BEX1045

[Bob Smith]

I own BEX1045 and was told it was onced raced on the the East Coast with an Oldsmoble engine. Does anyone know the history of this vehicle? Or how I would go about trcking down information, I've printed hundreds of page from VIR's web site but VIN are not listed and I've only ran across on Ace running a Buick engine, no Oldsmobile powered cars were listed. By the way the car now has a Ford 302, I didn't install, was that way when I bought it eight years ago.

[tinnes]

Bob - It can be long tedious process to track down our cars' histories. Read Keith L's saga re BEX333. There are a couple possible sites that have info for '50s/60s US racing. Try www.coldplugs.com for photos of the northeast scene and www.racingsportscars.com for somewhat wider coverage. The latter has grid lists for many SCCA sanctioned events particularly on the west coast. As you point out no one kept track of chassis #s, but you might find some link that will give a clue. Do you have any of the prior ownership history? In my case (AEX456), the ownership was clear back to the original sale in Concord,NH and I was able to contact a friend of the first owner who still remembered racing/hillclimbing against my car. This fellow still has his Ace which was purchased from the same dealer.
   
   Good luck with your search!
   
   regards - tom innes, Scottsdale AZ, AEX456, BE772

[aex125]

Hi Bob and welcome to the forum.
   If you can provide any previous owner info, it might help in tracing your cars history. I am aware of 1 Olds powered Ace but according to The Hot Rod magazine article (Aug '63 issue) it was a '58, not a '59 and was in the San Francisco area. It had a flat windshield and also had a 1962 Corvette transmission, which I think would have been an aluminum T-10. Since your car was delivered to Toronto originally, it is probably not the same car, but does meet the Olds engine criteria.
   Jay

[Bob Smith]

Mine has a flat windshield and was once burgundy. I bought my Ace from Frank Mauck of Silver Springs MD, Mr Mauck bought the AC in 1975 in Virginia. He had told that the car had been raced with an Olds engine a 4 speed trans, a 3 point roll bar that ran across the passenger seat and had some sorta of ugly wheels that he threw away. There are signs of damage to the right front fender/headlight area (inside the wheel well). The steering wheel had also been damaged and had to be replaced. By the way my title has the car as a 1960?

[Bob Smith]

I noticed that BEX1146 also has a flat windshield. Where do you find the chassic number?

[pls01]

Bob,
   I wouldn't get to hung up on the year.  Factory records show my car was built in April 57.  It arrived new in the USA in early 58.  It sat in a show room in Connecticut until October 58 when it was purchased and first registered.  At the time, new cars sales in the fall were the first of the new model year so it was registerd and titled as a 1959.
   
   If I'm talking to AC owners, the car is a 1957.  Talking to the local officials, the car is a '59 just as it says on the papers.  No need to confuse the bureaucrats.
   
   Your car could have a similar timeline.
   Peter

[AC Ace Bristol]

Bob
   
   Welcome to the Forum,  According to the ACOC Ace Bristol register.
   
   Great News!! A great start to 2010....  Comfirmation of the existance of a long lost Ace Bristol.
   
   BEX1045 left Thames Ditton on 23rd March 1959, It was originally fitted with a Bristol engine number 100D2926,the body was painted  Svecia Red with Black leather Interior and was destined for Toronto.
   
   Very Little is actually recorded in the Official Register, but if you could email a few pictures and any data you have on your Ace, I inturn will redirect it to Tony Bancroft the Official Club Ace Bristol registrar.
   
   I know he is currently updating the register ready for publication so would appreciate any additional information however small.
   In the meantime, Tony Bancroft, Tim Isles, Jerry Kalleveen and I will scan our files too see if we can confirm and substantiate any early racing history of BEX1045.
   
   Very few records if any confirm Chassis numbers, So it's a long process of scrolling through Old Racing Programms, Old Magazines. Photos and various web site.
   
   Do you have any Period Pictures of BEX1045? Do you know of any previous owners? or possible competitive events it competed in [?]
   Can you email even a few Current pictures of BEX1045?
   Keith dot lessiter @ faac dot co dot uk
   
   Between many of us, We have Dozens of Period Racing photos, Some from which we can comfirm the Driver, Some the event ....  The Historic Jigsaw Puzzle starts here, Hopefully you can publish some more details and the Pandoras Box Opens, eventually leading to a full historic record of yet another Ace.[;)]
   
   Please keep communications open, any  information found, even if not relevent or associated with BEX1045 could well be the missing link of someone elses Ace.
   
   Hope your research proves as rewarding as my efforts have over the past 9 years.
   
   Keith  [:)][:)]

[Bob Smith]

Originally posted by aex125
   
Hi Bob and welcome to the forum.
   If you can provide any previous owner info, it might help in tracing your cars history. I am aware of 1 Olds powered Ace but according to The Hot Rod magazine article (Aug '63 issue) it was a '58, not a '59 and was in the San Francisco area. It had a flat windshield and also had a 1962 Corvette transmission, which I think would have been an aluminum T-10. Since your car was delivered to Toronto originally, it is probably not the same car, but does meet the Olds engine criteria.
   Jay
   BEX1045 left Thames Ditton on 23rd March 1959, It was originally fitted with a Bristol engine number 100D2926,the body was painted Svecia Red with Black leather Interior and was destined for Toronto.

[Bob Smith]

Jay this may in fact be the same car. According to Keith (AC Ace Bristol) my car was delevered to Toronto.

[Bob Smith]

Okay I have the Aug 1963 Hot Rod and on pages 68 & 69 is what could be the Ace that is in my garage!? Does anyone know what became of Jerry Scheberies of Oakland CA?

[jrlucke]

Zabasearch shows a Jerry Scheberies listed on Skyline Blvd in Oakland CA. It does include an address and hone number.
   
   John

[Bob Smith]

I spoke to Jerry Scheberies and he sold the car to Chuck Hollum (an actor). He's going to mail me pictures of the car back when he owned it. He had installed the Oldsmobile engine because of his connection with Olds and it was his dads favorite make. Of course he doesn't recall the VIN. He did recall the weld marks that I described on the frame rails, but it's been a long time.

[aex125]

Bob,
   Wow! It sounds like you are making some great progress. As a clarification on my earlier post, the car I was referring to as having been delivered to Toronto was BEX1045, not the Hot Rod car. Maybe it was delivered to Toronto and then found its way to Oakland. Did Jerry remember anything about its early history before he bought it?
   Jay

[Bob Smith]

Jerry Scheberies bought his Ace from a man in Canada for $1800. He than change the color to red from the Ruby Red (Svecia Red) to a bright red and installed the Oldsmobile light weight V8 and Corvette 4speed. He also told me that he had to beef up the front spring. He raced the car in SCCA events and took to to concours shows.

[Bob Smith]

In 1959 on two AC were exported to Canada according to "Original AC Ace & Cobra by Rinsey Mills". But there were no sales reported in Canada for 1959? Two were sold in 1958 and one in 1960. Jerry Scheberies told me that he bought his Ace in Canada in 1959. Maybe Rinsey Mills book is wrong or Jerry Scheberies is wrong about the year of purchase.