Pete Henderson roadster.....tell me about it.

mike,
do you have any pics of the restoration of the henderson roadster you could post it would be great to see some.
merry xmas.
thanks.
Al.

 

Hey Mike, click on the link below. When you go there click where it says "join group". Then all you have to do in the future is click where it says "manage your acount" and on the left it will say "social groups" click it and it will bring it up..........But you have to join the group first
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=70

Sean

 

It's part of our collection at the Flying "A" Garage in Winnemucca, Nevada. Let us know if you need any specific dimensions etc.

 

Is the roadster black? or a very dark blue?

 

At the GNRS in '07

 

Blue.........Packard?, Mike can tell you for sure.

 

Which Milestones book is it in? Hot Rod Milestones by Ken Gross? or by Dain Gingerelli?
Looking between the 2 I would guess the one by Gross, just wanting to know for sure!

What a roadster..............

 

Here you go Frank,.......



There was only one Gray,...... I miss him too

 

I remember when Bruce let Gray drive the iMACKulate T-ster!
The LARS Boys wouldn't let him in because of the "worn" condition of the car. For that iconic car,I'd made an exception.

Gray was my neighbor (Ernie Murashige) of 40yrs, Racing Partner and owner of the M-V Rolling Rice Bowl T and Bantam. I literally grew up with those cars out my front door. God-he was funny. Always in Jap Flaps

At the 1st Americruise in Springfield MO. Gray was was eating tri tip and brown beans and made a comment to Thom Taylor re: the double dose that Thom was eating as he was/is a Vegetarian as he passed the meanest wind that echoed on the wood bleechers where we all ate try to keep out of the rain.

Gray's Tank came by way R. Gudahl when it was dented and wanted a replacement. Pete Henderson is still active to my knowledge, He lives over on Loma in TC and has a bitchen lil Henderson 4 Barreler 1/2 midget.
Equally as nice as the roadster was/is.


Mike,
Heard about the transporter accident, thought the car had been sold and it been brought to you/Dad for repair Last time we talked is when you showed up @ the Petersen-parked on Wilshire Bl. with the 32 in the back of the Ryder Truck. Ken Gross was very excited and brought me down from the exibit that I was participating in just to show me this beautifuk restoration.

Kevin @ Cyclone

 

I wasn't gonna mention the damage

But you guys did a superb job on making it look good for Sunday.

Happy Christmas to you & your Dad

 

Mike ,
sure would like to see some rebuild picturs posted thanks

 

I will have to see if I'm savvy enough to do that. We rebuilt it before I even had computer access, much less a digital camera, so it may take some time to figure it out. We also shot video of the progress, on VHS, to send Pete as we progressed. Pete would reply and if there were any corrections to make we would do it. It was a neat car to do. Pete helped build the car we are redoing now and we are doing the same thing since he is the only guy left from that incarnation. Super neat guy, gotta love Pete Henderson.

 

This just came acroos my facebook page today.....



Tim Strange getting the nod to restore the "Henderson Roadster" it was chosen as one of the top 75 32 Fords for the GNRS a few years back, had been hurt in a transport accident, I am doing a full Concours resto on it, very good job and very cool to be chosen to restore this peice of history

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Supposedly I have the original frame under my 32 5 window ,that's what Del Clark told me ,He said he got it from one of the guys that restored it ? I hope this is true how cool that would be ha ha....................

 

Here are a couple of pictures of this roadster when it was featured in the movies. In my opinion, this was the best the car looked, and by far, the most famous. I think it was later channeled.

 

I've thought for years that this was the prettiest Deuce ever. Don't know why, but it always hit me hard. Especially with the top on it, damn, it's just insanely great looking. One of my all-time favorite cars of any genre, style, type, etc.

I've talked with Chuck and Mike a lot about it too, and they're super nice guys, and they did an outstanding job on the restoration.

 

I LOVE the PH roadster.....

Rat

 

I bet that 500 years from now this picture of the Roadster will be found under the definition of "Hot Rod" in Webster's Dictionary.



Some of rodding's biggest names Don Blair, Vic Edelbrock, Manny Ayulo, Jack McGrath, Ralph Guldahl, Art Chrisman, and almost Tom McMullen have helped shape this roadster's past. But it's lasting identity as the Pete Henderson roadster was secured the moment a horse got involved.

PS This pic of the Roadster on Daytona Beach when owned by Chuck and Mike Longley graces the cover of the current 15th anniversary volume of the Rodder's Journal. This is a best-of-best volume filled with the editors' picks from the past 15 years--you gotta spend a few hours with this one!

 

Just found this thread. Gotta chime in. There are parts on Von Franco's coupe that were under the car but not when Pete Henderson owned it. The rear crossmember and spring were there when Ansen's team drag raced the car. The odd steering box mount was from the same period and was needed to clear the nailhead Buick. I built that coupe to drive to college many moons ago. SRM did an under 30 feature on it the way I drove it. I used those parts because they weren't part of the roadster as we were restoring it to represent. That and I also needed steering box room for my engine install. I'm glad everybody likes the roadster and I hope Pete gets to play in it some more when it's done again. He sure enjoyed being reunited with it the last time. Regards-Mike

 

I meant re-found this thread. Duh.
As for build photos I have found some but most are on video as we did periodic updates rather than blow by blow documentary. There is one shot of dad and I sitting in it the day he unloaded it. I was 2 or 3. Now my 3 year old is already getting heavy into it. Must be something in the blood. Hang in there I'll try to get some help on photos for you all. Even I would like to see photos of the current rebuild. Maybe somebody has seen it lately? How is the old gal looking? The trucking co. did a number on her.

 

To help check this out I talked to renowned father-son, rod-builder and restorer team Chuck and Mike Longley. They owned the Henderson Roadster and your bitchen 5-window at the same time back in the 90's. Chuck found the roadster in the early 70's and restored it to its "Pete Henderson" period. I bought it from them about three years ago. Del Clark bought the coupe from the Longley's about 10 or 12 years ago. Mike drove the coupe to school (how cool would that be?). During his restoration research Chuck learned that another former owner of the roadster, the Ansen drag team, had changed out the rear spring and steering box mount when setting it up for the drags. Since these were valuable parts with some interesting history, but not consistent with the roadster's Pete-Henderson era, the Longleys decided to install them on Mike's coupe.

So, long story short, the coupe shares some interesting parts heritage with the Henderson and with that of the Ansen drag team of "Ansen Sprint" fame. The original frame is still with the Henderson and is currently being straightened as part of a complete "re-restoration" by Tim Strange, of Strange Motion (www.strangemotion.com) after it was bent in the now famous Pebble Beach shipping incident. The driver unhooked the car, went for a cup of coffee, then came back and drove off with the roadster loose in the back! Go figure!).

For more information on the history of either of these great cars, contact Chuck or Mike Longley through their site at www.longleyrestorations.com.

 

Mike,
I call it the re-restoration, since you and your Dad did the real heavy lifting in masterly taking it back to Pete's time. Tim's work is coming along very well, about 40% there. I will put some pics together and post them here.
Ralph

 

" Del Clark bought the coupe from the Longley's about 10 or 12 years ago after answering their for-sale ad."

Not true, I saw Mike, Chuck as we call him, at the Turkey Rod Run where me and my wife used to set up, he told me he had his deuce 5 window up for sale and I turned Del onto it. I had known Chuck for years before that, we were in a club called The Highwaymen together, he was 17 at the time, just a pup. Longley restorations used to be near downtown Orlando, where I lived, I still do.

 

Sorry about that, as I said in my post above, I just repeated what Chuck told me a few days ago. I'm sure your post will jog his memory to this small detail for future reference.
Ralph

 

Working on it everyday...Longleys have been great for info, and top bows, thanks, they did all the hard work finding all the stuff, I am thankfull to be able to not only work on the car after them, but also being chosen by Mr Whitworth to brig this car back...yes the body was tweaked pretty bad, its fitting nice now...back to it, time for another coat of primer....

 

Guess I'd better chime in again. Nads ir correct about leading Del to us as a buyer. Thanks again old friend, as it allowed me to buy my roadster ( the one that became my avitar ). dad did advertise it but Red Stouffer came to look at it because of the ad, not Del. Thank you for the kind words regarding our initial restoration of the car. And thanks to Tim for the kind words as well. Glad the bows came in. Just use the old bows to get the exact length and as a pattern for notching the #2 bow for the header connectors.
Looking forward to seeing Rodster and Rodbuilder later this summer. Of course it will be nice to see our great friends, the Hendersons and our old friend (the car) too.
Regards to all, Mike

 

I loved visiting Longley's shop, it was so small yet they turned out amazing work.
They also sold me the Packard drivetrain whose heart still beats in my 34 Ford coupe.

Thanks guys.

 

now that's interesting! "Packard drivetrain whose heart still beats in my 34 Ford" Got a pic?

 

I think Nads meant there is a Packard in the coupe that holds his heart which he still beats regularly. I've ridden in that 352 powered '34 and he was beating it like a Chinese POW. It's chopped so hard it almost has no rear window. Pure evil, stay the hell off the sidewalk mean looking. Thanks for the kind words Nads. If you liked the old shop you'd really dig the new old shop. We are really set up now, compared to when you came up last. No more stuff to trip over. It ain't organized by some standards but you'd think it was too clean. Come by sometime. Regards

 

Sat down with Pete Henderson today and went through his scrapbook. Amazing history and man. I'd guess several of you HAMB members are in that book. I'll try to scan some pics and post them here.