Hey all. I am trying to piece a little literature/history together for a p***ed "uncle" of mine, named Jim Davis from Vacaville, CA. He had a '32 Ford 5-window that he'd rebuilt over a few decades, known in Solano County as "Blue Boy," after the painting of Blue Boy he'd had done on the deck lid. It was a dark metallic blue at this time, with tubular chrome bumpers and possibly at that time (it did later on) had Peterbilt double lamp headlights. Later in life, when I was in my teens it was repainted to a GM teal blue metallic used on Saturn cars in the 90s, and had the same tubular chrome bumpers and Peterbilt headlights - something he prided himself on not seeing on any other similar cars, or so he said anyway. Blue Boy had a blown GM small block when I was old enough to pay attention, and I believe all the engine building was done locally somewhere in the Solano area. If I recall correctly he also worked part time at a gas station after he'd retired which helped him pay for gas to attend car shows. At the end of his life he was married to a woman named Barbara and had slowed down on both driving his prized car and also attending shows due to his failing health, but he attended car shows in Sacramento, Napa, Santa Rosa, and other places as well so I'm hoping for some response. I believe he also had a car for my aunt earlier in life called the Pink Girl, though that car might have been the 1920 Dodge that never was ***embled. I ran across some newspaper articles after he'd p***ed away from the local newspapers, but am now no longer able to find them, but I would love to hear from anybody who remembers him or his car, in any of it's phases. I have a large photo of Blue Boy from the 1970s or so I can post if it helps, but maybe these pictures of Blue Boy/Pink Girl will jog some memories. He was a bit of a joker and loved making people laugh, his home was more of a museum of Jim (complete with display counters) and his entire garage was a m***ive scale train set that he'd built by hand, including all the cars, people, buildings, towns, etc,. that the track p***ed through. He was very active in the model train arena as well in the greater Solano area. Barbara sold the car after he p***ed away a few years back for around 20k, and the buyer may or may not have also claimed the 1920 Dodge Brothers touring sedan convertible, which was in parts but nearly complete. Thanks, everyone.
Update & bump with pics of car front/rear. Gotta be someone who knows him or his car. Also included a picture of the car later in life after the re-spray, and a picture of Jim at a car show a few years before his p***ing.
You'll notice in the original Blue Boy incarnation the front grill was adorned with an Edsel piece, IIRC. That grill became a wall decoration after the remodel of the car.
Friday evening bump. Thanks for looking, hoping someone out there knew Jim, whether from a car show or personal relationship. He hit the Sacramento Autorama every year if anybody remembers him. Would love to know what has happened with his car, I have no clue where the buyer came from.
I'm from the area but gave no recollection of your uncle and his car. I hope you get the information you're looking for.
Thanks Devin. He was larger than life when I was little, and would love to see what happened to the car. Trains and boats were a p***ion for him, but this 5 window was a piece of him. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The picture of the Blue Boy on the deck lid shocked my memory and I'm sure I've seen the car on one of our many trips to Cali for NSRA events. Merced, San Jose in 1980 or the later runs to Pleasanton are the most likely, but can't say which. Wish my pictures were in better order. Lots of luck.. Red
Thanks Redo! That was definitely the prime time for Blue Boy to be seen. Don't have dates but judging from pictures I have and memories of conversations (of course I was young!) I believe the car build was completed in the 80s and painted with that mural. Believe the motor was worked on after that, and the picture doesn't show a rac**** tail flying on the antenna. He was also a member of some model train ***ociation in the Sacramento area and attended many scale train shows around the area and showed off his creations, including the train museum in old town Sacramento. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Thanks Capt! Jim was definitely a character. A great story to have experienced first hand, wish I was older or wiser and used the time better, but such is life. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Bump with an additional pic of his car and another of Jim, maybe it'll knock some cobwebs loose off someone's memories.