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Customs Coachcraft

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by pierpontbeach, Sep 5, 2008.

  1. pimpin paint
    Joined: May 31, 2005
    Posts: 4,937

    pimpin paint
    Member
    from so cal

    Hey,

    Sometime ago, I recall seeing a kustom Lincoln Continental, once owned
    by the late architect Frank Lyod Wright. I don't recall if it was the work
    of Coachcraft Ltd. , but I do recall some body mods, and Wright's special
    "Red" shade of paint. The Lincoln sported "port hole'' windows in the Sail-
    panel, such as would be seen on the '57 Ford Thunderbird some seventeen
    years later.
    Does anyone recall the car or have pictures?

    Swankey Devils C.C.
    " Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  2. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member


    I have one photo.. but no other info on it at this moment...

    [​IMG]
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  3. Curious to hear the story of when and where you found it and bought it...
     
  4. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    More
     
  5. Thanks...interesting...wish it had been me
     
  6. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    It's my understanding that there were actually two of theses Cadillac coupes built. At least one belonged to the sister of Bunny Phillips, West Coast expert and restorer of Bugattis. When Mr. Phillips died a few years ago, I believe that both coupes were in his posession. I don't know where they went.
     
  7. OLLIN
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 3,147

    OLLIN
    Member

    That building is a Rolls Royce and Bently dealership now. Theres always cool high dollar cars in that area.
     
  8. Tom davison
    Joined: Mar 15, 2008
    Posts: 6,042

    Tom davison
    Member
    from Phoenix AZ

    Thanks for this thread and all the info. Rick, you came through as usual. I had always seen bits and pieces of Coachcraft work but I was never sure exactly how they fit into the overall picture.

    My main source of info throughout that period was the Peterson Publications. Retrospectively, it seems Peterson was not sufficiently impressed with Coachcraft to have featured them as heavily as they did with their main man, Barris.

    Coachcraft may have occupied a different niche than Barris, but they should have been publicized as, at the very least, an equal to the Barris story of the day. Peterson probably considered Coachcraft as "yesterday's news" when compared to the more "happening" Barris of the 50's.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2008
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  9. Janne
    Joined: Jan 12, 2004
    Posts: 1,185

    Janne
    Member

  10. Janne
    Joined: Jan 12, 2004
    Posts: 1,185

    Janne
    Member

  11. pierpontbeach
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 28

    pierpontbeach
    Member

    Actually, the Bunny Phillips building is now a Harley Davidson dealer. My understanding is that the coupe was built by Coachcraft and the "sister" car, a station wagon, was built by someone else (Valley Custom maybe?). Anyway, the sister car is still around "hidden" away, but the current coupe owner has been trying to buy it so that both cars can be kept and displayed together.
     
  12. pimpin paint
    Joined: May 31, 2005
    Posts: 4,937

    pimpin paint
    Member
    from so cal

    My main source of info throughout that period was the Peterson Publications. Retrospectively, it seems Peterson was not sufficiently impressed with Coachcraft to have featured them as heavily as they did with their main man, Barris.

    Coachcraft may have occupied a different niche than Barris, but they should have been publicized as, at the very least, an equal to the Barris story of the day. Peterson probably considered Coachcraft as "yesterday's news" when compared to the more "happening" Barris of the 50's.[/quote]

    Hey,

    Something to keep in mind is that George Barris was an 'in your face' kinda
    self permoter, and provided many of the photos of the day. Rudy Strocssel, a principal owner of Coachcraft Ltd., was busy building vehicles,
    not beating his own drum!
    There than too, Coachcraft was in a different leage along with coachbuilder Bowmann & Schwartz, also of Southern California. Neither
    of these firms would be" pitchen' their wares" to readers of Peterson pub-
    lications.

    Swankey Devils C.C.
    "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
     
  13. 36C8
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 326

    36C8
    Member

    That car was shown at the first LA Autorama 1951. Here's a thumbnail write-up on it then...
    "The wooden mock-up for Ted Johnson's (Hollywood) "Coachcraft Special" was made ten years ago.The war, of course, intervened and it was just in time for Motorama that this outstanding two-seater was completed. The royal blue body was power-hammered out of sheet metal and no lead or aluminum was used. Upholstery is natural pigskin, instrument panel is of golden mohogany. Chassis is highly unique: frame consists of Essex rails placed over Ford rails, with the entire frame structure boxed in.Single transverse leaf springs are used front and rear, are specially made and highly limber, the shock absorbers handling most of the ride. Stock Merc engine, 91-in. w.b., weight 2250 pounds."
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  14. any pics of this wagon?
     
  15. Tom davison
    Joined: Mar 15, 2008
    Posts: 6,042

    Tom davison
    Member
    from Phoenix AZ

    Hey man, you are exactly right about all of what you said there, except for the last part: It was Peterson's job as journalists to cover what was happening in the whole custom world and not just focus on those such as Barris who were "pimping" their wares to the publisher.
     
  16. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Yes, but publishers (and writers for magazines) often go with the easiest/cheapest stories. Barris wrote the stories and took the photos himself. All the magazines had to do was edit the writing and publish it. Viola! They get an article for nothing and Barris gets publicity for the cost of labor and film and everyone is happy.
    Barris and co. produced some knockout stuff, but a company like Coachcraft was literally pitching to an entirely different customer base.
    My guess is you don't see Chop Foose posters hanging in any Bentley dealerships, and I know you don't see AMG ads in Street Rodder.
     
  17. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Oh, and one more thing: I believe Rikster may possess more information about traditional kustoms than any other person on the planet. Seriously.
     
  18. pierpontbeach
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 28

    pierpontbeach
    Member

    Actually, I was mistaken. I spoke to my father and the original owner commissioned a 4 door Cadillac sedan (not wagon) from Bowman & Schwartz (not Valley Custom) after and similar to the Cadillac coupe from Coachcraft. I am still looking for a photo. I could not find one in my old Dan Post books. Hopefully, my father will find one in his collection.
     
  19. thats cool. like a lota guys here i got a thing for wagons. i was pictureing something like the art of the 300sl ryan posted last week and this cad had mechanically done "it"
     
  20. 36C8
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 326

    36C8
    Member

    It was Peterson's job to sell magazines, and to get enough decent material to fill their covers at the best rate possible. If Barris brings in articles with pictures on how to french headlights, or Starbird shows how to do scoops and mentions the Star Custom shop in the article, or Joe Bailon sends in pics of his latest custom, well, they'd be dumb to turn it down. Many great innovators withered on the vine because they didn't market themselves, and the lion's share of promotion is always going to go to those who work at it. I've seen Coachcraft stuff mentioned in their articles, that's how I got the info I posted above. But magazines don't exist to be fair; they exist to sell magazines or they're extinct.
     
  21. pimpin paint
    Joined: May 31, 2005
    Posts: 4,937

    pimpin paint
    Member
    from so cal

    Hey,

    'if' this is the '49 Cadillac Station Wagon I'm thinking of, I beleve that
    professional car builder Hess & Eisenhardt created it on Cadillac's
    commercial chassis. Besides ambulances, funeral coachs, service cars,
    and flower cars, Hess & Eisenhardt built a few Cadillac wagons for the
    'well-monied'.

    Swankey Devils C.C.
    "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
     
  22. pierpontbeach
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 28

    pierpontbeach
    Member

    I finally had some time to go through my stuff.... Here are some photos of the "sister" car to the 1949 Coachcraft Cadillac built by Bowman & Schwartz for the same original owner Mrs. Morgan Adams. Apparently, it has recently been restored in shown in the LA Concours in June. There is a short article about the car in 1960 August Road & Track and recently in Automotive Calendar of Events (November 2008 issue).
     

    Attached Files:

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  23. Rikster, thanks for posting. Check this out, is this the same Stengel car you posted earlier? I always wondered about this car, it was stunning.
     

    Attached Files:

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  24. battersea boys
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 717

    battersea boys
    Member
    from surrey

    I met Pete Stengel several times during the 80's he would visit our shop(Dream Cars) in London, He was a very interesting chap and knew the whole west coast scene inside out. He showed us several new RR designs he was working on that were awsome.
     
  25. ray
    Joined: Jun 25, 2001
    Posts: 3,791

    ray
    Member
    from colorado

    it's the same, more or less.

    i noticed looking at riksters pics, that there were a lot of changes made during the "restoration", much more than the obvious like the upholstery, the doors are all new, notice the different fadeaway and the now hidden hinge, the bumper is now veed, the fender skirts are different, notice the trailing edge, the taillights now have bulges where there were flush, rear bumper tucked in to the body, even the windshield wiper pivots seem to have been moved. most of the changes seem to be improvements, but it seemed to have been a fairly intact survivor judging by the relatively recent pics on riksters site when it was still red.
     
  26. kkoacolonel
    Joined: Oct 27, 2005
    Posts: 966

    kkoacolonel
    Member
    from Union,NJ

    The 49 Cad 3w is now in NJ.It is owned by a fellow who runs a used car lot.He is big into Packards,and what a collection he owns.He also owns a Bohman and Schwartz 40 Cad conv.I personally have never seen either.But that might change soon.
     
  27. I'll take the Motor Trend combo of the '41 towncar towing the Aston toward Le mans.
    Seriously fellas I like this thread. McMinn, Darrin et al are inspiring company..
    Here's something I did over coffee today that you CoachCrafty types may hopefully enjoy..
     

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  28. pimpin paint
    Joined: May 31, 2005
    Posts: 4,937

    pimpin paint
    Member
    from so cal

    Hey,

    Drink more coffee! I could see that built on a '63 Buick Riveria chassis.

    Great look, there! Now if I could figger out how to get 48 hours outa a 24 hour day, ''maybe'' I'd have the time to build it.

    Swankey Devils C.C.
    "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
     
  29. Thanks pimpin paint - it 's just a pen ramble which started with the headlight cover working back to the quarter scoop. The riviera front/ Ford roof could look o.k.
    I've been working for a while on a 100" lightweight touring sedan concept which i'll show here eventually. The reason I mention is because seeing the Ted Johnson car above made me realise it was an influence on my design.
    The jolt was the description of the suspension. I've run with XKE on mine but as described above sounds fine. Can anyone describe how this car handles ?
     
  30. Early roughs . The back/ trunk is pretty much as is. Jag front has been replaced by Kurtis- like nose. Ardun/ baby hemi/ alum. head S.B.C ? 5 speed.
    I dream up this stuff when i'm not at my day job.
    Actually,
    I dream up this stuff when I AM at my day job..
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Dec 30, 2008
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