History What Ever Happened to..........?

Not sure who this guy was I thought it was George, His name was Jim or John from Pikeville Ky. I met him in Springfield Ohio with Sideswipes dad. It was after he changed this Merc to quad headlights and 59 caddy taillights he painted it blue. Wondering if anybody had pics of it? He has passed away I know that.
Heres pics of him at the Merc Deuce reunion in 79.

 

I`ve been sorting out my KKOA Trendsetters and old Leadsleders. I`ve found about 10 updates and info I need to post. I`ll do it slowly so keep looking at this thread. The first is Loco Motion. The pictures are from the 2009 KKOA show in Denison Texas. Looks like it`s still lookin good. And unchanged. ged in looks.

 

You aren't kidding about unchanged! Even appears to have the same caps on it!

 

What Ever Happened To..........? number 38.

1948 Ford Coupe
Owner: Bob Davis
Morgantown, Indiana

Bob Davis and his '48 Ford were regulars at the Leadsled Spectaculars in the 80s. It seems that the purple with candy green flames chopped coupe was all over the place.
The car was a standout with the chopped top that was cut 3 1/2 inches in the front and 5 in the rear. It had a tube grille installed and was completely shaved and had no bumpers, just nerf bars. It was all topped off with a nice purple paint job with some great kandy green flames. The paint has always reminded me of the "Green Flame" Merc.
Bob was interviewed by one of Rowdie's gals at the '83 Leadsled, and in that interview he went into great detail about the specs on the car. No modern subframe here. The car was traditional in the fact that it had a 6 inch dropped axle up front and '51 Ford truck front springs installed in the rear with 7 inch blocks. The back of this sled is in the dirt! He was also running a very healthy small block Chevy--sounds like it was no slouch.
If my video research is correct, Bob was at the Leadsled Spectacular in '83, '85 and '87. I believe he was there in either '81 or '82, as the only online picture I could find of it was in the Scott Pavey Collection on Rikster's site. In that picture, the car had blackwalls. In all the video and magazine pictures I found of this car it had white walls, so I'm assuming that the picture was pre-'83. Early on it also had no dummy spots or pinstriping.
As far as magazine coverage went, it made quite a few appearances. It was in Custom Cars by Hot Rod Volume 2 #2 from 1984 on page 27 in their coverage of the '83 Leadsled. It was also pictured in the January '84 issue of Classic & Custom on page 32 in their coverage of the '83 Leadsled as well. The best pictures of the car were from the two page feature article in the May '84 issue of Classic & Custom on pages 4 and 5.
After '87, I couldn't find anything else on the Bob Davis Ford. Could have been re-painted and changed up or went over seas or who knows what. Another car that just seemed to vanish.
Well, that's all for this week. Until next Tuesday, stay warm! E

 

not sure about the ford but bob passed away about a year ago. bob and kevin anderson started the custom car revival show in indy each june. at the time of his death bob owned a '51 chevy hardtop custom that was left to his son.

 

Didn't know that this was the same Bob Davis. I was sad to hear of his passing last year. Glad to see that the Custom Car Revival Show that he was part of starting is still going strong.
Rest in peace Mr. Davis..........E

 

I think linconlady has pics of his car with his hat hanging on the door mirror from the show. I was there I saw his ashes were in a box in the trunk. I didnt know him personally.

 

Does anyone know anything about this car? The "Grapesicle", it has some resemblance.....

Frenched antenna in same location, frenched headlights appear similar.
A lot of differences too. No body lines in fender sides, "running boards", grill, hood louvers, etc.

 

I think it's certainly not the same car.
The Robert Davis car seems to sport a different profile, with a tad more taken from the back (to my eye, at least).
Besides which....V-butted windshield (with stainless trim), chromed vent window frames, different skirts, etc, all of which are unlikely to have been changed.

 

'Mo, I don't think it is either. I haven't been able to find anything on Bob's '48....

Maybe I was just reaching.

 

Nice try, Sancho! The two cars are very similar, I've been studying them both and there aren't really many differences. The only thing that makes me think they are two different cars is Bob's seems to be chopped a little more in the rear, and the quarter windows look just a tiny bit smaller.
I searched for quite a while on the 'net and pictures of Bob's car proved hard to find.
I feel better now, 'cause I know if you can't find them, it's not just me, they ARE hard to find! E

 

Here are a couple scans of Bob`s Ford I took in Springfield Illinois. Who would of thought that a purple car with green flames would look neat. A couple years ago I was reading a magazine that mentioned a chopped purple Ford with green flames and owned by Bob Davis. By then I knew who Bob was and made the connection. I thought it was the smaller format mag. But I can`t seem to find the article anywhere. It either featured the car (a traditional build style, unrecognizable from Bob`s version)or was owned by the same person that had a car featured. Maybe this will jog somebodys memory. And here is the scan of George Dorrs 47 Chevy (the first version) painted a Rose colored taken in Springfield Missouri.. Featured car #34 on page 17.

 

I`ve heard the Green Flame Merc is in Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing. It doesn't look anything like the pic above.

 

This is the Green Flame after Garlits redid it.

Mick

 

Just thot you all would like to read an excerpt from my fourth book titled "Accidents & Incidents (with assorted confessions)" about Bob Davis, his Chevy and his death. This was penned by his close friend Kevin Anderson way back in 2009.

"After working his entire life, Bob came to believe that cremation was the only way to go. However, he had a twist to a simple plan and I should have known! Bob's intent was for his remains to be placed in a casket-like urn (he'd already acquired) and have it welded into the trunk of his customized '51 Chevy..under the package tray/window area. That way he "could go cruising forever!"

Bob was quite serious, his plan was authentic. He suggested the urn could be painted with red flames, to which I suggested adding a blue sky background with white puffy clouds might be preferred.

The "box" currently resides in the trunk of his Chevy. As Bob's buddy, I'm not sure I like the idea of his remains bouncing around, welded into the Chevy. But the point of this crazy story is this: Bob Davis' wonderful personality and sense of humor, has, throughout his life, been a blessing to all who call him a friend. And that my friends, is the stuff that really matters, isn't it?"

I got to know Bob reasonably well, thru my friendship with Kevin and have to say Bob would give you the shirt of his back, he will be missed.

R-

 

I have it on video that I recorded in 1987 in Springfield Ill.

 

There are somethings you shouldn`t post on the HAMB. Maybe this is one of them. But I first saw Bob`s car about 9 years ago when he took it to Salina for the KKOA show. He proudly displayed the car with the trunk up showing the box where his ashes would be placed. Later I met him and his son at the Custom Car Revival and are great hosts of the city of Indy.. His son is now the caretaker of the Chevy and proudly drives it everywhere. And displays the car with the trunk open. You might notice the unique exhaust treatment. In 1949 or 1950 Spence Murray had a chopped 49 Chevy with the same style of exhaust. Spence drove his car to Indy from California for a big indoor carshow. He wrote about it in a magazine about his trip. A couple years later Bob Hirohata did the same thing. You can see his hat hangin on the wing window.

 

What Ever Happened To..........? number 39.

1954 Buick
Owner: Roger Weller
Annapolis, Maryland

This week's "What Ever Happened To..........?" was an elusive car to find information on for sure. The car belonged to Roger Weller of Annapolis, Maryland, but the information I found on the car came from his brother, Ron.
Ron took the car to the 1985 Leadsled Spectacular in Springfield, Ohio. The car was completed in the spring of '85, and Ron took it to the Spectacular to make its debut. Ron lived right in Springfield where the show took place--how the Buick ended up with Ron in Springfield is anyone's guess.
Ron was interviewed a few different times at the show, and from those interviews, it sounded like his brother Roger wasn't there for the show.
For one interview, Rowdie put Roger's '54 Buick together with the Newman's '55 Buick (W.E.H.T. #14) and interviewed Ron Weller and Mavis Newman. The cars were very similar in style, and were a knockout paired up together. Ron went on to say that his brother was inspired by the Newman's Buick, and that's why Roger built his in similar style.
In the other interview, Ron was among the "crazy Buick owners" that Harold Olsen interviewed. There were eight or nine Buicks in the group, and any one of them would be awesome to cruise.
The Weller Buick seemed to be very well accepted at the show, as it was on the video quite a bit, sitting around the fairgrounds or just crusin' past the camera.
After the '85 Leadsled, the car vanished off the scene. I never saw it on another video, and as far as magazine coverage, I searched quite extensively this week and I couldn't even find a picture of it in any show coverage, let alone as a feature.
Luckily I did manage to find some great pictures on Rikster's site taken by Kustom Lincoln Lady and Scott Pavey. Looking at the pictures, they were taken at car shows--I think the Pavey photos were at the '85 Leadsled, but it looks like a different location for Kustom Lincoln Lady's shots. I'm sure the car made it to more shows, but I have no idea which ones they could be.
Maybe that's where you KKOA veterans and long time kustom event goers can help fill in the blanks. This one is definitely a mystery.
Well, that's about all for this week. Stay warm, and if you're in a place with warm weather, get that custom out and go for a spin! See you next week! E

 

I have to take a moment and say how much I look forward to this post every week. This was the time I was growing up and my family went to the Springfield shows... So all these Midwest cars are a trip down memory lane. I was only around 10 at the time, so any pictures I have are from about fender high! But I remember these cars so well and these cars plus my Dad's stack of 'little pages' are why I was 'traditional' before it was cool.

 

Ed, I found the answer to this one!

Roger still owns it in the same condition! He says his brother did all the work (except upholstery and striping) so that may explain why Ron had it.



"Mine is a 1954 Buick Special full custom "low rider" flamethrower. My brother and I started with a $375 rustbucket with no interior at all. He did everything (15 mods) except upholstery and pin striping and I provided money. I ended up with this result, "Street Blues", in May of 1985 when it won 4 prizes at its first car show including "best of show" out of 562 cars registered. Many shows and trophies later, I can't sell it because my daughter says "It's Mine!" It's still resides in my garage and still looks like this (when I get it cleaned up and started!). On a good night, it will shoot continuous six foot flames out of the tailpipe."

Found here: http://www.69-03.org/pages/rog_weller.html

 

Glad you're enjoying the thread, @Cincinnati Slim. Must have been great to be around the scene back then. I remember how much I enjoyed going to car shows and cruise nights with my folks when I was a kid. Can't imagine how much more fun it would have been in a classic car. E

Great ride, @corncobcoupe! I remember reading when you got it. Must be a real joy to cruise around in. Hopefully I will be able to take it all in at a car show someday! E

Great find, @Sancho! It is so cool to find out that a car and owner are still together after many years.
Roger's brother Ron is a very humble man. Never once in the interviews at the '85 Leadslead did he mention that he did so much of the work to bring this custom to life.
Glad to hear Roger is still around, and I hope Ron is doing well, too! E

 

Hey Mark, do you remember seeing it at any more KKOA shows?
I'll say one thing, digital photography has spoiled us all. I remember not all that long ago trying to be very selective about which cars to take pictures of because of a limited amount of film, and then the cost of developing the prints.
I'd venture a guess to say that if digital technology was around back in the early days of the KKOA, there would be a lot more photos around. I guess that's what makes the photos we all have taken or found somewhere so valuable to us custom people. E

 

Well, as near as I can determine that was written by Roger around 2010...

 

You took the words out of my mouth. Limited budget for a kid with a paper route and mowed lawns. Maybe that's why I don`t have pic`s of Dick Crouthers orange Merc and The Hammered Merc with flames. I thought my dad would take pictures of them And I`d just have him get doubles when he developed the film. Like we did many times. A custom had to be really cool to take pic`s of the front and rear. Digital cameras are too easy to use. That's why I have over 2500 pictures I haven`t gotten developed yet. I don`t think I ever saw Roger`s Buick, Dads Ford was in the body shop in 85 so we missed that show. I have seen it featured in a magazine back then.

 

After reading threw some old KKOA Leadsleders from the 80`s I found the name of the Knight Rider`s(W.E.H.T. #20 on page12) owners name. It`s Rusty Bethley, which also states he also belongs to The Mid-Century Mercury club. It looks like a Lincoln Land Kustoms show held in 1983. It looks like they had a good tun out with Dick Cruthers(#1) , Ed Lepold, Rocco Chiero, and John Gullet(#11). As I mentioned before John never had good luck with Flatheads. So here is the picture I took of his trunklid. I did not take one of his car though, limited budget for film and developing. .

 

I did some looking now that Stanlow found Rusty Bethley's name. Looks like he was THE contact for the Mid Century Mercury Club.