Long LOST Customs/Hotrods.....let's start a list.

Has this been done before?
Looking through some old books and seeing some of the great customs/hotrods that are no longer around got me thinkin' of comprising a list of 'em.....

The So Cal. Plating car comes to mind, and with the restoration of the Trendero being done, it gives one hope that more of these cars are out there, just waiting for us. Seems a few "lost" cars are being found lately.....
Is the Bettencourt Merc around?
What other "significant" customs/hotrods are missing in action?

Can we start a list of cars you'd like to see found?
I dream of finding the So. Cal. Plating car in some barn, covered in dust, but complete.

Post pics if ya can!

 

Dickie Flippens 32 chevy chicken coupe.

 

Is that the drag coupe with the rear engine and HEAVY chop, similar to Chrismans?
That car rules......where'd it go? How does a car THAT badass disappear?

 

moonglow

 

Thats the one.He bought it when he was 16 and it morphed into one of the baddest chevy coupes ever.Photos anyone?

 

Bettancourt Merc, Kopper Kart and Tommy Thornburgh's Stude come to mind.

 

I'd like to know what really happened to the Pharoah's Merc from AG.

 

somewhere I read that a guy talked about seeing the moonglow get crushed.
I would like to find out about a merc that the barris' did for "the twins", even barris did not know what happened to it.
In the pics I saw it left the barris shop unfinished, having been sectioned, chopped, a 55 dodge winshield frame installed,55 mercedes/51 lincoln style wheelwell openings, and what looked like 56 packard taillights.
I wonder if it is shoved in a garage in east l.a. somewhere?

 

Duke Hallock's 28 roadster

 

bob rayotts crown jewel. there was a picture of it in a recent mag but it was from back when it was built and shown in doors

 

Green Flame...


...Bruno...

 

One of my favorites, the Abajian Chevy. I happen to know his son said the car as well as all the pix are long gone...

 

Hasn't it pretty much been documented that the "Moonglow" Chevy has been crushed? So it's been accounted for.....now, wasn't the Matranga '40 Merc wrecked? Was the body scrapped? Or is it just not known where it is?

There was a sectioned shoebox Ford with radiused wheel wells for sale a little over a year ago near me. I drove by it almost every day. I think it was @ $2500. It was in gray primer, and (if I remember correctly) had an Olds engine, but the work done to it looked to be very well done.....I really wanted to buy it, but by the time I had the $$$, it was gone. I always wonder if it was an old custom or a more recent build.

 

Hilborn's car

 

What happened to the "Panoramic Ford"?

 

yah moonglow from what i have read was crushed.... it's lost forever but i fgured i would include it anyways.

 

It's all good.....Moonglow was one of the great ones....

Good call Chris.....for some reason, I feel the Hilborn car is still out there, wainting to be found in some farmer's pasture, the body half buried. Last known to be in Kansas???? I have family in KS.....hmmmm....

 

I think the SoCal Plating car is in Garlits museum. Many that are thought to be missing are in Garlits Museum. It is a phenominal Collection. Bruce Meyers has one of the chopped bonneville cars, but I can't remember which one.
MY list includes
Cushenbery's silhouette
Golden Sahara, I know where it is, but I would like to see it. That car wasn't built to be hidden.
Tognotti's King T
Jimmy Summers 40 Merc Conv.
Don Vargo's 34 Conv "69'er"

 

Ed Roths "Mysterion"...I heard it was parted out and sold at a roth yard sale.

 

OK...all you Texas guys..late 60s early 70s at the old Double Eagle strip out Rittiman Rd. in San Antonio there was a guy that raced "Mr.Custom"? a chopped-top 55 Chevy with quad headlights, low to the ground and bad-ass..all I remember is the front-end of that car blowin out of a big cloud of smoke, running in the high 11s Low 12s...who and where is that car?

 

I think I remember that Roth sold the Mysterion to Promotions Inc. and it literally fell apart , from the weight of the twin engines, taking it off and on the trailer at shows. I don't think it wound up at a yard sale.

 

Thats just what was mentioned in a roth book. I have no argument over it.

 

Can you guys post pictures with these? Some of them I'm familar with and some not (just in case I happen to be porn shopping over here in J-town and use one for the trash can or something).

Who knows, maybe someone will chime in with "hey, I saw that yesterday in my neighbors barn"

 

Danny Eisheidt's "Leg Show" T bucket, Jim "Brass" Babbs "It-T-Bits" Subaru powered C-cab low roller, Cotton Werksman's Ardun T-Bucket. Yes, I love late sixties-early seventies rods!

 

Here's the So. Cal car......this car rules....someone mentioned it is the Garlits museum????, yet there are NO current pics of it. I've read this car hasn't been seen since the late 40's-maybe early 50's.....

And pics of the Hilborn streamliner.......if ya don't know this car, you ain't a hotrodder!

 

The Rodders journal did a peice on that car a while back. If they don't know where it is then no one does

 

There are so many of the old custom cars that have not been seen since the 50's... some might not be around anymore. Others are hidden in private collections or just gathering dust in a barn, just because the owner does not care anymore. But luckely there are also plenty of the original customs that have been found and fully restored or cared for very well and showed to all who love them.

A few of the customs that I would like to see again are:
-The Buster Litton Ford (Paoramic Ford)
-Jesse Lopez 1941 Ford Coupe
-Ben Mario 1947 Buick. (that car is still around, but has not been seen in ages)
-Jerry Quesnel 1949 Merc
-Frank Monteleon's 1941 Ford.
-George Barris 1941 Buick
and many more...

SOme of the customs mentiond are still around.

The Bettancourt Mercury is most likely still somewherein LA... not in the best shape, but still around, only not available.

here are some pictures taken in the late 80's (from teh Barry Mazza collection)








Jimmy Summers 1940 Mercury will be restored to its original deep maroon color version. The restoration will start soon, or perhaps has already been started.

(Donn Lowe photos)

 

When you say the Garlits museum. Are you talking about the Don Garlits museum in florida?