SHOW RODS 60 & 70s..stories - pics ?

Has anyone been to Barris shop near Universal Studios? If all his other shops looked like this it's a wonder anything got built at all.. The place was nothing like I would have thought.. Small, junkie looking...Not very impressive...In fact it looked like a Pick-a-Part only worse....

 

It's called the "Morque Machine"; designed by Larry Wood of Los Angeles and built by Rod Powell of Salinas, California

 

No surprise,its been a small shop like that forever it seems,Hell go look at alotta Custom guys shops and you will see the same thing,the other oe that comes to mind in Winfields place,still a master........what would you rather see a fancy "display" shop or cool shit rollin out the door? FYI with some of these guys not all work is done in one location.....

 

you will find more at MODEL CAR ROUNDUP.COM

 

The Red Baron is in Smith Collection "Museum of American Speed" in Lincoln Nebraska. I saw it at Detroit last year in COBO Hall. Chuck Miller who built it had it at his display along with some of his Zingers and the Fire Truck.



The Beer Wagon used to be in Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium before they imploded it in 2001. I'm not sure what ever became of it. They used to take it out once in a while and drive it in different events.

 

I understand about stuff being piced out, but still at least look like a place that does custom stuff... Also As with an individual that says I built this and most of it was pieced out, a shop shouldn't say we built this when others had a lot to do with it...

There are places that do it all....under one roof...I used to work for one...

 

I realize this is a REALLY old post, but this was Carl Caspar. Might be able to dig up some details.

 

Might be right, it might be Farhner, my memory sucks, anyway, I think I might have some details on ths car, I will try to dig it up over the next few days.

 

supposedly the real california street vette (his old daily driver) is still in toms (daneils) garage sitting and waiting where its been since the mid 80's

 

are you sure its not the MORK machine? as in mork and mindy

 

it IS the MORK MOBILE............

 

The car started out to be for "Mork" who was played by Robin Williams. He quit the TV show right before the car was finished and refused to be involved with the project. In order to show it the promoters tried changing the name to "Morque Machine. A year later we rebodied it into the Pac Man car.
So I guess you could say that it had three names--- Mork Machine, Morque Mobile and the Pac Man Car.
RodP

 

allways good to hear from the guys who really know thanks

so what happened to the pac-man car?

 

Thanks Rod,I stand corrected.....

 

Please don't feel corrected. I was just giving you some more info.
The egg body shell is in a collection somewhere. There wasn't much to it without the rest of the chassis.
The Pac Man version still exists and pops up every now and then for sale. I don't know where it is.
RodP

 

thanks Rod,I think Mark Moriarty is "restoring" the car now...........

 

Meatball- I think that is a different one (Threewheeled version). They are talking about a 4 wheeled version. Remember- Pac Man was the game to play back then.Way bigger than Mario Brothers.

 

damn I think your right.Im battin 1000 tonite.......

 

It seemed they build anything to draw kids to indoor carshows back then. No Offence, everybody has bills to pay.

 

Here's the Pac Man when it left my shop about thirty years ago.. It was designed by Larry Woods the chief designer at Mattell Hot Wheels division. Larry did the chassis. We just did the body and interior. It did not function as a car, it was more like one of the Hot wheel Zingers. Just a car show display.
RodP

 

The Wake Wagon was built by Ray Farhner as a companion piece to the Boothill Express. The body was an actual horse-drawn coach from the 1800's. Note the original curved glass in the corner windows. All glass was the original 1800's and each piece was beveled around the edges. It ran a small block Ford with automatic located right behind the seat and was completely driveable. The black area is the grille for the radiator.

In my opinion, the best looking of all the "cars that were made from something other than a car" of that era because (a) it looks like a hot rod and (b) sits really cool.

 

The Monster Cycle- Been in my Dad's shop since Barris's auction. We had the "Stagecoach" too but he sold that about 15 years ago.

 

Oh Wow! Tell me, is that actually rideable?

 

If you have a few of your buddies pushing you. The Engine is all there but the transaxle is hollow. You can pick up the front end with very little effort!

 

This "monster cycle", at Barrett Jackson, seemed as though it could run, but I wouldn't want to be riding on it when the "training wheels" retract as it gains speed!!

 

FWIW, heres the stuff I have on the Wake Wagon. The C-cab is actually kind of cool, in a late sixties sort of way. Is a reasonably functional hot-rod other than the cheesy flower display. I also have an article on Caspers Paddy Wagon, I will post that later.

 

It absolutely was built to capitalize on the TV show. But the lawyers made sure it wouldn't be called the Mork machine, since it wasn't commissioned or sanctioned by the TV show's producers.

 

Yup some people...pffff they just don't get it tho

 

What magazine was this?I'd like to find a copy.