This has just been garaged for the last 25, don't know the history of it yet, other than it was in seattle roadster show in '63, features include all steel 26 T body with a cut cowl, 331 caddy motor, 39 tranny, 40 ford rear, and radir mags. the body has been sooo smoothed I thought it was fiberglass. anyone recognize this car? It will be up for sale shortly. this thing is very short and you sit out of it
I have a hundred detail shots from the garage it was in, but not the whole car, take some tomorrow, motor had a tri power for it but it walked off during the motor rebuild in 82'
Is Jan, the guy from Iceland, still the owner? I saw the car when he first got it last year and I thought the body was glass or maybe it was just the deck lid?? I remember hearing some history on it. It was built in Renton by a friend of my boss. If you want, I'll find out some details tomorrow.
Nope Jan sold it, and a guy that helped with original build is supposed to get in touch, details would be cool
Is it titled as a '40 Ford and on a shortened/narrowed '40 frame? If it is, I know who used to own it.
It almost looks like one of the Gratiot Auto Supply cars that were sold as a kit or a turnkey back in the early 60's but those were glass.
That's EXACTLY what I thought and why it looks so familiar. Maybe it was somehow related or even the car they pulled the molds off of. That nose has to be identical to the Gratiot cars. I think the cut cowl is the same too.
The body is welded to a homemade frame made from c-channel and round tubing. the 40 rear is mounted to a welded bracket off a model A rear spring crossmember.
The pitman arm looks like a kickstand. I wonder why anyone would think to shorten a T. Very interesting find Scott. Where'd it come from?
I have been going through my old Rod & Customs lately, and ran accross this car today. There is a picture of it in the January 1971 "Rod & Customs at Random" Caption says: "Willard Berg, Everett, Washington chose 50 Cadillac power for his immaculate 26 T roadster. Frame is a 30 A bone, covered with full belly pan. Nose is hand formed." Looks almost the same, other than the mentioned 3 carbs in place, no side mirror, no fenders, chassis parts look to be a light color, and it has body color steel wheels/rings/42 Caps/Whitewalls.
some guys garage out here, but the fella lives in the philly, it was a trade deal, I won't say what for......ok,ok a 78 corvette. I don't own it, just have first right on it, but I'm prolly gonna pass as I couldn't really fit in it
I had a chance several years ago to buy an original Gratiot car and that was my problem:I could get into it but the brake pedal was located in a spot that made it virtually impossible to push on.The car had a PowerGlide in it with a 327 SBC.It's in New Mexico now;the brother of a friend of mine bought it.I think he's selling it also because of the hassle trying to drive it.
That's how a lot of cars were built back in the day. I had the opportunity one time to sit in the driver's seat of the Dick Flint roadster clone, same exact set up as the original. There is no way I could comfortably drive that car with the pedal set up it has. They sure look cool with no one in them. Put a driver on top and it's now cartoon time.
I know people were smaller back then, I remember you could not be in the state patrol unless you were a freakish 6'0" tall (I myself am a giant at 6'1") none the less I'd sure like to see that Jan rod and custom pic from 71. I get to put it back to its original look
Corectomundo on the 40 Ford title... The work on the car seems to be all lead ... the trunk lid is glass... Nose hand formed - - got no magnet here so I can't tell right off the bat if it's Aluminum or steel - - but I'll check in the next day or two - - super quality work on the body and nose... Fred ... bikesters.com
I was wrong about the car being built in Renton, but it was stored there for awhile. I did find out who either built it or helped build it. As soon as I get in touch with him, I'll post the story.
I almost bought this car in the mid 1980's. The guy that owned it then was Woody Woodward, who at that time was the owner of Kenny's Auto Rebuild in Renton. Woody had picked it up a few years before, maybe the late 1970's. Before he sold it, he freshened it up at his shop Back then I think he was asking about $6k for it. The problem I had with the deal was the '40 Ford title. But I thought that he said it had a cut down '40 Ford frame under it, but maybe he didn't know.
I finally talked to the guy who was around when it was built. It was built by Roy Berg at Berg's Bodyshop in Everett WA in about '61-'62. He didn't really remember any details. Roy Berg is still alive and now lives on Lopez Island.
The Jalopy Journal
