History The Doane Spencer Roadster from '52-'69...More details?

Thanks it was a great project.

 

Rex the only picture i have of the car with that dash looks like yhe whole dash was chromed and then engine turned. Can you tell if that was the case?
John

 

Here is the picture i was talking about. there is a ton of info in it.

 

That doesn't look like the same dash. More gauges and different spacing.

Clark

 

It looks like you are looking for my Dash.

I bought this dash in a pile of hotrod parts.

This dash looks exactly like the one you find on internet called the early dash of Doane Spencer roadster.

Look at the pictures. You find this dash in a color picture in the book: The birth of hot rodding.

 

Very cool!

 

I don't know much about the car other then I love it. I have seen his T-Bird in person, but never the roadster. Subscribing.

 

That is not the dash from the Doane Spencer car. Here's the Spencer car and the gauges are much closer together. Unless SoCal Speed Shop totally redid the dash and threw away the old one which I don't think they did!

 

This could be the original dash out of the Spencer car. look at this picture of the dash in it today. Same numbers of gauges and same space between them. But now it has a engine turned insert. The original dash was engine turned and cromed.

 

I'll show that picture to Neal East next time I see him and we'll get to the bottom of this!

 

Please Do! It would be great if someone know anything.

The old color picture is from the 40´s on a black 32 roadster with a duvall windshield frame without glas. Just like this picture of Doane spencers roadster. It looks like the same frame and same rearview mirror! Hard to tell if the car has a 40 ford steering wheel or not. But it looks like it.

 

I'm sure he'll know, he looked at that dash from 1969 thru 1995, I think he'll remember what it looked like!

 

I think you have the early dash. The current car has 2 inch gauges instead of 2 5/8 and an engine turned insert. What a wonderful find. If i could have had the chrome info when i did mine i would have done that.
Thanks John

 

I worked at Rod Action Magazine in the late 70's and Neal East would drive the car to work occasionally. At that time it was the flathead and it usually ran red steelies with ford hub caps or, onCe in a while, it had polished Halibrands. He always complained what a pain it was to keep the Halibrands looking good..
At the time, to me anyway, it was just another highboy. I had no idea of the history of the car then..

 

Not to stir up the pot, but if I had the original Doane Spencer dash, I would think that I would have to give it to the original car so it can be back "at home" with the car. But maybe it was found after the resto?

This roadster is all types of awesome and I can see the inspiration for sure.

 

John , what I understand you have built a tribute car of spencers. Nice car btw! The dash in the car today is what I understand the one spencer put in after he rebuilt the car for the Carrera pan america race in the early fifties.

My/spencers early dash had backmount gauges instead of the wing gauges it has to day.Spencer probably wanted the new gauges I dont think he wanted these old 30´s gauges in the 50´s!

Jeffery James: I understand what you mean with that. I am actually right now looking for the phone number or something else to contact Bruce Meyer. I am NOT in the mood for selling it right now.
It was found after the restoration, the car is restored as it was, this dash hasnt been in the car since the 50´s. It sure beongs to the car but I dont think this one will ever be in the car even if Meyer owned it?!.



My plan with the dash is to build a replica of the car as it looked from the beginning, with the cromed chrysler front end and a 46 mercury engine and ORD heads and intake.

 

No way I would get rid of the dash.....I would love to have one of the tires off of the original Doane Spencer car. I would hold onto it and put it in my car and rub it like a silk purse everytime I drove it.......Just my opinion!!!

 

Billylo : I cant agree more then with you!
I will keep this dash til im 6 feet under. You should see the dash with your own eyes. its a beauty! its history. love it.

 

wow!

 

That original dash is bad ass! Glad it's in good hands.

Neal

 

This roadster is such a timeless example of a real American Hot Rod.

 

Martin (FlatheadRoadster) -

You can contact him via H.A.M.B. Private Message (conversation) ... just click: @Deuce Bruce.

 

Nice Roadster!

 

I hope you do build it and that dash is the perfect start.

 

Flatheadroadster..very cool find! i would sell it to a country a bit south of sweden ha ha..

talking about Neal East, i picked up the phone, and talked to him some months ago.
he was working with Jack Stewart some years, and i just wanted to ask if he had any stories.
he's a very friendly person, and liked to talk.
-palle

 

In Don Montgomery's book "Hot Rod Memories" on page 25, there is a picture of George Temple (Shirley Temple's brother) in what is listed as his 32 roadster which had solid hood sides and the stock windshield posts. The car has a very similar engine turned dashboard also. I have never read or seen anything else about this car. Is it an earlier version of Doane's car? if not does it still exist?

 

Definitely worth building a house around that "doorknob"

 

Wow, congrats to that score. I look foorward to see the car you have plans to build,must say i like it very mutch and the dash is fantastic.
Thanks.

 

39Truck: thanks man, I "only" need to get the rest. I just have the dash for the moment. need to get the projects Im working on right now done first.

so if any one got a nice henry roadster left over let me know!

 

I remember seeing it several times in the 70's at LARS with the Hallibrands (and the hardtop on at least once)

Then on the back of a trailer in the parking lot of the 2nd Hot Rod Reunion in grey primer, a couple of years before it got restored.