1937?? mystery car. What do you think she is?

here is my two cents worth the grill looks citroen

 

MsRedda the little cars intriging........yur attitude---X2
Think I'll stay tuned(subscribe). Hope ya show us the progress as ya bring her back to life

 

Fenders and grille are almost certainly 1934 Studebaker Dictator or perhaps another model, there were three in the 1934 Stude line. 4-lug wheels point to the chassis being Willys, later Studebaker or perhaps something else, hard to say without seeing the suspension or some Willys serial data.

Stude went Unibody in '41 I think, so no later than that.

 

I'm so pleased this car turned up here. I watched it on that well known auction sight and was truly intrigued. It's beautifully put together for a home built "special". I hope we find more history on it, it's got some real style.....

 

Great car...Do hope you'll keep us updated.

 

Haha! Gee, thanks. Now let's take that good ol' American can-do spirit and CLOSE that steenkin' border.

MsRedda

 

Thanks! We heard there were a lot of angry bidders when the auction ended early. I'm glad you weren't one of them.

I'm asking my co-owner, Michael to share my profile so he can join in the thread with less confusion when he isn't busy with the car.

MsRedda
I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautiful life

 

"Looks like a home built job probably late 50's vintage. That was fairly common as early british sports cars started hopping the pond."

I agree. Back in the 50s it was not uncomon for Popular Mechanics to have plans to make your own "custom" I bought one of those about 15 years ago. It was kind of a "Johnny Cash one-piece at a time" build. Had Willlys frame, a Ford front axle, a Studebaker motor and trans, a 40 Ford hood turned around for the trunk, Buick front fenders and hood, 48 Lincoln rear fenders, and who knows what else. It was all welded and leaded. When I bought it it ran and drove, all I had to do was rebuild the master cylinder. Here is a picture of it. I think the original builder called it a "Land Shark". It now sits in a show room in an automotive repair facility in downtown Elkhart, IN.

 

Grille...Hudson Terraplane??..4 bolt wheels.... Willys chassis ?? check out steering box...V8 60 transplant....I can picture that flamin' red flyin' down the road in this thing ( about a foot lower tho'!!)...lots of potential

 

Looks like a homebuilt, but still very beautiful.
I love it, she has great lines, best of luck with her.

 

This grill screams Delahaye


My understanding the skirts and the headlight configuration was determined by the craftsman. I have seen a handfull at the La Jolla motor classic and not one is alike

 

I have no clue as to what this is,, but I sure do like the profile. It could sit just a tad lower tho,, my two cents

 

I have some 4 bolt wire wheels from a Terraplane. Super 6 I believe. You may be on to something...

Edit: By the way, when tooling through Palm Springs or down PCH in that thing, don't wear any long flowing scarves...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isadora_Duncan

 

Haha! Isadora's scarf was one of my first thoughts when we bought the car. Note to self, only short scarves!

MsRedda

I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautiful life

 

It screamed Delahaye to a friend of mine, too, and I love Delahayes. Aren't they breathtaking!? He wrote part of what I use as my e-mail signature when I asked him what he thought of the car...

Delightful
Elegant
Lady
Always
Having
A
Yahoo
Event

Not bad on the spur of the moment.

MsRedda

 

Because it's a black plate with yellow numbers/letters with 63 stamped into a corner?

That doesn't mean jack. All of those plates were stamped with 63. That car very well may have been registered before that or never at all.

DMV won't have any records for you, try contacting local junk yards in Sac town or Lancaster. I'd try Lancaster first as it's a MUCH smaller venue.

 

Thanks, Brandy, we'll do that.

MsRedda
I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautiful life

 

I mean OLD junk yards that have been in the family since wheels were square...ya dig?

 

Yep. I've got a trusty ol' junkyard dawg that should know them all. Thanks!

MsRedda

 

Daddy like!

 

hmmmm...while many details of the car are completely different, the grille angle looks very close.

 

...sized down proportionally.

 

Not to get off topic, and you mentioned driving it in SoCal, but is that Mt. St. Helena in the background? If not it looks like it was taken on Old Toll Rd just outside of Calistoga? Good luck w/ the car, regardless of it's origin, she's a beaut!!!

 

I love it, whatever it is. I'm seeing it much lower to make it look longer. I think it will be a really cool ride when you're done. Please keep us in the loop.

 

bring the back edge of the cowl back another 6 inches, correct the line of the door openings, fab up a nicely louvered aluminum hood (left shiney) and see if you can get it 4" closer to the ground. chrome those bar running boards, and upholster in blood red leather.

well, that's what i'd do if it were mine. you snagged a real cool piece of handiwork there.

 

I'm going to have to agree on the Stude assumption.

 

Somebody needs to go back to FNG school.



.

 

Thanks! The photos were taken in Atascadero, CA.

 

Hello and thanks for trying to help figure out what it is ,,,,,,
The cowl is new metal . est. 1950 , the rest seems like mid 30's
I liked the lines ,,,,,,,,,,,,, now the Ford flathead 60 and 3 speed is out , the frame and bottom of car has been sand blasted and primed.
I am now sand blasting the outer fenders
thanks ,

Michael & MsRedda

 

keep us posted w/pics sweet look'in car