Me and a buddy came across this while roadtrippin in Connecticut last summer. It was for sale. Anyone know what happened to it? It would look killer with the right stance and a couple of minor touches. https://flic.kr/p/2ctoT49 https://flic.kr/p/2aNN3RC https://flic.kr/p/2ctoT1U https://flic.kr/p/2ctoSW5
Interesting piece for sure. Lots and lots of work there, showing its' age now. Bet this '40 was the talk of the town when it first hit the streets. Wish we had some history on it. Anybody out there know anything about the builder/owner and when it all happened?
Very cool...someone's got to have more on it...Kustomrama and Custom Car Chronicle come to mind both who are members here. Look forward to more info. Glad it's still around.
Only piece I like on the Earl Bruce 40 are the taillights,the filled quarter windows would have worked with the doors extended and the roof shortened ala 3window coupe style. It seems to me someone pulled that off awhile back, anyone?
We all had to start somewhere. Looking back at some of my early work makes me shake my head also. I'd love to have it today, bet I could Fix it. The Wizzard
Sure is different but it's hard to improve the body lines of a 40 coupe Henry got that one right from the factory.
I like different and custom ideas that are pleasing too the eye, but filled quarter windows and placement of the exhaust sort of killed the classic beauty of the '40.
Surely agree, hopefully it'll see the return of some it's original lines in its next evolution. Cool find.
If you chopped the top and screwed up the shape of the quarter windows, it may be understandable. To just fill the quarter windows to make it different or customized is just wrong to me! Even though the Creaseman coupe had it done back in the day, doesn't make it right. Although on the Earle Bruce coupe it makes it Iconic!
Wrong is wrong is wrong, kind of like this lack of good belt contact on the water pump. Think he had a little heat issue? Oh, ya all Hot Rod Flat Heads do right? The Wizzard
I'd like to take it on..therefore glad it survived. I would make changes to it like I always do (to make it my own). I'd remove that front bumper (angle is wrong, and it's too heavy looking). I'd re-work the front fenders into a flare going towards the rear extending the flare into the door (think '38 Chev).. to match the rear fender flare treatment. Expose quarter windows, extend drip rails (I could care less who filled them in, in the past, it would never convince me to think it was any kind of an improvement from factory). Route exhaust under car or possibly forming them into newly created running board/side exhaust. Replace rear bumper, also too heavy looking. Hopefully someone will make THEIR own changes to it, to make this car their own. Keeping the car in its present state would not be an option for me. Cool thing about this hobby is we all have our own ideas..keeping it interesting (and this car is certainly interesting).
Ok, guess nobody know what happened to it then. Chop the top, remove the fender extensions and a better stance, and it would look better than what most of you people have built.. is my opinion Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I had that magazine. Both cars are ugly. Just because it got done in the past, it doesn't follow that it was a good idea.
It doesn't look to bad on the mag cover.....Does anyone know if that Bruce car is still around? I saw a similar car at the '40 Ford show in Anaheim a few years ago? Gull wing at 14K? Wow...... Edit: I just searched in the custom forum and it is still around. That must of been the car I saw that day.....
If you had the text from the old ad there may be dots to connect to it's origin. The other thing is that original b&w image did that have any writing on the back or an internet trail? Lastly the last owner who sold it...if they sold it may have clues again to the origin. It's a time capsule that has evaded the modern hacking so many survivors have went through. I'd restore it to its former custom glory...by the b&w it may never have been fully completed. I see this tone often between Hotrod and Custom...heck I don't think the two groups could meet in the same room at the best of times...without negativity flying. Getting the paint back up to speed and proper stance it would look killer in my eyes...it's a period Custom. I see it has passed through the CCC without any light shed on it's past either... Thanks for sharing @Mats-Henrik...
I agree. You guys have to realize this was more than likely built before 1955. Built with torches and hack saws. I don`t really accept the 2018 version of what a custom and hot rod should look like. So you guys think it should of been upgraded in the late 80`s with pastel colors and billet wheels. The 2018 version of what a hot rod or custom should look like will pass with the times also. One of the fads of today is black wheels and airbags with the cars suspension looking broken. I hope will soon pass. I feel I need to start a thread about this subject.
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