Legends of the Quarter-Mile

Presented by

The Drag Racing Heritage Foundation

PHIL WEIAND

By Bill Holland with Thanks to Joan Weiand

            There are many facets to Phil Weiand’s storied career; lakes racer, oval track competitor and speed parts manufacturer.  They intertwine to make a most interesting story.

            Phil grew up in Pasadena, California, and was bitten by the hot rodding “bug” at an early age (14, to be exact). A family friend happened to have a long-neglected 1922 Ford “T” touring car, which young Master Weiand horse-traded for with his prized mandolin.  And the rest, as they say, is "history".

            In short order a lightweight ’24 roadster body replaced the bulky Touring shell, and a requisite number of then-popular speed modifications (Rajo OHV conversion, Stutz dual ignition, headers, etc.) were added. The year was 1933.  Eventually, Phil coaxed the “T” up to 116 mph on the Lakes.

            The following year an event occurred that would change his life.  His roadster flipped at Mines Field in Los Angeles at an estimated 110 mph, and the ensuing crash left Weiand paralyzed from the waist down. But rather than bemoan his fate, Phil opted to embark on the challenge of becoming a speed parts manufacturer.

            Borrowing the munificent sum of $250 from his mother, Weiand bought a Craftsman drill press and other goodies from the Sears catalog and set up shop in the garage of the family homestead on San Fernando Road in Los Angeles.

            The first breakthrough product from Phil’s fertile mind was a dual manifold that was affectionately known as the “High Weiand.”  Introduced in 1937, this unique intake was the forerunner of today’s “tunnel ram” manifolds.  Word of its effectiveness spread throughout the racing community, and Phil Weiand was on the road to success.  He also demonstrated his mechanical prowess on the oval tracks of the era, where Weiand’s #4 track roadster was a consistent front-runner. 

            During WWII Phil kept the company going through scrounging up scrap aluminum any way he could —including melting down discarded pots and pans.  When the troops returned, Weiand stood ready to meet their needs.  Many a post-war flathead Ford got its extra power from a set of Weiand heads and intake manifold.

            Weiand was also one of the early proponents of supercharging, and became a driving force in the adaptation of the GMC 71-series blower (4-71 and 6-71 to begin with).  By the mid-1950s, Weiand had developed supercharging kits for the most popular applications.

            The Weiand name also could be found prominently displayed on many famous drag cars.  The “Isky-Weiand Special” of Don Garlits blazed new frontiers on the quarter-mile, while Weiand also received prominent billing on the famed “Bustle Bomb” of Lloyd Scott, the unique twin-engined creation (an Olds Rocket V8 up front and a Caddy in the rear) that was first to break the 150 mph barrier.

            Phil’s ground-breaking “ram” technology blossomed in the ‘60s, as the latest offerings from Detroit benefited from Weiand’s Hi-Rams.  Many of the top runners in the then-new Pro Stock class, from Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins on down, made good use of Weiand manifolds.

            In 1975 Phil was honored by SEMA –an organization he helped form—and became one of the first industry pioneers to be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.

            Phil passed away in 1978 –but not before leaving a sizeable imprint in the performance industry.  His widow, Joan, took over the helm of the company and guided it to new frontiers of popularity; most significantly through the introduction of a series of Roots-style superchargers for street applications. They also became OEM on many Mercury Marine engines.

            One of Joan’s most noteworthy acts was to establish a scholarship in Phil’s name, which became an important nucleus of the highly successful SEMA Scholarship Fund.  Joan herself was named to the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1995, making Phil and Joan the only husband and wife team so honored.  Weiand Automotive, Inc. was sold to Holley Performance in 1998, and remains as one of its key brands.  Future generations will still be saying “Why-And.”