History Ardun Roadster auction

I haven't posted on here in forever, but I was 2nd out 3rd runner up on this car. Couldn't tell much from the pictures, like what was there and what wasn't so that scared me a little bit, couldn't even tell if both heads were there. I did however win the contents lots with the Crestliner steering wheel and drag plate(s).... yeah there were 2. So I did get to see the car in person. The buyer ended up paying about $22k all in with fees. The valve covers were missing, along with a few small bits. I regret not going higher on it, but it didn't sound like he was going to give in, if anything I would've just made him pay a few grand more. Yes, the auction company did a huge disservice to the car. The high bidder was a local guy that knew of the car for most of his life, it sounds like he'll keep it together. I took some video of it while I was there and will be posting it to my channel "FoMoCoPower's Garage". Definitely a neat car. Nobody really knew of all of the history until after the auction when the family shared it with the buyer. The car was shown in a Hot Rod Magazine in one small photo.

 

I found this on the American Hot Rod Foundation page. Looks like Mr. Alban Bau was indeed at Bonneville in 1953. According to this the car ran 139.31 mph in Cl*** C Roadster.

“There is nothing like a multiple exposure to make your day in trying to figure out the rides in this shot. We can see the number 577. This is the Cl*** B Compe***ion Coupe of Nickell’s Automotive out of Newberg, Oregon that was powered by a 237″ Ford inline 6. There is no name or number match in the results so the car probably never ran. We also see the 573-C number that was taped on the side of Alban Bau’s Roadster from North Judson. Indiana. The program lists the engine as a 286″ ’48 Merc and we see Ardun heads in the shot. We have Alban running 139.31 mph in Cl*** C Roadster for a 10th in cl***. We also see some other stuff happening in the shot that might say this is a triple exposure. Yikes!”

 

Almost forgot. The car also has Kinmont front brakes, another lil tidbit you couldn't tell from the auction photos.

 

Hopefully the new owner will share some more information on it. Or any pictures the family might have had.

 

Dang what a cool car and thanks for sharing the info @FoMoCoPower and sounds like you scored on the lots as well congratulations. I wish you would have gotten the car

 

I had thought about contacting bino's son Bryan for more history, looks like he lives on the other side of rt39 from my buddy frosty.
Hey Jim, the one plate says Michigan City on it, what's the other have on it

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if either Jason Simon or Dave Koepke isn’t the buyer

 

taking anything to crown point?

 

Nope i had the vette there in ‘21 but i’m not in that clique so no invite. I may go to look around tho. How about you?

 

Same boat, I guess going to school with mark's brother Mike doesn't carry any weight

 

Holy ****, that's amazing! Great history found on the car, I really hope we get to hear from the new owner. I am very relieved to hear that it at least appears the new owner knows the history of the car and is less likely to part it out or change it, hopefully.

@FoMoCoPower It looks like you got a heck of a score for your money spent! Some really great stuff in that lot.

 

still a lot of questions remain about the man, what motivated someone from rural indiana to do this. we see he had magazines for inspiration but usually when you think of indiana at that time, it was driven by the 500 and other circle track racing. this pre-dated US30 drag strip. ardun heads? kinmonts? bonneville? how did he acquire them? van senus was in business up in hammond, did he travel to chicago, south bend, indianapolis? mail order?
wondering also if he drove the roadster to bonneville and back or flat tow it. it's 1500 miles/24 hours of driving on modern interstate which didn't exist back then.
why did he park it? by 1955, he started a family and later i learned, he lost an arm to a farm accident, those two events probably had an effect.

edit: there's a chance he didn't build the car at all, but purchased it from someone who brought it to the area. i'm just going on what a friend of his left on his obituary about him building the car

 

He spent some serious coin on that car when it was built. There is a picture of the engine with injection on it. So I doubt it was driven there. What happened to the injection unit? Hilborn injection for an Ardun is extremely rare. What happened to the valve covers? So many questions…

 

sounds like a remarkable man

 

Just this past fall I learned of a gentleman from southern Iowa who had an Ardun powered hot rod, and a Bonneville record setting belly tank. I was able to buy some leftovers from his widow, but the good stuff was sold long ago. I had never heard of this man who lived 90 miles away from me.

 

For sure. The other side of the coin is that someone got himself what seems to be a historic hot rod with a very special engine in it - without having to re-mortgege his house. I do follow some of the Youtubers who go to these auctions and I see this all the time, a small rural auction with mostly junk but from time to time a jewel which the locals don't "understand" (well, it's not a 90s John Deere ). Well if someone looks up all the auction sites, takes the trouble to bid and/or travel hundreds of miles to see the car/s and gets a bargain, good for them.

 

Look how clean the valve gear is, those rocker covers must have been removed a month or two before the auction photos were taken.

 

I think they are '50 Studebaker

 

Redo32, I'd say you're right. Thanks, man.

 

Any better pics of the dash? I think I have the same set of dash knobs and I never saw another set. I think they are early aftermarket?

 

"Traditiinal"? Depends on your age many would say...

 

Wow! My boss actually grew up in North Judson, I'll have to ask him if he knew Mr. Bau.

 

Up! Anyone know where this car ended up at?

 

nobody knows or if they do, they're not talking in my neck of the woods