i like the way you're building the car, it's a beauty in itself. but if looking for a little bit more custom, even if you won't chop the roof, my suggestions is to ask Rik what to do. He's the guy for a kind of intermediate solution to keep it near stock but still mild custom... i'm looking forward to what it comes out. Cheers, Carsten
The chrome shop made slow but steady progress on the chrome. In person, it's not quite as good as the pictures.
Sorry for the long silence. I had time out for back surgery in February. Cutting to the chase, as the fall of 2014 went on, it became apparent that work had pretty much stopped on the car. In the spring of 2015 the shop went out of business and I had no contact with the owner for awhile. I was able to establish contact and started making a plan to go out and gather up the car in pieces. Various things needed to happen first including getting the trailer and truck in shape for the trip, ANOTHER back surgery in September and the marriage of my daughter in November. Finally on the 2nd of December my friend John and I set out on the 1100 mile trip to retrieve the car. The car was at the old shop, the chrome was still at the chrome shop 40 miles away which had also closed and the engine was at a shop in a nearby town 15 miles away. We rolled in to Leavenworth, Kansas late on Thursday evening and met the owner's of the closed chrome shop in a Home Depot parking lot near the highway and transferred all the chrome. The owner's of the shop had been very helpful and were holding all the chrome for us. I had dealt with them separately and it was all already paid for. Then we headed up to Saint Joseph, Missouri and got a hotel for the night. In the morning we headed up to Savannah, Missouri to pick up the engine. The shop that did the engine work was the shining star in this ordeal and did some really nice work. I had also been dealing with him separately so no surprises there. After loading up the engine we headed back down to St. Joseph to pick up the car. The metal work had been completed and the car was in primer. The body panels were hanging on by a bolt or two in most cases. We loaded it up on the trailer and strapped it together as best we could and tried to take some sort of cursory inventory of what was there and what was missing. The new wiring harness and all the new brake parts and the alternator were accounted for. I never found the new MSD distributor or the hardened drive gear for it. The radiator and gas tank were missing, but later turned up at the radiator shop near by. The rear jump seats are still out there. The rebuilt water pump never turned up. And then it was off for home.
Sorry to hear about the issues with the body shop , that sucks. At least you got most of the big pieces back in your hands . Hope your back heals up quickly . I took a 45 Harley engine to a shop to get rebuilt . I went back a year later only to find it setting where I had set it.
As we rolled down the road, the body parts kept working loose and we put them in the bed and the car.
Interesting story, glad you got most all of it back. Some are not so fortunate. Also, interesting configuration for the water pump and fuel pump on that engine.
I'm afraid it is currently a stalled project. Some of the parts like the reconditioned gas tank and radiator and the rear jump seats have turned up out in Missouri and I need to make a plan to get them. I purchased a stock distributor to replace the Mallory MSD unit that went missing. The car is in a dry, safe place. The engine is covered in my shop and nothing is really happening.
Hopefully, you'll get back on it. just some inspiration of another tall top car custom that is amazing...
Keep the faith, it will eventually happen. Maybe a H.AA.M.B. relay to get your parts from Mo. to you....
This project is not dead yet. Everything is safe and dry. I'm finishing up a 1961 Austin Healey Sprite MKII now. I go back and forth about finishing this project or selling it off. Last week I was selling it. This week I'm keeping it.
This project is not dead and I plan to finish it - in good time. It's too cool to send down the road. Everything is safe and sound and waiting for a little love.
Have you seen this beautiful (unchopped) Barris-built '40? (c. 1956) https://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/barris-1/fred-pape-1940-lasa/
That's beautiful. I'm afraid I'm pulling the plug on this project. I've just been storing everything for the last few years. I would love to complete it, but I am 3 years from retirement and spending the money to finish it doesn't make sense for me. I plan to put it all up on a Bringatrailer.com auction in the spring.
Oh, I'm not making sense. I bought a 43' Hatteras and I want to cruise the Bahamas. I'm just trading insanities!
Too bad on not finishing it but stuff happens. If you were closer I would be interested in it, I just picked up a 39 Buick coupe to build that has been sitting since the 1980s in pieces. Luckily 95% of it is there. Good luck with the sale.
Be sure to check out Andros island. The World's second largest barrier reef is but a few hundred yards off shore. The "Tongue of the Atlantic" trench (4000+feet depth) separates it from the other islands, so if you drop your flash light, its gone! And check out the "Blue hole" in Jonestown, if Mrs. Jones still be with us (Bless her soul). Primordial stuff!
Just a heads up, don't count on Bring a Trailer too much. They're really picky about what they list and not very good at communicating with potential customers. They've built a great site, but its a social media site first and a forum for sellers second. They encourage comments on the auctions but don't do much to moderate trolls, which can really affect the outcome of the sale.
just found this thread and a nice score in the trunk for those hubcap(s) nice progress on a beautiful car =)
The Jalopy Journal
