I know I've seen this car in some magazine from back in the period. Unfortunately I couldn't tell you which one. I generally don't care for channeled street cars, but this one is spot on.
That looks like the roadster Tetanus Shot bought years ago. Look at the thread "Rescued Roadster - A Ture Survivor"...Search Results for Query: Rescued roadster- a true survivor | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
Well, that was made easy by another email... Thanks Brian! It was featured in Rods Illustrated. August, 1959. And some of these photos are in the shoot... However, they look sharper in the book. I'm guessing these are scans of printouts. Maybe Guy will speak up with some more answers.
sorry for the off spacing but I figured since I can copy and paste text off the article with my phone that I’d add it here for those who don’t like to squint at a small screen or weren’t aware you could do this RESCUED ROADSTER ALDEN CALKINS® Model A wasn't much of a model when he acquired it five years ago for $25. Rusted, charred, decomposed, it wasn't much of anything. To the Attica, Mich., rod-builder, however, it was still a roadster, the object of a two-year search and the beginning of his most ambitious project. Today, it is a little of everything, adding up to a lot of resourcefulness on the part of this 33-year-old Midwesterner. Working in his back yard, Al got off to a hot start in the cold winter of 1953. He Z'd the frame to allow a drop of eight inches in the rear, four up front and put in three channeled crossmembers before hooking up a '39 Lincoln tranny and a '41 Merc rear. Al, it should be noted, is as particular as he is patient. Finding that the body sat too high for his satisfaction, he proceeded to take the whole business part. This time he stepped the frame to a drop of 14 inches aft and 8 inches at the bow, then channeled the body 4½ inches. He mounted a '34 Ford front end in suicide position, eased a reclaimed °48 Merc mill into the engine room and took five for a smoke. The hard part was yet to come. It took him a year to add six-inches around the bottom of the rusted body. The trunk, however, was beyond re- pair. Al sent out an SOS for another , deck, and a friend came to the rescue. Windshield, posts and top bows were not easy to find, but Al kept hunting. When he finally came across them, he could have kicked himself. The parts were in fine shape- but so was the rest of the Model A that was up for sale! The temptation to swap bodies was strong, but he just couldn't abandon the shell he had worked on for so long. So he settled for the parts he wanted and went home to finish the job. The rest of the story reads like a do yourself directory, with Al doing the doing. top, to high for him, so he chopped windshield, posts and bow for a six-inch drop. Fenders: Individual '35 Ford spare tire bands were too narrow; he wid- ened each band by pounding out the peak with an air hammer. Fender brackets: Shaped ½ inch cold-rolled rods around brake drum and welded them to backing plates. grille: Chopped '32 grille shell six inches to fit reworked radiator and to give road clearance. Hood and hood sides: Took three months to make out of 20-gauge steel; secured by four hold-down trunk latches. Light brackets: Rod brackets. were too expensive, so he welded a section of 2-inch angle-iron to one end of a 1¼-inch conduit elbow and the head- light retaining plate to the other end. Upholstery: Al and his wife wanted red-and-white interior. They bought Naugahyde by the yard from a salvage depot, borrowed an old sewing ma- chine and took 30 hours to make the seat covers and panels. And if we know Al Calkins, there's not a loose thread dangling anywhere.
On the note of the wheels, at least they aren’t the wire basket hubcaps you see from time to time on some old builds. While they catch your eye I do think a different wheel may not be as cohesive with the rest of the car. While on the surface you read the spec sheet and it feels kinda east coast/ Midwest low. But looking at the photos it really does have a little european sports car, f1 race car feel to it. sports rod hiding in plain sight? I feel like so many marked as sports rod have the doors welded shut and the giant dip cut out of the top. With out that glaring hallmark this one at a first glance goes in noticed in that vein. really cool hot rod and photos thanks for sharing
Agreed. I think it's more sports car inspired than east coast hot rod... Regardless of the fact that it was built in Michigan. And yeah, it's the wires and stance that give me that impression.
So glad you were able to find the magazine! I was was almost positive it was in a small pages book, but didn't want to send you down a rabbit hole in case I was wrong.
Looking at the photos Guy sent against the book, I'm starting to wonder if maybe these were peal apart lighting proofs? The late 50's would be a pretty early implementation of such a thing... and I've never seen peal apart film with such a uniform border, but maybe... Anyone familiar with peal apart? I've never used it... I guess they could also be quick initial prints just to see what images they wanted to use for the layout...
Love the re-story, read it in '59, when I was younger !! I ALWAYS assumed the grille shell was lower than the cowl, even if is doesn't look it, BUT really liked the car, even if I am severely west coast ..(SW Washington.)
That appears to be the same car! @Irish Mike any idea if he brought the car to Maui with him? Technical - Rescued Roadster - A True Survivor | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
It was featured in that first Rod & Custom Little Pages book around '08. I can share the cover, but not the issue.
I don't think so Nick, If I am remembering correctly, He stored it at @scootermcrad warehouse when he went to Maui and sold it shortly after. I'll let Scooter know this thread is up, maybe he can add some details. It is a neat car....
Yep! This amazing and unique little roadster with a hot little flatty, one off wheels, and a mountain of other unique details, lived in my garage for a couple minutes. This car belonged to Erik Warner (tetanus shot) and was featured in MFS, as noted above. I also shot pictures of the car in our shop for a book called "East Meets West" and a picture of the signed pinstriping and original patina on the tail pan became the back cover of a certain HAMB publication. Neat car! Erik has FAR more knowledge than I ever could of the car, though. I assume he may also know where the car lives today.
He's had a rough go at it the last few years and has been pretty busy... Lost everything in the Maui fires - including his '32.
I'm not a huge fan of pre-war cars, but the channeled ones (especially with fenders) do it for me. This one is a beauty! Love the wire wheels too.
Thank You All Ryan, Brian, Tim, Malcolm, El Hueso, Bdamfino, scootermcrad, and Irish Mike. All making this a treat to see. Alway dug the lunch box clamps. The collection of mags I had saved 40 years, from late '50s to early'70s were 'hydrated', by a washing machine that went berserk one day.
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