Throttle Tamers of Midland
The Throttle Tamers was a car club from Midland, Michigan. "In the mid-50s about a dozen high school kids in Midland formed the Throttle Tamers hot rod club," Hugh Nutting told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2021. "I designed the aluminum plaque for the group," he added. "When the club started, member Russ Benedict’s grandfather lived in Mapleton, Michigan. He was a retired plumbing contractor with a shop building he no longer used. It had a dirt floor. He made us a deal. If we put a cement floor, it would be rent-free."[1]
"We often went to Saginaw to Hank's Hot Rod Shop," Hugh recalled. "I had this 29 roadster then. It was in dark gray primer with a dual carb 4 banger." Jim Hughes was another early member. Jim got a driver's permit when he was in junior high for health problems. "He had a 55 Chevy convert rebuilt from a total in High School." Jim also had some early flathead Fords. "His older brother-in-law was an AC [GM] engineer who worked on the early fuel injection for concept cars. Jim was the Service Manager for Camp’s VW and started a custom auto painting business after retiring." Two Roberts' families were involved in the club. "Jim Roberts who built race cars in Coleman, Michigan in later years had a nice 55 Ford convert. His Dad, Howard, was an adult adviser. Howard was a local barber who raced jalopy’s, 30s Plymouths at Auburn. Johnny Roberts younger brother was a member. Johnny raced a 56 NASCAR Ford, which he crashed at Daytona. Photos were in car magazines. We held meetings on Marrow's rec room. "Fats" had a 51 Merc coupe with a 51 Kaiser grill. It was painted a light Rose color. John Brooks had a 30 A 4 banger coupe and later a 53 Ford convert. I had 5 Model As." In [[2021, all of the members that were left were in their 80s.[1]
Members
Club Cars
- Hugh Nutting's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster
- John Brooks' 1930 Ford Model A Coupe
- John Brooks' 1953 Ford Convertible
- Jim Hughes' 1955 Chevrolet Convertible
- Jim Roberts' 1955 Ford Convertible
References
Did you enjoy this article?
Kustomrama is an encyclopedia dedicated to preserve, share and protect traditional hot rod and custom car history from all over the world.
- Help us keep history alive. For as little as 2.99 USD a month you can become a monthly supporter. Click here to learn more.
- Subscribe to our free newsletter and receive regular updates and stories from Kustomrama.
- Do you know someone who would enjoy this article? Click here to forward it.
Can you help us make this article better?
Please get in touch with us at mail@kustomrama.com if you have additional information or photos to share about Throttle Tamers of Midland.
This article was made possible by:
SunTec Auto Glass - Auto Glass Services on Vintage and Classic Cars
Finding a replacement windshield, back or side glass can be a difficult task when restoring your vintage or custom classic car. It doesn't have to be though now with auto glass specialist companies like www.suntecautoglass.com. They can source OEM or OEM-equivalent glass for older makes/models; which will ensure a proper fit every time. Check them out for more details!
Do you want to see your company here? Click here for more info about how you can advertise your business on Kustomrama.
