Folks Of Interest Carl Casper - The "Other" Custom Builder

In another thread, Casper says in a video that when he first started out that he bought a sewing machine and did his own interiors and still has the same machine.

 

the carl casper cars are at the wwII musuem in Auburn Indiana, i just took the family there the other day. it is awesome!

 

I was raised in Louisville, and during the '70s, the Carl Casper Show at the Fairgrounds was always the best thing that happened during those crappy winters. It was awesome. They had lots of cars, battle of the bands, and always had a Playboy playmate signing autographs. I still remember standing in that long playmate autograph line when I was about 15, and when it finally came to be my turn, I walked up onto the platform and locked onto the most perfect jugs I had ever seen and started stuttering like an idiot.

 

Now your talking my lingo baby... these (and the like) are what got me in to custom cars!!!
I love them, thanks for the pics!!!

 

This is the one that got my attention as a kid...

 

Any more pictures of this thing? WOW! I like it

 

I remember the shows at the I.M.A. As a member of the old Genesee Gear Grinders I was privileged (along with rest of the members) to work for Carl for about $.25 per hour distributing flyers, setting up the show, polishing the "feature" cars and general stooging. This was all part of the deal of "Club Sponsorship" which probably played out at all the other venues. The single biggest and longest lasting impression from that experience was how contrived and phony show cars were. The first time we had to push a feature car into position because it didn't have an operative engine in it iabsolutely dismayed me.

I was in love with Hot Rods and the concept of Hot Rods. My exposure to the world of professional Show Cars (Characitures of Hot Rods and Customs for the sake of Show) turned me off to that crap to this day.

 

Growing up in Louisville, Ky. and living about 3 miles from the State Fairgrounds it was a big thing for us pimple faced teens to go see the Carl Casper Custom Auto Show every year. Man I love his cars. It got to the point over the years though that it was full of crap. Half hopping low riders contests, and band battles, less customs and street rods. Now they have it tied in with a new car show. It's lost it's appeal to me.

 

xhotrodders got it right. The Louisville Carl Casper Auto Show sucks. You'd have to pay me to attend. It's nothing but hopping Low Riders, loud booming car stereo's, soap opera stars, pro wrestlers and very few cars you'd even look at. Nothing but a bunch of nonsense billed as a car show. Can't believe they still have the show.

 

Casper was my favorite growing up.

The Kasper interiors or Kasper Auto trim from Wisconsin is Kasprzyk if I remember correctly.

 

some of this stuff is very trippy, Was he under en infuelces of substances while he has sketching?

 

Quite an improvement in styling...the Illsion was a box with no fenders...If you hadn't brought it up I would never have known it was the same car...congrats on the new body!

 

I found some interesting drag racing history on Carl Casper’s Young American when it defeated Don “Big Daddy” Garlit’s Swamp Rat # 13 and all of the other California top fuelers during the fall of 1970 at the Orange County California big Top Fuel Meet.

Carl was not only considered as one of the top custom car designers, and builders in the 60’s & 70’s but he was also the only custom and street rod guy to accomplish so many NHRA and AHRA track records and championships with his top fuel dragsters.

The 1970 info says that Carl’s racing team, at the time of this photo, consisted of driver Danny Ongais, with Casper, Leland Kolb and John Krannenberg as the other team members.

I'd like to see more photos of Carl's Young American battleing it out with Garlit's Swamp Rats.

 

Casper's Young American was not only a fantastic show car, but the hardest
running top fuel dragster I ever witnessed. It beat Garlits at the 1970 NHRA
Supernationals in one of the greatest races ever. Anyone got any photos of
this race or any of Carl's other incredible dragsters! He not only builds fabulous
cars but they put many of the greatest fuelers in the country on the trailer race
after race. Our group found Carl and his team to be the friendliest & nicest guys
on the professional drag racing circuit. Lets hear more about his racing days,
especially the exciting match ups with "big Daddy" Garlits.

 

would love to see pics of Empress II...anybody?

 

I bought evel knievels crash car it was in viva knievel movie a toy was made in its image and evel would take it to jumps to show off real life toys he had im told carl casper poss built the car along with evels wheelie car if any one can help with contact carl casper thank u

 

^^^^^^Google can be a great friend to you. Stu

 

Probably Carl Green, not Casper - Green built several other cars for Evel.

Steve

 

thank you steve do you have any contact info send me your email ill send u pics thanks again
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/422db

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/16554

 

bump Carl Casper and Dave Stuckey would have to be right up there as my most favourite custom car builders.I would still love to see pics or info on the Empress II . have only ever seen a tantalising photo in a Custom Rodder mag a few years back. Anybody? thanks in advance think it had the bodywork done by Pat Keating?

 

bump

 

i looked those cars over real good a few time and finally decided that the Pinball Wizard is the one i most like
it is really a dream having a car like that and hitting the show circuit with it and having a blast

well back to reality

 

Wild. Hard workin' cat fer sure. Saw 'Vanturian' here in ink as a kid. So dug it.
Really a lot to like- wheel/ tire combo's stand out as super cool on more than a few of these cars.

 

Hi guys I'm the Director of The Northeastern Indiana Racing Museum and we are also located inside the National Military History center & Automotive museum where Carl's custom cars are located. Just wanted to give you an update: Since I see you know all about the 1964 Turbo Shark, I just wanted to let you know that Carl brought it to the museum on Tuesday November 22,2011 and he will be bringing some more cars next week. I get to dust all of his cars so I get up close and personal . In the middle photo scan over the background and you'll see some of his other creations. Look way to the back of that photo and you'll just barly see a truck with big tires, That's Big Foot #1 ,because this is also home to The International Monster Truck Museum & Hall Of Fame. Here's some photo's of the Turbo Shark, Enjoy.

 

I see you were also talking about Carl's Dragsters. Those are actually located in our Racing Room and here is a photo(Photo By Kevin Allgire):

 

Thanks John for posting that picture!!

 

I have been to Carl Caspers indoor show a number of times early in the 2000s. great cars that he built!

 

I went to Carl Casper shows in Louisville since the 70's until they added new car dealer show to it. There use to be a lot of great cars there. The Carl Casper cars were always great.

 

We used to take a couple of cars to Carl's Show In Feb. from the museum every year. Last time I went we took Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s Winston Cup car and I spent two days taking photo's of people standing beside it for them. But we sure did party after we left there at night at a bar called Shooters, which was close to our motel and we could stagger back to our rooms. 9am came early and we had to be at the show by 10am. We would leave on Friday at 1pm and be there by 8pm,set up and work till 11pm. Then come back Saturday till 11pm. and then come back Sunday and work till 3pm I think, and then load up and head back for Indiana.

 

This man sure wasn't afraid of work. When my friend, John McNally, bought the El Matador, he went to Caspers warehouse in Flint where it was stored. He brought it back to Florida and that is where I owned it. He paid $2500.
I wish we could get away from all the drug related remarks.They serve no purpose and just are insulting to the man.