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SoCal Caddy Sportscar

Discussion in 'New to the H.A.M.B.? Introduce yourself here!' started by c322348, Oct 15, 2008.

  1. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Hi! I joined this board primarily to find parts to complete the restoration of my car and maybe sell any extra stuff I have left over.

    My car is a 1955 Allied Falcon coupe, basically a 1950s version of a kit car, a sports car special. It features a fiberglass body sitting atop a shortened 1950 Ford chassis and was originally powered by a 1953 331 inch Cadillac engine with a LaSalle 3 speed manual transmission. The car was built by a dentist by the name of Stanley Richards of Evanston, Illinois (a suburb just north of Chicago), with most of the fabrication performed by Ullrich Automotive, also in Evanston.

    I still have the custom fabricated intake manifolds with the original 4 side-draft carbs which I will use with the overhauled engine.

    Here are a few photos of the car as it was:

    [​IMG]

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    Here it is now:

    [​IMG]

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    Anyhow, I'm now in the parts gathering mode so I can start the restoration in earnest.

    I'd be curious to know if you see any other similar (fiberglass bodied) cars. I know there was one featured recently in Hot Rod Magazine.

    Thanks!

    Brandon
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
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  2. scottybaccus
    Joined: Mar 13, 2006
    Posts: 4,109

    scottybaccus
    Member

    I wish every intro was so cool!

    Welcome. Where's the rest of your shopping list?!
    (now I'll step aside for all the real history buffs)
     
  3. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Hey, thanks for that! I think what is really unusual is the documentation for a mid-1950s built hot rod. I have most of the correspondence from the purchase of the body in Los Angeles to the invoices from Ullrich Automotive.

    My dad saw the car at the show the Evanston Review article covered. The owner sold it to a neighbor when he developed health problems and then my dad bought it in early 1961 when the second owner sold it. My dad liked the car so much he had clipped the Review article and saved it, only to buy the car of his dreams a few years later. He raced it on track days at some of the Chicago area sports car tracks and drove it almost daily until 1971 (my mom had the '63 Vette roadster). So I guess you could say I spent my childhood riding in V-8 powered sports cars. I sat on the pad behind the shifter on the console of the Vette until I was 11 years old (in 1973) when my parents bought a Vega, but still remember riding in the Allied which by then had a 1961 Vette engine installed.

    Once I get more into the car I'm sure the shopping list will grow! :eek:

    Thanks again,

    Brandon


     
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  4. GaryM
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 215

    GaryM
    Member

    rbrewer likes this.

  5. Cris
    Joined: Jan 3, 2005
    Posts: 818

    Cris
    Member
    from Vermont

    There's a guy on here that was fortunate enough to be good friends with the Ullrich's. His name is Bluto. PM him. I am sure he'd be interested in this subject.

    Cool car. Welcome to the HAMB.

    Cris
     
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  6. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Thanks. I've seen those. They adapt to a modern transmission. I am looking to adapt from my 1960 vintage 390 to a Lasalle trans.

     
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  7. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Done! Sent Bluto a PM. Thanks!!!!!

     
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  8. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    [​IMG]

    Here's the chassis as of last Saturday. Wheels need to be refurbished yet but it rolls, stops and steers. All the chassis and suspension components have been powder coated semi-gloss black.

    Engine has been overhauled and next things to do are replacing the firewall, pulling apart and inspecting the LaSalle trans, getting the clutch sorted and putting all that into/onto the chassis.
     
  9. Hello And Welcome To The H.A.M.B. Enjoy Your Ride!!!
     
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  10. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    rbrewer likes this.
  11. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

  12. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Why yes, I think that should do it!!! Neat stuff. Gary
     
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  13. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Cleaned and repainted the 1950s vintage Dayton wire wheels. Tires are Firestone branded Coker tires in 6.70x15 except for the one in the middle which is the original Montgomery Wards Riverside Air Cushion spare.

    Tire store didn’t really want to mount the tires because they had no experience with tubes!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

  15. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    WONDERUFL. I'd sure like to see this in person some day. And get a ride!
     
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  16. Phillips
    Joined: Oct 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,496

    Phillips
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    How did I miss this one!? Stumbled on to the thread looking for Excalibur J photos. Thank you for sharing the history and the project, looking forward to updates.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  17. rod1
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,324

    rod1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Wow , too cool. I knew you were building an interesting Cad, but what it is going into just changed the playing field.
     
  18. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Hoping for a road test today!
     
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  19. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Well, got the car to a couple of car shows over the past few months, the local Ruby's Whittier show around Halloween and the Grand National Roadster Show. I was fortunate to win plaques at both. This project has been fraught with delays for one reason or another.

    One of course was getting the car ready for the engine installation. Last August we installed the engine and were getting it tuned up and it seemed to have a head gasket leak, coolant in the oil, with fewer than 10 minutes of running time at idle or slightly above. We pulled the engine and returned it to the engine shop to find out what went wrong. Turns out there was a pinhole in the bore and as the coolant warmed up it shot through the hole into the crankcase. One sleeve later we got the engine back whereupon I dropped it on my middle finger and broke it. Luckily the engine was unharmed.

    Just today I trailered the car to Superior Automotive in Placentia to get it dyno tuned. The car would start and idle OK, but upon acceleration it would pop and bang and want to quit. With the air/fuel probe attached to the dyno, we could see that it wasn't too small of an accelerator pump shot as I was thinking. Once the stock Caddy vacuum advance was disconnected and the port in the manifold plugged, it ran great and just needed a little fine tuning of the linkage and idle mixtures. Air/fuel ratio was between 11-13 once everything was adjusted.

    Now time for the power run. Part way into the first run it was clear that I had a detonation problem on 92 octane unleaded. Luckily I had a few gallons of 100/130 Avgas in my trailer which solved that problem. I had very high expectations for this engine but was thwarted once again. My skinny Coker/Firestone 6.70X15 tires just couldn't hold traction on the dyno drum! Max power to the wheels was 134 HP and 176 Ft-Lbs at about 4,100 RPM, or about 160 HP estimated at the flywheel. That was only at about 3/4 throttle though and the HP had been increasing at a constant slope from 2,300 RPM. Torque was level at about 170 Ft-Lbs from 3,500 RPM up to 4,100 RPM where I had to abort.

    Still a few more bugs to work out on the car, but the engine and quad-Weber log manifold setup work great.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2022
  20. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    0E479E60-97AB-4AB8-94B5-FDB07ACD56B1.jpeg
     

    Attached Files:

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  21. KJSR
    Joined: Mar 7, 2008
    Posts: 2,494

    KJSR
    Member
    from Utah
    1. Utah HAMBers

  22. El Mirage Garage
    Joined: May 26, 2021
    Posts: 135

    El Mirage Garage
    Member

    Being a sucker for the unusual, I’m totally blown away with this thing. I’ve always loved these 50s to early 60s glass kit cars especially when combined with American V-8 power. The styling is very reminiscent of the Italian coach builders of the day and it’s obvious that you took your time, did the research and rebuilt this car to a very high standard. It’s just beautiful, I just wish I could see it in person.
     
  23. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

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  24. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

  25. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Recent photo. Taking care of a few small squawks yet, but nothing significant!
     

    Attached Files:

  26. rod1
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,324

    rod1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    What a great car, with such rich history,Thanks for sharing.
     
  27. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Thanks, it has been quite a journey. Still fiddling with that last 2% but it runs and drives pretty well. Looks like the clutch slave cylinder needs a little more throw and I'm planning to change out the steering arm for a longer one (for less turns at the wheel).
     
    Surfcityrocker and rod1 like this.
  28. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,185

    sdluck
    Member

    Thank you for sharing this is pretty amazing
     

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