Speedway Motors Museum - Treasure House

This early Chevrolet V8 features a single central cam, vertical valves, and removable cross-flow heads, and displaces 288ci. It never caught on.

Several companies produced aftermarket bodies for the Model T, such as the Mercury Body Company in Louisville, Kentucky, which offered this cool-looking roadster.

Can you guess what this is? This flathead was modified with four heads from V-twin Triumphs. It has one intake valve and two exhaust valves per cylinder, operated by three cams.

The innovative spirit of the old days hasn't gone away. In the early '90s, Al Mathon Sr. and Al Mathon Jr., built this 700ci V-16 by welding together cast iron Chevy engine parts. It made more than 500 horsepower on the dyno, and now has a prominent place near the lobby of the Speedway Museum.

All these rare and unusual engines aren't even part of the official museum--yet. This is the Speedway motor room, where rack after rack of these "ladies in waiting" (as "Speedy" Bill calls them) are stored prior to full restoration.

In addition to all of the automotive treasures, the Museum features numerous early-Twentieth Century toys, including pedal planes. Some have been restored to brand-new condition, but many more have been preserved in worn condition to show their age.

Tether cars of every variety fill two walls of display cases...

...on the third floor of the Speedway Museum.

Bill Smith's affinity for Buck Rogers goes back to his boyhood and his collection of Buck Rogers memorabilia extends from the original comic books to the television version from a few years ago.

This beautiful pedal car, and the ones on the floor below it are estimated to be 100 years old. Some of the more elaborate cars of that time originally sold for more than $200--pretty amazing considering that a brand new Model T cost around $300.

Some of those old pedal cars were pretty detailed and imaginative, as this sample shows. The firetruck is more recent than the others. The details are improved, but the overall design is the same.

Soapbox derby cars from every decade are on display. The prize of the bunch is probably this car from 1929. The Museum had unearthed the entire history of this car, and even found the original owner.

Where does "Speedy" Bill find all these great items? All over the place. He came upon this carousel at a Mexican carnival. He liked it so much he bought it on the spot, had it shipped to Lincoln, and repainted the cars to look like well-known race cars.