Yeah, it's kinda odd...with the popularity of hot rods with provenance being restored left and right this one didn't end up with a big part of its personality. I heard the grill was sold off fairly recently in the cars history.
It's a tough call. It belongs to it's present owner so it's his to do with as he sees fit. So now it is just another nice Duce roadster,not a small thing, instead if a great Duce roadster with a historic and unique look.
Thanks Birdog. The filled wheelwells look really cool. Looks very 40's survivor which it is. Don't need to change a thing. I like the longer wheelbase of the '33 on the car! It is very unique. Is top original.
Thanks the wheel base has been such a toss up for me to be honest. But I have other cars to build. This one should probably be left alone. Maybe it will get paint but who knows. The top is original from the 40's 50's I am going to have to and stitch the black lace back together. The thread is falling apart.
I sunk the ww11 bomber seats between the frame rails you sit so nice in it for a chopped and channeled deuce
O by the way I have a picture of your car channeled with a caddy for my screensaver! One of my favorite hot rods of all time
Glad you like it. I just wish I knew more about it and why the selected the Caddy flathead? If they could only talk.
Yeah I know this post is like really old, but since the thread is still going, wanted to set something straight. According to Fred Mickelson [Jack Mickleson's son] this is NOT his father in the picture. FYI...for what it's worth.
Late 1930's (through 40's) California statutes required that headlights be mounted between 54 and 28 inches in height. Also bear in mind that the lights pictured are non-sealed beam units and are of a much larger diameter than the standard 7" bulb you may be used to seeing.
^is that picture legit or a photoshopped? The chopped sedan in the background and the shiny chrome steering and hairpins on a super smooth body with dirty looking wheels and tires. Or did it just come out of the paint shop and is waiting on color before putting on the good wheels and caps?
That pic was included in the #51 issue of TRJ documenting the work of Marcia Campbell...it's legit, but a 50's rod (note the 1953 Texas plates). Edited to add: According to Rik Hoving, the girls are Jean Fowler and Billie Hayes of Fort Worth. Apparently, they took the car to the Barris bros for 'cutomizing' after finding nobody in their hometown willing/able to do the work (interesting especially considering some of the high-quality late 40's-early 50's rods in the "Dallas History" thread).
I thought that MUROC became Edwards Air Force Base in mid '41 in anticipation of war? I am not questioning your info, but I have heard that the other dry lakes locations, Rosamond, Harper maybe were utilized by the young runners with their brothers' cars. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Bunch of stuff just looks weird about the pic. Some things stand out as smooth and shiny but it seems the overall textures don't match.
Sorta. Muroc field was operated as an extension of March Field from the mid-30's until it was designated as a separate post by the Army in mid-1942. It was renamed "Edwards" (after test pilot Glen Edwards) in the late 40's. Trials were held there (with military permission) as late as Sept 28, 1941 and (possibly) early 1942 (I've seen photos captioned "Muroc 1942", still looking for specific dates/sanctioning bodies).
Not sure if this pic not sure if it has been posted yet but I love it! Probably one of my favorites of the time. Me and my pops actually are recreating a very similar roadster right now!
....................Does anyone find it unusual and frankly very cool that it was two ladies who took the car to the Barris Bros. to get the work completed? Would love to hear the story behind these hot-rodders.
Yes I find it very cool too and that was one of the things that caught my eye in the photo. I would love to know more about the history of the ladies and the car.
Perhaps hot rodding was not so female friendly in DFW during the late 40's-early 50's, or maybe nobody took them seriously...those would be my guesses. Great pic. Jack Gardner (looks like "Gariner" in the picture) sounds familiar, but I can't place him. My guess would be that this was a CRA (or like) roadster, probably in the immediate postwar timeframe. A bunch of the CRA guys went to the sleeker 26-7 T bodies soon after, so it kinda fits. Odd that he has caps on those wheels though...looks like a pretty tidy little roadster.
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