At the Culver Auto Racing Museum we have prided ourselves on having period correct original cars on display! So when is a replica acceptable for a museum? We believe that if the original car has been totally destroyed and ceases to exist then a replica of the original car is an acceptable alternative if it is build as close to original as possible and uses as many original parts as possible. This is exactly what Tom Holding did with this car. We proudly introduce the Elton Hildreth 16J Replica built by the late Tom holding of NJ. Tom did a fantastic job building a period correct race car that captures the spirit of Elton Hildreth's 16J. The car even has the three carb set up and intake from one of Elton's original cars on the 327 small block! Elton was so impressed with the build that he gave Tom his original jacket to go with the car. The jacket and many other Hildreth memorabilia items remain with the car and will be displayed with the car. Including a piece of metal cut from the original car before being scrapped that says "Wild Man" on it. This piece was obtained by the late Russ Dodge who was a great historian and expert on this era of racing.
It is obvious the Tom put his heart and soul into building this accurate period piece. We treasure this ride and would like to thank the Holding family and Wayne Weaver for trusting the museum to carry on the legacy of the 16J! I am going to go ahead and say that this might be the meanest sounding car in the museum! It definitely has a unique sound that sets it apart. There is not much work that needs to be done to this fine ride before permanently displaying it. Just a little bit of a detail and the 16J will be ready for display. The car will be displayed in honor of Elton Hildreth and Tom Holding. Two greats that shared a common love of racing!
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