Traco Engineering

[Turbo231]

Does anyone on this site know much about Traco who built race engines in the 60's and 70's? Evidently they built all kinds of race engines from midgets to Indy, Can Am to Trans Am. For one of the "big boys" of that era, you can hardly find any information about them now. Did they evolve into another company or just simple disappear?

[pamotorman]

back in the late 60s they worked for GM as frank and bud came to the trans am races to look after penskes Z/28 engines

[mekilljoydammit]

I mean, there is this too: http://www.tra-coengines.com/history.html

[Turbo231]

Were they more of less a skunk works for GM?

[mekilljoydammit]

Official story is Jim Travers and Frank Coon formed the company to do work for Ford for a racing engine before the motorsports ban, then basically they did work for oval track stuff, eventually finding that small block stuff was competitive and getting commissioned to do a lot of that stuff for sports car stuff, basically building a name doing that. So ostensibly independent. Inside story, I dunno if there's more than that.

[grandsport51]

Slow typist LOL
Travers and Frank Coon
Were accomplished race engine builders long before
Trans Am Frank Travers was a buddy of Stuart Hilborn
And instrumental in developing Hilborn Travers fuel
Injection and were heavily involved in all sorts of developments.including fuel injection to Indy
1952 , working for Ford to build an aborted Desmo
Engine for Indy by reverse engineering the mercedes desmo engine at the Henry Ford ,engines for Chapparal I
McLarens first SBCs ,Penske’s engines etc.
Google Travers and Coons story in Hemmings.
Links not working
Dave B

[fdicrasto]

back in the late 60s they worked for GM as frank and bud came to the trans am races to look after penskes Z/28 engines

The Penske, trans am and chevy connection I remember as far as Traco is concerned.

[PackardV8]

After GM quit TransAm, AMC hired TRACO to build their engines. They were asked if they could make AMC competitive. Travers said, "After we get through building it, the engine doesn't know whose name is on the rocker covers."

The AMC effort wasn't as dominating as the GM, so someone reminded TRACO of the above statement. There was a pause and then Travers said, "Yeah, but the bank does notice the dollar amount on their checks."

[pamotorman]

back in the late 60s they worked for GM as frank and bud came to the trans am races to look after penskes Z/28 engines

looks like my 84 year old memory is not so good on first names anymore.

[vortecpro]

Traco was a great shop........but if you want to know about Traco you will also want know about Al Bartz. I was also interested in Traco myself and did some research, infact my friend has Traco's old dyno sitting in his drive way. Its also interesting Traco used Lockermen or Lockerman for head porting. I can't remember which but either Coons or Travers died only recently in Utah still working on engines right up to his death.........talk about hard core!

[Larry Salisbury]

Traco Engineering was started by Jim Travers and Frank Coon in 1957. The business started picking up around 1962 and they hired their first employee Frank Schmidt that year who was an engine mechanic for Lance Reventlow's Traco powered Scarab race cars. Schmidt was eventually promoted to shop foreman and worked on aluminum Olds F85 engines, and many small block Chevrolet's including the aluminum 377cid Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport power plant. Schmidt was hired by John Mecom, and he gave notice to "the engineering company" in 1964. Traco hired his replacement Al Bartz a former Stu Hilborn employee, and had Schmidt train him on Traco's particular style of engine construction. Bartz did not stay long at Traco. He quit, and took what he learned from Traco to start his own race engine business. Travers and Coon soon realized that Bartz was trying to beat them at their own game with the knowledge he gained while working for them. Traco hired Gordon Chance in late 1964 to replace Bartz. Chance was specially trained by Travers and Coon, and given "privileged" information on an as needed basis. It was during this period that Traco engines were starting to win with big names like Foyt, Unser, and Roger Penske with his driver Mark Donohue. Donohue won the 1972 Indy 500 in a Traco powered turbo Offy. Traco primarily built Chevrolet's, but also worked on Oldsmobile, AMC, Offenhauser, and Ferrari engines. "Raceman Jim Travers and the Traco Dynasty" is an excellent book written by Gordon Chance covering the history of Traco. One interesting fact that not many are aware of is that Frank Schmidt was the only employee (out of many) to come out of Traco and go on to win the Indianapolis 500 (John Mecon Racing Team 1966). Schmidt was proud of his win in his rookie year and was eager to brag about this with his former employer, and good friends Travers and Coon. When told about his victory Travers mentioned to Schmidt that "there's nothing to brag about until you win Indy back to back". Schmidt nearly accomplished this as he came in second place at the 1967 Indianapolis 500 during his second and final year with John Mecom Racing.

Travers retired from Traco in 1980, and Coon then hired Jim Jones. Coon worked another 6 years before selling the company to Jones. Jones closed the business in 1996. In 1999 I was approached by our long time family friend Frank Schmidt to learn his (Traco) way of designing and building engines. I jumped at that and spent nearly 5 years learning. In 2004 after leraning that the Traco name was almost extinct I re-opened Traco Engineering Co., Inc. in Santa Monica, CA. Since re-opening the business I have been involved in engine development with Ed Iskenderian and Nick Arias. Traco was a regular participant at the Popular Hot Rodding Engine Masters Challenge from 2004 till 2013. Fellow EMC competitor Ron Shaver was a Traco employee in the 70's. Schmidt and Travers remained friends until Schmidt's passing in April 2008. I kept in touch with Travers regularly until his passing in Feb. 2016. I've known Travers and Coon from my parts salesman days at Santa Monica Ford since the late 70's.Travers and I both shared the same birthday (July 12). I've recently started a Facebook page on the history/facts of Traco Engineering.
https://www.facebook.com/TracoEngineeri ... page_panel

Larry Salisbury
President
Traco Engineering Co.,Inc

[fdicrasto]

Traco was a great shop........but if you want to know about Traco you will also want know about Al Bartz. I was also interested in Traco myself and did some research, infact my friend has Traco's old dyno sitting in his drive way. Its also interesting Traco used Lockermen or Lockerman for head porting. I can't remember which but either Coons or Travers died only recently in Utah still working on engines right up to his death.........talk about hard core!

The team I worked with felt Al Bartz had the better trans am 305" chevy combo and went with one of his engines in last half of '70 season. Al liked Slover heads and a Delong cam for that combo and the car was definitely competitive with the Bartz power plant.

[vortecpro]

Like most of these people were talking about, Al Bartz was a very talented hard working person.

[Dave Koehler]

Thread Derail: Lockerman
There is a name I haven't heard in a while.
I had 2 sets of his ported SBs when I was a pup. Nice work.
They intrigued me enough at the time to go forward with my career.
Anyone know his history?

[PackardV8]

Thread Derail: Lockerman
There is a name I haven't heard in a while.
I had 2 sets of his ported SBs when I was a pup. Nice work.
They intrigued me enough at the time to go forward with my career.
Anyone know his history?

Richard Lockerman in his "Lockerman's Porting Service" Jr. Fuel car at Lions in 1968


Lockerman's Porting Service was the sole source for TRACO. They'd furnish the castings and give him the intended use and he'd bring back batches of finished heads.

Old post from another forum:

In 1975, he was building his last flathead for a car I still have; a '40 Sedan.
Anyway, Joe helped him track down a guy named Lockerman, who, back in the day, was THE guy to do port and relief work on flatty blocks. We delivered the block to him and Joe went with us. The guy lived in an old neighborhood with an alley behind it. Dad knocked on the door and he told us to meet him in the alley. Back then this fellow was at least 80. He opened up his garage door and it was like traveling back in time. A full-on machine shop straight out of 1940. Even had a belt drive lathe. He had about three pairs of glasses he used, I remember thinking that was funny. The three of them shot the breeze for about an hour, then the guy said, "Well it has been 25 years since I did this, it'll take me some time, but I will do it. Same price as before, guys. $50.00 cash." They tried to get him to take more, no dice. Just pissed him off.
When we left as we were riding back to drop Joe off at his shop he told me to "Remember that guy Jeff, you've just met a genuine legend and hot rod hero"
Next I saw that block it was unreal. The bare metal surfaces around the cylinders and in the porting areas looked like they were chrome plated. It was simply stunning. (I still have it and it still is.) Lockerman died a couple of months later, ours is the last engine he ever worked his magic on.