Hot Rods whereabouts of Tom Senter's Ardun Coupe?

Does anyone know where the Tom Senter (Ardun White Paper) Ardun powered 32 coupe is?

Thanks,

T Bob

 

The motor is in the Dave Simard collection. Was in the Rodders Journal.

 

Coupe? RnC showed it as a roadster(s). First a 27 body, then a 32.

Pretty sure it's still driving around California without the Ardun. Bright orange with some thick black pinstripes.

 

I felt bad when Tom died. Never met him but enjoyed his articles and he seemed like a nice guy.

Don

 

His '32 roadster is the bright orange car that is seen all over CA and belongs to Debbie and Dennis Kyle these days. rodders journal did one of their first posters of it and that and a Weesner print are still the only car art in my office.

 

I grew up with his kids.... he was a neighbor. I always started out going to play with the kids and always wound up bugging Tom in the garage....

He would always play me his reel to reel recordings of bonneville and the roadster runs....

He was an awesome human being, and a HUGE inspiration in my life.

I am still in touch with his family

 

Is there any published collection of Tom Senter's articles? I remember reading his stuff several years ago and they were just the absolute best car writing I've ever read, before or since.

 

I'll check with a few people and maybe we'll find out. I used to work with Tom, many years ago.

I'll let you know.

 

That would be great, that man could write better than any car guy in any magazine, period.

 

Tom and I drove to Vegas in my 29 roadster pickup for Winfield Weekend 1977. Had a ball. I guess I need to get some slides scanned.

And when I saw it getting put together it was a 32 Wescott roadster.

Tim

 

I loved reading the series about him building his roadster. I remember he started off with a 27 body on it and as much as he liked it the thing was just too small for him. So he then went to a model a body and finally to the deuce that he ended up with. I must have read those articles 100 times.

He died way too young.

Don

 

Good story by Tom about him and Jake going to the Memphis Nats in the freshly restored Niekamp roadster. That and the Ardun White Paper 1 & 2 can be found in this book, Hot Rod Reader. Lots of great stuff in there.

 

Ya, me too! Loved the look on his face in the picture with the '27 body on the ch***is, like "Aw ****!"...

 

Thought this shot of the original Rod & Custom cover with Tom Senter would allow those who did not make the connection with The Rodder's Journal cover shot from Issue 25. Any body still have a Frito Bandito T-Shirt?

 

I remember that article. I think 3 hot rods were together and in one picture they showed the speedometer at 100 mph. There was an incident where a Texas road worker threw a pole at the car and put a dent in the belly pan. What was cool was the fact people were not making long distance trips in hot rods much back then and them going to the Street Rod Nats was the beginning of that changing.

Don

 

Yep, Dennis & Debbie's orange roadster "STROKER" is the original Tom Senter roadster which they built over 30 years ago from a rolling body/ch***is minus the Ardun. It has been featured in 1988 American Rodder a**** a few other magazines and was voted as one of the Top 75th Deuces for the 75th anniversary of the '32 Ford. I admired the car so long that I built my own yellow version of the car:

I am very proud to call Dennis & Debbie my friends and they are incredibly special people. Its been unreal for me to be inspired so much by their car then get to know them as special friends. I was also fortunate enough to drive their roadster this past August when we visited the States. They are also building a similar 32 five-window coupe. Just super neat people with awesome hot rod style.

 

This kind of hotrod will never go out of style.........................................................

 

The article Tom Senter wrote on his Ardun build has to rank as one of the best traditional rod pieces ever.

 

I heard he had plans to race at the lakes before he died anyone know anything of that?

 

If I remember correctly, he made it to Bonneville with the Ardun, but instead of in the roadster as planned it ended up in a Camaro comp coupe. I could be very wrong about that, but that is what I remember. After 1001 Custom and Rod ideas ceased printing in '81 or '82 he fell out of spotlight for a year or two before he p***ed in '84.

If anybody would like, I have the story about the trip to Memphis with Jake in the Neikamp and Ron Weeks in the Highland Plating Car. It's one of the best hot rod trip stories ever. I would be very happy to scan it and post if there is interest.

 

Tom ran the blown Ardun in Mark Dees roadster at B'Ville in 1976. I have some slides somwewhere... I had a too brief conversation with him about the engine at that meet. The Camaro (actually a Firebird IIRC) had a BBC in it and he ran it on the salt as well although later than the Ardun. Still miss his wit and writing style.

 

Anyone NOT interested should get banned!
Got my vote to post it. Tom Senter was something else!!! Miss his stuff to this day.

 

Yes! Any stories about the Neikamp Roadster are worth reading. I first saw it at Cars of The Stars back in 1975 or so after Jake had restored it. I often wonder what the MILLER looks like today that was parked next to it. That was 39 years ago, one of the first "Restored Hot Rods" Bob

 

Need louvers : I think you are right on the money, with that. I remember reading the same deal. Senter was one cool kat; thoroughly enjoyed his writing.

 

Please scan it Chip!

 

Tom Senter was a literary genius. Add to that one really sincere guy, he could (and would) talk to anyone interested, from engineers to neophyte rodders.
Zora Arkus-Duntov spent more than a 'complimentary' amount of time with Tom, and the conversation was advanced...(in the 'Ardun improving' cl***)
My favorite writing of his was "Street Rod: An alibi" in the 1,001 Custom & Rod Ideas with the red '27 Rdstr Pickup on the cover.
Issue also had a copy of 'How to build a Pre-War Sprint Car' in its last 4 pages.
I bought 2 copies of that ish after wearing the original out.
Please print some Senter, Chip!

 

Ok, as requested, one of the best hot rod driving tomes, ever. I don't completely have a handle on the new photo posting system and it's capabilities yet, so if this can't be read I'll try again tomorrow.

I am a veteran of many, many, many long distance rodding chingos, as I have never owned anything but hot rods, and if I went state to state, that's what I drove. I have always had a small "ritual" the night before I leave for long hot rod trip, and re-reading this story is part of it... It's almost L.A.R.S. time, so make that ritual yours... If ya see me, ask me how I got the world's largest sewing machine company to recognize L.A.R.S. weekend as a religious holiday... And fly me in and out to and from Sweden twice.

 

I would love to re-read the article. At that time, I had only made trips of 30 to 50 miles in my '34. What they did was "monumental" to me. Please scan the article. It would be great entertainment for this old codger.