I was doing some looking around and came across a story about 2 1953 Custom Cadillacs. THey were build by Wally & Harry Hansen in Inglewood, California. Here is a link to the full story/for sale add. http://www.flipmall.com/carflip.htm Does anyone know of any other cars build by these guys? They obviously had an incredible eye for detail. Anyone know anything???
Here is part of the article from the 55 Motor Trend "Double-takes are commonplace in Inglewood (Calif.) when Wally and Harry Hansen take to the local highways and by-ways. Simple in design execution and appealing in appearance, their twin "Cobra" Fiberglass sportsters are owner-built, and at a glance, differ only in color (one's light blue, the other is white). The two cars stand just 36 inches high at the cowl, and measure 180 inches in length; they're mounted on a 106-inch wheelbase. Beneath-the-skin differences add up to a compromise well flavored with lively performance and easy driving. Wally's Cobra is powered by a '53 Oldsmobile engine linked to a Hydra-Matic transmission; suspension components are also Oldsmobile. His 2600-pound car boasts power steering and power brakes. Harry's car is 200 pounds lighter, get its go-power from a '54 Cadillac engine, and its stop power from Lincoln brakes. This Cobra's output goes to a 3.54 rear axle through a '48 Lincoln gearbox."
And the description from the add. " This is a very rare 1953 Cadillac two-door fiberglass sport roadster that was built by two brothers, Wally & Harry Hansen in Inglewood, California and was titled in 1953. This is one of two of these cars that the brothers built from molds that they handcrafted. This car has a 1953 Cadillac engine with a 1948 Lincoln gear box and Lincoln brakes. This car is standard shift, and the identical other one they built has a 1953 Oldsmobile engine with a hydramatic automatic transmission. To date, we have not been able to find what has become of it. They built these two cars to race at Lion Drag Strip in Pomona California. This car that is for sale was purchased by George Crocker and spent several years in his car museum at Nags Head North Carolina. George purchased this car before he became partners with Tom Monahan of Domino's Pizza. This car then spent several years in the famous car museum at Tom Monaham's headquarters in Ann Arbor Michigan. When they started dissolving the museum around 1990, George Crocker sold to me this beautiful little roadster. The car is white with red inserts on the sides and has two chrome air scoops mounted in the front of each of the rear quarter panels. I had one of the best body shops in Northwestern Pennsylvania repaint the car. The only item that is not original is the newer Cadillac steering wheel. I put new correct size tires with the wide white walls on it and kept the original 1953 spinner Olds hubcaps that came on it. These cars were featured in the centerfold of the February 1955 Motor Trend magazine, a copy of which will be included. This car eventually wound up at one of the General Motors Technical Centers and was tested with a camera on a trailing sulky, recording how the car rolled on curves. This was in the year 1955, and I have the booklet from General Motors Technical Center that pictures this. We cannot confirm this but we were told that this car was in the Motorama show in California in 1955. The car has been cosmetically redone with new red and white paint and has been meticulously detailed. It was completely gone over mechanically earlier this year. The interior has been cleaned and is in the original state. It has a radio, which does work. The engine and engine compartment have been detailed with red & black paint. Some of the under carriage of the car and the wheel wells also have been detailed with black paint. In building this car the brothers used a cut-down 1953 Chevrolet grille, headlight rims & taillight assemblies, one of which swings out to put gas in the filler tube. They also used 1953 Studebaker front & back bumpers, with a 1953 Studebaker license plate housing. All of the chrome is in impeccable condition, having never been re-chromed."
Love this Caddy. I see they have the old Purple Pennsylvania Anitque License plate. God I love those, wish they would bring them back.
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