1955 McCormack coupe Found

Found this article on Hemmings. Thought I would share


http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/12/27/junkyard-find-mccormack-coupe/



Photos courtesy Geoff Hacker
Our friend Geoff Hacker is on the road again, his nose to the wind to sniff out the fine aroma of half-century-old fiberglass cars that few people even know exist, and he’s struck gold with a McCormack coupe, located in a junkyard in northeast Pennsylvania.
Built in 1955 by Henry McCormack of Orange, California; he debuted his car at the 1955 International Motor Revue Show in Los Angeles. According to an article on the car in the February 1956 issue of Motor Life, McCormack initially wanted it to be a four-place, rear-engine coupe that used “a DeDion rear axle and a reverse drive unit to get the engine as far back as possible, but space limitations and the expense of such an operation changed his mind to a more conventional design.” McCormack set the car atop a box-section tube frame with a wheelbase of 106 inches and adapted a Ford Thunderbird windshield and contemporary Buick taillamps. What exactly he used for a drivetrain, the article didn’t say, but in McCormack’s own cutaway drawing of the car, it appears to be a Cadillac 331-cu.in. V-8. While not an exact copy, it certainly looks like McCormack took inspiration from Jay Everett’s 1952 Astra coupe, the latter aluminum-bodied and Olds Rocket-powered.

Of the McCormack, Geoff wrote:

It took two years to track down all the info on this car, but the time and effort was worth the wait – and what a way to celebrate the holiday! With the help of new friend Marc Reed, we tracked down and made plans to save a McCormack fiberglass sports car, and December 2011 was the season to do the saving.
The McCormack owner, Bob, had kindly pulled the car out of its resting place and had it ready to go for my trailer and winch. As with any fiberglass car from the era, you can’t just put it on the trailer and get ready-set-go. Instead, you have to do quite a bit more – partly because of the age of the car and partly because of the construction methods used at the time. When transporting one of these cars, you have to anchor the chassis to the trailer; the body to the chassis; and the top to the body. It’s kind of like playing the game “pick up sticks” in reverse, but where you add various ratchet straps and bungee cords to the game, too.
We were lucky today – it didn’t snow. It was about 40 degrees and didn’t rain either – until we pulled the McCormack on the trailer. Two hours later and soaking wet, we finished securing the McCormack, and went out to celebrate at a local tavern with food and drink for all.
​

Geoff, of course, did all his homework before setting out, including tracking down the above-mentioned article as well as a brochure from McCormack Plastics, showing that McCormack intended to sell bodies. No word on how many, if any, he did sell, though. According to Geoff, McCormack built 10-15 cars, of which Geoff has located three or four. This particular McCormack appears to have the engine mounts for a small-block Chevrolet V-8 and was allegedly drag raced at Atco in New Jersey.

 

Cool find...

 

Very cool indeed!

 

Midengined??

 

Sorry misread it. it was proposed to be midengined but due to lack of space remained normal configuration

 

I like the lines on this car, very Corvettish

 

Awesome!

 

Sweet find !!!!

 

killer find man. can't wait to see updates. love this stuff

 

Kind of an ugly duckling in a good sort of a way. I would sure like to have one to play with.

Can you imagine flakes and fades on that thing? Good stout GM like in Rocket or Caddy, maybe even a high winding small hournal SBC. Any or all with multipal carbs.

Anyway I would like the homely little bugger to play with.

 

Just so we are clear, because it seems there is a little bit of a misunderstanding, I personally did not find the car. This was an article on Hemmings website: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...cormack-coupe/

 

would be nice if the guy who did find it posted a web site of the redo , its a pretty coool piece of auto history , id love to watch it be rebuilt into a driver

 

Don't keep me from wanting it. I still appreciate the look at it and it doesn't matter if the pope owns it you are the one who showed it to me.

 

nothing better than cars with history.........cool

 

That sucker is pretty sweet.

 

Straight back steering column, and never saw a wheel like that before. As with some historical things, I think it's butt ugly but that is irrelevent, as historical needs to have an inside home and be saved from the elements. It's a "green car", grows endangered species of moss.

 

I just noticed the straight back steering column. Interesting.

Thanks,
"Skrach"
My Vintage Blog:
www.VividlyVintage.com
My 55 Chrysler Worklog:
www.Pop's55.com

 

I find it interesting how it looks like it was set up for quad headlights. I thought those didn't come out till 58?

 

rad

 

Northeast Pennsylvania eh? I wonder how close it was to me...

 

in the brochure pics it shows single headlights. but it would be cool with quads. but it appears to only of had 2. Maybe it was planned to have quads but the laws may have prohibited it. Just the same as the laws once prohibited the use of square headlights at one time.

 

looks have been compared to this car as well as the Astra Coupe.



http://uncrate.com/stuff/ferrari-340-competizione/

One word on that Vintage Pasta Rocket. Beautiful. And I am not a huge Ferrari Fan, but wow that car is stunning.

 

this is the owner of the car's website. http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/ he has the car listed on his section "cars" but so far I have not seen any pics yet.

 

Historic and very interesting. Love to see this rare stuff show up and the brave souls that save it. Great stuff kids. ~sololobo~

 

Hi Guys...

Thanks for your interest. I posted a story today with a bit more detail and more pictures. Here's the link to the story:

http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/?p=19922

Hope you enjoy

Geoff Hacker
Forgotten Fiberglass

 

I really like the look and I would drive the wheels off this car.

 

This car also caught the eye of Alex Tremulis back in the day. Here's one in 1958(?) at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg "Reunion" in Auburn, Indiana. It may very possibly be the same car, with the sidepipes removed and replaced with its current air inlet vents. Maybe the same? Time may tell...

 

Hi Gyronaut..

Great point - maybe right. This car above had rear fender skirts in an opening not matching the car we found. The openings on the car I retrieved were the same as other McCormack cars found and all are different than his original design. We're sorting all the detail out at our website over time, and having fun. Stop by Forgotten Fiberglass any time.

Best..

Geoff

 

Great job Geoff! Please keep us updated frequently. We love updates that keep us motivated on our own projects and this is one that will likely inspire and motivate alot of hamb'rs.

Thanks,
"Skrach"
My Vintage Blog:
www.VividlyVintage.com
My 55 Chrysler Worklog:
www.Pop's55.com

 

Im on the fence about it. Its not to my taste, but the history alone makes it cool. Maybe if I saw it fully restored. Its definately worthy of being collected or displayed.