Ryan submitted a new blog post: The Robert Stack Model-A Roadster Continue reading the Original Blog Post
That photo has been around online for some time now. Funny the way his son describes his career, when I think of Robert Stack the first thing that comes to mind is the character Elliot Ness in the TV series The Untouchables.
Like many of his era he was involved in a lot of cool stuff. Along with hot rods many of them were avid Sportsmen. Since Sodak is the Pheasant hunting Capitol of the world many celebs and dignitaries spent time here in the fall. I believe I have seen pics of Stack along with fmr Govenor and WW2 Ace Joe Foss out on a hunt Here. 1962 Fall Pheasant opener. Joe Foss, General Jimmy Doolittle and Robert Stack. SDPTV has a good writeup on them but the firewall at work won't let me open it.
His voice on Unsolved Mysteries still gives me the chills, as it did when I was a child and the theme music would come on.
My fifteen minutes of fame came on the series... I was going to summer camp at Prude Ranch in Fort Davis, TX when they did a casting call for the whole camp. They needed three little kids to ride in the back of a model-a sedan for the story telling/reenactment portion of the show. I got picked. The shoot took all day... maybe two? And we sat in the back of this god damned sedan in the middle of a west Texas summer for hours on end wearing 1930's clothes made of wool and other heavy shit. They would roll cameras, we'd drive down the highway at 20 mph for like 30 seconds... and then, they would reset and do it all over... again and again... It was miserable. When the show finally aired like a year later, the clips we were in amounted to less than 30-seconds... and the only thing anyone ever saw of me was the side of my face in the backseat as the camera focused on the driver up front. It's a wonder I ever regained a love of old Fords...
Here's the episode: To further frustrate me 35 years later, it looks as though my scenes didn't make the cut of this... cut? I sort of remember this? Like they did a full episode on the lights, aired it once (maybe only in our region since we were close to Marfa?) and then did a shortened cut for the main episode? I don't know... But I'm pissed all over again. Gonna call my moms and see if she remembers what the deal was. I do remember that model T... I think it's still at Prude Ranch as lawn art... and the school teacher they interviewed was definitely one of our camp counselors...
@David Zivot is on here. Post #11 on this thread is worth a follow up. This dude is a special guy on this platform. Too quiet .. though, I'd say. "..this \/ \/ thread" : https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/pre-war-electric-fuel-pumps.1140623/ EDIT : Also another interesting link, discussing the record setting four being acquired by David. Written in 2013, discussing a replica build. Obviously preceding the post above discussing acquiring the original body. ".. another interesting \/ \/ link" : https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Robert_Stack's_1931_Ford Anyhoo', have a great day !!!
Ryan now you know your empire is getting too large when you don't recall EVERY single link to an article on your own website!
@Ryan - I was a junior counselor at the Prude Ranch back in the '80s. Mostly it involved taking care of the horses and leading the younger kids on trail rides a few times per day. Beautiful country out there in Fort Davis - my extended family still goes out there every year for July 4th.
I went to prude ranch from 1985 to 1989... You could have been one of the horse guys when I was there... I had two horses: Paint Brush and Dick. I remember them both being legendary for their temperaments and their barrel speed. My oldest went to Prude Ranch as well... So I've been back recently. It hasn't changed AT ALL.
Here is that clip https://www.sdpb.org/blogs/sports-a...eneral-james-dolittle-and-actor-robert-stack/
What a great story! He was such a talented man. I remember seeing him in a French film once. At first I thought it must have been dubbed, but the actor's voice was so much like Robert Stack's voice, I couldn't believe it. I then realized it really was Robert Stack speaking in French.
That time period of racing is so fascinating. His roadster had some real craftsmanship behind it. Al Jepson intake. I wonder how many of these or other speed equipment were made by Al.
Yea, Bob was a cool dude fer sure, but they sure wrecked a lot of old cars during the 'Untouchables' run. I watch it now and bum about the early tin carnage. Wonder if he had the inside track on cool cars during those years.
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