Jim Papworth

Jim Papworth's 1932 Ford Roadster of Culver City, California. Jim was a member of the Culver City Screwdrivers, and the roadster, that he bought in 1947, was his first car.

Jim Papworth's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster at El Mirage. Jim ran the roadster in 1948 and 1949, so this photo must have been taken in 1948 or 1949. Jim achieved a top speed of 129.56 mph with the roadster in 1949. Jim Papworth is the guy in the white overall, while Joanna Quesnel is the lady wearing a scarf in the photo. Photo from the The Chuck and Joanna Quesnel Photo Collection.

A photo of Jim working on the 1932 Ford tudor sedan in his driveway. Photo fromThe Jim Papworth Photo Collection.

Jim Papworth was a member of the Culver City Screwdrivers. He joined the club in 1948, and was active until the late 1950. Jim's first car was a 1932 Ford highboy roadster that he bought in 1947. It was in gray primer, and Jim did nothing to improve it. Jim's next car was a 1932 Ford 3-Window coupe. It had no fenders and a dropped axle, making it hard to handle at fifty and above, so he sold it and bought a channeled 1927 Ford Model T Roadster in 1948. The car came without an engine and transmission, so he built an engine and transmission he could use for street racing, a big deal at the time. Later on he decided to modify it for dry lakes racing. Jim ran the roadster in 1948 and 1949. Top speed in 1949 was 129.56. After the Model T followed another 1932 Ford, as Jim bought a 1932 Ford two door sedan. The car came stock off the showroom floor. Jim also had a 1925 Ford Model T track roadster that he took as collateral for loaning a guy $200.00 bucks. It had no engine or transmission. He parked it behind his garage, and it sat there until he went into the Navy in November of 1950. Jim's last car a 1934 Ford 5-Window coupe that he bought in 1950. He pulled the engine out of the Model T roadster and installed it in the coupe. He had Sandy Belond build headers for the coupe, as it was his date car. After selling off all of his cars, Jim could not locate the owner of the track T roadster. He told his mom that if the guy ever tried to take it back, she should get the money from him first. He came home on leave in 1952, and found out that it was gone. Gone was also the guy, so he ended up loosing both the money and the car. At the same time, all his tools, two short blocks and all his racing spare parts did also disappear. Nobody seems to know what had happened. All Jim's mom could say was that some guys came by and cleaned up the garage. She could not tell him who they were.

Jim Papworth's Cars

Jim Papworth's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster
Jim Papworth's 1932 Ford Roadster
Jim Papworth's 1932 Ford Tudor Sedan