Register now to get rid of these ads!

Technical III La PanAmericana

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Ryan, Jun 9, 2010.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,633

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    Stogy likes this.
  2. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    Looks like 1949 Buick ventiports on the rear fender.
     
  3. 21tat
    Joined: Jun 8, 2006
    Posts: 829

    21tat
    Member

    Love the pilot's helmet.
     
    Stogy likes this.
  4. Jarzenhotrods
    Joined: Feb 20, 2007
    Posts: 820

    Jarzenhotrods
    Member
    from .......

    Wow...A lot of "interesting" things going on there. Looks like the canopy is form a WWII fighter. Besides that I dont know. Im intrested to see the back more.
     
    Stogy likes this.

  5. Chuckles Garage
    Joined: Jun 10, 2006
    Posts: 2,365

    Chuckles Garage
    Alliance Vendor

    That's quite the assortment of parts right there.
     
  6. G V Gordon
    Joined: Oct 29, 2002
    Posts: 5,713

    G V Gordon
    Member
    from Enid OK

    So instead of "shotgun" you would call "tail gunner"? I think I see a vent pipe on the left rear fender, so I am assuming it is equipped with a crapper, for those long stretches when you just don't have time to stop. "Pilot to co-pilot, take over I gotta hit the head".
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2010
    Stogy likes this.
  7. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    That was my thinking,too.That's just way cool.
     
  8. froghawk
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 857

    froghawk
    Member

    This car is very bizarre to say the least...

    Canopy's from a Consolidated-Vultee BT-13 Trainer...

    [​IMG]

    Here's a pic of the front from the Life magazine photo archive. Looks like the front end's based on late '40s Lincoln (with plenty of other bits!)

    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

    Stogy likes this.
  9. Wow that thing means business. And if thats the front that froghawk posted, that thing was a serious creation with a crap load of work. Man we need more photos.
     
  10. Theo Douglas
    Joined: Nov 20, 2002
    Posts: 807

    Theo Douglas
    Member

    Best part of all--that canopy boosts the cruising altitude to at least 10,000 feet!

    Seriously, though, a TON of work went into this thing.

    Not sure if it was north or south of the border, but based on Sled's amazing ongoing catalog of cars he finds in Mexico--and also the fact that the Orbitron survived--I'm making a prediction:

    This thing is probably still down there, somewhere, unless it drove off a cliff, or went down under enemy fire, or was donated to the Smithsonian by Jimmy Doolittle's heirs.

    The jokes write themselves ... .
     
  11. froghawk
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 857

    froghawk
    Member

    Apparently there's a 1/43th scale diecast kit of it...

    [​IMG]

    A google search for "carrera panamericana 1953 lincoln cadillac special" turns up one full shot of the actual car but I couldn't access it.

    Sure would like to know more details about this one...
     
  12. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,633

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    uh... wow.... who knew?
     
  13. I see a lot of 49-51is Ford trim and accessories!! I would call it the J.C. Whitney PanAmericana Esp. :D
     
  14. KrisKustomPaint
    Joined: Apr 20, 2007
    Posts: 1,107

    KrisKustomPaint
    Member

    I got it one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime.
     
  15. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    I remember the rear 3/4 picture from publications back in the day, but I've never seen the front before. Amazing!
     
  16. Slim Pickens
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Slim Pickens
    Member

    I wanna be the tail gunner! Thanks Ryan. Slim
     
    Stogy likes this.
  17. Ijole! Uno carro loco esto! I think it's amazing that there's a model of this piece of Mexican madness.
    [​IMG]

    As a kid, I thought the Carrera was one of the wildest races ever conceived - I've seen some great footage of the event over the years. It's too bad the terrific cost of lives of so many participants ended it.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2010
    Stogy likes this.
  18. G V Gordon
    Joined: Oct 29, 2002
    Posts: 5,713

    G V Gordon
    Member
    from Enid OK

    Not too hard to believe, there were models of the 1950 Caddilac La Monstre that ran at Le Mans in 1950.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Don't laugh too hard, it finishied 11th.
     
  19. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

    Amazing work. Batman should call Barris and ask for a better automobile.

    There's a nice pic in Flickr but we can't see it:
    [​IMG]

    Also found this link in a diecast forum that says:

    "The car was really a special based on Lincoln and Cadillac, with an aircraft canopy. The official entry list shows this car entered as the "Ham Special", and was entered by Jose Ham Gunam and Armando Santamaria of Mexico.

    The car did finish the race, but took longer than the class limit on time."




    [​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
    Stogy likes this.
  20. whoa... that surprised the hell out of me. the front is quite odd.
     
  21. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

    The rules for racing PanAm in 1953... Witch part this guys didn't understand? ?
    Will have this printed in my garage, oh yeah!

    [​IMG]
     
    Stogy likes this.
  22. catdad49
    Joined: Sep 25, 2005
    Posts: 6,399

    catdad49
    Member

    Ay carumba!! More info please. Fact is stranger than fiction,but someone put a ton of effort into this one, Thanks for the post, Cat
     
    Stogy likes this.
  23. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

    When I thought it couldn't get any better...

    [​IMG]
     
    ct1932ford and Stogy like this.
  24. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

    I didn't start this! :)


    [​IMG]
     
    Stogy likes this.
  25. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

  26. Jkustom
    Joined: Oct 8, 2002
    Posts: 1,686

    Jkustom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Wow that's pretty crazy.. It looks like one of those drawings in the Kanter catalogs but in real life..
     
  27. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

  28. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Could have been the Joker-mobile in the first Batman movie with Nicholson driving! Gary
     
  29. nagramos
    Joined: Jun 7, 2010
    Posts: 47

    nagramos
    Member

    Yeah! You guys who lives closer to Mr. Barris ask him if he's benn in Mexico in 1953 and his influences! ;)

    The first picture, in a more apropriate size. There's a lot to be seen here.

    [​IMG]
     
    Stogy likes this.
  30. I wouldn't; Briggs was a personal friend and I always admired his exploits. Obviously, a model maker had decided that some of these weird and wonderful machines were worthy of replication, which I think is pretty damned cool. :cool:
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.