what is the rarest car you have come across

I own a 1966 Coronet 440 Convertible, 383 4bbl - auto. One of 134 built with that drivetrain. It was special ordered and not sold at a dealership, I believe it was used for promotional gigs by Dodge. I found a photo of the car in a parade (top down - Blonde sitting on top of the boot) at the 1966 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona. It is highly (and oddly) optioned - most notible is the power windows and tinted glass (no A/C) Baby Blue with a Blue top (rare) My dad bought it in 1976 for 125 dollars. With all the options it may be one of even less than 134.

 

Bought one of those new in 1969 but a hardtop. Carousel red and black interior. M40 automatic was bulletproof. Mine was number 377 of the first 500 out of the Doraville, GA factory (Atlanta) that were built to qualify for NASCAR. They were going to run the Ram Air V for NASCAR. After testing at Daytona Bill France said NO. They were too fast.

 

Mine's not HAMB friendly either. It's a 1 of 20 1955 Kurtis 500M sports car. But it's got a 1962 Cadillac 390 bolted up to the original Hydro, and mainly Ford parts otherwise. So I love this site.

Jay

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So far as true production cars go, perhaps a late '20s Erskine; named for Albert Russell Erskine, a big to do at Studebaker before he took his own life during the depths of the Great Depression.

I do currently own (more like take care of) a '20 T Rajo fairground racer, with a Model C-35 head and twelve forward speeds, six reverse, and barely any brakes. A jumble of exceedingly common parts mixed with some early hot-rodding jewels.

 

I think we need some photos of your fairground racer - sounds very interesting.

 

A 1963 Chevrolet Impala Z11, complete with the W-427 engine, cowl plenum air cleaner and aluminum front end. The was at the original Hot Rods by Boyd shop in Stanton, CA in the early 90s.

 

Could that have been Grady Bryant's car?

 

Hmmm...I don't know. I was a restored car --> to factory stock. I want to say it was tan in color.

 

Grady Bryant got one of the first ones, just curious.

 

Try this one,
And it's HAMB friendly!

My 1961 Aston Martin DB 4 "Hot Rod"

327 Vet engine installed in late 60's!

Tell me if anyone has ever seen one with a Vet 327 fuellie heads and it's original 4 speed!

Sadly it's gone, sold years ago to pay Taxes!!!!!!###%%%%%!!!!

 

FYI
Regarding the Round door Rolls Royce above pictures,

There was I believe only one made, so the 2 pictures are of the SAME Car!!
Some restoration!!!!!

 

nothing too special here but a mint 68 Shelby (I know too new) GT500 convert next door and my 57 Fuely in 1976--that's about it

 

Not really HAMB-friendly, but I currently own the rarest car that I have personally ever come across. It's a 1991 1LE Z28 - 5-speed. Car has 38,000 original miles on it and is 100% original and in like new condition. It's one of only 289 5-speed 1LEs made that year. There aren't many left in the condition mine is in.

I also had an AMC Gremlin X with a factory V8 (304) and a 4-speed. Talk about odd and rare, it had all the bases covered.

I have had many rare cars over the years, rare and unusual shit has always been 'my thing'. Unfortunately, most of them are not HAMB-friendly.

 

Sunbeam Talbot Small Block Chevy 12bolt with 4" gangster white walls

 

For the guy with the Carribean story, here's mine.

#196 of about 276. for 1956
Had it in the 80s
They also did make hard tops.
never heard of the one he is discribing, so mega rare!

 

I saw a Packard Caribbean convert that was jet freaking black with a red interior when I was about 11 years old and was a family reunion picnic up in the mountains and it rolled through the picnic grounds.

I saw this car Saturday in a show here and it is pretty rare.
Brass era Peugeot


Wouldn't the rat rodders love the Peugeot's horn


This Indian was with it.

 

1947 Hudson Commodore eight convertible
Also had a 1948 Hudson Commodore eight convertible, which was the rarest.
1954 Olds Starfire convertible was also rare

 

found a 71 jenson intercepter 2 blocks from my place,they came with a 440,dana-60 and a tourqueflite.paid 2g's for it sold it for 6g's.

 

1953 alvis coupe

 

Great reading!

Here's one that I still kick my ass over. 1986, I was making pretty good money for a young man in his 20's and wanted to buy a brand new Porsche 944 Turbo. The car was 35k out the door. My room mates Father had heard I was going to blow some heavy loot on a sports car and said he had something much better for only 30k. We went to his garage where he had a 1964 Ferrari 250GT Lusso, black with red leather and only 30,000 kilometers on the clock. Like a dope, I passed, bought the 944T and lost my shirt on it a few years later. That Ferrari now would be worth close to a million bucks...

 

I found a 59 Eldorado Convertible, with bucket seats in a back yard, in Orlando Florida about 1980. I told a friend about it and he bought it for 300.00. He sold it to someone in Sweden for 2800.00, thought he made a killin. It was a yellow car, front and rear carbs on tri power blocked off.

 

Funny you should mention 1953 Alvis coupes. I past four on a Rally in Bay of Plenty NZ just last week. I was starting to think they were everywhere.

 

I just picked up a 27 Whilly's Knight with the famous sleeve valve engine. The engine is stuck and I got the headers off to see inside. Water got through the plugs and on the cylinders. I am now looking for someone that has worked on one of these. If I take all the caps off the rods, including the little sleeve rods, do you think I can then get the cylinder casting off the block. All the tops of the cylinders are stuck on also. I don't see anything on these cars. I looked at the dot org for the Whillys Knight and don't see much help. Thanks, Dave

 

1927 Whilly's Knight. Colors are not correct, but done well. The engine is the problem, was left out in the rain, not good. I am still trying to get it apart. Any suggestions. Anyone work on one of these? Thanks Dave

 

Soak it long term in kerosene/ fuel oil.
My father rebuilt a 1915 HD engine that had lain on the dirt floor of a leaky building for years.
He soaked the whole engine in a wash tub of kerosene of a couple of months.
I may have some WK sleeve valve info.
After I look I will pm you.

 

My 1959 Studebaker Scotsman Pickup, factory V8 Automatic. The cheapest truck you could buy in 1959, with the most expensive power train available for Studebaker trucks. One of 61 made...


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An acquaintance of mine owns a 1916 "Chalmers" roadster. It is supposed to be 1 of 4 in the world. He has driven it from Colorado to Speedweek at Bonneville twice in recent years... maybe some of you have seen it there... sweet hotrod!

 

A 1900 steam powered Locomobile. Even got to drive it a little.

 

Seen a coffin nosed Cord in an old barn once.

 

Not 100% certain, but I think this is a Swallow Doretti, a sports car built in England in 1954 -55, by the Swallow Coachbuilding Co. The firm was at one time owned by Jaguar, but sold off in 1945.
Only 276 of them were built, featuring a sheet metal sub-frame with an all aluminum body, using a Triumph TR2 engine and transmission. California sports car enthusiast Dorothy Deen saw the prototype in England and obtained US distribution rights, along with the right to name the car, using "Dor" from her first name, and "etti" because it sounded Italian.
Some changes have been made to the hood, the original having a rather large bump needed to clear the Triumph engine. The original grille assembly also had a chrome or polished steel surround. Other than that, and the Studebaker engine, it appears to be all Doretti!
Google "Swallow Doretti" and you will find much more info.
RonS
Westminster, CO