Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => Health, Welfare, and Passings => Topic started by: wschwarz on February 09, 2014, 12:29:12 PM
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Dear Friends,
Our longtime friend Clifton Wheeler passed away last night 2/8/2014. Our hearts and prayers go out the entire Wheeler family. Clif is represented around the word with the trophies he hand crafted for the association for many years. His contributions have helped mold the SCTA into what it is today. He will be missed by all. Information regarding his services will be posted when available.
Sincerely,
Werner Schwarz
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Another SCTA member that has been around for many years supporting the Assoc. with his talent of making hundreds of trophies each year for the awards banquet. RIP Cliff. We will miss you. God speed. :-(
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An innovative trophy artist, racer and good guy. We'll miss him.
JL222
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Heard about Cliff's passing at team breakfast yesterday. Joanie and I are saddened by this news. Prayers to Cliff's family and friends.
DW
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Matt, Anthony, and Nicki, I am so sorry to hear this sad news. I always enjoyed talking with your Dad. He was so full of ideas. I will never forget when Ron Main was running the Ford Flathead he was cracking the block around the center main, and he was thinking of putting a girdle on the motor. I told him he should put a 5 main bearing Girdle on the motor, and he could not picture how the other two mains would be fastened to the girdle so he asked me to make a sample. I told Cliff what I was going to do and told him I was going to make a simple girdle out of wood. Well as soon as I said made of wood, he said come on over and use my equipment. I took him up on his offer. When I finished the girdle, Cliff was spraying a finish on some wood he had been working on and he grabbed the girdle and sprayed it for me. I asked what I owed him for using his equipment, and he just laughed and said he would catch me next time.
Cliff also took a 64? Lincoln he had put 200,000 miles on and made a Bonneville car out of it. He loved Ford motors and he took a 430 Lincoln motor and put it out over 500 inches. Then he took a skill saw and made a Tunnel Ram for the motor. Cliff also made his own harmonic balancer for this motor. The car was called Heavy Metal.
Cliff was a Landspeed person through and through. The only thing he told me he ever wanted was for his car to be on one of the SCTA Posters that come out every year for Bonneville and El Mirage. I don't think that ever happened.
One day while over at his workshop, we were talking and I told him I was looking for some V blocks to be able to check crankshafts on. Next thing I know he gets out some walnut and makes me one. I still have it and it will always remind me what kind of special person Cliff was.
Godspeed and RIP Clifton Wheeler,
Tom G.
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A lot of us are fortunate enough to have Cliff's art in our collections
GodSpeed Cliff
Our condolences to Cliff's family and close friends
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My sincere condolences....from another Wheeler family.
Ray C Wheeler & family
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Clifton's Celebration of Life information:
Saturday March 8th, 2014
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Canoga Park Elks Club
20925 Osborne St.
Canoga Park, CA 91304
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I got this obituary via Ron Main. I didn't know Cliff Wheeler well - barely at all, but nonetheless - may he rest in peace. Another long time salt racer has gone.
Clifton W. Wheeler
In Loving Memory
January 5, 1936 - February 8, 2014
78 years young
Clifton W. Wheeler a native born to Los Angeles Ca.
He Lived in the San Fernando Valley majority of his life.
Clifton is survived by his daughter Nickie Wheeler (Spouse Dean)
2 Sons Matthew Wheeler (Spouse Maureen) Anthony Wheeler (Spouse TeriAnne)
and 5 beautiful grand children Andrew, Meaghen, Sean , Carely and Melisa
Also his brother Nathan and sisters Bea and Bobbi.
Clifton always was a gear head he raced in the orange fields in the
San FernandoValley his teenager years.
He first step on the Bonneville salt flats Aug 1954 that when
he got the land speed fever.
Clifton became real active member in the 1980's as a Glendale Sidewinder
and SCTA.
He built his first land speed car 1966 Lincoln "868 Heavy Metal"
Worlds fastest Lincoln over 200 MPH Bonneville 1993.
868 Heavy Metal always attracted a lot of attention.
Clifton greatest contribution to SCTA and BNI land speed racing
was his design and construction of the Bonneville land speed trophy.
His vision for the trophy is well received around the world
a great presentation to land speed racing.
Clifton was inducted into the "Wheels of Fame" Jan 25, 2014
for his service and dedication to SCTA.
Clifton fellowship to land speed racing community will be
a huge loss and he will be dearly missed.
His celebration for life will be held
Mar 8, 2014
12:00 P.M. to4:00 P.M.
Canoga Park Elks Club
20929 Osborne St. Canoga Park, CA.
Here's a photo, too:
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii147/SeldomSeenSlim/Bonneville%20in%20general/apa665_zps482dfb46.jpg) (http://s263.photobucket.com/user/SeldomSeenSlim/media/Bonneville%20in%20general/apa665_zps482dfb46.jpg.html)
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G'bye Cliff. :cheers: Wayno
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Foilks, Here is a shot of Cliff's Heavy Metal Lincoln. I don't recall if he sent me this or I shot it, but it is in the files for my new book and I thought it was worth sharing.
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Thanks for posting that picture Louise.