Junkyard warrior: driving the legendary Old Yeller II

It may look rough ’n’ ready, but this backyard special was a match for any exotic Italian

Everyone loves a successful underdog, and American hot-rodder Max Balchowsky was an underdog like no other.

A self-taught engineer who flew bombers in WW2, Balchowsky built and raced his own roadster, Old Yeller II, against established teams with big budgets – and often won.

Fuelled by a strong following in the late ’50s and early ’60s, his crude junkyard warrior – frequently seen at Californian race meets – was the subject of countless half-truths, myths and mysteries.

But which were true? And what’s this legendary racer like to drive? We took it for a spin to find out.

Machine of many myths

Countless tales surround Balchowsky’s antics. Rumour has it, he’d use old engine oil and scavenge for spark plugs in the bins of wealthy teams.

There’s even a story that, once, when a wheel blew, he combed the car park before jacking up a spectator’s Buick station wagon and ‘borrowing’ a replacement, leaving a note that read ‘Return after races’.

True or not, Balchowsky and his wife Ina were hugely popular, both among rival teams and spectators.

Frankenstein's classic

Balchowsky built a total of nine Old Yellers, but it was the second that secured his reputation as a conqueror of Italians.

From the tatty Idaho Famous Potatoes registration plates to the patchwork rear body crafted from old Coca-Cola and Pepsi signs, this 6-litre mongrel offered quite the contrast to the millionaire teams of Ferraris and Maseratis – and Balchowsky drove it to and from events with pride.

Hidden potential

Beneath that quirky, hand-beaten, ill-fitting, lemon-yellow bodywork, though, sat a lot of clever engineering, the result of its creator’s instinctive know-how.

Key to the success of Old Yeller II was its very sorted chassis and finely tuned Buick ‘Nailhead’ motor; for all that Balchowsky milked the car’s image as a scrapyard racer, its competitive pace and consistent reliability in the heat of battle proved that its builder took his racing very seriously.

In safe and famous hands

That said, Old Yeller was initially a challenge to drive, with Balchowsky suffering several dramatic spins at the first five races of 1957 in California and Arizona.

But after he lowered the rear and fitted an anti-roll bar from a pick-up truck, its fortunes soon changed – especially when a young, crew-cut Californian accepted a drive in the Examiner Grand Prix at Riverside.

His name? Dan Gurney – and although he retired from third with an engine problem, he impressed as he chased down Jaguar D-types and Maserati Birdcages.

Aces win races

“This is as good as the finest car I’ve driven, and as comfortable as a baby buggy,” Gurney reported after the race – high praise from a man who went on to become one of the most accomplished racers of the 20th century.

Balchowsky himself was a competent driver, but with a true ace at the wheel he realised Old Yeller II could really go places. So, for the next race at Santa Maria, he hired Bobby Drake – who duly whipped all comers.

Form an orderly line

Next up? Carroll Shelby, who encouraged Balchowsky to take on Road America, where Shelby led until the dying laps, when Old Yeller's Buick motor cried enough – but the Texan was impressed.

“I’ve driven all kinds of cars,” he said, “but the torque from that Balchowsky special had them all beat. I don’t know what the gearbox was there for. You could have started in high and stayed in that gear all day.”

Take me home, public roads

Old Yeller II enjoyed its finest hour at the 1960 season finale, the Times Grand Prix at Riverside. With Drake at the wheel – Balchowsky’s favourite – it enjoyed a dramatic dice with Billy Krause’s Birdcage and Augie Pabst’s stunning Scarab.

The trio was nose-to-tail at the chequered flag, with Drake coming in second. The Maserati was left smoking, while the Scarab was loaded on to a custom transporter. Old Yeller? Balchowsky simply drove it back to LA on the freeway.

Sold then smashed

The fate of Old Yeller II was, predictably, the subject of more rumours: some say wealthy Ferrari entrant Jon von Neumann offered Balchowsky $2500 to drive it off a cliff; others claim that locals saw Ina using it for shopping trips.

Closer to the truth was its sale to an amateur racer in the early ’60s; at Cotati, near Sacramento, the driver lost control of Old Yeller on the slowing-down lap and smashed it into a tree.

Brought back from the dead

For decades it was thought lost until, one evening in 1977 in a Fresno bar, David Gibb and his son Blake heard a story about how its remains were languishing in a local backyard.

They went searching and found the the sad, stripped carcass of Old Yeller II, buying it for $250. And so began an intense, challenging rebuild which, with the guidance of Balchowsky – who managed to find spares at the back of his workshop – saw the storied motor return to the track with Gibb Jnr at the wheel, ready to upset Ferrari owners once more.

Balchowsky’s biggest fan

Eventually, the faded-yellow racer was sold to Ernie Nagamatsu, another passionate enthusiast who continued the process of restoring Old Yeller to authentic specification.

He befriended Balchowsky and took him to several races before his death in ’98; Nagamatsu also occasionally invited former drivers to race it, including Billy Krause, and even shipped Old Yeller II to Goodwood to compete several times, most recently last year. He’s also extensively researched Balchowsky’s life and owns his final, unfinished project – Old Yeller X.

Creation through imagination

Balchowsky was very much a ‘back of a matchbox’ engineer and it’s rumoured that Old Yeller’s chassis was drawn up on the floor one night at Hollywood Motors.

“I think Max made it up as he went along but, because this was a one off, it didn’t really matter,” says British specialist Sean McClurg.

“When you look closely at the car, you soon realise that the body and driveline are all over the place. Nothing is straight, including the engine in the chassis. The whole cockpit is offset and refitting the panels is a nightmare because nothing lines up.”

Taking the helm

But what’s it like to drive this home-built beast with a 6.6-litre Buick block at its heart – equipped with six carburettors and a 350bhp output?

Even before the engine rumble erupts through the unsilenced side-pipes, you can’t help but feel the rich history ingrained in this brutish old racer, encased in the tubing that surrounds the cockpit space, the bare-metal dash ahead offering a motley selection of switches and gauges. The 100mph Morris speedometer is another Balchowsky joke.

Appearances can be deceiving

The driving position – with high, bent legs, pendulum pedals and a four-spoke steering wheel – evokes a well-built Ford hot rod, while the transmission has a chunky action but offers a slick change and perfectly matches the grunt of the powerplant.

Made more drivable by McClurg’s chassis and throttle improvements, Old Yeller II is a true hoot to drive. Despite shaggy appearances, it feels very strong, rigid and together. And, such is the torque, you really only need third and fourth gear once you’re rolling.

The old dog's still got it

The performance punch? As potent as in a 289 Cobra but, matched to wonderfully weighted steering and impressively balanced handling, it also inspires.

After just a few laps of our test track, I feel really confident – except in the drum brakes. Old Yeller's mighty power soon outstrips its stopping abilities.

But, really, who cares about stopping? A hot-rodder at heart, Balchowsky couldn’t resist timing Old Yeller II at a drag-racing meet. It clocked an 11.9-second quarter-mile with an exit speed of 124mph, and did the 0-100 dash in just 8.6 secs. Not bad for a junkyard car.