Hot Rods Take a look at this car, need help to identify

Hi All,

I went to visit a fella about a furnace for my garage and he had this car in his garage. The car was supposedly built in the 50's...maybe in Texas? to be driven on Mexican Road Race courses.

The car has a fiberglass body with some obvious Corvette items. There is a custom frame with all early Ford components including the Flatty with Stromberg 97's, Lincoln transmission and Finned Aluminum heads. The car is really cool and the owner is going to get it roadworthy and drive it as you see it. The wire wheels are Borrani made in Italy, they have a Borrani insignia.

The owner would like some help identifying the car...maybe SLED or someone familiar with those road race cars down there might recognize it. Anyway, its worth a shot...Thanks

Murph

 

looks like a possible cunningham to me

 

If you don't get an answer here on the HAMB, you might try;

http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/MysteryCars3.html

Tam's seems to have a broad info base concerning old road race cars.

Thomas

 

Wouldn't it be cool if that was some sort of a prototype for the Cobra?

 

Try <cite>www.[B]forgottenfiberglass[/B].com/</cite> For some reason this piss poor internet that I have at home won't get it for me but it comes up at work. You may have to type the address in yourself or google forgotten fiberglass and go from there.

He has info on most of the old fiberglass bodys (pre kits) that guys used in the 50's to build sports cars with.

In doing a bit of hunting I think I may have spotted a Devin body shell that I used to own.

 

Maybe a La Dawri body? It sure is a gutty little number. Love the shifter setup.

 

Me likey

 

Cool score. Definately Cunningham C4 front, but no idea about the rear. The front suspension looks different, does the chassis have a DeDion rear? Good suggestions to check at Tam's and Forgotten Fiberglass, Geoff Hacker is knowledgable and a good guy.

 

I think the Cunningham was a decent guess...at least from the front. Thought at first it might be an old OSCA/Maser...but that back end just doesn't work. As to a prototype for the Cobra? no way...the prototype was an AC Ace with a 260 shoved into it a couple off well-known racer/hotrodders. This car may be nothing more than an early 'kit car' body that actually got finished.

dj

 

The front suspension is mostly early Ford...The rear is a Banjo!
Thanks for all the comments so far.

Murph

 

1st thought Cunningham

 

I couldn't have possibly articulated it better if I tried.

 

that is so cool, especially with all early ford running gear!

 

wonder if the alternator is original to the build...if so...can't be TOO old

dj

 

I want

 

btt....any help?

 

The cobra was an AC/Bristol with the bristol removed and replaced by a ford.

The body looks to be an AC.

 

This car belongs to my brother! We went to look at Jaguar xk120 back in '66-'67 that had been sitting in his front yard with the top down for at least a year! Cars like that weren't worth all that much back then! Well the owner (a local country doctor) said he was going to "fix it up someday" (LOL) So my dad had spotted this up by his barn and asked "what do you want for the old race car"! The doctor replied "$100.00 and my dad said "how about $50.00". Well they settled on $75.00 and we towed it home with a tow bar that fit in a custom bracket on the solid front axle. In a few days we had it running and it's been in the family ever since! My brother added the alternator and converted it to 12V about 10 years ago. He just had the mag and carbs rebuilt and she still runs great! Oh and the brakes have been rebuilt also.

 

Cunnigham



AC Cobra

 

Oh, by the way, Geoff Hacker already knows about the car and is planning on doing a feature on it on the "Forgotten Fiberglass" forum!

 

Got any pictures of the BOOT lads?

 

btt....any help?

 

have no idea what you mean??

 

He means the trunk ("boot" in the old country). A local bought one just like that from an estate of a Jamestown NY Dentist, looked just like that. I worked at a gas station '72, he parked it there a couple days on a trailer, was 17 then and thought it was cool. My uncle, a sports car man and Alfa Romeo owner snickered and scoffed, as did most of the town. I recall the buyer claimed it was a kit with plans, my limited experience still guessed the dentists welds were chicken*****. But the flathead was dressed almost exactly like that one, recall the "boot" was opened and you could see the plywood inside, but well laminated into the glass. So much************* on the frame joints though..

 

The pics I posted is all I have, but I can get more if needed.

Thanks

 

I don't recall the buckets, & the unupholstered bench seat back tilted foreward to open the trunk space.

 

thumbing thru a few early 60's hot rods and it sure looks like a 1st gen. kit car to me

 

ac ace bristol?

 

1957-59?

 

I like it better than the Cobra. I know I know, Sacrilege! peace