Back in the 1950's Topps Chewing Gum Company put out a series of automobile trading cards. One of them had this hot rod on it, described as a hand built roadster. I remember having this card when I was a kid and thinking that this was a cool car. I'm just wondering about it's history, details,etc. Anybody remember it or have any information on it? Curious minds need to know.
It may never have existed or may have been a kit car. I'll bet if you could get your hands on some early '50s Popular Mechanics you would find something similar and directions how to build it.
Was that the one in popular mechanix? wooden body, put together from some odd parts. There is a post here on the HAMB. I had the Mechanix part right. http://blog.modernmechanix.com/build-your-own-mahogany-sports-car/ but the wrong car.
I don't think that's the one. Mechanics Illustrated, Popular Mechanics, and other mags showed several plans for do-it-yourself sports cars, specials, etc. and the Apach may have been one of them, but I don't know.
That car looks damn close to one Tom Penney, an antique dealer in Shapleigh ME was driving around a few years ago... unrestored & still going strong .. I do belivive that he has sold it though.? The one he had went to many crise nights in southern ME and hopefully someone else around here could shed more light on the subject. I think that Tom's was flathead powered.
All you need to know. http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjour....html?id=ae0f56e1-db40-463e-9ff4-47c539748dac
The Canadian "Apache" was built in the early 50's and still exists today. The builder/owner recently passed away. His car is a channeled 32 Ford roadster, and not the car depicted in the photo at the lead of this thread.
Guess there were a few names Apache -- for a second I though this was gonna be about George Veraka's 32 coupe built in the 50s -- Stow Mass.
Cool, but it looks like the turning radius might require an acre to turn around? Hard to tell from pics. Not good for a sports car if so. Bean Bandit looks like it could do so corners.
The wooden ones cool, air cooled motor, seal it off, throw a propeller out the pumpkin and go fishing.
There were quite a few of those home built sports cars done in the 40s and 50s.....probably copied from or inspired by plans in those magazines already mentioned. This one, the yellow one in the top picture, was built by a man in my home town of Aurora, MO in the late 40s--early 50s from two junkyard 1946 Hudsons. He and some friends transformed it into the sporty vehicle shown. Although the man lived down our street a couple blocks, I don't recall ever seeing the car as I was only around 6 years old. As you can see, it was on the cover of the January 1952 Motor Trend. I was told about this car and article by the builder's nephew a couple years ago. What I do recall is that the same man, Charlie, went on to try and build a fiberglass bodied roadster of similar style. I used to go look at it in a garage at the rear of his business building. His nephew said that car didn't turn out so well as the fiberglass didn't hold up....and it was eventually scrapped. Don't have any idea what happened to the yellow car.....maybe it's stashed in someone's barn somewhere.
You guys are amazing. Thanks to everyone who responded, especially Jimmy B. I really liked seeing that old article from HRM. After all these years, I still think the Apache is cool, especially the cockpit, with it's cut-down doors and upholstery.
It could well be. Here's the original plans. http://blog.modernmechanix.com/buil...if=speedball_special_01.jpg&Qiv=thumbs&Qis=XL
The horror...the horror... Looking at the photo top right of pg 10 in the plans you posted, I would say thats correct. God, what a waste...
The Apache still lives! I found it in 1998 in El Cajon Ca. and have since been doing research and collecting parts to do a proper restoration. It's amazing how much publicity this car had in it's day. I keep accidentally stumbling upon articles and photos of it. After it's appearance at the Oakland Grand National Roadster show, it featured on the cover of Hot Rod, then came the trading card, the cover of the Almquist Speed Equipment catalog, (with cycle fenders!) the Hot Rod Annual, and just recently I found a copy of Rod Builder and Customizer where it was changed a bit by the second owner. If anyone has spotted it anywhere else, or knows the car personally, I'd love to hear from you. And if anyone has the 1952 Oakland Roadster show program, I'd be interested in seeing how it was listed. Jeff
Eddie Pardue had a used car lot in San Carlos, Ca. when i was growing up. I would see that car fairly often when he drove it to work. In high school, I and a bunch of other kids drove Eddies buys from where they were to San Carlos. I remember driving a new Loyed from Walnut Creek to the lot. Nothing like turning a bunch of 17 year old kids in new, tiny, junky cars. I also remember driving Divco milk trucks from Morgen Hill. His lot had a large wood and plaster replica of the car on a pole along El Camino. This was between '59 and '61.
I would enjoy seeing cars built and recorded in threads like those featured in this thread. They are Real Hotrods. Not ratrods like most are . Here is one designed in the mid 30s by Edsell Ford. It was built twice as he was not happy with the stance of the first one. It has quite a history. I'm not sure of it's present location. I get's move to different museums. It is again owned by the Ford family.
The Jalopy Journal
