I agree 110%. I'm nervous like I've never been owning this car. I know it's something special and it deserves better treatment than it's had in the past several years. If I can't give it that time and respect, I will pass it on to someone who can. At the moment, I'm just thrilled it's mine and it's not getting parted out for a rat rod build. Preservation is my goal.
48Ragtop...Bill,I thought Dougs car was a 60...Last info I had on Doug,he was president of Lincoln Cont Club He should be still listed in Dallas white pages... Thanks Bobby
Bobby, Thanks for the info! Doug Mattix was the president of the LCOC 1997-2005. I can't find his contact info, but have reached out to another LCOC staff member with the same last name, in hopes of finding some info. Thanks again!
The public info I can find says he's 74. I hope he's well and can tell me more. I'll keep everyone updated here.
Yes Please keep us posted and in your spare time,go help load a few trucke with some long missed "Blue Bell"..I'm haveing hunger pangs..
Well, I'm hitting a dead end w/ Doug's contact info. The phone number isn't good any longer and I'm getting zero replies via email.
4X2 intakes were made by Cragar & Weyand. The 3X2 seems to be scarce even compared to those because of the lack of CFM with 3 3 bolt carbs. Have speculated that to get 3 97s to run decently the end carbs should be Primary & the center one as a secondary, unless running non-progressive linkage. Doesn't seem to have been many long tail 331s installed in the 54 models.
I remember the car on the circuit back then. Definitely not a Barris car. Looks like the metalflake didn't hold up too well!
If ,in fact,that is Doug Mattox old Edsel...Doug always did his own work from his home in Dallas never claimed any association to Barris
Thanks for all the help guys. Bobby, any help you can lend is greatly appreciated. George, my understanding of 54 331ci. Hemis is that the non-cast bell housings were used on the 4bbl cars and the cast bell housings motors were used on 2bbl cars. Only about 10% of Hemis were 4bbl, across all years of the early hemi. My facts could be all wet, as I'm just reading what's out there on the webs. The car is running Rochester 2G carbs front and rear and a 2GC w/ choke in the middle. All three carbs are 4-bolt. I've been told that less than 100 of these Weiand tri-power intakes were made. Tom, the past two owners let the car sit outside w/o a car cover. The climate down here isn't kind to paint. Damp humidity in the morning and scorching hot sun in the afternoon. The car is currently sitting outside w/ a car cover on over night, removed in the morning and put back on at noon. I wish I had a place to keep it inside, but it's not possible at the moment. In some old auction photos, referenced earlier in this post, it appeared the paint was holding up pretty good for being 45 years old. wbrw, I'm pretty sure it was the second or maybe third owner that was showing the car and claiming a Barris affiliation. That owner's name is Manuel DeBusk, of Dallas, TX. I believe he's the one responsible for the current interior as well. Thanks again, all!
The 10% for 4 bls applys to the De4Sotos. All Chr long tails were 2 bl & all Chr short tails were 4 bls. The 4 bl 54swere supposed to go in Imperials & NYer Deluxe, & the 2 bl in the NYer, but seems maybe they changed their minds early on. I've heard that about the Wayand 3X2 production numbers, I'm guessing lack of CFM being the reason for no demand. The 2Gs over come that problem.
It's been a Silver Cloud intensive week. Still waiting to get approved from the Edsel & Classic Car Depot Facebook page so I can view the thread on the Silver Cloud. Supposedly there are some magazine clippings about the car on there...we'll see. I also received an email from Doug Mattix's wife. She's going to send me images of the car as she finds them. Very exciting!
I'll be damned, the car is pretty much unchanged since 1966. I ordered 3 copies of the magazine it appeared in, I'm so excited!
Awesome car. It's in really remarkable shape considering how the previous owners treated it. It definitely has a Black Beauty vibe about it with those Imperial headlights (which look great btw). Do what you can to preserve and enjoy it, and sell it to someone that will respectfully restore it to its mild custom beauty. Maybe Moriarity would be interested? I believe those are actually Chrysler wire wheels made by Motor Wheel Company. The only wire wheels I have seen for FoMoCo products of the '50s to early '60s were made by Kelsey-Hayes and were lip-laced. The Chrysler/Motor Wheels had a flat spot on the center cap where you could place an emblem for whatever marque the wheels were being fitted to. If you get the wheels off, take a look inside the rim to see if the manufacturer is listed. Congratulations on a great find!
Thanks! Yes, after reading the article above, it appears they are Chrysler Wires. My goal is to get it running right, fix the massive exhaust leaks, clean it up and enjoy. I have no intentions of repainting or altering in any way. I'll also have to undo some of the stuff the previous two owners have done to the car. My goal is preservation of the car and the collection of more documentation regarding the Silver Cloud.
Does anyone know Hill_County-rodshop? I sent him a PM, but so far no response. I'd like to buy that show poster or at the very least get a copy made. Thanks in advance for any help.
I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I'm selling the Silver Cloud. Shoot me a message if you want to make an offer. Thanks.
That car deserves to be preserved. Metalflake paint can be restored by spraying on new clear. Some early metalflake customs were sanded down and recleared every year to keep them fresh, they do the same with metalflake boats. The rest of the car seems to have hardly any miles on it. Should be possible to lubricate and free up everything, rebuild brakes, replace bad steering parts if necessary and of course, new shocks and tires. And have a car that drives like new with minimal work. Congratulations on saving a rare, interesting car from being destroyed.
Sorry you couldn't hold onto her, but I hope you find a buyer who is just as interested in preserving her. Best of luck!
By coincidence I bought a '60 Edsel 2 door sedan a couple of months ago. Mine is mostly stock with a straight 6 and 3 on the tree. Put yours on the Edsel.com site because I don't know how many other Edsel guys will see it on this site. If I can help you out in any way let me know....
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