1. Roth was bat shit crazy. 2. I think he liked the idea of the Mysterion actually being mysterious. Only guesses... Except #1... He was bat shit crazy when I knew him... or acted like it anyway.
Agreed... and I don’t mean crazy in a derogatory way. Hell, me calling someone crazy is uhh.... rich... cuz I’m pretty loony - just not in a way that’s nearly as productive as the people you mentioned.
Don't sell yourself short Boss, you may very well be crazy but with this community you built I believe your crazy like a fox. HRP
Hell... I always thought Crazy was just an excuse to piss away your hard earned money on obscure and unique vehicle's that only like minded individuals can truly appreciate! I noticed my problem when I was very young, but the voices in my head say that everything is just fine! Now... Where in the Hell did I put my crayons??? [emoji23][emoji6][emoji41]
Just as an idea of something that could of happened !;Knowing how I did things my self as a kid ,late teens an early 20s in the the 50s,60s. I think some thought the same way about stuff you fall into hot rod wise! So if some one offered part of a old show car missing too many parts to fix up,you can bet I would of made something def. out of the parts that looked good enough. Like make a frame an add axles too move around,plus clean up as much as I could to find out what to do next{ like clean off body with thinners{so may of looked pearl},but live gets in the way,so didn't get finished ect. No help at all,just fun 2cents,
I've got nothing to add, except that that original post about maybe possibly spotting the Mysterion under that tarp was always one of my favorites on the HAMB. Now this thread is. Cool stuff.
How a guy can spend all of that time,energy ,personal imagination and talent on their creation and then call a guy in Kansas City that has it and tell him to cut off some of the running gear and send back only that, absolutely floors me. I can't get into his head.
I was around Ed a fair amount of time in the 60's, 80's and 90's. Anyone who was around him very much will tell you the same thing: he loved to make provocative statements (rather dryly) and then watch for your reaction. I really believe that the "send me the axles, but junk the car" bit was just him making an ultimate provocation. I think he looked up to Von Dutch and kinda wanted to be him and that might explain a lot. Pure speculation. To Mark's point (which is a good question), I think ownership was somehow transferred back to Roth by Larivee by that time (maybe a trade for the next car or such). Because Farhner did not speak to Larivee about it, only Roth. And if it were still Larivee's at that time, he would not have been amused. And he would not be sending it back to Roth, either. There is no denying though, Ed Roth was a true and influential artist. Furthering that notion, he was not concerned about the money, he was just having fun.
If you look at it as a worn out or wrecked race car maybe the axles were the only parts that could be used on another project. We now know they did arrive back at the Roth shop, what happened to them ? Bob
Pretty interesting stuff, but now, we are looking for mid-engine 57 Chevy and now a fiberglass show car called the Mysterion.
Add this to the List: The Silhouette, Uncertain T, Etc. Love this stuff it’s our Who Killed The Black Dahlia!
Jeff Jones from Bakersfield built the clone, wrote a book about it, and may know the answers to some of your questions. I know he is on the HAMB and the clone is shown in his pic. Hope that helps.
Back in the early 80s in the letters section of a rodding magazine ( I do not recall what magazine) someone wrote in saying he had the remains of Mysterion. at the time he had plans to put it back together. Anyway he signed the letter ________ Smith Tulsa Ok. I do not recall his first name. But he has a common last name or was already being inconspicuous. I wouldn't be surprised if someone on the Hamb could find that magazine.
Just found this thread. Don't know how I missed it. I know nothing more than has been discussed here, most from Tom. As I mentioned in my book, in my investigations I found at least three Ed Roth quotes with completely different renditions of the car's demise. I am in the group believing it is totally destroyed, gone forever. Here is a short video of my clone running at its current home in Stahls museum in Michigan. Still hasn't been driven. They said I could come back and do the first drive when they get around to making it 'road worthy'. Incidentally, Ryan's first post was how I found HAMB many years ago. My all-time favorite HAMB post too! https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=Awr9D24XIUdeGTMAdwv7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBncGdyMzQ0BHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEdnRpZAM-;_ylc=X1MDOTY3ODEzMDcEX3IDMgRhY3RuA2NsawRjc3JjcHZpZAMwanFRcERFd0xqTEkwNkpoWGtjUlpRQkdNakE1TGdBQUFBRFl0bEs2BGZyA3lzZXRfaWVfc3ljX2hwBGZyMgNzYS1ncARncHJpZAM3SktETi5tMVNNV2lrOXVZUnpUcU1BBG5fcnNsdAMxBG5fc3VnZwMwBG9yaWdpbgN2aWRlby5zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzQwBHF1ZXJ5A2VkJTIwcm90aCUyMG15c3RlcmlvbiUyMHJ1bm5pbmclMjBzdGFobHMEdF9zdG1wAzE1ODE3MTk4NDE-?p=ed+roth+mysterion+running+stahls&ei=UTF-8&fr2=p:s,v:v,m:sa&fr=yset_ie_syc_hp#id=6&vid=f5991b45e043be75848ca771c4ef9ad3&action=view
Just noticed your mention of Sillhouette. I saw it in the back of a paint stripping shop on North Chester in Bakersfield CA. in the 70s. It was in the back of the shop, dusty, rusty wheels and painted in chatreuse metal flake. Bubble was still there. Since found this snapshot in that condition which looks like it was taken in the Bakersfield countryside. Incidentally, why did all old customs seem to end their lives in green metalflake?
It is like the careers of movie actors, past their prime when they were casted with small children or animals, soon after they own a pot farm in Oregon. Green metal fake is the same fate on four wheels I am afraid.
I'd have to say that around this area there were some individuals who thought that metalflake laid on heavy with a ton of clear over it could cover up a lot of flaws.
...I think this is the Video @willys36 was trying to share...mind you theres quite a few videos to enjoy at his link... Update...Confirmed incorrect...apologies...there's 2 that run it seems... Many incredible builds have met with similar fates...shortlived greatness steamrolled by the ever evolving future and all it's punches... 15 minutes comes to mind... Some turn up in unlikely places but that is far from common... It doesn't make it any easier to stomach the losses though...
I am sure that is not the video he was trying to post. That is not the mysterion clone that @willys36 built it is the Shuten built car
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