Pretty sure this is the car that later in the fifties became Skip Torgesens (Jorgesens?) and was featured in the late fifties ('58 or '59) in I believe both Hot Rod and Car Craft. I do also believe that this is the car that Tony Baron went through in the late seventies (Rod&Custom quarterly, '79 or so.) and ran at the lakes and Bonneville as a test bed for Baron Heads and intakes forever. That would bring it to where Atwater Mike was talking about it. I'm not sure who owns it these days, but i'm pretty sure it still a dedicated race car. I'll do some research this evening.
Stunning car for sure. '27 on '32 rails as been one of my favorite combinations since I was around 12 and the owner of the corner gas station used to drive one to work and park it out front. It was a little crude compared to many but at that age I could only dream about owning something like it some day. Old age hasn't dimmed the appreciation for this classic combination. Frank
It was bugging me, so I went and grabbed the right magazine and there it is! Rod & Custom quarterly #7 page 84 & 85. It does mention that it is the old Macchia and Banta car right in the text. It lost the channel though by that time, but damn it's pretty! 18" rears with 16" Firestone implements on the front capped with full Moon caps. Wish my scanner would cooporate with me and scan stuff in a size that was capatible with posting... It was red then too. Oh, and it mentions Skip Torgerson and the December '58 Hot Rod article, too. pretty sure it was cobalt blue then. 'Nuff.
I love that car. That magazine was one of the first little books i bought. It really spoke to me. That car was a big inspiration for my old T. I really dig that early-mid 50's era. Those simple, subtle 2 tone, primary color paint jobs, chromed out Flatty powered hot rods really do it for me. This shot has it all, sweet car, cute chick, Even the guys socks and pants are cool!
Study these two different HRM spreads carefully. I have often thought they were two different cars. 1. License #s are different...why? (same color/era plates) 2. Wheelbase is longer on 'nose-job' 3. Bellypan would be pooched out wide if originally used Deuce rails were under there. Look closely at Rex Burnett's cutaway pix...major frame rail surgery done in front, where rails roll under nose. As the 1950 roadster turned into the Torgeson roadster ('32 frame with stock horns/'A' crossmember, '32 shell, 5" radiator core, unaltered rear body valance... I think the belly-panned nose-job was a different car entirely. (also read the captions: first car was assembled in a timeline, then the 1952 {second car} was built in a year.) Need Louvers?: I think the last gent I spoke with was indeed Tony Baron. Anybody in touch with Tony? These are important questions.
There you go again pushing my buttons. I've got enough to keep me busy for years BUT, if the opportunity ever comes around I'd love to do one like this one in my dads pics from Shady Bowl Speedway in Ohio.
I have photos of this this T at the GM Motoroma in 1951, Pan-Pacific Auditorium (L.A.) that my grandfather took. Will see if I can find them.
My dream roadster on a duece frame... Gary Heliker T Sure, its a little fancier than the one Ryan posted. But I like fancy pants. And its WAY more channeled. I'm in love. I want to do a semi-clone of this after my pickup.
I love 27 roadsters. Al Clark, aka GoDevil or Go Devil Garage has a beauty of a roadster on 32 rails. Sorry no pics!
Some of us do paint them red. That is one reason this photographer picked my car to photograph for his calendar he told me. In fact he said he really didn't like "T Buckets" but mine was different. One of the best complements I have gotten about my roadster. Gary
27 up on deuce rail’s is one of my favorite combos ….. K Tardel built the best one ever. Iv collected everything to build one with the exception of a way to fit in it …. It may be the girl friends roadster.
One of the great T's fer sure. Now then, from the top of my head & the back of my patio wouldn't ya love to see a foty of the Banta/Macchia T & Don Ferrara's A together. Do ya think one may have influenced the other or vice versa........spooky. Just a thought.
there are 3 other t roadsters channeled that far that come to my mind oldebob's, phil weiand's and the one i'm building
I have just published a featured story on Kustomrama on the second roadster Louis Banto built, the one that was completed around 1951/1952. It was quite a puzzle trying to figure out the story on these two cars, but as stated in Car Craft February 1954, the first one was sold in order to build the second one. Glenn Howard, the son of Jack Howard, who owned the track nosed roadster around 1959-1961, sent me some really nice photos of the car as it sat while his dad owned it. At first we thought this was the first roadster that Louis Banto and Sal Macchia landed a featured story in Hot Rod Magazine July 1950 with. But that car was owned by Skip Torgerson about the same time as Jack owned it, featuring a 1932 Ford grille and no bellypan, something that confused us. Anyhow, this is the story we made on the first roadster: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Louis_Banto_and_Sal_Macchia's_1927_Ford And this is the one we did on the roadster Jack ended up with: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Louis_Banto_and_Jack_Perre's_1927_Ford Here is also one of Glenn's old photos of the car while his dad owned it. As the first roadster ended up with Tony Baron, who still owns it, we are curious about what happened to the other roadster. Do anyonw know this?
@SuperFleye No new news ? My favorite roadster ... and I was thinking of Larry Roller today. Thanks Larry for the 6 year bump. Lou Banto roadster >>>
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