I bought another car this week, really dont need any more projects but the price was right and I was mesmerized by the story. As relayed from the seller. Original, survivor 1940/42 V-8 Ford Custom Hot Rod Sports Car "Wanabe Corvette" No, its not a Woodhill Wildfire, a Glaspar G2 or any number of other low-volume glass-bodied cars/kits that were becoming available in the late 1950's. It is a "Gordon Tulbert Special" and it is one-of-a-kind. The term one-of-a-kind is often used quite loosely. In this case, it could not be truer. I have included an original sketch done by a Minnesota high school boy back in the late 1950s. He had Corvette tastes, but was on an old Ford flathead budget. He was not going to be able to buy it, so he decided to build it. A lot of these projects get started, but a smaller number get finished. Here is one that made it. Using skills he developed in helping to fabricate some of the first fiberglass fishing boats, he created something magnificent. There is a great history between the time this car was built until the modern day. It was traded, sold, not paid for, repossesed and thought to have been scrapped at one time. Sometime after the purchase, I was able to locate the builder only by a crazy stroke of luck. If you have read any of Tom Cotter's great books (such as The Cobra in the Barn: Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology), you are familiar with stories of unusual cars and motorcycles being re-discovered. If you have not, you should immediately go out and buy a copy of everything he has ever wrote on the subject. Great Reading! Back to the story of the Ghost", as one of its former owner referred to it as. It is built based on a 1940/41 Ford 2-door sedan, the same one pictured in the original, study hall doodling. Imagine driving the original 2-door sedan from the back seat! The North Dakota title lists it as a 1942 Ford, but as far as I can see, the serial number on the frame is for a 1940 Ford. I suppose it sat on the lot for awhile before being sold. The frame is unaltered in length and has the engine positioned in the stock location. A late 1940s vintage flathead Ford V-8 with a Lincoln Zephyr side-shift transmission is installed. This is the original transmission that was installed when the car was built, but the engine has not yet been verified. The body is very unusual, as it is fiberglass laminated over sections of the original Ford sheet metal, including the original rear windows section now used as the trunk panel. Gordon even built an electric motor operated hood! He also "borrowed" the 1955 Thunderbird from one of his friend's dad in order to make a mold for the hood scoop. Remember, this car was built by a 16 year-old high school student with limited resources. There are parts that are crude, such as some of the welding, but overall, I am in awe of what he created. First of all, I knew I was going to get some guff from Gordon from mentioning the quality of some of his welds! They are what they are. Remember the time that this car was built and the age of the builder. Next, the front glass was not a split window. It was a one-piece rear window from a 1950 Studebaker. The gauges were from a 1940 Buick and had white faces. As I mentioned earlier, the original dash is behind the slab of wood that was put in there later. Also the hood originally had a mechanically-operated safety latch, built from a 1940 Food door latch, that was cable-operated prior to raising the hood with the electric motor. This safety latch is missing, which might explain why the windshield is missing. There is evidence that the hood came open "at speed" at one time and did some slight damage to the cowl. The drivers door was originally equipped with an electric solenoid. All that remains is the outside push button. Gordon originally had a hand-built, twin carb intake with progressive linkage. This has disappeared over time and previous owners. The car, as you can see from the pictures, has a factory Ford, single carb manifold. It still does have the owner-built, off-set copper cooling pipes needed to clear the re-positioned generator. One last note. MAYBE, just MAYBE the original top, a fiberglass owner-built unit pulled from a buck made from a widened MGA top, may be able to be located. It was reported to be propped up in an old farm shed in the area. We will follow up on this. This would be an important addition to this car. Remember, this is not just a kit car. This is a part of HOT ROD HISTORY! There was just one of them. Lots of projects get started, but most never get to this point. Gorden and his soon-to-be wife both drove this car. I repeat, this car's history needed to fully documented. I have more information between when it was built and when I purchased it. In addition, I have permission from the builder to give out his contact info to the buyer of the car.
That is an incredible story and it is amazing what youth and enthusiasm can accomplish. Needs to be saved for sure and the story complete.
It's neat looking, I'd like to see it from more angles. Some of these "specials" were really horrendously proportioned, but this one looks good overall.
Yeah I should get it in about a week or so and I will get some pics up then and figure out what to do with it.
Unbelievable amount of work there. Gordon had quite an imagination. I think we've all become somewhat "jaded" over the yrs. by some of the cars that have been created, but can you imagine the impact this car must have had in the late 50's.
This post is a perfect example of what moves me to visit Jalopy Journal every day. A history of custom cars and hot rods that I've never known about and never would without the vision of Ryan to create this site. Lots of us made doodles of cars in study hall, but this young man made his dream come true. I'd like to know what he has done in life since his teen years, he obviously was a talented young man.
It appears to be pretty stock running gear, old flattie in it. I am waiting on shipping to get it to Cali from North Dakota. When I get it I will do a full picture spread of it.
I dont know if i'd touch it.... perhaps push the engine back to improve the mass distribution, and clean the rough edges.
Yeah I think leaving it as much as it was is prolly for the best. Though it looks to have been modified a bit since the original owner had it. So I will call him and see what is what
Great car Lars and an even better story! Good that you saved it. This link is to a site dealing with fiberglass cars: http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/ Although yours is not strictly a fiberglass only car I think they might enjoy what you have here. Who knows they may be able to help with your research.
Shhhhh, I'm going to steal it and paint it black with a silver cove and have a red interior put in it with some sombreros on Steelies when you're not looking. Tim
Ok so we now have gotten the car and looking it over, it drives the flathead sounds mean and nasty, I love it. I am going to ponder long and hard what I ant to do with it. I will fix up some of the safety issues, and get the windshield back in...
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