I am looking for two of my Dad's hot rods. His name was Bill Waddill and he has been deceased for 25 years. If you have seen them or know who currently owns them, please post here or at my website www.theoriginalhotrodder.com. The photograph at the top is a 1932 roadster that was purchased by Bill Hollowell from the ****o estate in Swartz Creek, Mich. in 1948. It was sold to Bill Waddill (my Dad) in 1950. It was painted black and called the "Black Beauty." Bill added a quick-change rear end, relocated and cut up the rear fender wells, fabricated all new engine brackets, chromed everything, installed a 1946 Mercury engine reworked to deliver 200 hp at 4500 rpms, 3 3/8" bore, four-inch stroke, 11-to-1 compression ratio, installed a special hanger for shocks and springs at the front end. In 1955 it was sold to George Kotarski, a fellow Genesee Gear Grinder. In the early 1980s it was seen at a local car show and was painted orange. It has also been seen painted a dark purple color. Author Fred Thomas stated in his book that it is in Ohio today where the current owners restored it to its original height and had the fender wells repositioned to their original locations. Elwood Peterson said he last saw it at a car show in Columbus, Ohio and it may be painted "blue." Where is this car today? The photograph on the bottom (at the top) is a late 1940s or early 1950s Crosley that was built by Daddy in 1952. The ch***is had a double-tube arrangement made from Buick drive shafts welded together, the rear end was a quick-change 1940 Ford, the brakes were 1940 Ford hydraulic, the fuel tank was a surplus Jeep can, manifold and camshaft were by Detroit Racing Equipment, and the ignition was Vertex Magneto. The body and nose were welded together, the 1949 340 cu. in. Cadillac engine was at the midpoint of the ch***is, the front axle was a Model A that was perforated, the front spring was mounted with a suicide type mounting and it was painted a light yellow color and called the "Yellow Canary." It was seen at the 1957 Detroit Autorama at the Michigan State Fairgrounds and was subsequently sold to Frank Dade, a MHRA member of the Duals' Club of Detroit. Frank painted it in white primer with a gold nose. When he sold it in the early 1960s, the body was sold separately from the ch***is. Where is this car today? Update as of October 2014: The ch***is of the '32 roadster has been found in Switzerland! VIN numbers on his ch***is match the Michigan registrations I still have from the 1950s. The gentleman who now owns the ch***is has built a reproduction of a old-time salt lake racer. Once he found out who previously owned the ch***is, he memorialized his car to my Dad, Bill Waddill. What an amazing story! See the photographs below.
The Jalopy Journal
