53 Kurtis 500S history

I am trying to fill some gaps in my car's history. The car in question is a 1953 Kurtis 500S chassis no. 500-4 . Joe Franco from Phoenix owned the car in the late 50's - he installed a 392 Chrysler hemi - replacing the Desoto. Then there is a gap untill the early 70's when the car was sold at auction in Scottsdale - I'm not sure of the year or the auction but people have recollected seeing the car in a tent next to the Fuesenberg - an early BJ or Kruse auction - does anybody remember which auction and date? I believe the car stayed in Arizona from the late 50's till it sold at auction.
Attached are a few pics of the car. The B/W pics are from '58 with Joe Franco.
The grainy color pics are unidentified - does anybody recognize the person in photo?
The last pics are of me and Arlen Kurtis , Frank Kurtis' son, this past summer.

 

Hate the green. Love the open hood look on a Kurtis.

 

Have you checked at tamsoldracecarsite.com ?
Perhaps some of the Kurtis guys there might know of it.

 

http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/ works better. That is a great looking car, I would think that the history including races competed in is floating around somewere.

 

I remember this car from a vintage sports car club I helped start in the mid 1970s when I lived in Tucson. I don't recognize the guy in the pix. Was the seller @ the Phoenix auction from Tucson? It was freshly restored in the green paint at the time I knew the car. If you don't have the history from the Tucson owner. Let me know, I may have a name buried in some old files. My recollection is that he thought it had some racing history. BTW, for what it's worth, I really liked the paint.

 

Tams is well worth a look at lots of "hot rods" some new pictures there now.

 

Dig the green...PM sent.

 

You might want to contact the Kurtis/Muntz registry to get the scoop on your car. Get a hold of HAMB member Special Ed for the details of how to get in touch with the registry. Ed is out of the country for a few days right now, but he will get back to you soon. Nice car, by the way....

 

Pretty sure I saw the car at the Antique Nationals at O.C.I.R. I don't remember when they moved that event from Irwindale but seems like '78 or '79. The late Bud Morrill owned it at the time and it was for sale. i don't think he ran it, just had it there on display. It was lime green with a Chrysler in it. Next time I saw him he had sold it. Bud is no longer with us so no help there.

 

wow! the things that turn up on here sometimes!

 

Some people have the most badass cars.

Wow.......I would sleep in that baby.

 

Yes, Bud Morrill owned the car and I spoke with him a number of years ago. He told me that he traded a few MG T series cars for it. The car had just been sold at auction in Arizona and was for sale in California. The Kurtis passed from Bud to Jim Lattin who had it for a number of years and then to Bill Chapin before I aquired the car.

 

So Bud sold it to Lattin? I never knew that Jim owned it. But Jim has a lot of cars.

 

Jeeze Tams is like race Crack, now I wont sleep all night. Look at all the Laguna pics MMMMMMM

thanks