Projects Anderegg Roadster TRIBUTE-MEMORIAL build and info, AMBR 1955

~ It is with a very very heavy heart that I make this update to my build thread.....
Our Uncle Ray passed away this past Wednesday (Oct 19, 2016), almost exactly 2 months after Aunt Sharon passed on. They had been friends since their school days and were married for well over 50 years.
I was so very fortunate to spend many hours talking with him about the roadster, it became a very special bond between us, and I truly believe he was very happy I was building it. I still have many many questions for him, but unfortunately will now probably go unanswered, but we were so fortunate that I kept him updated on the progress (and sometimes regrettably the lack of progress) and even took the roadster to Sacramento so he could see the car in person and we could get photos. Another one of our hot rodding forefathers has gone on this year, but I know they are all together up there having a grand time and hopefully looking down on us smiling at our own hot rods.


Hey ya'll...I'm really needing some help. I am looking for old photos, programs, info ect. on the 1955, 1956, and 1960 Oakland Roadster Shows. Specifically anything that relates to the Anderegg Roadster. I am gathering info for my build, as well as to share with my wife's relatives. Her uncle is Raymond Anderegg, as well as Walt, and her dad is Ernie. Any photos including ones of the car in the background would be greatly appreciated. As well as, if anybody is willing to scan some old programs and share the pictures and info. I've contacted numerous people out there already, its amazing the notoriety and the information thats already out there. We have found the car in print in at least 12 different sources, ie: magazines, coffee table books, and news print. I would also like to know if anybody knows of any archived photos of the shows, as the car is also in the colage on the front of the 25th anniversary program in 1973. Ray was in boot camp for the 1955 show and according to his wife, my wife's father Ernie and Uncle Walt, were there to recieve the trophy and made it into the photos. As soon as the car is completed I want to present all the info I have gathered to her Uncle Ray, as a thank you for building such an important car to Central California Hot Rodding, as well as having such vision at the age of 14.
Thanks in advance for all your help, this forum is such a wealth of information and the purest form of excitment for traditional hot rodding.......my wife calls that "obsession"!

P.S. 1955 participant and co-winner of AMBR Americas Most Beautiful Roadster (Yellow
1927 Ford T Coupe turned Roadster with Flathead)
1956 "exhibit of honor" previous years winner (same as above configuration)
1960 participant (lime/gold metalic paint, chrome merc wheels, flip style carson top
and 283 small block chevy with 3 dueces)

 

Sorry I don't have a scanner, but the car appeaears on page 11 of "Grand National Roadster Show & Hall of Fame History" by Rick Perry, published by Show Promotions. I don't see any ISBN number here. Sez here it was the first time there was a tie for AMBR, with Blackie Gejeians 26 T sharing the big trophy in 55. The cars are shown side by side in 2 pix. That is a very sharp little roadster!

 

WOW, thanks for the quick reply, I'm going to google that right now, I believe that those are some of the photos I would love to get my hands on. And yes its quite sharp, and very very distinct. Louie

 

Thanks again "thread killer" lol....just found one on amazon and snagged it!
Louie

 

I got a mag today, Street Rodder June 1999, it had part 3 of a historical article (80s - 90s). Does anybody out there know what issues have the other 2 parts? .
Thanks, Louie

 

I do, I will have a look but don't remember seeing Ray's roadster. Do You Have the Hot Rod feature from '57?

Are you restoring or cloning?

:edit: No pictures in those Street Rodder issues.

 

I wish I was restoring but the only things left of the original car are literally the body and the frame...neither of which are anywhere near each other, as the car has had 8 owners over the years.

I'm not calling ours a clone as its going to built to the best of my abilities and funds. Cosmetically its going to be very very close, but Ive built a tube/channel iron frame, and the running gear will be a bit more modern, and I hope to make it drivable and comfy enough to drive every day to work....we have over 300 days of sunshine a year here. Im calling ours a tribute car.

Thanks for the heads up on the mags....I was told it made it into one of the GNRS 50th anniversary issues of Street Rodder, now Im wondering if it was one of the other publications....HHMMMM Thanks, Louie

P.S. Yup have the '57 Hot Rod, as well as the '59 Car Craft, '60 Rodding & Re-styling, and
'60 CARS magazine. And its also in a George Barris book, a book about Gene Winfield (Ray says he painted the yellow in '53 or early '54), a mention in Rods and Customs and in Andy Southards book on the Oakland Roadster Show.........So Far.....

 

If somebody out there has June 1960 Hot Rod, can you please tell me if the roadster possibly made it into the coverage for the '60 Oakland Roadster show.
Thanks, Louie

 

I will see if I have the June '60 issue. So you have the original body??

 

Nope dont have anything of the original car excepts its original builder/owner as an uncle....LOL The original body & frame was tracked down by Ray in 1977ish in the Calif bay area. He rebuilt the car but only used the body as the guy helping him didnt want to reuse the old merc frame (that version is in Feb 1992 Rod & Custom). The frame ended up at my in-laws has and sat on top of a shed for years. After we moved my father-in-law gave it away and it ended up in the hands of a fella in the next town (Atwater) in Calif. The body is still on the rebuilt car and is in South Carolina owned by a guy that truly cherishes the hot rod. Im totally starting from scratch, and hope to be done by next August....yikes.
Louie

 

Here is some stuff Im looking for:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416107
& Thanks for the heads up on the book by Rick Perry, its awesome, and has some really great photos in it. Also we finally found out the dates for the show, February 19-27th from the book. And too wierd, we lettered the #93 mini sprint in the background of a picture of Pete Paulson....useless trivia...LOL Louie

P.S. its even signed by Rick Perry....score!

 

Eternally indebted to Andy Southard! For taking some pictures in 1956 and 1960 at the GNRS, and putting them in his book (which I just recieved from him) Hot Rods of the 1950.





His books are phenominal!!!!!

Louie

 

I am looking forward to seeing this build progress. Are you going to run a flathead?

 

In the early 90s rod and custom did a story on this car. If I remember right i was still owned by ray and had been modernized, painted red. how did it wind up getting seperated from its frame? Are you aware that is has already been cloned?

 

Thanks, keep checkin my photo album for a few new pics now and then, and nope on the flathead. Thats why we are calling it a tribute, not a clone. Im kinda updating the running gear and its going to have doors and a full length trunk lid....all of which Uncle Ray has given his thumbs up to, with a "boy if I had it to do all over again.....those sound like great ideas"

 

Thanks for the interest, ya we have the Feb 92 Rod & Custom, the guy that helped Uncle Ray rebuild the car in the 80s didnt want to reuse the original 41 Merc/channel iron frame. The car had been through several owners in the 60s and 70s and all that was left was the body and frame. And we have a bunch of literature on Von Francos version of the car as it looked from 1958ish till 1960 when Ray re-entered it in the Oakland Show again. But we are hoping to cosmetically do the car justice as the 1955 yellow version that won the AMBR, but are calling it a tribute because of some of the changes weve chosen to make (see above post). We had also seen the car around 1993 as Ray entered the car in the Good Guys Show in Merced. Louie

 

What the car looks like now, owner bought it from Ray in 1997 or so & resides in South Carolina.
Louie

 

While I like all versions of this car, the AMBR winning version is my favorite. I'm glad that's the one you're going for.

 

Here's an illustration I did about a year ago.
Man, I love this car.

This one was inspired by a car that was featured
in "Rodding and Restyling" in July of 1960. The original
was owned and built by a fellow named Richard Andre
of Santa Cruz, CA. Mr. Andre did the build which started
out as a coupe and Gene Winfield did the paint!

 

Really great illustration. Thats the car, and Ray figures George Barris (who took the photos for the '59 Car Craft, and the '60 Rodding and Re-styling articles) changed his name to avoid some sort of lawsuit in the R & R article. And as of right now, Ray insists that Gene Winfield did the yellow paint in '53-'54 and a fellow from Santa Cruz did the Lime/Gold in 58, but he couldn't remember who.

BTW, little know fact is Ray owned the Black Widow t-bucket for a year or so around '55-'56.

Also if any long time Californians out there have the dates of the 1954 Turlock Motorcade (Im thinking around Dec) I would appreciate it. The roadster took second place in the show.

 

Didnt Von Franco do a tribute/clone of this car years back?

Calling Dr.Franco..please use the white courtesy phone...

 

Yup....http://www.roddersjournal.com/trj_images/media/VonFranco.pdf

So you have one of the Arcade Cards of Ray's Roadster? Does it have his info and courtesy of Hot Rod Mag on the backside?
Your Shoebox post:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236114&highlight=anderegg&page=2

 

Yes,i sure do..I picked it up with a bunch of other cards from the same era.Do you have that card already?I'm not sure how hard they are to come by,but they sure are cool...

 

Yes, ElJefe owns it in Austin. It was at the first HAMB Drags

 

Might anybody out there know of any large shows that happend in L.A. at a big park around 1957....thats all the info I have. It is where the photo shoot for the 57 Hot Rod spread was done.
Thanks, Louie

 

Louie, I Know what your going threw ha ha. I felt the same way when I did my car
I was obsessed with finding every pic. and storys about that car. I was fortunate to see
and get a ride in the real car when I was a kid. Ray was nice enough to give me a ride
around the block when I was at Roys drive inn. From there on I was hooked. i could go on and boar everybody but I won't ha ha. When I sold the Gold car to Steve Wertheimer. I gave him all the photos and show mag s I had ,with the car in it. Anyway can't wait to see your car done and I almost did that version .If I can help just let me know.....Endsville Franco........................

 

.....Of some historical interest.....


Ray's T and the T build by Olsens (as I understand it), Merced County Fair, Merced Valve Burners display 1955 with the big trophy. Ray owned both at the time, and you dont even want to know what he bought it for and sold it for about a year later.....

Louie

pic courtesy of Frank Dutra

 

Off to spend the weekend in the bay area, and Saturday with Uncle Ray. Wish us luck and happy brain pickin'!!! Hope he has lots of info and stories for us.
Louie

 

Good luck and thanks for sharing the photos. Great project. Keep us posted.

 

Had a great visit with Uncle Ray!!! He had quite a few stories and had a few momentos from the roadster. Some pics, and will post a few more as time goes by. Thanks for all who are keeping up with this and to anyone who is helping with info and locating sources.



Ray still sports the AMBR 55 plate on his personal truck!



Some show cards from the Show. '56 and '60 i believe.

Louie