Lost Bill Hines Car to debut at Billetproof Michigan

that was just for sale up here on the detroit craigslist a few days ago. just looked for the ad, but it has been deleted. can't remember the asking price, but they touted it as a "possible bill hines custom"

 

I'm with the group that thinks they ARE the same car. The remains of the original fins are there, and the old tail light holes are still in the same place BELOW what looks to be later bodywork. I scanned the article on it from the January 1995 Custom Rodder article. Sorry for the poor quality.....

 

I don't see it as possible - unless somebody 'unchopped' the top and did other very extensive modifications. If they did, they were sure going 'backwards' with the car.

 

Neat.

 

TeddyZ said this car, the one that will be at Billetproof, was never painted. Always in primer.

 

Sodbuster, because you bought up, back in the day. Must have been around 1978 for gas that low!

 

The car on the left in Riksters post is the original Lil Bat that Bill built in his shop on Dix Highway on Detroit. I saw it being built and it was in the same Autorama with my car in 1958. Bill Drove it to CA. to work for Barris.
If this hulk is the same car, it got back to Michigan, and from what I surmise, was restyled again with the top being cut off and prepared for a bubble top. Who did the work, only Bill or Teddy Z knows for sure.
The second Lil Bat was a clone that was built by Bill in the nineties.
You can see from Riksters post how much better the car looked without the scallops.
I wish I could be there to shake Bill's hand once more in Michigan.

 

I remember Custom Rodder doin an article about it back in the mid-90's when Bill was gettin ready to recreate the first version of it, The Baby Bat. Pretty sure it's the same car.



Edit: As posted by 40 & 61 Fords:

 

I'll stick with how I read the article to read. That they are the same car. It says in the copy that it was the "first-in-a-series of Billl Hines Bats". also, the the new owner "had tons of NEW customizing done to the body"
BTW, We could really fire this thread up since the original "bat" had a chopped top, the car that was just found has a stock height top, the one in the article has none...is there really a THIRD car....

 

Yes, that Craiglist ad was brought to TeddyZ's Thursday night shop hangout and p***ed around. The car was in Monroe. Bob was one of the guys at the shop, he called on the ad and immediately got in his daily driver and drove there, saw the car, paid for it and went back the next day with his track and trailer. He's owned it for a few days now. The guy in Monroe that sold this car to Bob was a flipper. He hadn't had the car for long. He bought it from an old guy that had it for years.

I'm sure Alan has gotten/will get, the whole story with all the details and have it available for everyone soon.

 

It has been confirmed that this is indeed a Bill Hines car. We are working up the details and background on the car right now.

unfortunately we wont be able to have Bill on site, but TeddyZ, who helped Bill build the car, will be on hand at the show to answer questions.

Come on out and have a good time and see a piece of hot rodding history.

 

Bill Hines is the bomb!

 

Just a quick thought...Still would need A LOT of love. I'm gonna keep playing just because I'm curious... I don't think the knob grill is working for it...

edit: Yes I know the angle on the headlights is all off, I just did them as place holders.

 

Just got confirmation from Bill Hines... this is THE first Bat Car. It was indeed finished and is the car he drove to CA and the car that landed him the job with Barris. The modifications were made later at the direction of the 2nd owner, but they were done by Hines. The 2nd owner cut the chopped roof of it with the intention of making it a bubble top, but that never happened. At some point after the 1995 picture was taken, an unchopped top was added back on the car.

Genuine piece of custom history folks.

so in short, the two cars pictured below are one in the same

 

Hard to believe - but if Hines says it is his, it is his . . . whomever decided to change the original had some balls to change what was once nice. Back in the day, people did all sorts of wild **** - more than we can even imagine today.

 

Ohh nooo! That's good in one way, but it also makes me sad being a fan of the bat car!

 

I did my half *** rendering thinking it was just some abortion Bill never finished..... Hard to believe it was originally something as beautiful as it was.

 

Cool piece of Detroit history and even cooler that is was one of Bill's cars .The car will not suit everyones taste, but during the era it was built the wilder the better. Look forward to seeing it this weekend.

 

Wow, that fills in the gaps for sure. I can't imagine what Bill Hines felt, tearing into the first Lil Bat to make this and then seeing it stop and decline. The shot that Rikster posted is the way I will always remember it. I remember standing by that car, with Bill, at the Autorama where he first introduced the car, and it was spectacular without the scallops. Bill was absolutely famous for flawless bodywork that was painted bleck.
So it seems that the series of Bats was actually a series of two.

 

whoa.....I was hoping this car would be found...

 

Wow! My mind has been blown!

 

its still there! you just need to not take it ALL in at once.



hell, a group of hambers with nothing but time could have this thing ready for a reunion with bill in not to long of time!

 

Well...thats AWESOME!!! It NEEDS to be brought back to the way Bill Hines built it.

 

whos got pics of the recreated bat? isnt it exactley the same as the original one?
if so, why notmaking this a bubbletop for reals?

 

Here are some photos of the recreation from 2009. Photos taken by Lee Stockton:

 

I think the last shop Bill was in in Mich was at Fort and Antoine in Wyandotte Mi. My brother worked for him there. Later i think **** Dean was in there before he went west. Teddys first car was built there when he was about 16. Also Gene Roscoe was doing hot rod work in the front of the old gas station.

 

Looks like its true to the original, xcept for the vogues and what else litle details im missing, so why re-do another when Bill Hines already rebuilt it?

 

Dig the history aspect of it but it sure is ugly.

 

Bill also used this front end design (re-make) on a white '52-'54 Ford (convertible?) that has recently resurfaced. If someone has pictures, the similarity is obvious.

 

MO----This one???------55 or 56 FORD
TwoChops