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History The Niekamp Roadster

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Ryan, Nov 12, 2008.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  2. VonMoldy
    Joined: May 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,562

    VonMoldy
    Member
    from UTARRGH!

  3. SUHRsc
    Joined: Sep 27, 2005
    Posts: 5,093

    SUHRsc
    Member

    an excelent car well worth a 2nd (or millionth) look

    i wish it would get "another" restoration back to how it looked when first built

    one of my favorite cars of the later 40's-early 50's
    Zach
     
  4. Lost1
    Joined: Oct 26, 2006
    Posts: 121

    Lost1
    Member

    Nice Piece! Thanks
     

  5. ChevyGirlRox
    Joined: May 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,491

    ChevyGirlRox
    Member
    from Ohio

    Always has been and will always be one of my favorite roadsters. It seems like it is one of the first cars built to not only go fast but look nice as well.

    Neat article on HowStuffWorks about it:
    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/niekamp-roadster-hot-rod.htm

    Some pics from the Petersen vault

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    This car is absolutely stunning but I prefer to look at in Black & White pics as I do not care for that paint color at all. I really shouldn't even say anything because it's....well the Niekamp roadster and that is like saying something negative about the Doan Spencer roadster. You should keep you mouth shut, but I can't. That color always makes me not dwell on the car for very long. If this car was shot with the same paint as let say the Navarro roadster I may put it on my all time top three list. I had to get that out. The construction and purpose that makes up this car is untouchable. That is the reason I love this car and that is the reason I love Hot rods.
     
  7. Von Franco
    Joined: Nov 26, 2001
    Posts: 1,285

    Von Franco
    Member

    The Petersen vault, has better car there than up stairs.To bad to see a car like that and others just sit there and die..............................
     
  8. OK Megan, I know you're a pretty crafty lady, but how did you take 2 photos of the Niekamp roadster with the same Hot Rod Mag #1 cover car clone '27 roadster on both sides of it?
     
  9. Strange Agent
    Joined: Sep 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,879

    Strange Agent
    Member
    from Ponder, TX

    That thing is one clean ride.
     
  10. A truly beautiful machine. Whitey did some amazing metal work, but it took Niekamp to have that spectacular vision. Really is one of the best.
     

  11. lat time i was at the Pete (couple of months ago) the Niekamp roadster was upstairs on display with the outlaw, Buttera's '26 some other Jacobs cars too...
     
  12. Malcolm
    Joined: Feb 9, 2006
    Posts: 8,032

    Malcolm
    Member
    from Nebraska

    I've always liked that roadster - was actually just studying photos of it this past weekend. Ideas, ideas! :) Great car... :cool:

    Malcolm
     
  13. Anderson
    Joined: Jan 27, 2003
    Posts: 7,155

    Anderson
    Member

    Hands down, my absolute favorite early hot rod. I'd give damn near anything for that car. An incredible inspiration....

    Seeing it at the Petersen museum was like standing next to the statue of liberty or the declaration of independence or something.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2008
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  14. VonMoldy
    Joined: May 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,562

    VonMoldy
    Member
    from UTARRGH!

    The sort of sad things about cars like this is that they are so perfect I would want to build one identical but then I would just be copying someone else vision. I don't think having a identical car would be very fun in that respect.
     
    2OLD2FAST likes this.
  15. Thirdyfivepickup
    Joined: Nov 5, 2002
    Posts: 6,093

    Thirdyfivepickup
    Member



    woah!

    That totally blew my mind... :eek:
     
  16. Here it is in all its 1970's glory:

    1973 GNRS - Jim 'Jake' Jacobs showed the 1st AMBR (Bill Niekamp '29).jpg
    @ the 25th Grand National Roadster Show - Oakland Coliseum - 1973

    ... it looked good ... but I'm sure glad Jake restored it to its 1950 configuration.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2020
  17. brownies72
    Joined: May 1, 2008
    Posts: 16

    brownies72
    Member

    I like the original better.
     
  18. One Hell of A craftsman!!!
     
  19. that is one slick roadster!
     
  20. Rich ... Didn't you know? ... Roy Brizio's crew built a total of 15 clones ... I hear he got a good deal on Poli-Form fiberglass '27 bodies! ;) :D
     
  21. AnimalAin
    Joined: Jul 20, 2002
    Posts: 3,416

    AnimalAin
    Member

    I recall when Jake restored this car in the early 70s. It was cool when it was built, cool then, and the only thing that is disappointing is that it is now so valuable that it hardly ever gets out of the museum any more.
     
  22. Deuce Daddy Don
    Joined: Apr 27, 2008
    Posts: 5,544

    Deuce Daddy Don
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Notice that you mention the "Spencer" roadster, Neal East owned this famous car for many years while Neal was in the LA Roadsters club, since then he has moved to Colorado, maintaining old car books, pix ,etc.
    When Neal would drive that roadster to our weekly club meetings, we used to tease him about the need to "Freshen" up his paint job. His reply was to leave the car in its present state for nostalgia!!! Neal eventually sold the roadster to the famous millionaire Bruce Meyer, who had Pete & Jake restore it to original form in recent years.--------Don:):)
     
  23. God's gunna get you for that one. Retribution will come in January '09.
     
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  24. ChevyGirlRox
    Joined: May 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,491

    ChevyGirlRox
    Member
    from Ohio

    Well, one pic was before I took it out and terrorized the streets of LA and the other was after I brought it back and parked it.:eek::rolleyes::D

    As much as I wish that were true:rolleyes:, I cannot tell a lie, my pics were taken on 2 separate visits.
     
    pprather likes this.
  25. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus

    When my dad re-inlisted in the Air Force after WWII we moved to Georgia for his first assignment. Our next door neighbor was a hot rodder and let me borrow his collection of Hot Rod Magazines to read (He had every one from the first in mint condition). The first one I opened had the article on Bills roadster. I was 8 years old at the time and this car was and remains my idea of the perfect hot rod. That was in 1952, 56 years ago, a long time to keep a "favorite", and to this day I would give up every car I've ever owned to have it parked in my garage.

    Frank
     
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  26. AZAV8
    Joined: May 3, 2005
    Posts: 997

    AZAV8
    Member
    from Tucson, AZ

    I know I don't have Mr. Niekamp's vision. I have always admired the look of this car ever since I first saw it in car magazines 40 years ago. I have wanted to build a "clone" of it for years and have recently started collecting parts and information to build a similar one. Its a 29 and they are cramped for foot room. If you read the articles Jake wrote on the restoration, Mr. Niekamp took 2-1/2 inches out of the length of the car, in the doors. That will make it a pretty tight fit for most people. I'll let you know when I start the project.
     
  27. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,755

    stude_trucks
    Member

    Pretty god damn beautiful! Now how in the hell did he do that without a torch or welder and just a few basic hand tools? I might be missing something, but it's a little hard to get metal to stick together without a welder. I can't weld worth a crap and would love to be able to do something like that without the need of it. In addition to welding, there is a LOT I need to learn, but still, seems pretty damn difficult to do something like that with no welding involved. Gas torches are pretty cheap and I can't imagine he couldn't have afforded one of those if he could afford to do this at all. If that part is definitely true, makes me feel even more lame than I already am.

    Regardless, near perfect car in my opinion. Thanks for another great post Ryan.

    Sometimes stuff like this is like getting a rabies shot. You know it is doing you good, but still painful all the same.
     
  28. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,755

    stude_trucks
    Member

    Also, what's up with that 70's trophy. Man, the is one hell of a big trophy! Forget display case. You would need to put an addition on your house with a 12 ft. ceiling to display that.

    I don't mind the windscreen on the car either, maybe even prefer it.
     
  29. Shaggy
    Joined: Mar 6, 2003
    Posts: 5,207

    Shaggy
    Member
    from Sultan, WA

    One of my favorite cars!!
     
    Cynthia Brink likes this.
  30. SUHRsc
    Joined: Sep 27, 2005
    Posts: 5,093

    SUHRsc
    Member

    There was welding involved on the car. The thing was that he didnt like the way that welding/heat affects metal so it was left to a bare minimum and someone else did it for him.
    Most parts are bolted together.

    Zach
     

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