First of all I apologize for the pictures but that's all I received when I bought the coupe 5 years ago. The car was purchased 25 years ago in Wrightwood, California, just up the hill from Riverside, CA. The seller worked for Napa Auto Parts in Wrightwood which has since closed. There is a red '90 Firebird in one picture and a light blue '74 El Camino, also a 50s style green army jeep, in case someone remembers the seller from the Napa store by his cars. In the front end shot of the car you can see who I believe is the seller with his foot on the left rear tire looking into the rumble seat. There are some unique features to this car and it's early life. I was told it was a Salt Flats racer and I believe it was because it has holes in the floor behind the seat where the roll bar bolted to the frame and the holes were patched. It also appears to have had windshield wipers underneath the windshield, possibly something that was done later on, and also, the high-end upholstery and the upholstery wooden garnish moldings - I have never seen before. The car appears to have been painted white, light blue, and a burgundy color. In the picture with the Jeep you can see the high-end rumble seat upholstery. Maybe someone remembers this car from Wrightwood, or possibly from a magazine?
Are you trying to track down the PO or just history? It's a pretty small town.....may be worth having something posted at the country club or the grocery store.
Thanks that's a good idea. I've been to Wrightwood a couple of times looking for the Coupes history and I even contact a local car club in the next town. But this is the first time I tried the Hamb. Hopefully it'll catch the interest how someone in the Los Angeles area. Thanks
Every year in August the Chamber of Commerce puts on a car show in downtown Wrightwood. Lots of car guys from the area and beyond.You could check with the Chamber to see if they could help or it might be worth the trip next year to inquire first hand.
The car show in August might be a good idea, my son is going to school in Riverside so maybe I should send him up there with a handful of pictures. I'm thinking by the faded paint and the condition of the car it was probably on the street in the 60s, 70s and 80s. I purchased the car from Calvin "Hal" Klenhampl. Hal said, "We went down into the desert and picked up the fenders from under an old tarp." I think he was talking about somewhere not far from Victorville.
The only idea I have may not pan out. Back before 1994, Chuck Zalud owned the brick two story house on the right as you came into Wrightwood from 138. Chuck was a real estate developer out of the San Fernando Valley and had the house as a getaway for family use. He also was a big collector of old cars and the garages were full of them. He died shortly after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It is possible that his family still owns the property. He or one or more of his children were almost always there on weekends, especially if there was snow on the slopes. Chuck had a couple of hot rod roadsters available for family members to use while staying there. If anybody would know about your car, Chuck or maybe one of his children would for sure. You might stop by and see if the Zalud family still owns the house and go from there. Good luck!
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