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Storage Area and Racing Memorabilia

12:20
38:52
55.8K views

At 12:20 in

John Finger’s Private Car Collection: Former IMSA Racer’s Vintage NASCAR Stash

What happens here

John moves on to a different part of the garage, which serves as a storage area. He points out a large collection of racing posters and pictures from his career, including one signed by Paul Newman. He proudly displays an old Formula Vee car, hanging from the ceiling, that he won his first professional race in. He also shows an IndyCar-style vehicle, a Mazda rotary-powered race car, and a custom-built Mini Cooper with a Mazda rotary engine, all from his personal racing history.

Goal: Showcase racing trophies, posters, and unique vehicles

Tools and materials

  • Custom Mini Cooper — Display and unique build
  • Formula Vee Car — Display and historical significance
  • IndyCar-style Vehicle Prototab Riley — Display and historical significance
  • Mazda Rotary Race Car Mazda — Display and historical significance
  • Racing Posters Various — Display and historical record
  • Signed Photographs Various — Display and personal keepsakes

What they say

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anybody. When I built the next 100 ft, I had to give this didn't have to, but I gave this to my wife for her she shed. So that's only thing interesting in here is some real nice old posters from way back about anything you could think of. That's Morgan there. I can't tell you when I was a piss. We've wanted to do something with him for a long time. So I tell everybody I keep this rough part here for the rest of my stuff. I built it. I was going to put a wall there. So I put a bathroom in the middle and then they said, "Well, just keep all of it." So they kept it all for I don't know 10 years. and they moved out and I redid the floor and wired it differently. And this is my last hurrah of the building I'm going to work on. This first car on your left there, that's a a I drove one just like that at Daytona in 1966. They had a racetrack downtown around a football field. And I was with uh this gentleman who was kind of my mentor and a lot of people know him from way back in the day. and he helped me a lot and taught me a lot. But we went down there to race and it was a typical deal. We're in his Cadillac open trailer and we get down there. I'd never sat in a car. We take it down to the beach, put it on the beach and I ran it back and forth a few times and we went to the racetrack and it was an open event. You could run anything and I'm standing there looking at all these cars. He says, "There's Andredy." I said, "Who's Andredy?" I mean this was six, you know, 50 years ago. In fact, I think Andrew Ed had only been racing a short time. So he I don't know who won. We I practiced and the guy said, "We don't have money to get home. I better run the main event." I remember he spun out, but I don't know how we got money to get home. But we we got home. Maybe he was lying. He just wanted to drive. He was Colonel Patton's driver in the army. Really? Yeah. It was interesting. This one behind you hanging up there, it's the V that I won the first professional race at Atlanta and won the international race at Daytona. We sold it to a guy and he had it probably I don't know 20 25 years and his kids caught his garage on fire and it burnt the body and all off of tires and wheels. I helped him get an insurance settlement and got it and I said I'm not going to try to restore it. I'm just going to hang it up down here. So kind of cool. Did you clear coat it? Yeah. pawn shop I knew went out of business and I bought their sign.

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