Golden Sahara II's transparent tires??????

george barris' personal brand new lincoln convert. 55 i think. he ran it under a hay truck. then decided to "fix it"

 

A built in mini bar? - now that is traditional - maybe a little too traditional. My parents never went anywhere without first topping off their drinks. If they had this car, they won't have had to worry about that. I am not sure about the rest of the bizarre features, but the "real white mink floor mats" definitely seem like a great idea that surprising didn't catch on. The automatic brakes, TV and phone finally did though. I would like to see somebody actually drive that with the dash pedals. For being as weird and over the top as it is, I am kind of digging it.

 

Thanks for posting that. Seeing the combination steering/brake yoke working was cool.

Here's some great pics of the car floating on angel hair. I got these pics from the HAMB, whoever posted them, also thanks to you.

 

I always enjoy seeing somebody's take on what technology is in store for the future. Thanks for the video.

 

Hmmmmmmmmm
We have a 54 Linc parts car out back.......................

 

Build the first version.

 

Thanks a lot for posting the video, it is great!

So this car is in Ohio and no one wants restore it? I bet I could find someone. We need to find it and save it!

 

Hey Nick you made my day. I'll be day dreaming about the car all day. I didn't get
to see the tires glow but it was kool to see all of the tech involved with the build.
This is a fine example why the HAMB is soo Kool.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

I think the details are in an old Kookie Kar post from 5 or 6 years ago on the HAMB? I remember the post based on those pics I mentioned up top.

 

Fascinating part of this video is that the remote that he had in his hand is now taken for granted. No T.V. remote had been invented yet. The technology was unknown. When he would show the car at exhibitions, he would have the remote hidden and spoke his commands to the car. All of this was in the sixties and no one could figure out how the guy did it. The owner had access and brains, plus Money. I hope the car surfaces and is restored to it's former glory.
The only other car with similar stuff was the Beatnic Bandit which started, steered, turned on lights and stuff, by remote, but the Bandit had a controller the size of a fuse box and had a big cord that went to the car.

 

It's CGI man, the dude's cheating.

 

How do you make transparent tires light up anyhow? This is going to bug me all day....

 

Megan, I looked for the info for you, the search only goes back to 04. I am sure the owners info was in a post older than that.

 

For a car that is supposively so close to home I have never seen it at any shows I have been at,it must have been put in storage before I started attending. Jeff

 

<BR>
This is a photo from a book ***led: 1960s The Hulton Getty Picture Collection. Published in the UK. The info/caption with the photo:<br>
<b>October 1961. The Goodyear Illuminated Tyre. The tyre was illuminated by a series of light bulbs inside the wheel rim.</b><br><br>
Apparently they were a show car invention as there are wires running from the fenders to a contact in the middle of the hub cap, so they would not be lit up when driving. I imagine a UK Hamber can ID the year/make/model of the car.

 

I think its a Ford Capri from the early 60s,I was looking at one on ebay and was thinking about bidding on it as it would be very different. Jeff

 

The guy in Ohio who has it (Jim) supposedly has quite a collection of stuff. I had a friend years ago whos parents knew him. I tried to get over there, but my friend could have not cared less about this stuff....this was back in the early 90's.

 

Another darker image of the pic with a little more info:http://www.photographersgallery.com/photo.asp?id=1135

 

that is just amazing, i am still blown away by the features the Golden Sahara had and i did not even know tires like this existed. that is why i love this site its one hell of a history lesson and these kind of cars will never die!!!!

 

That's not why those things picked up the nickname "toilet seats" is it?

I have some of the Barris Custom books, the softbounds that came out about 10 years ago. Volume 3 includes pictures of the car, first as a wrecked '53 Lincoln Capri hardtop, then about 9 different shots of it under construction and some finished shots of both versions.

Barris explains in the text how on one foggy night on his way back from Sacramento he "...was towing Dan London's '49 Chevy, which had a blown motor, over the G****vine into Los Angeles when I rear ended a hay truck." The car took most of the hit in the left A-post, he says he walked away unhurt but it's a wonder he wasn't killed - sitting in the driver's seat afterwards the roof would be right in your face.

The car was still pretty new when completed, it appeared in magazines as early as May 1953.

Interestingly, the top on the first version reminds me of the cut down purple '46 Hudson from the Ugly Customs thread.

And it wouldn't be much more of a job to recreate it from a 4dr '54 parts car, really, by the time you section it and reshape the doors and so forth.

 

Hello again,

I just found out that the video was broadcast on June 25, 1962.

Nick

 

It's not a Ford Capri, it's a Ford Consul Cl***ic 315 sedan. The bottom half of the 2 door body is the same as the Capri, the roof is different, a hardtop coupe.

Thanks for the picture, now I'm $200 poorer because I bought a print from Getty.

 

Huh, light up tires, kinda like the light up wheels that let you show pictures to other people as you drive.

I figured it would just use lights shining on the back of the tire, and I would have never guessed they were that bright, DANG.

 

WOW!! i too have a new found respect for that car.

 

jim street owned a business in west carrollton ohio named radar security. had a new building built on alex rd in west carrollton and last i knew that is where the cars are stored,but the business has been closed for years.a friend of mine did some upholstry work on the golden sahara.whoever wrote that the kookie kar is butchered is correct.it does look like a duelly now with the exhaust up in the air,and dual rear tires.my understanding of the reason you dont and wont see the golden sahara is because barriss got all the credit for the car,and jim street got no recognition at all.he is pissed and does not care if anyone ever sees it.as far as the kookie kar, i believe he doesnt show it because it belongs to him and he doesnt want to.

 

That's a hell of a long time to hold a grudge and pardon me, but he's being a baby about this. Okay, it's his car, but to deprive the rest of the world of even seeing it is downright criminal.
It ain't the T that's kookie, it's him.

 

While I don't really like the car, this thread is really cool, dig that video.....This car musta blew minds back then....
The throttle/steering "arm" is no fun though....how would ya "power brake" it???

 

Illuminated Tyres? That is awesome!

 

Remember the light up tires next time you laugh at the 19 yr. old tuner kid's Honda with light up Fart Can exhaust.
On second thought, remember to laugh at light up tires...
it IS, admittedly, incredible, and now I know a lot more about it. And am quite impressed, VERY impressed. Yet it is still absurd, too...
hmmmm....