TheSamba.com :: View topic - Denzel racer photograph from a race in 1958 any interest?

Mon Dec 28, 2015 8:06 pm

I was given a picture of what I believe is a Denzel race car. I was told by the
gentleman that gave it to me that he was the driver and his family had no interest in it so he gave it to me after
learning that I loved the VW hobby. This was 17 years ago and I'm only going on memory from what he told me.
I'll get it out and look at it tomorrow to see what number is on the car and if it is still around

Mon Dec 28, 2015 8:33 pm

Yes please share !

Tue Dec 29, 2015 10:38 am

All the Denzels that were delivered to the US are still known today. Most of them has race history,

I am very curious of which one you have pictures. Please share

Patrick

Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:46 pm

These three views come from the same photograph. It looks like a 5X7"
The gentleman that gave it to me said he drove the car. I believe he said his name was Bill and he was in his 70s at the time around 1997

Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:30 pm

Nice picture.

It is the last style denzel build. (bodynumber > 153) with the bigger doors.
It is also not a small denzel.

My guess is that this is the DK-157,

Wed Dec 30, 2015 2:17 pm

This picture has a lot of activity. Photographer on the right. Judges behind the car. Owners talking to the driver. It is a shame I didn't ask more questions and wrote down the information

Wed Dec 30, 2015 2:24 pm

How about posting the whole pic?

Wed Dec 30, 2015 8:10 pm

The original image is much sharper, but you get the idea. Great subject matter

Wed Dec 30, 2015 8:14 pm

pbaptist wrote: Nice picture.

It is the last style denzel build. (bodynumber > 153) with the bigger doors.
It is also not a small denzel.

My guess is that this is the DK-157,

Interesting detective work. I really wish I had asked more questions of the older gent back then, but I was young

Wed Dec 30, 2015 8:35 pm

what are the brakes from on these cars?

Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:46 pm

The earliest Denzels would have had VW brakes. Many of the later ones had Fiat 508C brakes. These Fiat drums have four or five circumferential fins, have four studs and a 130 mm bolt circle. Denzel also offered optional wide brake drums, but I don't know what car/model they came from.

Most Denzels came with Borrani wheels. They are steel/alloy, with the center being steel and the outer being aluminum alloy. The early Borrani wheels used on Denzels are 3" x 15". Later Borrani wheels used on Denzels are 4.5 x 15", quite an increase! (Pre-A Porsches, for comparison, are 3.25" x 16", and then for the 356A Porsche went to 4.5" x 15".)

Hope the above answers your brake question.

Jim Perrin

Thu Dec 31, 2015 3:20 am

I checked the race results for Denzel cars.

DK158 run the Duryea hill climb on 5-7 june 1959 with startingnumber 154.
David Moorehead was the driver/owner.

So, the car is nr DK158 and not DK157

Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:15 am

A brief overview with pictures of the brakes:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=396941

Thu Dec 31, 2015 9:58 am

Here's some more information on the Denzel in the photo.

The car is almost certainly DK158 is because the original owner, Dave Moorhead, told me some years ago that his car was white, and that he "put four narrow red stripes on the body with tape, two on the left side and two on the right side". His description of the four stripes is the same as shown in the photo. Moorhead was also involved in the early days in the Porsche Club of America, and you can see that there is a PCA badge on the front of the car.

Moorhead purchased his car from Frank Wagonhofer's dealership in Montgomery, NY. At the time he visited the dealership, there were two Denzels on the showroom floor, DK 158 and DK 157. Moorhead's car is a 1958 1300 SS model, with a 1300 cc engine. By the time this Denzel was built, they had aluminum bodies. Moorhead told me that he ran many hill climbs in 1959, running against both Alfas and Porsche 1300s. That year he won his annual class championship in the Pennsylvania Hill Climb Association.

This same car was eventually purchased by Mark Merrill after being stored for many years. Mark had Ray Schubert restore the car to the beautiful condition that it is now in. Mark has shown the car a number of times in the last few years, and it never fails to attract lots of interest.

Jim

Thu Dec 31, 2015 12:44 pm

Mark was very gracious and had Ray bring the car (DK158) down to Dana Point when I asked for Coachbuilt cars at the 2015 SoCal 356 club Dana Point event.

Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:09 pm

Wow! Great information and pictures.

Sun Jan 03, 2016 1:23 pm

Frenched-in taillights....and recessed license plate area: well ahead of its time regarding customization 8) sweet!

Sun Jan 03, 2016 5:40 pm

Nice history and looks to be in good hands 8)

Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:43 pm

_Trevor_ wrote: Mark was very gracious and had Ray bring the car (DK158) down to Dana Point when I asked for Coachbuilt cars at the 2015 SoCal 356 club Dana Point event.

Anyone know where I can get that front denzel emblem can't find one