History Is the Joe Gemsa T roadster still around?

just a few years back i remember someone selling 2 or 3 Gemsa motors on the MTFCA forum. sorry, dont know where they went

 

We just got it running . It is in northern California .

 

I just read through this thread .... so the southern California body/chassis was assumed to be but has now been proven not to be from the looks of the post above mine.

Cool that it still survives intact.

 

GREAT NEWS GTO George!!!!!!!!!!!!! So glad the car looks the way it does, I had a hard time believing it could have gone down hill as bad as some photos showed it. Bob

 

Where are my manners, WELCOME TO THE HAMB!

Bob

 

Too cool to not have enlarged pics!

 

Thanks for the enlargements! That car looks great, just the right amount of aging, looks like a dirt sprint car mid season. Bob

 

I like the buggy step so you can hop in on the drivers side !

 

Thanks Bob

 

Amazing!!!

 

I'll never forget the first time I saw this car .
I was at a swap meet with my dad & Joe came driving in .
It looked so cool & had a great sound !

 

OMG that's bitchin - my favorite T, period.

 

Can you please provide photos of the frame?

 

The chassis is the same one as when Johnyeyeball had it, so I'm curious as to what chassis GTO George is running.

 

Gemsa's car looks absolutely unchanged in these new pics to me. Why would you think the frame has been changed?

Frankly, I expect that Gemsa's frame is better constructed than Johnyeyeball's frame.

 

I'm honestly not too sure man. There's conflicting stories, so I'm trying to figure out what is what.
I think some up close photo's of George's frame would help the situation.

 

When I had my shop, I had a couple of 'old hot rods' in for 'repairs' that were said to be certain cars built by guys of some fame years previous.
Luckily, I had some 'older friends' that just happened to be the original builders of both these cars, (both 'T's)
Chet, flag starter at Fremont Drags, had been 2nd owner of the '22 'T' turtledeck roadster, and had assisted in its build: Owner 'Amaral' had one arm, and Chet helped him pound out the amazing aluminum racecar nose, among other things (chassis, running gear)
Chet pointed out areas in Model 'A' frame disputing its 'said origin'...Numbers also didn't jibe.

One more car that didn't appear to match pics (wheelbase, engine placement, etc.) was critiqued by fellow shop owner, across the Permanente railroad line.
Gene A. came over and looked at the second example...told stories of chasing jackrabbits 'off the road' coming back from B'Ville, new owner of the 'T' was adamant about it being 'strong enough for hot rod driving'!
Gene said "This ain't the same frame, body looks like it, rear end too, but frame, engine/trans and front end's different. Cross members too..."

Funny how shit gets mixed up...

 

Well that's why I'm asking for photos of the frame, to clear all this up!

 

The magazine feature shows the front frame horns with no holes in them. The recent complete car pics looks the same. The bare frame has speed holes drilled there.

I know holes can be drilled later, but....

 

Look at the frame rails, the depth of them is greatly different.

 

Hard to believe this car has ever been changed since the original build .
Even the pinstriping on the front crossmember is original !

 

Agreed... The plate mount rear Look's Legit as well as the plate number...

 

I think cars get lost once they wind up in "Collections". Took me 40 years to find the "Crazy Chris" speedster with the Record head I rode around LA in back in 1974, it can't be bought.

Bob

 

I've never read a history of this car. Gemsa was reportedly a wheeler-dealer of race cars and parts. Based on nothing but the car's design and appearance, his photographed driving antics in the dirt, and my speculations, I've always thought that Gemsa probably acquired a dirt track car and cleaned it up and modified it for street use.

 

How interesting, our frames are identical! I wonder if he made more than one of these frames

 

I'm struck by how sturdy-looking those hairpin radius rods are - much larger and beefier than modern street-oriented parts, and consistent with a rough-n-tumble / wheel-to-wheel dirt track racing heritage

 

Someone earlier in this thread mentioned they always wondered if the Gemsa T was an old dirt track racer that was repurposed as a street car. If that is correct, then your frame and the Gemsa T frame may be examples of a readily available dirt track chassis made by some company unrelated to Gemsa. Similar to Dragmaster making a bunch of cars for the strip, maybe your chassis and the Gemsa chassis came from ______ made for the dirt.

Just a thought as it would explain why the two are so similar.

 

Gemsa's car isn't ready yet?