History James Dean Death Car… interesting find.

I was into sports cars in the late 50's. Racing specials were being built. I remember one article about one built from the engine and trans axle from the car. It was raced but was not successful. I think someone was killed in it. It was regarded as jinked and parted out. I am hazy about this but it was all about 1958 or so.

 

Like I posted earlier, apparently many horrible things have happened to people who took parts of the car or were in some way involved with it. Let it rest in peace, like the great actor and young star that died in it.

 

I’d drive it

 

Correct me if I'm wrong good sir,
But, didn't you mention a few years ago that you possibly knew of the whereabouts of the Little Basterd?
Of was that someone else?
My memory isn't quite like it used to be!

 

I'm going to say it was the Hilborn Lakes Modified, lost cars get confused.

 

When I get back from my latest welding run and I have time to settle down, I will post the other letters regarding this story. I don’t have any answers for it all but I enjoy the sequence of events… it’s not so much that it’s “The James Dean Death Car” that interests me the most. It’s the fact that it disappeared. There’s plenty of lost Kustoms and Hot rods out there that are more interesting to find or interesting to research.

I honestly enjoy researching the random pieces or paperwork and photos as much as I do welding. Things were certainly different back then, meaning that the digital age hadn’t came around and conveniently allowed everyone to easily be able to document and photograph every minute of their mundane lives.

pictures and letters meant more than they mean now.

germ

 

Fuckin eh, took ya long enuff...

 

I dunno bud, still pretty interesting and important today. In my world of restoration they mean a lot. A letter or series of documents can mean millions in value as well. Can settle speculation and folklore when usual suspects pan a story a classic is re-bodied or an assemblage of various cars. Paper docs shut em up and make em wear dunce caps for the season (sadly only figuratively).

 

I agree 100% that is why it’s important that guys like Barris documented everything and took photos of their work. When Masterson and I were working out of the old building where Jeffries actually striped the Little Bastard we found evidence of Dean Jeffries work in the building. He had striped an Electrical panel for the building in the late 1950’s and the panel was still present when we started in the building in like 2008ish… we climbed on the roof and we inspected the walls even looking for any lost artifacts that were relevant to the history of the building. We found old lead paddles and brushes and all kinds of amazing things in and around the building.

It was much to my surprise that Kenneth Howard is in some photos in the old building laying out on the floor striping panels and a few dashes. We were able to look at the old pictures and figure out the location.

we also saved some of the documents that survived the big fire. I can post some later that show signs of smoke and water damage from the fire in I think 1957.

germ

 

Awesome stuff...

 

Paperwork on any car needs to be saved, sure makes for a great history lesson and story about the people involved with the car.

 

The Dean Car is probably sitting behind a strip club in Mexico.