Boy from the war does good in the mountains.
Up on Penitentiary mountain south of Florence Al there is a little shop off the end of an old logging road. For years there have been nothing but log trucks that came up to the shop for work for repairs or just pushed out back because of to much needed to repair when replacement is cheaper.
It started out as just two guys and an old black helper who kinda kept things in order when the day was over. Slowly things just got so slow the old man said thats it and closed the doors and moved down to Huntsville to work in the factory.
This had been a good move because the war was keeping most people busy with the building of componets for wartime use. His son had joined up and joined the Army Airforce because of the need for qualified mechanics.He thought he was top notch being as all the old stuff he always was repairing on the mountain. Turned out he was quit skilled because he was in demand all over the shop keeping all the equiptment operating at top notch, which he did. One day he got orders to go to the islands to keep the war planes operating. Now this was an expeerience he had not planned for but took it in stride like everything else in life.
Finally the war was over and everbody was coming home. Now mind you he was from the backwood hills and money was not an issue for him ,because ,he never had any. All his money he made was converted into war bonds and he had a handful of them when he got back to Alabama.
Back to the hills of alabama he headed and and straight to mamas house he went. Sure was nice to be home again eating mamas food and seeing all his old friends.
After a month or so city life he figured that was not for him. He had bought himself an old pickup after getting back home so one day he said he was going up on the mountain for a few days to hang out.
He pulled up to the old house he knew as home and everthing was as it was when he had left except, it was growed up all over with weeds and brairs.
He cleaned out the house that day of the trash that had blown in from a broken window and rolled out his sleeping blanket. After a little while he laid down to peace and tranquility.Man was it quiet except for the crickets and one old owl hooting in the tree outside.
Next morning he went down to the well and drawed a bucket full of water for washing and breakfast,memories of the old days were with him now.
About a week later he had the old homeplace set up just to his liking. He got out to the old shop a day or two later and was setting under the leanto when way off in the distance you could barely hear a motor running,but he dismissed that off and went rambling thru the old trucks and stuff laying around. Dark caught him up there so off to the house he headed to fix supper.Along the way he thought he heard that motor running again but wasnt sure.
Next day was Saturday best he could figure so he decided to go off to town for a few supplies. After he got to the store he was looking around and saw some neat tools he would like to have sooo he got to talking to the owner of the store and come to find out someone had pawned those tools to him over a year ago and never came back for them. They settled on a price and he told the guy he would go to the bank monday and get the money. Old guy just laughed and said sure sonny see ya later. As he walked out the old service station across the way was working on an old hotrod they were getting ready to take to the local track Sunday. He walked over and was kinda looking around when one of the guys said howdy. They talked a little and the conversation went to the race Sunday over in Florence Al. Sunday. They said he was welcome to come over and go with them if he wanted. Wow an invite to go do something exciting,so off he went back up the mountain which was a 68 mile trip one way. Next morning he was up at daybreak and down the moutain to the shop by 8am. They started loading stuff in the car and in the old truck they was going to pull the car with. About 9;30 they pulled off going to the track, never had he ever been to a race much less to Florence so this was going to be a double thrill. Aw shucks, wait a minute I aint got no money to pay my way in he said and the ther two just looked at him. Ok we will cover for ya being as you helping us with the car so right there a bond was made.
That night was one for the history books,at least in one persons eyes because he had never seen the likes of this much less the mess of folks here. He was in hog heaven if there ever was one of them. They eat hotdogs and drank soda pop that day and had a ball along with the others there. Well races were over and now to head back home and boy was they happy,they actually made a dollar that day in the race so all of them was going home to celabrate by eating at that new diner on the edge of town where all the trucks stop.
With a full tummy he headed back up the hill to home,its almost dark and he forgot to pick some candles up before coming home ,guess we will do that monday .As he is going down the hill the next day he sees a crew stringing wire on poles down at the road. Wow power on the hill one day he thought. He stopped and asked and they told him if he put in for it before they passed his road he could be hooked up shortly. This was a done deal and off to town to get his lights on, wow lights just like in the city.
Well with power and the other luxurys he could get he was set on the hill.
Now for a little information on this guy,he was wounded in the war over in Guam and his right leg was messed up from a mortor so he drew a check monthly and those bonds, he never cashed them in, they still setting there drawing interest in a safe deposit box at the bank in town.
Anyway off down the hill he goes to get the power taken care of and a few other things done. He stops by the station and checks in on the guys there. They going again this Sunday and offers him a spot in the truck. How do you turn a deal like that down. He says he will be back in a few minutes to help work on the car for the race.
This is the third time they been to the track together and its his turn to drive, so he says im going to get in and get comfortable with everything, trouble is he cant get his leg situated in the car to be able to drive, Man what a deal and he goes over in the corner and sets down totally disgusted.
Well no no one pushes the subject that day and they go to the track as usual but walter is discusted because he cant drive.
On the way home he tells the guys he is going to build himself a car so he can fit in it and be able to drive.
Now the plot thickens,what kinda car to build he thinks,he looks all through his dads old junk cars and nothing is there to use so he starts walking back to the house when right in front of him is a little 38 Pontaic coupe. You cant make no flathead six run out there so he starts pondering,could he put a Ford v8 in it,thats a thought,so thats the plan then,he pulls the coupe up to the shop and starts the building process.
Its raining so he strips out the interior and guts it ready for roll bars but first setting the seat to his comfort is the first adjenda. Finally he gets a position thats right so now for the bars. Its midnight and its not raining so down to the house he goes. Food is on his mind now,he has not eaten all day and now he is starved so he washes and takes a plate of food to the bedroom to eat and think about his new project . Rear end is under it and good front axle so now its motor time. He has built a real good truck flathead so now its time to get it and the transmission in and bolted up. with the radaitor out its real easy to slip it and transmission in togerther and hook all it up. So over the car he slides the old hoist and into the car it goes,smooth fit under the car and plenty clearance on firewall but WAIT the dang steering sector is smack dab in the way on left side. Wow now what to do, he leaves it hanging and sets down to study the problem.
Nothing comes to him,nothing so he goes to the house for a bite to eat and not watching where he is going stumbles over an old motor laying in the path,well not exactly in the path but over to the side kinda but he still found it.And the idea came to him then and there,so off to the house he went smiling now even though his leg hurt him from falling.
Later that day he pulls the motor and tranny out and sets it over to the side while he takes a different approach to this delima.
Motor is built and hooked to a new tranny and a perfect fit,almost because its longer than what was in there but thats fixable. After all is bolted up and headers fabercated he starts it up wow what a noise it makes and its different too because he ran his side pipes all the way to the rear tire so the noise wasnt under him. Happy that day he was ,next comes painting it and getting it readied for Sunday because the guys at the station said it was a big race coming up .
That afternoon the guys from the station came up and brought their spray gun and boy they dazzeled the coupe up like it was a show car. The number was on and wow what a jewel it was.
He told the guys to watch what he had built to haul it on. the old motor he built he had put it in one of the old log trucks out back and rebuilt the back to haul the coupe,it tilted down when you eased off the winch and you drove up on it and then the winch leveled it back out,neato said the others so now its race time tomorrow.
Bright and early he is down to the station waiting on the others when a car pulled up and a cute little thing got out and said howdy, that did it for him for he was butter then but she went on like nothing was wrong and said sure is a purty car,you going to Florence to race today? Uh yes mam I am, she said good I will root for you then and drove off. In a few minutes the others came up and they packed up to leave for Florence.
The excitement was high that morning as they pulled in to the track because all these cars coming in was unusual and the people,they were everywhere,even the squirrls were fussing because so many were climbibg the trees for a better view. They pulled in to the pits and parked sorta over to the side mainly because they couldnt make the turn pulling the car so their spot was obvious.
After parking and unhooking the car so more room was available Walt pulled up and parked,about that time a pit steward ran over and said the bank for unloading was on other side of the track. They laughed and said thats ok it will unload itself here and proceeded to show the world how an old pulp wood truck can survive in racing. It slowly tilted the bed until it touched the ground in back then the car started rolling slowly as more cable was played out from the winch. And then it was on the ground,this drew quite a crowd in itself as no one had seen such a contraption before.
Finally the folks left there and they started getting ready for timetrials.
First out was a rickety old ford who managed a fairly decent time trial and then the station boys went out and qualified very good,but see they were what you call seasoned veterans A few more went out and then it was Walts t.urn.
He crawled in and buckeled up and started to crank up when he looked out the side window and there she was,bouncing around and just a waving at him. Walt didnt know what to think about this but anyway he fired up and started out. It seems like you could hear a pin drop when he fired up,everybody froze and looked over at him and the car but he didnt notice because he was so focused on doing his best on the track. He had watched the others for a few races and his friends had given him as much help as they could on driving. He even took a few laps around the track in his old pickup so he wasnt totally green.
Out he went and asked for one extra with his finger to get settled in then he was on a mission for two laps.
With that over he slowed and pulled but couldnt get out for the folks around the car hollering and shouting,he was scared to death that he done went and done something wrong.
Finally one of the station boys managed to get into him and asked the people to let him out of the car first before all this question asking started..
Walt climbed out and then the question started,first how long you been driving? Second who built that car? Third what kinda motor is that? Walt was now scared for real when the station boys stepped in and said it was built in town and thats all you need to know for now.
This didnt set well with the folks but they backed off and let the boys alone. Wow one of the guys said to him,you went a stirred up a hornets nest out there didnt you. Walt looked at him and said what did I do?
Well for starters you went out and turned a lap faster than anyone here and did it with a motor nobody even thought of using. And boy is it loud when you go by the stands where that wall is.
Well here came the officials now and it got quiet again. First they wanted to see the owner of the car,which Walt spoke up as him,then where is the driver then,again Walt spoke up,now this one old red faced cuss was hollering at the flagman "what kinda aircraft engine" has he got in that thing. You see Walt had kept the hood intact when building the lil chief as he called it. So they insisted in seeing this contraption he had hid away under that long hood. The station boys were kinda helping Walt from being trampled because actually he couldnt maneuver very fast with his bum leg. They went around and unstrapped the hood and raised it. Silence was all you could hear for almost a minute,then that red faced guy said, is that legal? The official said I think so just never seen one in a race car before. Old red face hollered how the heck he get that in there and another said its shore nuff tight fittin thats fur shore. Finally after a bunch of questions on horsepower and cubic inches they was reluctant to let him run but couldnt find nothing in their rules that said he couldnt so the official word was let him run.
Now Walt was worried for sure now because he hasnt made a lap in a race and everybody is hollering at him.
The station guy takes him back behind their cars in the quiet so they can talk and settle his nerves.
Heat race time and the station boys are in the first one so out they go and finish second to a guy from over Huntsville way. He is the track champ over there they say.
Walt is in the fifth heat race today and out he goes jittery as all get out and lines up third on outside.
Green flag and they off and they turn everyway but upside down in the first turn, poor Walt had taken off with the pack and slowely rode around all of them to go around to line up again. This time he is on the pole now he is worried that somone was going to wreck his car,so he plots in his mind what he is gonna do. Green flag and there are off flying down into that same turn again but for some reason no wrecks this time and out they come in single file.
Walt looks in his rear view mirror which is a jr west coast mirror so he sees most of all behind him. He keeps the flock behind him just far enough to stay out of trouble but now they catching the slower back markers. He cautiously passes them on the high side when two cars behind him fly by down low. but the rest are back away so he finishes the heat out in third place.
Now he has completed his first race of his life but definitely not his last.
In the pits he sets and cools with the guys when a guy in a white hat walks up and introduces himself as the owner of the truck dealership in town.
Word has it that you got a truck engine in you jalopy here, well yes sir I guess it is somewhat a truck engine,I guess because they dont make cars. The guy laughs and says thats right sonny. What did you say your name is? Dont think I said yet sir but its Walt, Walter Wiggins sir. Seems as though I have heard that name before, Your daddy live around here? He used to but he moved into Huntsville during the war to work at the plant .
Yup I remember him quite well,fine feller too, now tell me about this engine you got in here and howd you get it to hook up.
After a few minutes he walked around the car and looked again and said who taught you how to fabricate like this and he told of his service work in the islands keeping the planes a flying. Now I see why this car is built like it is, the guy was muttering at himself for a few minutes and said I have a deal I want to offer you,Come see me next week at the dealership and we will talk ok? Why sure thing sir ,how about tuesday,will that work? Yup just fine,come befor noon and we will go get lunch and talk.
Well if everything else goes like this im in for a treat on the track.
Main event time and they all line up and get ready to race race race.
Green flag and they off,the little chief is just purring around in the group holding his own behind his buddy in front of him. The race finishes with the two coming in third and fourth and two cars ahead.one from Huntsville and the other Atlanta are just ahead of them.
They load up and pack all their stuff in cars and trucks and head home but first stop in town next to the station to eat at that diner they eat in the first time they met.
Food was good ,the company was good and in the door walked three girls that made the scenery great.
The whole diner perked up when they came in with about half the crowd trying to make eye contact with one of them but no deal they had their eyes set on three guys setting over in the corner next to the juke box.
The waitress came over and talked to the boys for a little bit and Walt asked who was those three guys sitting in the corner. Oh them,they work over at the power plant at the dam and come in ever so often to meet those girls from Russelville,I think they are college girls the way they talk. Food was good,the company was great,but now it was time to go home and get ready for the next week.
Walt showed up about 15 minutes early for the meeting and was setting in the lobby when a girl came in in a wheelchair. wow she was pretty as a postage stamp and had a million dollar smile. Walt jumped up and held the side door open for her as she went into the offices. About that time the boss came came out to get him when all three met at once,well I see you met my daughter he said,and now Walt was really stammering for words but managed a smile and said I didnt know it was your daughter,just being courteous.
The three went to lunch together and it actually went good,real good because Penny was a delight to talk to. Finally the time came for the serous talk and Penny excused herself to go to the powder room.
I will make it short and sweet Walt ,being as you have a G M C engine in your car and evidently you are a competent mechanic I would like to sponsor your car and advertise my company on your car and maybe help you with the cost of racing that car. Well now look at this delima, what would you say?? Why heck yeah,sure thing sir.
Ok bring the car down here and we will have the sign company come over and paint the signs on it and anything else you want walt. Walt was floating on cloud nine now and home he rushed to bring the car down for the make over.
As he pulled up in front with his truck and car on back there were a small group of people out front along with a photographer,and the girl in the wheelchair.
As he rolled the bed back and down they were pictures being taken and the guy in town that had a wrecker service was there too.
On the ground and with the tow truck parked he walked back as best he could to the crowd,thats when the girl saw him limping and immediately wheeled over to her dad and said whats wrong with his leg,he told her and her eyes just glazed over.
Walt climbed in and cranked up the big 6 and the ground shook for a long ways,a mechanic guided him into the shop to park it and get things ready for the painter.
While this was being prepared the other mechanics started asking a million questions as to how this was done or why was this like that or just HOW. The car had a million little tricks on it that they was in awe over. Those carburetors what they off of and where do you buy that manifold at?
Walt said to himself this is going to be a long day and set down and set in telling the shop how.
Later that evening it was apparent that the work would not be complete till the next day so Walt started to go get in his old truck and go home,but that was not to be because the wrecker guy wanted to buy the truck then and there. After a few minutes talking the figure came out that was to good to refuse so now he was afoot and dark was coming.
Thats when the little girl in the wheelchair said wait a minute and my sis will be here and we will take you home,now that sounds like a good deal,but not when he saw who her sister was,remember the girl at the fence at the track,yup that one, there she was in living color so off to the house on the mountain they went.
Next morning he was up and eating when a brand new G M C pickup setting in his front yard caught his eye,up he went to look and there it was,a 1952 G M C deluxe mind you,it even had a radio in it and the paint was almost the same color as his racecar. In the seat was a note that said" Enjoy your new truck as this is part of the sponsor package to you". Now the world is in a spin for sure because he did not want any help but looks like its coming whether he wants it or not.
He cleans up after storing the tools away from the big truck he just sold and heads back to town to check on his car. After stopping by the station where his friends work,they all came out and was amazed at his new possession. man o man was it pretty.
The signs set the car off and the car really looks the part of being a real race car even down to the logo on the hood, powered by GMC, now that had character.
Racing is great,his new sponsor is great,his friends are best of all fantastic,and he wins a few races but best of all he has a contract to build five of those rollback trucks for wrecker services.
Next year he wins the track championship,sells seven rollbacks, and moves his parents back in the old house thats totally rebuilt and he builds a new house on the other side of the shop and now he is set up now.
Next year he set the world on fire with that GMC and the lil chief and went to Nashville to the big race and finished third against all them flathead fords. Most people could not understand how the motor ran as good as it did with that dang blower mounted like it was much less those old updraft carburetors hanging on the side of the blower. You see he had the blower on the other side of the motor from the exhaust with pipes going over the valve covers to the ports. This kept things cooler I guess and gave him room to hang those carberators off in a cooler place.
Now if you think, a jimmy motor is longer than a regular six so all this has to come into play when setting up the car,so that was the reason for him having the radiator in the trunk. It also gave more room up front for the cooler on the blower,oh wait they didnt have that back then did they, well only the ones who understood turbo charging and blowers did as Walt probably fabercated all sorts of stuff in the war to get the planes back running.
Walt was a pioneer on a lot of new stuff thats being used today in racing and the mountain side where he grew up is sort of an attraction because there is a museum built there for his racing accomplishments.
Oh yeah he is ceo of the GMC truck store in town and the boys at the station are doing great on the nascar circuit so all in all the little town has memory to it and the girl in the wheelchair, she is now mrs Wiggins and their 7 kids are all into racing so the next generation is coming so everyone look out.
Walt designed and built those wreckers you hear called Rollbacks,well you see them all the time around your home doing all sorts of hauling jobs from wrecks to delicate equiptment.

Some of the above story is maybe a state off and maybe the year is off a year or two also but if you think of all you know in racing history you may just say Ill bet that guy he is describing is......................................... Now you drift back in time and follow the dream..