MTFCA Forum

I am trying to identify and collect Gallivan Cylinder head history, Known heads, owners, old racers, photographs, and any history.

I have a Gallivan Twin cam in my 1915 model t roadster. One of only 2 known to be in cars and running (there may be more?). Mine was found all apart in a dirt floor machine shop in Ballard a suburb of Seattle Washington. I know none of the history such as racing history, previous owners, except the man that found and restored the engine then restored a 1915 roadster which I now own. I know Harrah's had one incomplete and was deemed unrestorable not sure what happened to it.

I am hoping to locate more Gallivan's and their owners. I also want to learn of any racing history from days past. So any stories, photographs, racing results and previous owners or drivers will be collected. If I receive enough information I will assemble it into a file or book. Not a book for the general public, just for Gallivan owners.

I will try and keep a log of all information and periodic contact with those that reply.

Thank you in advance,
frontyboy.

2h06 919-1949(or email me thu this forum, my old forum name was brasscarguy@comcast.net

frontyboy wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 10, 2025 11:50 pm

I am trying to identify and collect Gallivan Cylinder head history, Known heads, owners, old racers, photographs, and any history.

I have a Gallivan Twin cam in my 1915 model t roadster. One of only 2 known to be in cars and running (there may be more?). Mine was found all apart in a dirt floor machine shop in Ballard a suburb of Seattle Washington. I know none of the history such as racing history, previous owners, except the man that found and restored the engine then restored a 1915 roadster which I now own. I know Harrah's had one incomplete and was deemed unrestorable not sure what happened to it.

I am hoping to locate more Gallivan's and their owners. I also want to learn of any racing history from days past. So any stories, photographs, racing results and previous owners or drivers will be collected. If I receive enough information I will assemble it into a file or book. Not a book for the general public, just for Gallivan owners.

I will try and keep a log of all information and periodic contact with those that reply.

Thank you in advance,
frontyboy.

2h06 919-1949(or email me thu this forum, my old forum name was brasscarguy@comcast.net

I believe I saw one years ago at the Museum of Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska.

You did, Jerry. This is it.

Nice! When I saw it, it was sitting in a back storage room and not on display. But that was many years ago. Happy it's being displayed.

The display sign states that it came from the Harrah collection. I wonder if it's the "unrestorable" one, mentioned by FrontyBoy.

Are those actually bronze Winfields, or brass plated?

[image][/image]

This one sold at auction a few years back.

I know nothing about this one.

A few years back I sold Speedy Bill the well known "Riverside Special" mounted on a 1925 TT truck. After the pair arrived, Bill invited me to Lincoln for a personal guided tour of the museum. He was so excited to finally get the Riverside Special, he sent me 2 full color autographed photos of Him standing in front of the car in the main meeting room alongside Heddy Lamars Cadillac Convertible. Bill had been trying to buy the Riverside dual overhead Fronty for many years, I was very pleased to sell the car to him, I believe it was the last car he personally purchased before he passed.

We saw many of the unique cars and motors including the Gallivan on display. He told me it was not complete some of the innards were missing. I did not remember Bill telling me it was from Harrah's.

just sayin'
frontyboy

My race partner Robert, and I of the Wild Cherry race team actively race the only Gallivan/Rajo DOHC we know of currently being run competitively. And compete it does. Likely one of the quickest T’s running now. Handled right, it will lift the left front wheel off the track in first and second gear at 5500 rpm. We are using a dry clutch and four speed transmission. This head was bought by the late great Cris Egsgaard, himself a former owner of the Riverside Special, from Joe Jagersberger himself of Rajo. It was just a bare casting with all the modifications to the ports that Joe J. made after he acquired the rights when Gallivan got in trouble for doing these in addition to making airplane engines for the government. If you have a chance, look at a Gallivan head and compare it to a Hispano Suiza aircraft engine he was supposed to be making for the Army air corps. The engine was completed by some very talented people, one of whom ironically enough was also engaged in aircraft work for the government at Lockheed’s skunk works. You can see the aircraft influences in the engine. The plan was to run the hill at Long Beach but the event was discontinued before it was ready. I think the name Ellison or Ellingson came up. Owner Robert has all the info. This thing is a hoot to drive and the engineering that went into building it is incredible. I will try to put up a couple pics.

Erik,
There was a gentleman named Ellis Gray whom I read about in a Vintage Ford speedster issue back the '70s. I think he may be the guy who worked at Lockheed and he built some crazy T stuff for Long Beach like an SOHC Rajo. Here is the link to an article on the Northwest Vintage Speedster website: https://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Ar ... RajoBB.pdf

Several years ago I found an article on line about a running DO Gallivan. The man's name was Cas Casimir or something like that. He had the engine in a hill climb car. I can't remember where I found the article. He also had a supercharged SO Fronty SR powered sprint car.

Here is a link to NWVS for a VF article on the Gallivan. It also mentions the DO Gemsa owned by LaRue Thomas. Whatever happened to that engine and car? https://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Ar ... tFords.pdf

A number of years ago, someone posted on the forum (I think) who had the patterns for the DO Rajo. I saw a video of the engine running on a test stand. His name was Dave Sumowski or something like that. He was also casting Fronty oil pans with the adapter for a Model A transmission to the T block. It is my understanding that the Gallivan and Rajo DOs were very similar if not made from the same patterns. I think the DO Gemsa might also be based own the Gallivan/Rajo.

As a kid, I drooled over the hardware that was featured in the VF annual speedster issues. I wonder what happened to all those great cars that ran at Long Beach and the Santa Clara endurance run.

Fronty Boy, you may remember me. I bought that SR Fronty and related items from you a few years back. Myself and group of friends met you at your house. One of these days I will see if Erik Barrett will build an engine for me!

Fronty Boy,

I found the website for Cass Casmir. Sorry, he has/had a DO Gemsa not the Gallivan. Not sure if this will be of any help to you. You will also find his SOHC, supercharged Fronty SR sprint car. I know you like that kind of stuff. Note the website states "not secure". http://buymegivemetakeme.com

Tom

Tom, that’s him! I just couldn’t quite come up with the name. He did some amazing stuff to this engine. They used an uncut full dimension model B counterbalanced crank. This is not normally possible in a T block because the diameter of the mains is larger than the distance between the T main bolt holes and model B rods would hit the camshaft. No problem. No cam in the block because of the DO head and they replaced the main bearing webs with larger ones. That’s crazy. It has billet aluminum rods. This is the kind of talent that builds top secret spy planes.

Tom, more info for you. Gemsa used the Gallivan patterns to make his DO heads. They were essentially an aluminum copy of the Gallivan/Rajo DO. That’s what is on Casmir’s car. The one Gemsa made for LaRue Thomas was converted to a dry timing belt instead of all the gears. I saw the car a few years ago when we bought some stuff from the family. They still have it. It hasn’t run since the day it set the all time record at Signal Hill. 1977 I think. It’s also a main reason the event ended. There was a picture of him airborne at the top of the hill with kids sitting on hay bales ten feet away. Insurance carrier was not impressed or so I have heard. The patterns for the head are now property of Dave S. and he has made a few of them. Yes, he also has made Fronty pans.

Pic attempt.

Another pic.

Rod and piston.

After Mr Gallivan was a guest of the Federal Government the engine patterns were purchased by Joe Jegesburger. When he decided to make a few heads he cheapened the process by totally changing the valve set up used in the Gallivan head.

The Gallivan used the Hisso valve adjusting system which was very expensive and difficult to adjust. So Rajo went for the cheaper way of making the heads not as precise but less expensive and smaller diameter valves. An interesting side bar is the reason for the quality of the Rajo castings. The Rajo castings were manufactured in the CASE tractor foundries. Joe Jagesburger was the son in law of the president of CASE. The Rajo casting were the best of all the aftermarket cylinder heads.

Some of this information has been passed down over years and may not be totally accurate but having talked with many different owners of all the above heads and I believe the information is rather accurate.

So far we have started a chain of activity regarding Gallivan's, so far so good!!!!

Thnx guys,

Keep up the good work and keep the information coming.

frontyboy

Further up the post there is a picture of Colin Wades Gallivan special.Here is a link to a feature on it, in Australia's Street Machine magazine.Colin is Australia's undisputed King collector of Model T and Vintage Speed equipment. I was fortunate to see and hear it run at Australia's Model T Centenery event in 2008 where he had it on dispaly.
https://www.streetmachine.com.au/featur ... lake-racer

From my understanding, Hank Lee is making a reproduction twin cam from billet aluminum. Both in a carburetor version and a mechanical fuel injection version.

George Parker was another fellow who did a lot of cylinder castings & complete heads.
He made new DO Fronty's & DO RAJO's
He was a good friend, when he died his kids offered the DO Fronty patterns to me, but I passed.
I did buy his original Archie Powell DO Fronty race car.
George's shop was near me & we often had breakfast together at a coffee shop by his place.
One morning he asked me to follow him back to his shop & to park next to the roll up door.
When we went inside, there by the door was a pile of all the various castings required for DO RAJO's.
He rolled up the door and told me to start loading up.
I drove away with enough castings for maybe 3 DO RAJO's.
He also made an improvement in that he made provisions to use modern lash cups over the valves.
If I live long enough, I may finish a DO RAJO from those castings.
here is the Archie Powell car

I have a video of our Gallivan/Rajo running on my Instagram page
Rumbleseat Garage. It’s a wicked brute. I can barely post pics here, a video or link to it is beyond me. We have a couple races coming up where we hope to turn it loose.