Friday, December 05, 2025

Ken Walkey was a 300 mph Landspeed racer, Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame, Car builder, and Korean War Navy Veteran, plus a Disney Imagineer for 25 years, and the Ventura County Model T club founder and president



Always fascinated by cars, he purchased his first car (a '26 Chevy touring sedan) and got it running at age 13, joined the Burbank Flywheelers Roadster Club in his later teenage years 

Ken served in the US Navy from 1950-55. He ran the Navy’s machine shop and built cars in his down time to race the locals in the nearby abandoned air strip in Hawaii. While stationed in Hawaii, he met a PanAm Stewardess, Bettylee and married her in 56.




He used his kids old abandoned swing set for the frame in that first tank, but didn't make the roll bar tall enough to pass Bonneville inspections, went home, disassembled the tank, stretched it out four feet with a new frame and came back in 1973 to take the class record, 185 mph something, and the F.I.A. world record.

This was the first ever vintage 4 cylinder to set a record over 200 mph and gain entry into the 200 mph club.

This car under the next owner, 
set 12 various records at El Mirage and Bonneville, 7 of which were still standing as of 2017

He built many cars, both funky 3 wheelers and 300 mph race cars, from his own ideas and with his own hands. 

more nose art! For B-25s of the 310th and 12th Bomb Groups



12th Bomb Group, 83 Bomb Squadron, B-25C in North Africa. 

 The "Pluto" nose art was unique to the plane and not the 12th BG.  


it's a lot of kid's imagination, and Hollywood magic, and it looks like FUN, plus, it has a bus made into a plane





Andy Wilman's new book is getting some publicity from Jeremy


this is pretty damn cool... a movie and tv car poster, by Thomas Estrada. Posters are an incredibly affordable 11 dollars and 24 are still availbale


https://www.artofthomasestrada.com/product-page/18-x24-iconicars-poster

Thomas began an amazing career in Hollywood art in 1997 when he left pest control and entered the animation industry with DreamWorks:
The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Sinbad, Over the Hedge

 From there to work with Disney Feature Animation:
Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Home on the Range

Pinstripers... talented people! All they need is time, a brush, and some One Shot. This kick ass work is by Hot Rod Jen, and she sells them too





I look at this, and hear Yosemite Sam in my mind, yelling "What in tarnation?!" the Sierra Lumber Co.’s Porter-built 0-6-0T #2, “Antelope,” perched boldly on a trestle in 1890


  the Sierra Lumber Co.’s Porter-built 0-6-0T #2, “Antelope,” perched boldly on a trestle in 1890 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122263153412021759&set=gm.659933303752822&idorvanity=188010054278485

ok, I'll bite, why is the taxi on display at the Disney Hotel New York at Disneyland Paris? The answer is lame "Since many Marvel heroes (like Spider-Man, Daredevil, Luke Cage) are New York-based, the taxi is a key visual cue for the whole "Art of Marvel" experience."

 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=857448900266136&set=pcb.25222789357372983






It took a few minutes, but I finally found the connection... Spider Man speaking French (WTF?) rides to the hotel front doors on top of the taxi. 

The Beechcraft Busy Bee Honorary Award of Merit

 

http://www.americainwwii.com/galleries/disney-to-the-front

Why World War II soldiers were obsessed with Donald Duck? Attitude! Sass! Moxie! and humor!



Damn good piece of research! 

B-26 "Fifinella"


391st BG, 575th BS.



Sterling WWII Fifinella WASP Womens Air Service Pilot 


The Fifinella design from Disney has been a favorite of mine https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=fifinella

and Gremlin Gus, an adorable character 




https://waspmuseum.org/avenger-news/the-infamous-fifinella-by-julia-lauria-blum/

not that I'll ever valet park my cars, but, they can't learn how to use a clutch?


https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2025/12/my-how-times-have-changed.html

Disney artwork for the 26th Fighter Squadron "China Blitzers" WW2


Disney artist Hank Porter created this design for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Night Fighter Group 53, in early 1944.


These multicolored transit passes for students, the US Fighting Units Series, was issued by the St. Louis Public Service Company, the designs featured on the passes were created at the Disney studio during World War II.

247th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion, Battery C