OE153 - period photos

These superb period photos were kindly supplied by the new US owner of OE153, Chip Wright.

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The story of the 'Drainpipe Special' (the short version)

OE 221 started life in 1924 as a Velox bodied 30-98, owned by JJ Leahy, but was written off after crashing at the Bathurst Blayney Road. Bill Chadwick, a founder member of the VSCC of Australia & foundation President of the Bathurst Light Car Club, bought the remains & created the Drain Pipe Special. He built a new chassis along the lines of the Maybach special, and used the car in competition club events, hill climbs etc in the Bathurst area & Mount Panorama during the 1950s. 
Jumbo Goddard, a well known competitor, persuaded Bill to sell him the car & later commissioned a change to a V8 Hispano Suiza aircraft engine to enable him to set a vintage speed record. Unfortunately, he died before it was finished. The remaining parts were bought by Fred Hemmings who rebuilt it back to its original Drain Pipe Special spec:

4 inch tubular chassis along the lines of the Maybach special with torsion bar front suspension & 1/4 elliptics on the rear.
Crank case is a D type modified to 30-98 spec with 4 bolt centre main. Cylinder head, block, camshaft, followers, crankshaft, inlet manifold etc are all 30-98. 4 branch exhaust manifold as fitted by Bill Chadwick & lightened flywheel with Borg & Beck clutch.
30-98 handbrake now works on transmission. Gearbox fitted with high ratio constant mesh gears & rear axle is fitted 3.31 CW&P. 
​Brakes are finned alloy Fiat 519. At present the car is converted to road use & used regularly.
Anne and Richard Harris Feb'21