I didn't notice the background on that picture when it was posted, but I think you're right Mark, that definitely looks like @PasoJohn's Dodge. Neat that you guys were at those shows back then! E
You know that wasn't referring to you Debb, I swear I think you've got younger in the time I've known you. Now that I have your attention, OG lil E and I are looking for copies of KKOA videos from the 80s & 90s
Every July, in Durham Ontario, there is the Jalopy Jam-up for traditional hot rods and customs, which is the middle of no where. Jeff Norwell and a few friends host the show. This year was the 4th year and 350 rides showed up for a rainy three day weekend in an old Frontier Ghost town. Courtesy of Roadkill blog. Last year, this got pushed into the show, this year, with a new engine, it came in under it's own power. It's a 1949 Meteor - a Canadian Mercury. It was built in 1962 and shown as the Thunder Ball. It was a trophy winner numerous times throughout Michigan and Ontario and abruptly disappeared in 1969 or thereabouts. It was rediscovered in 2014 and no one wanted to buy it so it was given to a 10 year old boy. His dad and him are slowly rebuilding it and trying to find out it's mysterious past. It was built from a 4-door, Olds windshield, custom made seats with a full-length console with a phone.
No new information on this one, @John B. @straykatkustoms posted these great pictures off of Facebook, but that's about all. This cool Ford seems to have vanished..........E
What Ever Happened To..........? number 78. 1950 Ford Owners: Roger and Debbie ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , Missouri For this week's W.E.H.T. I'm going to need more help than usual to identify the owners of this great sled. I really dug in and searched on this one and found out very, very little. According to my search, this Ford made it's first appearance at the Leadsled Spectacular in Des Moines in 1984. Rowdie got some great video on it showing some of the neat custom details. In the video the car was chopped, had frenched headlights, dummy spots, lake pipes, skirts and a filled hood. It had '56 Olds spinner hubcaps and a custom grille. The grille (which I can't identify) looks to be the same grille as what Bob Hoffman used on his '50 Ford business coupe "Purple Haze" (W.E.H.T. #63). The hood trim must not have been ready to install as the hood gap where the trim goes is still there. The car had a custom license plate on the front that read "Roger & Debbie". The car was painted a tasty white and powder blue two tone. The next sighting was at the 1986 Leadsled Spectacular in Springfield, Missouri. The only time the car was seen on the video was cruising into the fairgrounds. It had gone through quite a few changes, but that unique grille makes me pretty sure it's the same car. The nice white and powder blue paint was gone and it was in gray primer. The lake pipes were gone and the hubcaps had been changed to Plymouth Satellites. The chrome grill surround was completed and on the car. It had a frenched antenna just in front of the right rear taillight, and it was also running a Thermador style window cooler--something that was almost unheard of back then. Also, the unique "Roger & Debbie" plate was gone and the front bumper was bare. That's all the video tape I found on the car. As far as pictures or information in books or magazines, I found nothing. This car has been a tough one. I did find one picture on Rikster's site, but that was all. The only views of the car on video and in the picture are from the front. I have never seen the back of the car, so any custom modifications to the back remain a mystery. So y'all, I need some input to get the facts straight on this one. Unfortunately, I have no idea what Roger and Debbie's last name was, or what state their car came from. Hopefully we can put it all together and give credit where credit is due. Have a great week! E
You know, Bill, I thought the same thing, but if you go back and look at Bob Hoffman's Ford and this one, they look so similar and perfect it's hard to believe that it wasn't a factory grille from something other than a Plymouth. Both grilles are very impressive! I thought they might be from some rare old European car. I'm sure someone will have an answer! E
Sounds very possible, Bill. Since it's a three piece it would be easy to change up. With the center removed, wouldn't it be too narrow for the Ford? Seems hard to believe that a Plymouth would be that much wider than a shoebox Ford. I had a '56 Plymouth grille once upon a time, and it was one piece. E
I don't think it's a whole lot wider. The difference is the grill opening. On the Plymouth with the center, the ends are even with the sides of the body. The grill opening on the Ford isn't that wide.
E, At last some news, don't know if Mr. Funk still owns it or not but the truck still exists. The pics were taken labor day at a local parade.
I`ll back track a bit and post a pic of Pinky. When I first saw the car in Illinois KKOA show, the owner and the son took off and put the top on the car at least 5 times in one day showing everybody how it was done. I thought it was kind of funny. This pic was taken in Michigan`s KKOA show.
Now back to Roger and Debbie`s Ford. Here are a couple pic`s from A KKOA show held in Kansas City in 83. These two pic`s are from my dad`s collection. I`m sure this is the same car. It has Missouri plates.
Now for two pics of the car from a KKOA show in Des Moines called Last Pass. I took one and my dad took one. I guess the license plates are the same.
Now for two more pics from a later date. I`m not sure when I took them or which one was first. It is now changed again. I pretty sure it`s the same car. I hope this helps. I would also like to thank ED again for his research. I have all these photos, and don`t know that these are the same car until I look at them closely after studying the pictures. Looks like the Chevy pick up posted above is still in great shape. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the update @DANSLED! Nice to see Mr. Funk's pickup prowling around. Still looks great, too! E Lots and lots of great pics, Jim. The more I look a this little Ford, the more I like it! Well, we're on the right track--the Roger and Debbie Ford was from Missouri. I'll update the first post. Jim, one day I have to get out to your neck of the woods and see that wall of pictures in your shop. I'm sure it's a sight to behold! E
Someone in a Pontiac group I belong to was trying to find info on this car. Supposed to have mildly customized some years ago. https://m.facebook.com/groups/481412125313585?view=permalink&id=1388403831281072 Sent from my LG-H910 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Pontiac doesn't look familiar to me @Ron. I would say that it came from the east as it definitely has the east coast vibe going on. E
Ron, I don`t have any pic`s of the car. But I do remember as a kid growing up. We had a poster similar to the one on the spare tire cover hanging on the wall in my parents house`s hallway. It did not have the slogan, #1 Fan though. It did have the exact same picture ,it might of said-Elvis The King or something. The time period was about 1975 or so. It hung on the wall for at least 20 years. I just asked my wife about the poster. She remembers it also. The poster had been there for over 30+ years. My mom might still have it.
What Ever Happened To..........? number 79. 1950 Mercury "Class of '57" Owners: Jack and Bev Murray ? ? ? ? ?, Minnesota This week's W.E.H.T. seemed to appear in the late 70s or very early 80s. As I've mentioned before, information about the first two Leadsled Spectaculars (1981 in Wichita and 1982 in Des Moines) are very hard to find information on. It seems that not many photos of those events exist, and I'm yet to find any video shot at either event. Luckily we have the records of these shows in our old magazine collections. According to my magazine research, Jack and Bev Murray made the trip to the Spectacular in Des Moines in '82. There was a picture of their Merc at the KKOA Prom at the Val Aire Ballroom, an event at the '82 Spectacular. The picture was on page 32 of the December '82 issue of Classic and Custom Volume 3 number 6. This same picture was featured in Custom Cars by Hot Rod Volume 1 Number 5 from 1983 on page 54 in the article titled "Those Magnificent Mercs". There was also another picture of the Mercury in Classic and Custom January '84 Volume 5 number 1 on page 19 in their coverage of the 1983 St. Ignace Show. The pictures in these magazines weren't very good angles, so I didn't scan them. After watching a lot of video, I was only able to find the car cruising through the gates at the 1983 Leadsled Spectacular in Springfield, Ohio. This was the only time the car was shown on the video. I wasn't able to find out where the Murray's were from, and the video was too grainy to see the license plates on the car. This old sled could have been from anywhere (lol)! After video and magazine articles from 1983, the car seemed to disappear. It would be pretty easy to recognize with the super angled B-pillar chop, '55 Desoto grille and the crazy Bill Hines style lake-side pipes. Maybe the Murray's sold the car early on in the 80s and started on something new. At any rate, this one was around a short time in this version. I hope someone out there has more information on it or the Murray's. Way too nice of a Merc to just fade away into the past. Until next time..........E
In the road trip to Des Moines 1982 part 2 post on the Custom Car Chronicle there is this photo. https://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-car-road-trips/1982-leadsled-roadtrip-part-2/ I believe that is a Minnesota license plate.
Great find, Sancho! Nice to see a few different angles of the car. Every picture I've seen are from the side. Neat Merc! E
I have always liked this car. You either like the side pipes on this car or you don`t. Here is a couple scans of the car. I always thought the car was from Minnesota but in the second scan, it`s says they are from Grand Rapids Michigan. Taken from Classic and Custom magazine from an 83 issue. A year after the 82 show as pictured in the one Ed posted. More scans yet to come. It could be a miss print, because the scan I took from the 84 show in Des Moines shows a Minnesota plate.
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