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oldironkc
12-16-2014, 09:05 AM
Anyone here remember/know about Ray Besasie Sr of Milwaukee. He built some planes in the early '30s and developed a "turbo supercharger" for automotive engines. Also built 4 custom cars. Quite a guy.

NERSTROM
12-21-2014, 09:01 AM
I received this answer to Ray Besasie question from a friend who grew up in the Kenosha, WI area:

I knew Ray Besasie, or at least met him when I was 14 or 15, with my dad.

Ray actually built the Excalibur cars for Brooks Stevens at his shop in Milwaukee. The Excalibers were originally a sports car on a Henry J chassis, then later replica Mercedes on a Studebaker chassis.

I learned to drive on our family 1940 Chevrolet that had a turbocharger by Ray Besasie. My dad bought the unit in 1949 or 50.It was as fast or faster to 60 than a then-fast Olds 88 of 303 cubic inch, 135 HP.

My dad removed the turbo shortly after I got my license in 1951 and sold the car to my brother in the Navy. It was a maintenance headache, but fast and loud.

I recall in high school kids talking about the mysterious old, dirty and grey Chevy, driven by an old guy, that would beat the fastest flathead Fords away from a light.

I have photos of the engine and turbo and will send them if I can locate them.

My dad was also a friend of Joe Jagersberger who made RAJO OHV heads for model T Fords. Joe raced for Case in the 1911 Indy 500. As a guy in his teens before WWI my dad had a hot-rod T with a RAJO head, and knew Joe from those days

Joe lived in Racine (hence RAJO) and made production cylinder heads for Chevrolet stovebolts for years; we would drive up on an evening and Joe and my dad would talk about old racing days, engines, etc.

At one point Joe developed a high performance head for the old 216 stovebolts engine, but the 1953 Chevys used a bigger version of the engine and the RAJO head would not fit. Joe died in I think his 60s in 1953 and that was the end of it.

I ran into Joe’s grandson a few years ago; he still has Joe’s last car, a 1952 Chevy with the head and small “Powered by RAJO” emblems on the front fenders.

Joe from Austria and a graduate engineer that had come to the US working for Mercedes in the early 1900s. He had no use for Ray Besasie, who was a talented cut-and-try mechanic and a bit of a self-promoter.

I recall Ray adjusting the boost on my dad’s turbo by heating the exhaust turbine blades one at a time and bending them with a pliers! Too much boost and the exhaust valves burned in a few thousand miles.


Don

oldironkc
12-21-2014, 03:52 PM
Don, Thank You so much for the information and stories, exactly what I was looking for. I have not met anyone first hand who used to have Besasie Turbo installed, the pictures would be amazing to see. If I may ask, please private message me your email address.

oldironkc
12-21-2014, 03:56 PM
I had heard from one of Ray's sons, that Ray did actually know Joe Jagersberger and they had spent some casual time together, getting together for dinner, he mentioned the family had pictures taken at Joe's house somewhere. The Jagersberger Chevy head and intake were a great design, and cool to know they 2 legends in Wisconsin both had some affection for the Chevy six.

oldironkc
12-22-2014, 10:03 AM
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http://eaaforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=4374&stc=1