLaren. It was Turbo Offy powered. Engine by George Bolthoff


photo: Mike Botsko

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 23:31.

[Jerry Entin]

Buck Boudeman's Flathead Ford powered Hotrod
Buck also owns the Blue Crown Indy car and the Novi and has brought them to the Goodwood Festival in the past.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 September 2012 - 04:42.

[Jerry Entin]

Ray Bell next to Bill Wiswedel's dragster
Forum member Ray Bell stopped by Bill Wiswedel's shop on his way to seeing his son in the Indy area.

[Ray Bell]

But I missed the party, Jerry...

How bad can my timing be?

No sign of this one while we're there, is there?



...or this one?



A great little collection at Bill's...

[Jerry Entin]

The Tub standing up is a March Formula 5000 tub. It is stamped 73A/1 and is believed to be the tub from the car John Gunn ran in 1973.
The other Tub is a 1983 Wildcat #004 which was run at Indy by Patrick Racing. The driver in 1983 was Chip Ganassi, he finished a very creditable 8th in the race. It was Cosworth Turbo powered. They also called these Chassis Mk 9's.