Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: The Golden Sahara II is found! Continue reading the Original Blog Post
My thoughts: 1. I've heard from a lot of hot rod hero types that the GS was never really lost because they've known where it was the whole time. OK.... Cool... bullshit. 2. Man... The Golden Sierra certainly hasn't gotten any prettier through the years. It's a fantastic historical find and I'm happy for all those involved, but if I'm honest with myself - this car just isn't my thing. At all. 3. Excited they "found" the original Kookie car too!
Preferred the 1st version of the Golden Sahara but no.2 is cool as well. Great to see it see the light of day. With to Kookie T I hope it retains the Larry Watson paint. Just return it to the 1st Jim Street version which was the Kookie T with a new white pearl with red flames.
I actually hope the auction stays within @Moriarity 's reach. I'd LOVE to see him become the new caretaker of this one! He would be one of maybe a handful that could give GSII a good home!
Maybe not “the best” but he sure has a passion for historical hot rods/customs!! He has an incredible stable...much nicer than mine will ever be! (But, That’s not too hard to beat! LOL)
As much as I would like to have it. I am sure it is financially out of reach for me. I even have several jars of gold murano pearl.... the one thing that confuses me about this is in my thread about the GS someone who is seemingly an insider refers to the "current owner" implying that the cars were willed to someone? I will tell you what, If I were willed those cars it is the last thing in the world I would do is sell em.....
Not my thing either but I would bet money George volunteered to paint the gold on the Twinkie... Just sayin'
Typical of the excess and gadgets Barris got into trying to outdo himself. Build talent he had, his skills at metalworking unsurpassed in his day, but his skills at the actual styling, if there at all, seemed to be overcome by the need to be more and more outrageous with every car he built.
I would assume they mean Jim's wife Sally. I would think she is the current owner. Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I too think Moriarity should end up with the Golden Sahara. I bet he already has a set of NOS-in-the-box glow in the dark tires to put on it. And he should restore it to version 1. Cut off those fins.
Should have cleaned it at least a little up before taking the workshop pic . All those torn off strips of duct tape sure are,nt 50 years old.
Pfft! Where's the illuminated tires? Worthless without them. Enjoy seeing the current pics, and glad I got to read some of the history that was included in the Jack Stewart Ford book.
Love it or hate it, the history of GS II is pretty fascinating. It had to have been pretty mind blowing with all of it's gadgetry at the time it was built.
my biggest wish to this crazy custom is that it will end up in a H.A.M.B.ers hands, that would make me proud! The GS is on the top of the 1950s space age phantasies in my opinion.
What I don’t understand is if Jim street had these cars for all these years why let them go into the state they were found? So no one knew he had them all this time? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Why do any old customs/hotrods end up in the state they are usually found in? Because no one gave a shit about them for probably 30+ years so the owners put them away and left them to sit. Jim at least didn't leave them outside to rot away like many faced. They are both in pretty remarkable shape when you consider the condition most cars from this era are in when found. Everyone knew that he had them. .
"The Golden Sierra certainly hasn't gotten any prettier through the years." I agree but that is what usually happens in time even sitting in a corner someplace. I just saw an old friend I had the hots for years ago. I was surprised how far downhill she looked with age. but then I am not the STUD MUFFIN I once was either except in my own mind.
This guy had style, the smarts, a beautiful wife, was no doubt very wealthy and successful. He also had a dream...that the GS would change the evolution of the automobile...and it did...just not the way he envisioned it. When his wild one became washed up he locked them up and that probably was a sad moment that never went away. The big Car companies took his ideas but perhaps without benefit to him. That surely hits below the belt a little. Hey perhaps he lived a good life...but the gleaming Jetson dream did not pan out the way he envisioned. These are my thoughts.
Yes, everyone (well, anyone who cared), knew he had them this whole time. Clearly by his dedication to build it the way he did with all the beyond advanced for the time electronics, Jim was a perfectionist. This was the first car to be painted pearl. Murano pearl.....developed by Jim and those he worked with first to paint this car. The first paint job didn't last, naturally, given the limited life in the real world of such experimental paint, so it was redone, which I'm pretty sure is the paint job that's on it now (painted white of course). That being said, it's easy to imagine the second paint job not really lasting in perfect shape for too long before it started to fade, check, whatever (remember even tried and true nitro lacquer paint jobs only lasted about a year in the sun at the time). I can imagine Jim, being the perfectionist he could have been, deciding to not let the car be seen with a fading paint job, and being a man of several interests and projects, it's easy to see how it would just get further down the list of projects....and the longer it sat, the yellower it got, the more he wanted it not seen until he got around to redoing it and on the cycle goes until the next thing you know it's been 50 years. He loved the car, was proud of it and protective of it only desiring it to be seen and remembered at it's best. I can imagine he was sick to leave it behind as it is. God speed Jim and thank you for your care to save it for us....I'm sure the new owner will do it justice for you.
I agree with the boss (@Ryan ) the car is just a little over the top for my tastes, but there are some really cool things that if I were building a custom could be applied and it certainly get the design juices flowing. It would definitely fit well in @Moriarity 's stable real well. If anyone that I know gets it I would be real proud if it were him. He has the patience to restore a car like that for sure.
I'm not able to process that... we have rediscovered the "original T bucket" the first one. Many guys here have built copies/clones or have been influenced by that car. It probably has been talked about many hundred of times on this website. Same for the GS...it is the kings tut tomb of customs, and if neither car is going to influence any builds. And both cars have in the past, ( Voodoo Larry's build)then I'm not sure what that says about he HAMB please don't take this as an attack or jab or anything snide because it's not.
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