Lookheed Lightning for me.. Otherwise I think you are sorta right, Nads. I have (of all things) read Albert Speers selfbiography; and it seems to me that Hitler was very much into the idea of german cars being the worlds best, fastest, most impressive etc. (his and Albert Speers joint efforts to create an equally impressive architecture in these years was a disaster, though.. ). It was during these years that Germany started up the huge autobahn-projects in a scale which were unheard of in most other european countries. Also; what applies the Mercedes-racers seems to apply to other german race-cars like Auto Union. Im not really an expert in this stuff but I think there were several hillclimbs arranged in Germany where these cars were used, and that famous drivers like Karl Kling first became famous in these years.
Metalshapes -- I guess our experiences are really very different. I have no experience with the vintage racing scene in Europe, so your experiences are no more a fluke given your point of reference than are mine. I thought I'd made a positive point about the crossover at***udes here. I'm certainly hopeful, although I don't know what we might do to turn at***udes around in Europe, and I'm not sure that that's our mission to do. Yes, let's do start building these cars. Turning right and left quickly, at speed, can be just as addictive as going quick and fast in a straight line.
I love this post - hot rodders talking more like customizers - about beautiful shapes, form and such. Traditional does not have to mean constrained to repeat what has already been done. Now we know why pain meds are so addictive.
av8 writes : "Yes, let's do start building these cars. Turning right and left quickly, at speed, can be just as addictive as going quick and fast in a straight line." Amen !!!
I have two dream cars... 1. It's in Keith Tardel's shop right now - a full-out flathead powered b-ville race car... Late 40's style. 2. An American entry into the 1939 Monaco Grand Prix... or what would have been. I envision a flathead powered formula car built on a tube ch***is with aluminium body. Details are formulating in my induced head as we speak. The Germans were building intimidating cars for a reason in the late 30's... I've done a lot of reading on "influence by form of the 3rd reich". Quite frankly, they were brilliant marketers. All that said, when it comes down to it NOBODY has ever built anything more perfect or more balanced than a p51 Mustang. Those German ****ers learned that the hard way. BTW, I am a closet Mercedes freak... Got it from my dad. I even dream of late model AMG equipped cars. They build hot rods like detroit did in the 60s.
I've got plans, big plans. I loose sleep over it nightly. I'm collecting the parts to build a radical coupe that will be firmly grounded in tradition, but push those traditions to a place they have never been. Hopefully I will be started on it over winter, I've almost got all the pieces...................... My eyes are heavy.
I don't know if this car is enough of a Sports Rod to be on this post, But I did the Body modifications on this '55 Sunbeam a couple of years ago for a guy here in Tucson. He had plans for a quad Weber SBF, and it had Fatman MII IFS. If followed me around as I switched jobs a couple of times, but I think it's in PHX now...
[ QUOTE ] when it comes down to it NOBODY has ever built anything more perfect or more balanced than a p51 Mustang [/ QUOTE ] Personally, I believe the late Spitfire to be a prettier airplane - I think it's in the wings. The P51 had squared off wings that looked "clipped" from the factory, but the Spit had those beautiful elliptical wings - symmetry almost always looks good! But that's just an opinion...
Metalshapes, in first picture of the Sunbeam, do I recognize the chrome bit inside the center grill area as some of Ford's design staffs more embarr***ing work or is it a smilarly shaped Sunbeam piece.
Thank you Nads. 4t, you saw it right... Its a Edsel Grille... I will make a Track nose for a fenderless car some day with one in it, I think they have a nice shape...
So I'm not insane...I even like the 59: But plans have changed, it's no longer going to be a tub, it's a 27 roadster, free standing headlights, and wishbones and radius rods. Cris Craft style windshield. I'd love to get a set of those hole-less Halibrands like on that Bardahl racer, but they are WAY out of my league.
My street-legal racer in its sprint car configuration will look just like this one. You will see no headlights as they retract into the nose for daytime driving and the tail lights and turn signals will be disguised in the bumper systems. I have better-looking wheels.....
[ QUOTE ] That's the idea broman... Not too far off at all... -------------------- Ryan Cochran The Jalopy Journal Skating the same line since 1976... [/ QUOTE ] So do I win something? Slowlearner - I've never seen one of those, that is a beautiful car - DAMN. It doesn't have that race inspired spirt of the cars that Ryan posted but damn is that ever pretty....
Been looking for this car because I think it fits this thread. Then he showed up at cruise night last night. Wish you could see it with the boat tail body on it. I'll put it up when he gets it painted and back together. If this guy isn't a traditional rodder, I don't know who is. Even with the choice of modern/almost free components. Personally I love it for the sheer Do It Yourself at***ude of it. Before you laugh let me tell you about this one. The guy always liked the look of boat tailed sports cars but couldn't afford one so he built this from a picture in a book. The frame is a cut, bent, spliced 35 International pickup frame formed to fit the body. He hand hammer built a boat tail body, firewall and dash from flat sheet. Rear end and select parts are from a wrecked S-10. The rest is a turbocharged four-banger and whatnot from an 85 mercury in his back yard. Gas tank is a pony keg. Body is off right now getting painted at home. He DROVE this to cruise night. Go ahead and laugh if you can do better with less! More pics of it here... http://public.fotki.com/SmokinJoe/cruise_night_at_scottys/
I am HATING the front susp. on that, but damn it still is cool because he did it the hardest way possible. If he covers up the front-end with sheetmetal I might still dig it. Not that I could do any better (yet). It needs wire wheels too...
This post is really good but I have seen first hand and traveled in a hot rod/race car that you all seek. That car is Metalshapes Roadster. For all of you going to the HAMB drags bring lots of film because his car blurs the so-called lines of this discussion. Metalshapes car is VERY fast and with his driving/racing skills behind the wheel its the best E-ticket ride in town. I feel that when you combine the knowledge and skill of building race cars like the ones pictured in this post, and building hot rods that we all like here, is the best combination you can have and to expereince it first hand in a car like Metalshapes is the full on E-ticket. To bad some of the magazines can't see this.
Thanks for those pix Smokin Joe. Gives me hope. Working on(scrounging for) a 29-30 (Le Mans)Bentley sorta thing, based on a 36 Packard frame. Solid front axle, but otherwise, sorta like that build. Now I need a bunch of 21 inch wire wheels!
Broman there's a sheet that wraps between the front frame horns covering up that rack. I agree on the wheels & tires. Those were handy off the donor car tho. I think the only things he's really bought for the car are the guages and the Alfa Romeo badge on the radiator and the sheets for the body. Oh, and a chunk of nice plywood for the dash. Everything else is off the junkers in the back yard.
Smokin Joe, I would love to see that car with its boat tail body work. Here's my dream from the side:
AMG's are wonderful conversions if that is the right word for it. While in College I worked at a shop and one of our Customers had a 560SEC AMG.. what a car, I used to love getting the call to come get it and rotate the tires.. it was a wonderful driving car. (I drove it like a baby as I did not want to take a chance in doing anything to it).. It was involved in an little accident so while it was getting fixed the owner dropped by and gave me one the AMG emblem off the trunk (he was getting a new one). I still have it (its sitting in the top draw of my computer desk.).
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