ArdunBill's Note: This Interview was done a year ago. At Speed Week
2000 Dave was at Bonneville once again, setting two new records with his
'27 T roadster, XXF/STR @ 153.751 and XXF/BSTR @ 153.720.
Dave has a unique style and delivery, some of which I tried to catch in
the interview which follows:
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVE ('THE HAYSEED') THOMSSEN
By Bill Hoddinott
Intro: Dave Thomssen has been a frequent competitor at Bonneville since
1977. He is a leading expert on Flathead and Ardun Fords, holding a
number of records in both blown and unblown classes. Dave advocates the
traditional 'low-bucks' approach to speed trials fun and says "I claim
only that I can get more speed for less money than anybody." His blown
Ardun in Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 33 XXF/BFS Streamliner did a record
231.380 in 1990, and his long-serving '27 T roadster holds records in
several classes. Your scribe and wife Jerry recently had the pleasure
of a visit with Dave and Marge at their home in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Bill: Dave, how did you get started in racing?
Dave: I'm 64 now and was lucky enough to come along in the early '50s
when the drag-racing movement started, and got deeply into it. At a
point in the mid-'50s I considered becoming a touring professional, like
many who became big names. But for better or worse I decided to study
Geology in college, and a professor encouraged me to become a Geologist.
He said there are two reasons you should, first, you have an enquiring
mind, second, you don't-give-a-damn (ha-ha-ha)! So I did, and 40 years
ago I went to work for an engineering firm in Lincoln, which today
employs 150 and works world-wide. I'm a vice-president. But I always
had to have the race-car hobby.
B: I wanted to visit the Smith Museum at Speedway Motors, and see your
shop.
D: My shop is four bays of junk, but the Smith Museum has a wonderful
collection of American race cars and engines, well worth a trip to
Lincoln (but you have to call Speedway in advance for an appointment to
see it).
B: What is your approach to car and engine building?
D: I've been around this since the '50s, and collected a bunch of
flathead stuff when it was cheap or free. Also liked Arduns and got a
couple second-hand sets 30 years ago. In the early days guys had to
make their own equipment or buy it cheap. We didn't have the money and
there wasn't too much expensive stuff around anyway. In this game you
will break parts too, and I don't mind if it's low-buck parts I've had
30 years. I've run Arduns for many years, and found them very rugged.
The worst that can happen is dropping a valve in, and even that can be
repaired with aluminum welding and re-machining.
B: Have you used only Ford lower-end parts in your motors?
D: Got a lot of FoMoCo cranks, blocks and rods and build my shortblocks
just like the guys did in the '50s. A few times I have had a local shop
weld up and regrind a Merc crank to 4-1/2" stroke. Don't usually even
use steel center main caps, and they stay together pretty well. Once in
a great while I "run over my crank" as they say. Don't tune for real
high pressures, even using blowers, and try to keep within reasonable
structural strength limits. Flatheads and Arduns are just a vintage fun
class . There's nothing to prove now, it's all been done by the Greats
of the past. We know how to blow motors up, some 85 HP blocks put out
400-500 HP today, but it's just a matter of finding one more weak spot
when you get radical. But this is more fun than anybody ought to be
allowed to have. If you want excitement, try sitting behind a 6-71
blown Ardun at full throttle on the Salt Flats sometime!
B: Do you use Hilborn injection?
D: I've got an Ardun Hilborn to try sometime. But I've always
preferred carburetors, which I learned how to tune long ago. I use the
750 cfm Holley. My motors start instantly and run reliably, and this is
hard to guarantee with mechanical fuel injection.
B: I'm intrigued by your Ardun 6-71 blower manifold.
D: Made it myself from $50 worth of 1/2" flat aluminum plate from a
scrapyard. The bottom plate doubles as valley cover, the sides are
bolted to the ports on the heads, the top plate bolts to the bottom of
the 'pruned' blower, the back plate seals to the first four mentioned,
and the whole front plate serves as a pop-off valve. I reinforced a '40
Ford crank pulley hub, the one with the fan flange, put a long keyway on
the crank nose with a long key to hold the blower drive torque, and
mounted the timing belt pulley on the flange. At 8-10 psi manifold
pressure with the 6-71 sucking through the Holley, this setup pushed my
'27 T roadster to the XXF/BFMR record of 163 mph in '98, and XXF/BGMR at
155 the same year.
B: You live a long way from Bonneville.
D: Yes, it's 1100 miles, which is 2-1/2 days towing, but it's well
worth the trip. I have some long-time friends who go out with me.
B: Has your family been in Nebraska long?
D: Nebraska was settled in the 19th Century by Germans and
Scandinavians and my people got here about 1857. It's the Heartland of
America and old-fashioned in many ways I like. Very little crime, and a
man's word is usually good. We live a couple miles from the movie house
(the JOYO THEATRE) in front of which I proposed to Marge 43 years ago.
That's roots. We raised our family here and we'll never leave. The
only bad thing is the climate. Cold as Minnesota in the winter and hot
as Florida in the summer. But that's one of the things I don't give a
damn about.
B: Well Dave, you took Jerry and me to a steakhouse with the finest
Nebraska beef I ever ate in my life! We certainly thank you and Marge
for your wonderful hospitality on this visit.
END
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