Craig and skjain2, thanks for the question and information. I was going to wait a little bit to update everyone on the Al Jerauld manifold but I can release some information on it now I suppose.
It started with my original post #1286 on page 65 back in June. I posted a couple of photo's of it and it was quickly identified. Then there was post # 1650, page 83 a few months later plus I received the following email from that same gentleman:
This is the message:
Hello
My name is -------- ---------
I saw you posted 2 photos of a old after market 2 to 1 carb /manifold adaptor about a year ago.
It was marked AL JERAULD National City Calif on the side.
I'm a auto shop teacher in San Diego Calif area.
I'm very interested in buying this item
Here is the reason I want it !!!!!!
My boss , a auto shop teacher himself is Al Jerauld's step son. He worked at Jeraulds speed equipment when he was a teenager.
I want to buy this carb adaptor for him as a retirement present, He has taught auto shop for 38 years. He collects old speed equipment & he has spoken of the carb adaptor his step father use to make & has said how much he would love to have one....
I think this will make a wonderful gift for a man the I respect & who has given his life to teaching so many kids about cars , motorcycles, engines & hot rods
Jacob is one of those teacher that is in teaching because he loves to work with the kids.
He would badger NHRA every year for free tickets & a bus to take the whole auto shop class to the Pamona drags evey year.
Jacob started a high school drag racing program in San Diego & if the administrators hadn't shut the program down.
We only need one more school it join to program & the kids could have gotten a high school letterman jacket in drag racing.
Well the all mighty dollar being the bottom line, they are shutting down the industrial arts program & Jacob has decided to retire
This manifold adaptor is a piece Jacob has talked about for years. He told me if I ever see one ... GET IT !!!!!
So I think this will be the perfect retirement gift ....
His step father , Al Jerauld made these in his shop back in the the day along with many other hot rod parts.
He ran Jeraulsd's Speed Equipment in National City for many years & is one of the hot rod pioneers in San Diego.
Although his business never took off like a lot of So-Cal speed shops. Al Jerauld put his equipment to the test at El Marage & Bonniville
Al still holds the land speed record for O class belly tank race cars.
PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP...
...so I did.
-Well I thought that email was rather interesting so I called him and he immediately said "let's get right down to brass tacks, what's it going to take to buy that manifold?"
It was then I told him sorry, but the manifold was not for sale.
His reply was " you're just trying to jack up the price, now come on, it's got to be for sale what's it going to take."
Once again I firmly stated that there was no amount of money that could buy that manifold.
..........silence.............. but I then continued with...
" I won't sell it you but I will give it to you. A man with that background in teaching kids, being the stepson of the creator of it needs to have it. It's my gift to Jacob.".........the phone was completely silent for a moment as that sunk in.
He then said quietly that was the nicest thing that's happened to him in a long, long time.
This was his email follow up to that phone conversation...
Thomas
> Words can't describe how I feel right now.
> Your gift of this manifold adaptor to my buddy Jacob Bagnell is one of the coolest things to happen in a long time.
> Jacob has talked about getting one of these as long as I have know him.
>
> I look forward to meeting you & I know Jacob will want to meet you.
> Thank You !!!!!!!!!.
-Here's another email I received after the manifold was shipped to California....
Thomas
Well I delivered the manifold to Jacob today, He had no clue I had gotten the manifold from you...
My Son , Daughter & I went to Jacobs house under the pretext of looking at old race car photos &
taking photos of model A parts Jacob wants me to sell on ebay. When we got there we left the manifold in the car ,
We went in & talked for a while. Then I told my son , "I left my phone in the car... will you go get it for me."
That was our signal for him to go get the manifold, He walked back into the house with the manifold hid behind his back ,
He snuck up & handed it to Jacob for behind. My son said " What do you think of this old man...
Jacob was speechless... ( for the first time since I've known him. LOL )
After a few minutes of starting at it , Jacob said , "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME" . I'm not sure but I think I saw a tear in his wife's eye..
I explained it was a gift from you & all Jacob could say is "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME" & " How can I ever thank this guy"
He walked around for most of the afternoon with the manifold in his hand..... You made a old gear head VERY HAPPY
Well I guess I misunderstood Jacob when he was talking all these years about this manifold Al Jerauld made ,
I thought Jacob had seen many of them back in the day. Well come to find out , These manifolds were a bit before Jacob
started working for Al Jerauld. They had one on display at Jeraulds Speed Shop in National City, but thats the only one Jacob ever saw...
BUT he had heard all kinds of stories about the "Y MANIFOLD" from Al Jerauld & his partner George Barber. When Al Jerauld passed away
one of Al's racing buddies took it as a memento when they cleared out the speed shop. Jacob tried to get it back but it never happened.
Jacob has been on a 50 + year search looking at auto swap meets & junk yard for another one.
I asked Jacob how many of these manifolds did Jerauld make??? Jacob said they only made 50 of them. It was a big hassle dealing with
a local foundry , so Al Jerauld only had one batch of these made. So it is amazing that we found this one!!!!!!!
......more email.....
The manifold was PERFECT , as I said you made a old Gear Head happy
We have old 3 bolt carbs , but Jacob now has me looking for a set of Stromberg 97 & some chrome scoops LOLOLOL
Thanks again
.....and still another email....
Thomas
You have no idea what you have started by sending the Al Jerauld manifold adaptor.
He has had it lightly bead blasted , the lettering done in red & had it clear coated.
It is mounted on a black piece of marble & he is now looking for 2 97 Strombergs , 2 carb scoops & linkage
This thing is going to be the center piece of his collection!!!!
Jacob is also now on a quest to find the old Jeraulds Belly Tank land speed car.
Jacob & I are going to Fountain Valley calif this friday to talk to a bunch of old dry lake guys & go through their records
We may be crazy... but we are having FUN
Thanks again
- And that my friends is the power of the internet. After that backdrop and all those years, that manifold was sitting quietly on a shelf in an old repair shop in the Midwest waiting to be reunited with the family that created it. I was going to restore the flathead V8 and use that adaptor on it. Once I found out about Jacob Bagnell I knew immediately it belonged to him, I was just the time bridge between Mr.Johnson and Jacob finally owning it. If you've read this post this far thanks for sticking with me on this. There is a bit more to this story but I'm saving that for a later time. The world is much smaller than we know.
As to my restoration work on and in the shop...I may be crazy...but I am having FUN...
Thomas