Looking for picture...Sebastian Rubbo Roadster

Can someone please post a pic of this hot rod?

 

photo courtesy of Safarinut.

 

Is that a 35/6?
....poor thing

 

Now that's different.

 

That car is horrible.

 

OK you jokers! Sebastian Rubbo was a rodder for more years than most of us have been alive.
He was a gentleman and a key part of any gathering in the New England area. The car was practical...and driven constantly. I do not know it's source of power, but wouldn't be surprised to learn it was a flattie. In the seventies, he took the car everywhere. I count it as second only to Isky's car, in terms of a traditional rig.

 

Muttley...That car was built in the 40's and although the styling is not what we are used to seeing, the workmanship is high quality and this is actually a well-respected piece of East Coast hot rodding history.

check this out..

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/milestones/0303sr_sebastian_rubbo_roadster/index.html

 

The car may be ugly(a subjective term)but it is one of the oldest and most driven hot rods EVER.Sabby started building that car in 1943 and drove the wheels off it in ALL kinds of weather up until he passed away.It is still being driven by(I hope the name is right)Lenny Beonde.Last I heard it had over a half million miles on it.

You had to meet Sabby to really appreciate what a true hot rodder(among other things)he really was.I had that privilege many times and never failed to enjoy it.

Oh yes and it was built properly and stayed together;not like a lot of so-called,"traditional" cars being thrown together today.

 

I never got to meet Sabby but I've heard some pretty wild stories. I bet safariknut could tell a few. That's his pic at the top of this thread. Here's the two pics from Cool Car Square Roll Bars, both from Paul Aldrich. Sabby owned the car for more than 40 years, driving the car more 400,000 miles. It is now owned and was restored by Sabby's good friend Lenny Biondi.

 

Good write up in this issue of R&P.-MIKE

 

He pull through Bismarck, ND on his way to I don't remember were, must have been 25 or 30 years ago. We BS for a few min. and he was on his way.

 

I don't think it's ugly at all.

At least it's original.

 

I agree you can't knock this car..it's an east coast icon.

I cant remember the year but it was one of the early nationals that was in St Paul (I think 1974) and I think the week prior was billed as the worlds longest rod run from Winnepeg to Minneapolis. Sebastian had his car there. The weather was really hot all week and he wore nothing but his speedo underwear the whole week. Really a character.

A pic was recently posted of an east coast cruise of this car.

 

Amazing how many here bash this car. I thought this was a forum for "traditional" hot rods. You don't get much more traditional than Sebastion's car. I got to see it at the Western Canats in Winnipeg in 1979. Cool car, even cooler owner. Like Nuroadster stated...Sebastion was quite a character.

 

I was one of the privileged few. I had met him approx 28 years ago at Chick's old shop in Dedham. Sabby was a Hot Rodder and a gentleman. And he "drove the wheels" off this car! A good friend of mine remembers this car as a kid while growing up in Quincy( and he is 68 yrs old!). Nice to see it that it has survived in it's original state. When Sabby passed, there was a very nice write up in Street Rodder Magazine. Great to see pictures of the car .

 

I met Sebastian Rubbo about a hundred years ago at the Canadian Street Rod Nats in Regina. He travelled in that roadster from Massachusetts, I believe to Regina, lots of miles anyways. He was there with Skip Readio (in his wildly painted hemi 34 mordoor). I don't really remember the conversation, but I do remember congratulating him on driving the flatty all the way to Regina. He went to accept a trophy and shot right over the podium past the awards guys. Lotsa laughs. Impressed a late teens kid at the time, and I count that car and Skip's as part of lighting my fire. He was a character. Glad to see it is preserved exactly as it was.

 

Kind of suprising to hear the responses to the Rubbo car. I've seen it in countless magazine articles and never particularly cared for it but it's not just traditional it is THE TRADITIONAL car at least as far as east coast cars go. Kind of funny to hear guys wax poetic about bias tires and then lay the hate on this old timer.

 

Anyone got more photos of this car. The 1st one does catch it at a bad angle but when you look at the other ones it actually has really good lines and certainly can't be faulted for its originalty of styling.
I seem to remember seeing another car that had similar styling for sale up in Maine recently.
Would be nice to see a few more East Coast early cars here.

 

Some here, but when I tried to click on them to enlarge, I got taken to an ad. That is why I wanted someone to post some here.

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/milestones/0303sr_sebastian_rubbo_roadster/index.html

 

That particular photo was taken at the North Shore Old Car Club's picnic and car show nearly 40 years ago(1969).Unfortunately my camera skills haven't gotten much better.

 

I like it without the hood.

 

I'm glad this was posted. "Sabbie" was a Real Character from everything I've read about him, a Ladies man to boot. Would love to hear some stories about him by people who knew him. His car, Skip's, Gray's and all of "Jitney"Jakes define rodding.

 

I'm aware of that, it doesnt change my opinion. I'm not a fan of Eastern style Rods.

 

its diffrent ill say that much. maybe a wheel and tyre change would have improved the car.

 

Lenny still drives the car alot, see it at least 2-3 times a year & it is in perfect shape, but i have to admit its not one of the best looking cars, but it does have a distinct look to it.
One thing that wasn't mentioned( i don't think) Is that there was never a top on the car, In 400K it was driven "topless".That in itself is more amazing then the miles on it!!
jimV

 

That was funny, when I heard Sabbie's name I thought of the same thing. In Winnipeg in 74 he was walking around the parking lot picking up garbage in his underwear. When I asked him what he was doing, he said, cleaning up, we hot rodders have to watch our image. Killed me. He was a one off. At the Nats in 74 in Minneapolis he was running the elevator at the swank hotel in his shorts. He said Jantzen or Jockey, doesn't matter they are just brands. To him a bathing suit and underwear did the same thing. One of a kind. Still think of him from time to time. Pat.

 

Like this one?

 

Sent my friend the link on this and this was his reply:
"When I was a little kid around 1950 Sabie would go by my grandmothers house from time to time. The car looked exactly like it always has. Years later in 56, when I started to drive, I rediscovered the car a block from the high school parked at Woodward's Spring Shop where Sabie must have worked. I was amazed that, after "all those years", it was unchanged. Saw it a lot around then, always at the spring shop. Fast forward to the 80's and I see the car come in to some now forgotten event and I have multiple flashbacks. It's still unchanged !"

Mikey

PS: "When I was in Junior High School, every day I walked by the gas station on Center Street that Lenny (the current owner) later owned and where, I understand, he restored Sabie's roadster."

 

Cool picture story. I recall seeing it in some old mags previous to Street Rodder...
R&C had some pics way back, and I hated it!
But after getting past the narrow-mindedness I had since 1954, I saw it in Street Rodder...the workmanship was flawless! The hood, grille shell, and all the bodywork, in addition to the fact it had been on the road for 50 years THEN...Well, I took another look.

Not wanting to do anything similar, I was able to appreciate this car's individuality, and the genius of its builder. Wish I could have known him...

 

This car I know very well.Its been in our shop a few times.