Maybe I'm way behind, but has the Kopper Kart been found? I recently saw a picture of it on Riksters site sitting beside the Aztec. Is this the real thing, or a clone? If it is the real deal, I would sure like to know where it was found. The last I knew it was rusting away in a field in Ohio, having been owned by the same guy that has the Kookie car and the Golden Sahara. Anybody know the story?
The story that I heard was that the same guy that has the Kookie T and the Golden Sahara, bought the Kopper Kart and for whatever reason, cut it up. After what he did to the Kookie T, I don't understand his thinking. So I think that what you saw was maybe an old picture or a clone. Supposedly, the Kookie T and the Golden Sahara are in this guy's garage and no one is allowed to see them and they are in sad shape. His name was Jim Skonkakes, and then I think he changed it to Jim Street. I saw the Golden Sahara in Florida in 1960 at a Ford Dealership and the owner had a guy take it from dealership to dealership as a crowd gatherer and advertising pull. I also saw it at a Ford dealership in ALabama when I was in the army. The Golden Sahara was quite an impressive piece and I wonder what it would bring at the Barret Jackson Auction.
I too saw the Sahara and Kookie, at a car show in Erie, Pa. in 1963, along with the Alexander Brothers Venturian 56 Chevy. After the show was over, the owner DROVE the Venturian back to Buffalo NY in the middle of winter! Quite impressive. Some day those cars will come out of hiding when the family sells them off after his death. Of course by that time, who knows what condition they will be in. Then again, look what the Aztec was like before it's current restoration.
That is the clone you see in the photo next to the Barry Mazza restored Aztec. I'am not sure about the whearabout of the original Kopper Kart. There are also rumors about a second clone beeing built by none other than Charlie Brewer... anybody know anything about that?
Joe Skonzakes owned (owns?) the Golden Sahara and also the Kopper Kart. I never knew Skonzakes and Street were one and the same person. I'm not sure if he was the one who who radically modified the Kookie T. When Norm Grabowski built the car, it went through several versions before it became famous on "77 Sunset Strip." After Grabowski sold it, the Kookie car was updated to seventies standards at a time when fifties-style cars were old hat. Most show kustoms and rods required an updated look every year they were shown. Think of it this way: If you found 1980-era Model A resto-rod today, would you change the look?
Anyone got a recent photo of Norm's T? Sure would like to see how it looks with the above mentioned modifications.
good point, but I hope the 80's style never comes back ! whats the deal with alo t of the owners of cool cars not alowing anyone to see them? there are a few out here too, nothing to speak of but nice hot rods. the cars never leave the garage, and for the most part the owners are not "car guys"
Heres the story I heard back in the early 80's. The guy that owned the Kopper Kart lived in ohio and had stripped it down to rebuild it. After it was stripped it was pushed outside for many years and rusted and just went to hell then the owner decided IM done its trash so he cut it up with a torch and scrapped it but one thing survived. The bed. He made a trailer out of it of all things. Now to my knowledge the trailer was never found but in the 80's the guy I heard this from saw the trailer on the highway going the other way and he took off after it and lost the guy and started taking exits looking for him but never found him. The Kart was in fostoria Oh. This was the accepted story going around the KKOA back then.
Me and My brother Scarliner have both owned Historic hotrods,and we know the temtation to change the car after one buys it...... But we both had the good sense to not change the vehicle from its original builders version......We sold both to another party who promised to restore not change either car.... I feel that is the right option in the case of a car that was an early show or hotrod build. His car was a 32 Ford 5 w built in 1958 by Gary Petersen of the ViseGrip company /family.....it had a 354 Chrysler Hemi/toploader and Banjo rear- and alll trad underpinnings-lots of chrome and vintage interior- and great workmanship/show car history too-.....there are many Cars like these and Barris' Sahara &Kopper Kart that are HISTORY and therefore should never be "improved ". Mine was a 31 A pickup ,channelled but not chopped- full race/Edelbrock 3x2- Merc Flatty /toploader and Banjo rear white pleated interior and metallic blue of course!]Built in 1961 by Ted Hoy of the Roadmates club in Torronto Canada. I think In my case I did the right thing as I have trouble leaving any car as I found it.......I just wish a lot of famous customs had been moved on to an appreciative owner instead of UPDATING it to a state,becoming little more than unrecognizable garbage.......
For some, the old car may be the last good thing they have to hold on to. If life did not turn out as they hoped, it may represent a time when things were better. If you're young, it's hard to imagine being in that situation. They may not have the money to keep it on the road. They may be part of the generation that never showed a car unless it was complete and running. Fear of theft is another reason.
Maybe people will understand WHY we clone cars because of other people stupid Idea of changing them or the cars were distroyed in some way.Im glad to see more cars being cloned,restored or what ever you want to call it.bringing back history of hot roddin in some way is allways great...... Endsville Franco......Kookie Kookie lend me your clone......
Thanks for the info and pics. I guess if you can't find the original, a good clone is the next best thing, although it is probably harder to clone than it was to do it the first time. I think the Kopper Kart is a significant piece of Barris history, although it seems like it really doesn't get as much fanfare as some of his other vehicles.
I'm sure that at least ONE person has posted this before... but, digging through some old mags while packing to move, I flipped open the March 1960 issue of Motor Trend... and there, on page 56, was this ad: Kinda cool... and strange that I had never noticed it before.
This must have been before Barris sold it to the guy in Ohio. It seems he must have had a bunch of coin and bought everything that was cool. Golden Sahara, Kookie T, Kopper Kart, and as mentioned in a earlier reply the Venturian Chevy. I had never heard about him owning that one. He also had a bunch of things done to the Golden Sahara that had to have cost a fortune. Total voice control over steering and starting the car. He also had special translucent tireas made with lighting inside. THere always seemed to be someone in every town that just bought what they wanted and never built anything that I know of. Kinda like the only child syndrome, that I own it, you can't have it, and if I want to smash it, I will! Look at the ad above the Kopper Kart, Stutz Blackhawk Roadster, $2950 in Concours condition. Look at all the stuff in that ad.
In my quest to replicate the Kopper Kart, I spent a great deal of time researching any leads I could find... even from my tiny corner of the world up here in Maine! When I first got into the 'Kart I always believed the story about Jim "Street" Skonzakes acquiring the truck then chopping it up. Andy Southard references this in his book "Custom Cars" on page 113 (where he sees the Kart for the last time in March, 1960 - the same time the Motor Trend ad was out). I stumbled across a great article in the September '61 Custom Rodder about the Kopper Kart (in it's final, early-60's style iteration... and 40,000+ miles on the odometer!) and its owner, Paul Blasberg, not Jim mind you. Well, I did some research on Mr. Blasberg and found that he had moved to Florida. I called him up and spoke with his wife, since he is very hard of hearing now. We talked for a while about how they owned the truck during the 60's. She said that they unfortunately didn't have indoor storage for it so after a few years (in the rain and snow) it had some serious deterioration - compounded by the exterior upholstery. Someone (she couldn't remember who) owned a body shop locally and offered to start reworking it for them presumably at no charge, but the project slipped through the cracks and they lost interest in it. She thought it was chopped up. Thought I would share this with everyone - I thought it was a cool story. -John
Great to hear the truth anytime it comes up. Thanks for the information and good luck with your quest to replicate this great vehicle. I always wanted to visit Paris.
Actually, I've decided to call it quits with my project... It's a shame but I think it's for the best. I bit off more than I could chew but maybe someone else can have some fun with it. I can't decide whether to part it out or sell it as a project though? I have a superb 235 for it with Fenton headers, Offenhauser goodies, and the Vette Intake setup w/ rebuilt carbs to boot. I will be putting this in my '54 over next winter. I would be really psyched to meet with Chopolds sometime in the future when he's finished with his clone - it's really remarkable.
Can you post some pictures that show where you are in the project? Lots of work for sure in this one.
I'm gearing up to continue on this project. I'd love to see how far you got along on yours! It really is a project of tremendous proportions! If you decide to "liquidate" your version of it, or, at least, important parts (Studie pans, grill parts, or Stovebolt stuff) I would be interested. you didn't locate any Vette engine stuff, did you? We have the dual exhaust, but need the intake, carbs, and perhaps the valve cover (if different from pass. cars) We need all the help we can get!
Has anyone ever heard of the Barris "Royal T" ?, I was at a show in Emmet Idaho last weekend and saw it, the new owner is restoring it back to Barris condition.
I know it's a long hall but when that clone is finished Please bring it out to California to the Cow Palace roadster show in the SF Bay Area. I would like to gaze upon it in real life The Kopper Kart is one of my all time favorite Kustoms It would be cool to see the original, like when the Hirohata Merc was restored But "like that will ever happen!" So Thank You for the Klone Hopefully someone can track down the guy who ended up with the original Then we can get the story from the horses mouth if still living Until then the rumors/legend are very interesting maybe better than the truth Time will tell or not! Some time it's more fun not to know the "Real Story"
Here is some more info to expand on John's. I'm not sure how the Jim Skonzakes rumor ever got started, probably from the misinformation in Andy Southards book. Attached is the Sept '61 Custom Rodder article and an article from the August 25, 1961 issue of National Dragster. The Nat'l Dragster article states that the "Barons Rod & Cycle" club was rebuilding the Kopper Kart for the '61 National Champion Custom Car Show for owner Paul Blasburg, who was the sponsor of the club. Thge job was being done at the Baron's Service Center by members Jim Moore Russ Bell and Art Glattke. They were in the process of swapping the Chevy 6 to a Cad V-8 plus doing numerous body changes. I don't know if it ever made the '61 Show or not, but my guess is it was probably more than they could handle and may have never been finished, like John's info indicates. Mick
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