Being lucky enough to have purchased the 1st Coachcraft car when I was 17 back in 1986 and not seeing too much discussion about Coachcraft and the cars they built, I thought I would start this thread. Here are a couple recent photos of some of the restored Coachcraft cars. Does anyone know where the others might be.......
You know what's random? My dad had a company in the South Bay in the '70s called Coach Craft and they did van restorations, upgrades, custom work. I had no idea there was a custom car company called Coachcraft (now that's an alliteration). Pretty bitchin'!
I've seen your car a few times in Ventura--but just got to look at it close at the Santa Paula cruise night tonight--great work on all the sheet metal--they don't build em like that anymore! I can only guess how much it would cost to have a shop (at today's prices) build something like yours today. You are ,indeed, a lucky man to have a piece of history.
Sometimes I wonder if I would have been better off recreating the car from scratch than doing all the repair work on the sheetmetal. ~50% of the sheet metal has been replaced. Perhaps I will see you at Ventura Vintage Rods event next week and I will have a binder full of photos to show....Have a great weekend!!!
Hey, Coachcraft Ltd. of Hollywood California had a very stellar list of names attached to it. With customers like Preston Foster, Henry Ford II, Bill Holden, Liberace, Hunington Hartford III & Mickey Cohen the gangster all commisioning work over a twentysix year period, those other cars could be anywhere. Rudy Stoessel, one of the principals in the company started out working with Pierce Arrow Motor Cars, and was later involved with Howard (Dutch) Darrin & his work on Packard -Darrins. Darrin was responsible for bringing together Stoessel, Paul Erdos , who formed most of the metal at Coach- craft & Burt Chalmers, to form Coachcraft Ltd. Some of the design work was handled by Phill Wright of Pierce Arrow design fame, Strother MacMinn & Peter Stengel. Coachcraft also produced roof racks & Continental kits as time went on. Stroessel later bought out Erdos & Chalmers and closed the doors in 1966. Rudy Stroessel's son runs a shop in Santa Palua or Fillmore California. That he would have any leeds on the whereabouts of the vehicles his father's firm produced, I can't say. Swankey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
These cars are as special, and maybe better looking, as any of the factory built dream cars that have been in the spotlight in recent years. It looks like 5 of the photos were taken at the same event. Any details on the when and where of that show?
coachcraft built some amazing cars,,,,,hopefully, rickster will see this post and will add some pictures and some history,,,,,i know he has a ton of info on his website.........
This is interesting. Thanks for bringing it up and for the cool pictures. Hop Up issue #9 has a good 6 page article on Coachcraft.
Hey, I boleave some of those pictures were taken from an article in the magazine "Collectable Autobobile" from an issue last year or the year before. Some of the vehicles in the photos have shown up at various shows, here on the West coast in resent years, damned if I can re- member where, though! Swankey Devils C.C. " Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
A similiar named company still exists in Alachua, FL....>coachbuildersltd.com<...Jeff has been at it since 1976....Sam
Guys, This car showed up at a local Cruise-In in Spring Hill. Could it be a Coachcraft conversion from early '40's?
The first photo was taken at the Pasadena Art Center School of Desgn Concours (2007), the next 5 were taken at the Amelia Island Concours Event in 2007/March, the lower left is from an magazine article several years ago, and the woodie was at the Harbor Run Car Show in Channel Islands, California several years back.
that is really nice,,but something bothers me about the roofline in the rear,,a little too squareish looking or something,,maybe just a bad angle on the pic..
Thanks for the pictures - some of the finest custom designs and builds ever. Beautiful proportions with great line and form development. You picked something really special to own, congratulations
Here are a few design proposals for the Cadillac... Some old photos of the car first finished... Then a new owner thought he could "improve" in it... (I once had some better photos of this version... but lost them somehow!) Luckely the car was restored back to how it was designed.... perhaps not the best looking Coachcraft body.... but still very nice, and intersting styling/customzing.
Still one of my favorite COachcraft cars is the Ten Year special that was completely restored a few years ago... Wonderful workmanship and design... a project that was also worked on my Jimmy Summers. The car was never green... as far as I know. But this is how it was used on the Trendbook #101 Custom Cars... Completely restored... WOW
Clarence Solomon 1940 Ford based custom... This car is also still around.... it sure misses its white wall tires...
Rikster for President !!! Or King of The Netherlands !!! I really appreciate the amazingly vast collection that you share with us...no one else has the resources Rikster does...No one. Thanks again-W.S.
I agree: Rikster rules! Shame about the Clarence Solomon car, though. There's one which should be taken back to James Wong Howe era or earlier.
Hi Derby! Its Jay Ward from Hop Up, where we featured your car in Vol 9. Welcome to the HAMB! PS- Rikster does indeed rule the custom photo archive world!
PS- Rikster does indeed rule the custom photo archive world![/quote] Yepp I concur....with every post that Rikster makes, I learn something new....I've been up to my eyeballs in car magazines since I could say 'car magazine please mom?!?!' and even with my copious reading over the decades, I still learn something with every post. Thanks again Rik... PS: Might you be the same Jay Ward that worked on 'Cars' at Pixar? If so, I tip my cap to you as well Sir!! Bravo!!!
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