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Woodill Wildfire

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Destralo Roach, Nov 25, 2009.

  1. Destralo Roach
    Joined: Mar 27, 2006
    Posts: 521

    Destralo Roach
    Member

    A guy at work has a Woodill Wildfire car, it is one of the few Fiberglass cars built in the 50's by small timers, his car might have been ownd by the actor "danny Kaye" (David Daniel Kaminsky) My Google fu sucks, trying to get some confiermation if Danny Kay did own one, other wise a great car, his will be back on the road one day....Roach.
     
  2. speedtool
    Joined: Oct 15, 2005
    Posts: 2,540

    speedtool
    BANNED

    Don't know, but I like the looks of the Wildfire.
     
  3. Special Ed
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 7,960

    Special Ed
    Member

    I know a couple of folks who own them. Actually, my cousin has one...He's had it for a long time. There is a ton of documentation on them, if you spend some time on researching them. Nice looking cars...
     
  4. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,851

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    Guy in Idaho Falls stuffed a 392" Imperial in one of those, with a T-85 OD & 3.00 rear axle ... said it should go a little over 200 but didn't know ...
     

  5. Did Woodill use Glasspar bodies ? Looks a lot like my late friend's car and his body came from the boat folks.
     

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    Last edited: Nov 29, 2009
  6. He Drove one in a movie but don't know if he owned it.

    For not the demise of Willys, this car might have gone into full production, but Woody made only about 10 factory cars and the rest he sold as kits. A fully assembled factory car initially sold for $3,260 and, as a kit, the body cost $995 and the frame $228. He attempted to market the production car worldwide and succeeded in having the Wildfire featured in three movies; "Johnny Dark" with Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie, "Knock on Wood" with Danny Kaye and "Written on the Wind" with Dorothy Malone and Rock Hudson. Woody Woodill finally closed down Wildfire production in 1958 after selling about 100 cars, all bodies provided by Glasspar.
     
  7. Yes.

    For not the demise of Willys, this car might have gone into full production, but Woody made only about 10 factory cars and the rest he sold as kits. A fully assembled factory car initially sold for $3,260 and, as a kit, the body cost $995 and the frame $228. He attempted to market the production car worldwide and succeeded in having the Wildfire featured in three movies; "Johnny Dark" with Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie, "Knock on Wood" with Danny Kaye and "Written on the Wind" with Dorothy Malone and Rock Hudson. Woody Woodill finally closed down Wildfire production in 1958 after selling about 100 cars, all bodies provided by Glasspar.
     
  8. fms427
    Joined: Nov 17, 2006
    Posts: 865

    fms427
    Member

    While Wildfire bodies were made by Glaspar, they were styled somewhat differently. There was a Series One and a Series Two, but both used Willys Aero taillights, among other things. Here is a picture of a Series Two "Johhny Dark" clone. I'm currently building one with a Buick nailhead - will post when I get a little more done !!

    Go to Geoff Hackers site www.forgottenfiberglass.com for MUCH more info.
     

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  9. Destralo Roach
    Joined: Mar 27, 2006
    Posts: 521

    Destralo Roach
    Member

    Yeah, I found all that in my search, Dudes got the seris two with the Glaspar G2 frame, Danny Kaye was suposed to live up here in WA out in Spokane and own a couple of radio stations, previous owner raced this car and stripped it down, took off the door tage that had Dannys name in it, all that is lost due to his divorce!!! So the curant owner is having a hell of a time trying to conneck Danny with the car, Any help would be apreciated........Roach.
     
  10. 36C8
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 326

    36C8
    Member

    <<<<<< Who'd drive that junk? :D
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2009
  11. Destralo Roach
    Joined: Mar 27, 2006
    Posts: 521

    Destralo Roach
    Member

  12. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,583

    The37Kid
    Member

    Wasn't there a post here on the HAMB about a Woodhill chassis that was found in a barn basement? Factory build if I recall correctly, never had a boddy installed.
     
  13. fms427
    Joined: Nov 17, 2006
    Posts: 865

    fms427
    Member

    Yeah, I bought it for my build :).......Here is a before - becoming after photo :D...
     

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  14. fms427
    Joined: Nov 17, 2006
    Posts: 865

    fms427
    Member

    Roach - back to topic..... I have done a lot of research, and have seen nothing on Kaye except the movie. Try a PM to Geoff Hacker ( thats his handle) - he is perhaps the foremost expert on old cars fiberglass. If anyone can tell you, he can - or could tell you where else to look....
     
  15. G. Hacker
    Joined: Sep 1, 2006
    Posts: 147

    G. Hacker
    Member

    Hi Guys..

    Glad to help in any way.

    Checkout our website at www.forgottenfiberglass.com There's lots of info on the cars. I'm friends with both the Tritt family who produced Glasspar and the Woodill family who made the Wildfire. Lots of other folks too from that era. Danny Kaye did not own one, but he did drive one in a movie. There was only one Woodill made for the movie. That information comes directly from Chuck Tatum - good friend and driver of one of the 8 movie cars used in Johnny Dark in 1954.

    Checkout the website, and let me know if you need help. My e-mail is on the website too.

    Thanks for the kind words from Stan and maybe Tony St. Clair too

    Best..

    Geoff
     
  16. Destralo Roach
    Joined: Mar 27, 2006
    Posts: 521

    Destralo Roach
    Member

    Cool, thanks for the info, I was on your site, great place, I wonder if dudes car was the one from the movie? Guy who sold it to him could Have been full of it to!
     
  17. Dave_D
    Joined: Jan 24, 2005
    Posts: 191

    Dave_D
    Member
    from NY

    Hey, that looks a little better than when it left my garage! It looks like it cleaned up pretty good, too. I can't wait to see more pictures.
     
  18. Here's one I took a photo of at Island Dragway in NJ probably in 1962 or '63. As I recall it was from Connecticut and was running a blown SBC.
     

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  19. G. Hacker
    Joined: Sep 1, 2006
    Posts: 147

    G. Hacker
    Member

    Rich...

    This is a really neat picture. It's not what you think. It's a series 1 wildfire - one I've never seen before. There are only 2 known to exist and the history of both does not coincide with this car. So...there may have been 3 made. This is really neat. Here's a website to show you the difference between the Series 1 and 2 Wildfires:

    http://www.fiberglasssportscars.com/Wildfire_Wildfire/Woodill_Wildfire.htm

    Can you contact me about your photo? I may want to feature it in our book - if that's ok with you. E-mail me at [email protected] or call me at 813-888-8882.

    Thanks!

    Geoff Hacker
     
  20. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    I have an old Wildfire sales flyer. They were the ones who said "if you can change a spark plug you can build our car". Hmmm? It is for the body style without the cutdown doors.
     
  21. G. Hacker
    Joined: Sep 1, 2006
    Posts: 147

    G. Hacker
    Member

    Hi Oldebob..

    Can you scan it or take a photo of it and post it here? It's hard to tell with these low production cars if we have copies of all the sales literature.

    Thanks if you can help..

    Geoff
     
  22. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    Yah, saying you have something and finding it are two different things. Sorry it took a while. Hope you can get it readable. Screwed up and posted extra pic but story is interesting
     

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    Last edited: Dec 7, 2009
  23. G. Hacker
    Joined: Sep 1, 2006
    Posts: 147

    G. Hacker
    Member

    Hi Bob..

    Great stuff and thanks for posting these. While we do have copies of the Wildfire info, I am intrigued by the "Hot Rod" story from 1947. That's early! Where did that appear? What publication?

    Thanks for any help you can provide and talk soon.

    Geoff
     
  24. I got a 425 Nailhead sitting in the garage and I would drive one for sure. Especially a Victress S4.
     
  25. G. Hacker
    Joined: Sep 1, 2006
    Posts: 147

    G. Hacker
    Member

    Roach...I meant to ask if you can hook me up with the Wildfire owner. I've been putting together the group of owners for the past 2 years, and may or may not know your friend. Hope you can help. Geoff
     
  26. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    I think thats the earliest I've seen. I posted that on 40's period hot rods thread. It came from a '47 issue of Model Craftsman mag. Besides trains and airplanes they also covered gas powered tether and rail cars. The car Troy Ruttman is holding sold for $42.00 LESS the engine. A lot of money then! My comment was that there were probably some guys running real cars at El Mirage that didn't cost them that much minus engine. The fellow that wrote the article was a builder of some of the faster So. Cal minature gas racers of the day. I believe Roy Ritchner of Bell Auto Parts was heavily involved in those also.
     
  27. Nicholson
    Joined: Aug 9, 2006
    Posts: 169

    Nicholson

    This is the car that I worked on a few years back for one of my customers. The car is owned by Creative Interiors. More pictures on their site. http://www.creative-interiors.com

    If I remember correctly this one had a Jaguar engine. I was told it was one of the cars used in the movie.
     

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    Last edited: Dec 7, 2009
  28. 36C8
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 326

    36C8
    Member

    Mine is waiting for the 354 to be re-built.
     
  29. Destralo Roach
    Joined: Mar 27, 2006
    Posts: 521

    Destralo Roach
    Member


    Working on it as per PM....Nice cars, cant afford one myself, just trying to get back into the whole car/truck sene..........Long story.
     
  30. From Wally Bell...Richard Higley's AM/SP Willys Wildfire..built / driven by Chuck Lane..Endicott NY
    Cool, clean, fast car

    ( Chuck is the tall guy in the picture) <!-- / message -->

    Thanks to Wally for the owner ID and location. Isn't Endicott close to CT?


     

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    Last edited: May 10, 2010

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