"Alexcandria" by The Alexander Brothers

[Rikster]

I have been looking for pictures of this custom car built by the Alexander Brothers. I'am not even sure if it was ever finished but I believe it was at least photographed completed but in primer.

The car is based on a sectioned four door 55 Ford of which the wheel base was shortened. The rear quarters are from a Pontiac.

I believe the design sketches where made by Harry Bradley. Doe anybody here have ano more info on this custom, and perhaps more photo's of it. I would really appreciate it.

[Henry Floored]

I don't know anything about the car sorry, but if that's the engine for it in the background on the stand, that's an FE series Ford engine. Based on what I see with the surge tank, tri-power, and valvecover design that's either a 390HP or a 406. Sweet!

[Rikster]

Originally Posted by Henry Floored

I don't know anything about the car sorry, but if that's the engine for it in the background on the stand, that's an FE series Ford engine. Based on what I see with the surge tank, tri-power, and valvecover design that's either a 390HP or a 406. Sweet!

According to an 1964 R&C article I have its an Ford 406 they planned on putting in it.

[40panel348]

According to the "A" Bros. themselves, the car was never finished, and ultimately crushed!

[lownslow]

Originally Posted by 40panel348

According to the "A" Bros. themselves, the car was never finished, and ultimately crushed!

oh man . what a waste . that thing looked cool as hell .....anyone have any more pix or details on the car ?

[40panel348]

Originally Posted by lownslow

oh man . what a waste . that thing looked cool as hell .....anyone have any more pix or details on the car ?

The next time I talk to Mike or Larry, I'll see if I can get more info on it.

[Rikster]

Originally Posted by 40panel348

The next time I talk to Mike or Larry, I'll see if I can get more info on it.

That would be really great if you could 40 Panel 348. Man what a shame if that car got crushed!!!!. That is just something I cannot believe. I also read in one of the Barris books where they sectioned a Shoebox Ford that the owner lost interest and it sat at the shop for years after they sectioned it... and in the end they just had it crushed... why???? Put so much work inot a project, soemthign like this Alexandria... and nobody is interested in finishing it???? man what a shame. I know somebody who said he saw a photo of it in a magazine where it was more finished than in these photo's. It looked to be in primer? But unfortunately he is unable to find the photo.

Hope we hear more about this custom soon.

Thank you.

[JohnnyFast]

Originally Posted by 40panel348

The next time I talk to Mike or Larry, I'll see if I can get more info on it.

Back in the late 60's, when I was travelling with a custom car show promoter, we had a '65 or '66 Ford convertible that had a Carson top (w/landau arms) that was built by the Alexander brothers as a concept car for Ford Motor Co.

Ask them if they remember that car. I'd like to know where it ended up.

[pimpin paint]

Originally Posted by Rikster

That would be really great if you could 40 Panel 348. Man what a shame if that car got crushed!!!!. That is just something I cannot believe. I also read in one of the Barris books where they sectioned a Shoebox Ford that the owner lost interest and it sat at the shop for years after they sectioned it... and in the end they just had it crushed... why???? Put so much work inot a project, soemthign like this Alexandria... and nobody is interested in finishing it???? man what a shame. I know somebody who said he saw a photo of it in a magazine where it was more finished than in these photo's. It looked to be in primer? But unfortunately he is unable to find the photo.

Hope we hear more about this custom soon.

Thank you.

Hey,

That sectioned Shoebox you speak of was featured, in the background, of
many Barris shop photos of the time. The owner quit paying and the job
just stopped. I beleve it was scrapped, along with many others after the
shop fire. Perhaps, the Alexandria suffered much the same fate?

[choprods]

Somebody should re create/build that car NOW......it would be Killer!-Id be game ....... 56 Ford or Mercury?

[DrJ]

Originally Posted by choprods

Somebody should re create/build that car NOW......it would be Killer!-Id be game ....... 56 Ford or Mercury?

If I was doing the car in the drawing I'd start with a '61 or '62 Pontiac, since most of it is anyway.
Possibly a two door "flat roof" and shorten the roof to '59-'60 El Camino roof length.
Yea, I wouldn't do that B pillar that gets lost in the 1/4 panel.
It just doesn't flow well for me.
But if ya like the roof in the picture, start with a '68 El Camino that's already got that roof done and graft on the Pontiac 1/4's and door skins.
Use Ventura/Catalina 1/4's because they're shorter than Bonneville and will be easier to fit to the mid size El Camino.
Then I'd work in some '61 Continental fenders with a mid to late 60's Buick hood for those "W" peaks at the front.
A Skylark hood might just bolt on the El Camino based version.

[choprods]

An exact Clone copy would be the only way to build this car,In My Opinion....-JUST do the research and use the same exact parts.......I don't think One could ever get it even close to"right" using any potpouri collection of available lookalike parts.
the frame cowl firewall and windshield appears to be some of the '56 Ford parts.......

Originally Posted by DrJ

If I was doing the car in the drawing I'd start with a '61 or '62 Pontiac, since most of it is anyway.
Possibly a two door "flat roof" and shorten the roof to '59-'60 El Camino roof length.
Yea, I wouldn't do that B pillar that gets lost in the 1/4 panel.
It just doesn't flow well for me.
But if ya like the roof in the picture, start with a '68 El Camino that's already got that roof done and graft on the Pontiac 1/4's and door skins.
Use Ventura/Catalina 1/4's because they're shorter than Bonneville and will be easier to fit to the mid size El Camino.
Then I'd work in some '61 Continental fenders with a mid to late 60's Buick hood for those "W" peaks at the front.
A Skylark hood might just bolt on the El Camino based version.

[DrJ]

Originally Posted by choprods

An exact Clone copy would be the only way to build this car,In My Opinion....-JUST do the research and use the same exact parts.......I don't think One could ever get it even close to"right" using any potpouri collection of available lookalike parts.
the frame cowl firewall and windshield appears to be some of the '56 Ford parts.......

Weren't they working with an obviuosly incomplete Potpouri of available parts?
And from any picture of it I've seen, which is pretty much just the ones posted, they hadn't figured out the hood and front end of it yet, so what parts do you decide are the correct exact clone parts?

Maybe that's why it never got finished.
They did quit on it you know...
Maybe it flat didn't work trying to get that angular front end look out of those round Ford fenders.
Maybe if they continued, some of the parts in the picture would have had to have been replaced with others or changed in shape so mudh they may as well have.
The leading edge of the fender in the drawing looks a lot more like a '61 Lincoln than it does a '56 Ford headlight bucket...

So making YOUR copy, work in a mid 50's wrap around windshield from whatever fits best, if that's what you want.
I think an angled back A pillar would compliment an angled forward B pillar better than the visual flow stopping verticle pillar.
I have yet to see a custom that exactly duplicates the original concept drawing in every detail and line anyway so, like the designer of the Hybrid three Female 5% crash test dummy said to me when I asked him how I was to model the two non-intersecting radii on it's butt, he said "Interpret the drawing!"

...Just my opinion too, obviously.
Not trying to argue about it, just expanding on and giving some reasons for what I said earlier.

If the car had ever been finished, I'd totally agree with you on using all the same parts on a clone of the A Bro's car, but the A Bro's car never became the car in the drawing.

[choprods]

DrJ-
although it seems we drifted a page apart in opinion -I think we are on the same page on this car.......The DRAWING is where I would decide[IF DONE] what parts were to be used.......You know-Build a clone concieved FROM THE CONCEPT DRAWINGS.
Nothing there I cant make -whether it exists on another donor vehicle or not. It might take an ambitious customer to make it happen though.
CAN ANYONE PLACE THE START-BUILD OF THIS CAR TO AN APPROXIMATE TIMEFRAME OR DATE??
I ~AM~ thinking about this, so Thanks for the input.

[40panel348]

Originally Posted by Rikster

That would be really great if you could 40 Panel 348. Man what a shame if that car got crushed!!!!. That is just something I cannot believe. I also read in one of the Barris books where they sectioned a Shoebox Ford that the owner lost interest and it sat at the shop for years after they sectioned it... and in the end they just had it crushed... why???? Put so much work inot a project, soemthign like this Alexandria... and nobody is interested in finishing it???? man what a shame. I know somebody who said he saw a photo of it in a magazine where it was more finished than in these photo's. It looked to be in primer? But unfortunately he is unable to find the photo.

Hope we hear more about this custom soon.

Thank you.

Unfortunately that was also the fate of the original "Adonis" '60 Ford Starliner,
but John Schleicher has fixed all of that with his amazing clone, which, in my book is as good as having the real thing back with us!

[Rikster]

I have found one more photo of the Alexcandria....



Anybody knows any more about this missing custom by now?

[choprods]

Hi Rickster-
Glad you posted this- I was just thinking yesterday of this car and its fate...
Plus,I had NEVER seen the tail end of this car...THAT REALLY HELPS ME.
I am still not free from this car haunting my thoughts....
I can't say I'll build it, but its STILL regularly ,on my mind.......

[lonely king]

would have been a great kustom...

[fuzzface]

I also would like to see someone do a clone. To bad the original was crushed and not stuck in a barn for one of us to find.

[Stone]

I like it. SO it was never finished before it was crushed?