I bought this 29 on 32 rails at auction and looking for any information on it. The paperwork says it was built in the late 60’s by Tom Prufer. It had a small block Ford, C4 and polished Jaguar rear. There is a lot of polished and chrome work on the underside including the trans case and bellhousing. It looks like it spent time in the Midwest and then ended up in northern New England around 2003. Any help is appreciated. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That's a good looking example of a 60's build. You should post some pics on the 60's car thread. You are going to be busy keeping all that shiny stuff clean though. I see that he cheated and ran the exhaust pipes under the diff center.
Is this the same one ? Called "act three" in the write up https://m.ebay.com/itm/1929-Ford-Hi...od-Article-Act-Three-Tom-Prufer-/302262632206
Tom Prufer is easily found. Still living. Built many, many styled hot rods in his image ..... one of which owned by our own late, 3WLarry back in his days of mullet mania. Prufer is still building rods ..... and while they all have the look .... they also are built on GO. Motored up for fun. Good looking car. Congrats'. Check out the "Cop Shop Coupe" and stay awhile. Search function here, and Google is your friend.
I don't think that's the same car, not unless they changed, the rear end, the tail lights, the deck lid, the hood sides, the front shocks, and front axle.....
Thanks, that’s why I was hoping to find a past owner. One of the papers I got with the car said the tail pan with the GTO taillights was swapped out but that doesn’t explain the axle etc. there are a lot of similarities though...accident maybe? Would anyone know how to get a hold of Tom? I tried googling him and can’t find any contact info. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
P-Wood owned the feature car back around 89-90 with his then wife Tracy. The way that car appeared in R.A. Was after the build by Pete & Jake’s Hot Rod Repair back Round 1974, The roadster has been totally reworked by the 80’s and it was a great looking Roadster This shot was taken back in Oct 89 . The car that was shown by the OP at the top could be one of Tom’s other A’s built perhaps earlier it being Jag suspended.
I always wondered what had happened to this car. It was well known in the early 70’s and was one of my favorites from the time. It was originally painted orange and had deep dish mags with wide tires at all 4 corners, which gave it a different look by today’s standards. It was featured in an issue of the short lived “Street Rod” magazine and was also on the “cover” of R&C during the few issues it was just an insert in Hot Rod Magazine. That “cover” was similar to this photo from Rodder’s Journal. It was shown in the Oakland Roadster Show a couple of times and was runner-up once. Prufer repainted it black and an early “Street Rodder” magazine had a single picture of it in form at Oakland. Rodder’s Journal # 63 on Prufer talks a little about it and has several pictures. http://zrpw33hbwgh46u4e45jaopegm.wp...14/05/Rodders-Journal-Issue-63-Tom-Prufer.jpg
Now that car looks like yours, with the head lights mounted in front of the shocks. The stands look the same, the hood sides have two rows of louvers, the headlight wires go in the grill shell, the shocks have pin grommets instead of loops, the spreader bar is mounted with four bolts. Congratulations.....
I was fortunate enough to speak with Mr Prufer on the phone yesterday...great guy! He said that he built my car between 1959 - 1964 while he was living in Tucson. Said it was one of the first to use a Jaguar rear and it was the only one like that he built. It is the one that is on the cover of the R&C insert. Said the upholstery was done by Kenny Foster who was “the best around”. When he sold it he believes it went to a guy in Ohio and he lost track of it until he saw it at a Mecum auction around 2000. I believe that is when the last owner bought it. He said it has been red, orange,yellow and black, “and that’s when I owned it”. I am going to mail him some pictures this week and he is going to let me know what Is original to his build “as far as I remember, it was a long time ago”. I’ll post when I get his reply. Thanks for all the input. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Amazing to see it hasn't changed much except for the wheels, tires, and the pie-pan disc brake covers.
IT looks very similar to tom Prufers 29 roadster which was listed on page 88 of Andy Southard Jr hot rods and customs of the 1970s that I have but the side louvers look different. Hope that helps Mercuryguy
The Jalopy Journal
