Folks Of Interest Jeff Jones' Ed Roth's Mysterion

I read some where that THEE Jack Walker jokingly said that he was gonna take the body and place it in the medium of the interstate in Kansas City and tell everybody that the Aliens had crash landed the UFO . Fact or Fiction.

 

Jack and Doug Thompson have both told me that story, they joked about it only, as in wouldn't this be funny if we could.....?

Jack knows more than anyone else about where it was in the period between when Doug Wright sold it and its disappearance. The gist of his info is that it was stored in a shop he knew of in the Belton area where he lives, and then I believe the landlord locked it up due to non-rent payment and sold everything.

There was a painter in Tulsa who went by the name of the Bearded One and he did work for Jack. Jack said the Mysterion remains spent some time there. Ed said in the Thacker book that it was in some guy's garage in Tulsa. Well, that info came from Bob Larivee who got it from Jack. Lots of second and third hand info flying around. Bob tells the story that the engines went to Roth along with the axles in his semi hauler; but the Thacker book clearly show a photo of the axle-less Mysterion sitting there with the engines.

Jeff writes in the book how Roth told many different versions-quoted in books and magazines- of what happened and they all contradict each other. I knew Ed since he was 28, we were friends and I was around him a lot. Anyone who has spent considerable time with him will tell you that he liked exaggerating for effect. He liked to make outrageous statements with a cool, laidback, dry delivery. John Goodman did his voice pretty well in that Rat Fink movie. But if you want to hear exactly how he talked, go to youtube and listen to Frank Zappa on Letterman.

 

I knew the Bearded one from back then and remember the story on the Mysterion. He did tell me he wound up with the body and set it out behind his shop because it was so ugly.. He told me a young kid came buy one day and ask if he could buy it. Dick(the bearded one) said sure and sold the kid the body. To my knowledge it was never seen again.

 

So far I haven't been able to find a video of the auction, do the links work? Is there something Live? Jeff Congratulations. Linda and I do understand your point: let others enjoy the art, it's collecting dust and taking up valuable space, we're moving. We do think your gonna miss it.

 

They broadcast the auction live on the web but I don't know an archive version. I have a request into them as we speak to see if there is one available. I would think there is, just to make the lawyers happy of nothing else. I was in church when the auction was happening so didn't hear it but friends recorded an excerpt. Kinda glad I wasn't there 'cause they started out at $40K and there wasn't any action!! I would have had a heart attack at that point. Then it went up to $75K and it immediately jumped to $100K, and two bidders took it from there. Don't believe the $246K and change listed at Sotheby's site. That includes the buyer's fees. The gavel price was $220K out of which I had to pay 10% seller's fees. Then figure 50% income tax (highest marginal rates for Feds and Kalif) over whatever my accountant says is basis and I will be getting a LOT less than sale price. No problem, I was expecting a gavel price in the $100K range so this was an incredible result.

I really won't miss it that much. Consider after it is done you have to be EXTREMELY careful around it so you don't chip the paint, I had nowhere to store it so the tires wouldn't rot, to prevent the car getting covered with dust, avoid chrome starting to bubble and pit, etc. I have all my pictures and stuff and hopefully new owner will put it on display so I can visit it!

 

Such a beautiful car and a well executed clone. Thanks for sharing the pictures and stories @Tom davison

 

That's interesting what you say here - I guess that's the reason why many fantastic high-end customs/hot rods from back in the day fell into neglect after having been finished and showed around. The owners just did not have place, time, money and energy to keep it perfect for years and years.

 

I was at a charity Christmas party at the Stahl Collection in Chesterfield, Michigan on Wednesday.

I was SO EXCITED to see this!

The Stahl Collection contains some amazing, rare and valuable vehicles, memoribilia and automated musical instruments.

Jeff's Mysterion drew a crowd!


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WOW! Finally found out who bought my car! Thanx for the photo. I so hope he puts it on display so people can enjoy Ed's genius.

 

Your Genius Too! Don't go sell'n yourself short Jeff. Oh and Merry Christmas all.

 

I've been in contact with the mechanic at the museum talking about the car. He had a lot of questions (I knew he would!) about how it goes together. Most gratifying is that he wants to consult with me on any changes they need to make to be sure those changes don't compromise the authenticity I strove for. He said they museum is thrilled with the car from the owner to the janitor! It appears it couldn't have gone to a better home.

He said they did find a crack on one of the spring hangers that bolt to the rear axle. I had gusseted those brackets to avoid that but he said the crack started below the gusset. It was on the passenger side one to which bolts the pan-hard bar and the side forces of that bar on the bracket from the bouncing 2000mi trip in the transport truck initiated the crack. We discussed a fix to beef up that member to prevent further such damage. The bracket on the other side of the car was fine since it doesn't receive that side loading. Trucking show cars is really tough on them! We also decided it would be good to set the frame on blocks during shipping to unload the delicate suspension on this car. They are going over the car with a fine toothed comb to beef up weak points to prep it for a lot of trucking around the country to various exhibitions.

 

No offense ....

But a hauler should never tie to a spring hanger.

They should use axle straps to the axle or frame.

They should not tighten down against the suspension,
if it is set up properly - it should be allowed to travel freely
up and down.

I routinely transport fragile vehicles - some are over 100 years old.

I fasten at (4) points minimum & pull towards the center,
this keeps the vehicle from being pulled apart.

Putting the frame on blocks & fastening down against the suspension
still puts a load on the suspension - if the vehicle falls off the blocks
it can shift inside the trailer and get damaged.

It is better to block all (4) wheels from the side to the trailer walls
to eliminate side shifting - you can also block the front & rear wheels
from moving forwards & backwards.

If you are going to provide tie down points to the car - bolt or weld (4) points of attachment to the four corners of the frame.

1904 Ford Model B - the only unrestored original of (5) known



1915 Stanley Steamer 12 Passenger Mountain Wagon - one of two hauled last year - there are less than (10) remaining - I have transported four total of those - about $2.5 million valuation for all.



Jim
HAMBer since 3008
Alliance Member since 2008

 

They did tie to the axle, not the hanger. The bouncing in the truck swayed the body on its springs and the pan-hard bar stiffened that spring hanger so it stayed still while the body/chassis bounced up, down and slightly sideways with no shock absorbers in the rear to dampen the stresses. That was a fatigue crack, not an overstress failure. Mysterion was NOT a well designed automobile but was a superbly designed piece of art. This defect is easily worked around for future hauling. The museum mechanic has a lot of good ideas to modify the design while not affecting its authentic appearance.

 

Understood

But that car has been transported countless times - sometimes chain binders are use in transport - sometimes hooks are used to any secure looking point of attachment.

It is a good idea to have an engineered & designated point of attachment for transport purposes on any custom built vehicle.

Jim

 

That's the approach they are taking. With the beef I built into the repro chassis and with the more beefing they are adding I imagine it will be fine for the duration. Back in the day Ed was cranking out a car per year for Revell so he didn't have time to give these issues any thought.

 

Just a thought but dragsters sometimes have inflatable bladders placed under the chassis during transport to eliminate trucking damage. Awesome car and great stories.

 

Another thing that the long truck ride showed up was the front tie rods unscrewed! Ed didn't use jamb nuts on any of the 20 or so rod ends on the suspension, I assume for aesthetics. He surely know they would be necessary on a driving car. I didn't use them either and always planned on setting all the links and 'gluing' in the setting with LokTite. I never got around to it and with the severe caster on the axle (matching Ed's), the bouncing unscrewed the rods.

 

Jeff and Tom, your work is just stunning!

i watched Jeff's thread and couldn't believe what he is doin' there, and Tom, ya pics don't need any comment, admirable is the word. keep on, one more reason to keep true to the H.A.M.B.

Cheers, Carsten

 

I just finished my 1/8 scale model of the car. I actually started the model in 2001, years before building the 1:1 version. I made the fiberglas body and nose and bubble top, engines trannys, frame rails but hit a wall making any other parts since I found I didn't know enuf about the car. After the big build I was confident to finish the model. I was asked by Mark Gustavson who runs the National Model car Museum in Salt Lake to give a presentation on the model at next May's GSL Model Contest and convention. This will be the final contest after a couple decades run. I am very honored.

 

Holy shit!!!


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Jeff, you just blew my mind, awesome!
Simply amazing detail!
KK

 

You Sir have an obsession ...That car was beautiful then and it's beautiful now.

 

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Mark there"s your shifter!! Well knob wise.

 

It aught to be pretty good. Been working on and off on it for most of 20 years!!!

Yep!

 

I 'm having a hard time arriving at the total number of hours it took to build that. Was this a side project to all the others you have done that would fall under the category "some day but not important" ? Very impressive.

 

I am lucky to have been blessed with good patience. Started this model in 2001, worked on it for a few months, then put it away until this year. Never considered not doing it, God willing. Don't see the burden of the big project, am able to only see the task at hand; carve a seat, solder up a spindle, etc., etc. I keep making parts until I can't think of any more to make, stand back and look and viola! a finished project!!

I also make it a point to NEVER care about the cost or time involved. I spend money on a project if I have it, don't spend if I don't. Unfinished projects sit around until I have the motivation to attack them. Usually takes a motivation like Mark Gustavson asking me to display the model @ the GSL model show in May. Or the wife saying a honey-do has to get done!

 

Just WOW!!! Nuff said.

 

Patiently waiting for the book about making the model.

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