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Technical The Chrisman Coupe

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Ryan, Dec 19, 2008.

  1. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    I hope to be in it's presence one day. Perhaps in January if it's at the NHRA museum.
     
  2. Malcolm
    Joined: Feb 9, 2006
    Posts: 8,032

    Malcolm
    Member
    from Nebraska

  3. 59 monkey
    Joined: Jan 11, 2005
    Posts: 48

    59 monkey
    Member

    Cars reflect their owners and likewise. You can still see the attitude present in the coupe when you meet Art. He is cool as shit and to see him with that car must have been one hell of a perfect day.
     

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  4. beatnik
    Joined: Nov 8, 2002
    Posts: 2,209

    beatnik
    Member

    few more pics
     

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  5. LOWCAB
    Joined: Aug 21, 2006
    Posts: 1,989

    LOWCAB
    Member
    from Houston

    One of my favorite cars. HAD to do a painting of it.
    [​IMG]
    BR
     
  6. speedtool
    Joined: Oct 15, 2005
    Posts: 2,540

    speedtool
    BANNED

    The only car with a lower windshield and a badass reputation is the Pierson Brothers Coupe.
     
  7. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member

    Worth every penny.

    It will never be any cheaper than it is right now.

    Good for that guy! Hope he enjoys it.

    ;)
     
  8. bgbdlinc
    Joined: Jan 11, 2002
    Posts: 522

    bgbdlinc
    Member

    ...on a rare (for me) trip to California a few years ago, I bought a Hot Rod mag to read on the plane. It talked about the opening of Joe's Garage in Tustin and I thought that it would be a nice visit. The inside of the building was nearly finished and the exec. assistant took me on a tour. The European mural workers had gone home after spending a year on the fabulous walls. Among all the cars in the place, the Chrisman Coupe nearly made me pee my pants. Just to be in the presence of 'greatness' and a true hot rod icon made my trip....I could have gone home right then and there, a happy guy just seeing it.
    Fortunately, I didn't. The next day I went to So-Cal and saw the 'Shine' pickup behind the welding curtains in the shop (before it became famous)...nearly pee'd again.......
     
  9. zellerware
    Joined: Aug 15, 2007
    Posts: 128

    zellerware
    Member
    from dad's shop


    Yes! I agree! The should release all the cut away drawings from the early 50's..
     
  10. DYNODANNY
    Joined: Aug 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,411

    DYNODANNY
    Member

    Thats an inspireing coupe. Love that car.
     
  11. Cut55
    Joined: Dec 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,979

    Cut55
    Member
    from WA

    Love the two Cadillacs out on the salt!
     
  12. Here's a few pics from earlier this year when RM auctioned off Joe's collection...

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    ...and the beautiful artwork that unfortunately stayed on the walls when the building was sold!

    [​IMG]
     
  13. FiddyFour
    Joined: Dec 31, 2004
    Posts: 9,024

    FiddyFour
    Member

    Art = ruler. one of my heroes as long as i can remember.

    Ryan, we were talking about relevancy last night...

    this car is always relevant.

    going fast even sittin on the trailer, now thats what its about
     
  14. poorboy
    Joined: Feb 8, 2003
    Posts: 1,467

    poorboy
    Member

    i love the car!
     
  15. 32coupedeville
    Joined: Dec 10, 2006
    Posts: 1,253

    32coupedeville
    Member
    from cincy

    the history of this car also backs my theory of GEORGE BARRIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS TO EVER HAPPEN TO HOT RODDING.)

    i totaly agree .he could screw up a good hot rod
     
  16. Mr Haney
    Joined: Jul 17, 2008
    Posts: 1,000

    Mr Haney
    Member

    I Like Arts Highboy Roadster..........
     

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  17. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    Well said, captures my sentiments exactly.
     
  18. Used Up Junk
    Joined: Nov 12, 2008
    Posts: 674

    Used Up Junk
    Member
    from Merced, CA

    God it's nice to be around people who realise what a hack Barris is. It seems like people who are really into cars get it, but it makes me sick to see people at shows falling all over him like he actually did something great. Everyone know's Sam is the one that had the talent and George had the mouth. And the Chrisman Coupe...What can be said that hasn't already? Simply an amazing car and unbeliveable tallent that built it.
     
  19. mtlcutter
    Joined: Oct 6, 2007
    Posts: 364

    mtlcutter
    Member

    i love this car. One of my very favorites. Before Barris.
     
  20. Lucky Burton
    Joined: Dec 31, 2004
    Posts: 1,681

    Lucky Burton
    Member

    The Chrisman Coupe is currently at the Peterson Museum getting ready for a permanant display. Its sitting down in the basement. They are spending a grip of cash to build the display. (I heard from a first hand source).....Lucky
     
  21. In my opinion this is the baddest HotRod ever!!! I have pictures of me sitting inside the car and believe me I had chills crawling into that thing.It was at Arts shop last year,he was tuning it up just before they were going to auction it off. You should of seen the way he would look at that coupe and I would just ask him about anything I could think of just to get him going on some old stories about that coupe and the salt. If there was ever a time when I wish I had a tape recorder that was it.Art is a WALKING LEGEND and a GREAT MAN!!! I am very proud to say that I am a friend of his.
     
  22. rocknrollratfink
    Joined: Jun 21, 2009
    Posts: 192

    rocknrollratfink
    Member
    from LA

    [​IMG]


    Heres some times from the 54 Bonneville Nationals it ran in both B and C class. The year before in 53 it ran with Merc engines and set records. My great grandpa Harry Duncan owned a few motors that the Chrismans ran in this car that were built by Wilcap (Tony Capanna ) He then bought the car outright, I havent been able to set an exact timeline to it yet. He sold it and then the buyer hocked it to Barris. My grandpa has tons of pictures from Bonneville he was a teenager and his dad (my great grandpa) had all these great cars ( according to my grandpa he was possibly running 6 cars at one time) Im tryin to find some pictures of it in the purple paint because it seems nobody has much record of it in that form. According to my grandpa the car was still having success. Ill post whatever he copys for me, he said hes gonna be sending some pictures down maybe Ill get lucky. Although id have prefered to have gotten the car, ill have to settle for copys of pictures of it :)

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2010
  23. philly the greek
    Joined: Feb 15, 2009
    Posts: 1,863

    philly the greek
    Member
    from so . cal.

    You guys should have heard Arts' story on what Barris did to his coupe. Let's just say that George Barris probably won't be getting a christmas card any time soon ! I've known Art a long time and he is definitley the real deal .
     
  24. skywolf
    Joined: Jul 1, 2006
    Posts: 1,867

    skywolf
    Member

    Now where did I put those pictures :confused: Just a few days late but I thought I would add these two. What a great looking car.

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    [​IMG]
     
  25. beeper
    Joined: Sep 12, 2006
    Posts: 91

    beeper
    Member

  26. rocknrollratfink
    Joined: Jun 21, 2009
    Posts: 192

    rocknrollratfink
    Member
    from LA

    Heres the pix i just got from my grandpa from the time when my great grandpa Harry Duncan owned and raced it. He marked them 1954. I hope you enjoy them. As far as I know Art was still doin the driving. Check out the bronze colored helmet. I dont know alot as far as shop talk but i do appreciate a nice car. The car was an eggplant purple with white and VonDutch striping. Check out the truck he towed it with, I wouldnt mind owning that either. Hopefully you dont find the look of it too offensive. According to the captions my grandpa wrote for me his dad ran it in classes B, C and D. One engine was a 258 cu. inch Ardun-Merc in class B, a 257 cu. inch DeSoto Hemi V-8 in class C and a 258 cu. inch Dodge V-8 Hemi in class D. This car took plenty of records. My grandpa seems to think his dad may have paid $5,000 when he bought it from Art. :D:D He shouldve kept it! He sold it to a guy who then hocked it to Barris. I cant promise that all of this info is 100% accurate, I mean 1954 was a long time ago and my grandpa was about 17 back then. I wish i had the car but ill have to settle for photos. Let me know what ya think!
     

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  27. derlogi
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 9

    derlogi
    Member
    from Singapore

    Nice pictures of the Chrisman coupe. It was spectacular, I thought it the coolest car at Bonneville in '53. I have a pic of it somewhere taken when I was 17 and went to Bonneville with Stanley Betz to run his A modified Roadster #199A, the "Betz Louver City Special" a 25 T with a flathead 180 cu. in V-8 "60". set a record @ 127 mph. See pic. L-R, that's me in the checkered shirt, Bill Watters driving, Stanley and Bill's dad, all of us from Anaheim. Don Hartman from Santa Ana walking away

    I also saw the Reed Bros belly tank with the Ardun OHV run with Leroy Nuemayer driving in '53. The car that Art's friend John Donaldson lost his life in when it went upside down in at Bonneville in'55, a terrible accident.

    I just went back to Bonneville to the World Finals on Oct 8-9, '09, first time back after 56 years. Great experience, still the same informal atmosphere as in '53. Nothing else like it in motor sports where you are free to go right up to the cars at the starting line and chat with competitors in the pit area.

    BTW, I remember your grandpa Harry Duncan too, saw him and Art at Bonneville and many times at Santa Ana drags in early 50'

    Dr Jon R Wagner
    Pensacola, FL
     

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  28. Slim Pickens
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Slim Pickens
    Member

    Killer, THANKS! great motivation. NUTS. Slim
     
  29. philly the greek
    Joined: Feb 15, 2009
    Posts: 1,863

    philly the greek
    Member
    from so . cal.

    I belive that it was sold to Dana Mecum, the man that owns Mecum Auctions. I was there today and the coupe was sitting just outside the shop , still looking awesome !!
     
  30. rocknrollratfink
    Joined: Jun 21, 2009
    Posts: 192

    rocknrollratfink
    Member
    from LA

    Those pictures are not well circulated, they were copied from the Originals which are hanging in my Grandpas garage. It's a shrine to his Dad's cars. He has an amazing collection of newspaper/magazine clippings from santa ana, bonneville etc. and some great framed photos. Whenever I get a chance to see him we talk cars for hours.
     

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