Technical Retro Rides by Rich Does A Survivor...

thats clleeaaaannnnn lookin im into it.

 

Got the car back from Bob Hill, he did a great job replicating the original stitch work. Now I have a bunch of detail stuff to do and some more items that are awaiting chrome before wrapping this up.

 

Wow look great!! Love the arm rest..

 

The arm rest was in the car originally. We don't know what car the rear seat frame came from, but the original builder spent a month of Sunday's re-shaping the frame to work in the roadster.

 

First time seeing this thread. (How did I miss it?) Fantastic car and nice, detailed, safe looking resto work. The seat might be a T-bird wrap around rear or parts of one.

-KK

 

Maybe, all I know is someone sliced it up a lot to make it work.

 

very clean job

 

Been following this for months. DAMN is that pretty!

 

Rich the car looks GREAT!!!!

 

Thanks for the positive input gentleman...and you too Ed!

 

Yeah, I'm digging it for sure. Love that thing!!!

You should bring it to Heavy Rebel if the owner will let you!!!

 

Thanks Jeffrey, but the car won't be done by then; I have a bunch of stuff that needs to go out for chrome still. Plus; I still have some other fussing to do with the car.

 

Looking great!

 

I like it

 

Thats great!!

 

The car is looking killer.

 

You know, you could stop by...

 

I will....

 

Heard that before...

 

Rich, The roadster is looking GREAT ! Upholstery and all the details are top notch. Will be one nice roadster.

Dave

 

Thanks Dave. Bob did a great job.

 

Don't cut yourself short, Rich! You do great work, too! Remember Rembrandt didn't paint on roof tiles! You gave Bob a great base.....

 

Absolutely stunning!

 

For those of you that have followed the thread, here is an important aspect to the resurrection of this car and new photos will be posted soon, as I'm nearing completion of the car.
The car is owned by New England hot rod aficionado Howard Wagner and he's been a great customer and friend during this challenging and sometimes trying project. The following is an account of how this project came to be.
One of Howard's pastimes is browsing internet automobile websites. (Who doesn't?) One evening, in May, 2005, he came across a classified listing for a 1930 Ford hot rod roadster described as "probably built in the 60's" It had a hemi motor, was channeled over the rails, and appeared to be a textbook old school build. After a phone conversation with the seller; Ray Schuler, a large dealer in hot rods known as Ray's Rods located in Indiana, he got in touch with the owner, Phil Goller and made arrangements to fly to Ohio that Saturday to see the car. It was also established that the car had been on the road until 1999 when it went in to storage. In the meantime, Goller sent Howard numerous photos. Right then he knew if the car checked out he had to purchase it; as he always wanted a rod actually built back in the day.
Prior to his trip to Ohio to see the car, Wagner ran across an old Hot Rod Magazine classified ad in the September 1966 issue placed by a D. Miller Jr., Lima, Ohio, for what Howard was certain was the very same Model A roadster! Upon arriving in Defiance, Ohio and seeing the car in person, Howard Wagner ultimately made a deal with Goller and the car was soon transported to his home in Massachusetts. Howard was able to determine that the car had been repainted from its light blue metallic to a darker blue. It carried the name "Little Town Flirt" on the side.
there were other minor changes over the years, and the car was pictured in Hot Rod with side pipes. It was without question, the car listed in the Hot Rod Magazine ad. .
With the car at his home in Massachusetts, Howard proudly drove the tired roadster to Vintage Ford Day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, in Brookline. Massachusetts, where it was the Belle of the Ball. It also made an appearance that year at the TyRods Old Timers Reunion. The following year, Larz Anderson Museum was putting on an "American Power" exhibit, and they asked to display the car for one year as an example of a period hot rod. Howard agreed, after which it sat in his garage while he contemplated the future of The Blue Crystal aka Little Town Flirt. The car had issues and could not be driven any great distances or frequently for that matter without making it more road worthy and safe. Howard decided the car needed, and more importantly deserved, a full restoration!
This is where I came into the picture....
Howard fell in love with my sedan - Martini Time, and gave it a good home, in fact, a great home. As we became more acquainted, talk turned to the future of Little Town Flirt and how he wanted to bring the car back to its original glory of the 1960's as The Blue Crystal. With the car arriving here at Retro Rides by Rich, my assessment and disassembly of the machine became an automotive forensics exercise. Trying to determine what had been changed on the car during its 1980's existence and what was part of the original build in the 50's and sixties was interesting and exciting, but we lacked some key information and more importantly; photographs. Besides the September 1966 Hot Rod Magazine for sale ad, Howard Wagner found the car pictured in a group shot in the Feb. 1962 issue of Hot Rod Magazine (the issue with Bob Tindle's Orange Crate on the cover) in the article on the Flywheels Car Club of Marion, Ohio. The group car shot was at a Rod and Custom show the Flywheels had sponsored in Marion, Ohio at the Marion Coliseum. This encouraged Wagner to dig even deeper. So, while I was busy getting the project rolling, so to speak, Howard ramped up his detective job on the internet and via the telephone, trying to track down the "D. Miller Jr." that had placed that classified ad in the 1966 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Eventually, Howard decided to make a trip to Lima, Ohio; determined to find Mr. Miller. With a "can do" attitude and a bunch of luck, he indeed found D."Pete" Miller Jr. and surprisingly, he still was around Lima!
"Pete" Miller, upon meeting Howard, was astonished that Howard went to such great lengths to find him and that Howard was restoring a car he loved so much in his youth. Ultimately Milller provided Howard with numerous photos of the car and quite a bit of history such as; from whom he acquired the car, and specifically what he did to the car after he had purchased it from Chester Cary, also of Lima. To me, at RRbR, having images made my life easier as I now had something to go by as far recreating some of the missing parts on the car.
What "broke" the case was Howard's trip to the Lima, Ohio Public Library and a most helpful librarian, who right off the bat, figured out that the D. in D. Miller stood for Dorsey. This led Howard up the road to Dorsey "Pete" Miller's real estate office. Here is Howard's account of what went down...
Friday morning. September 10th, 2010, 10:00 am,
We walked into Oakridge Realty in Lima. The offices were in a converted house, and you entered through the kitchen. We were greeted by Marvin Wilkins, the founder of the firm, and Michael Miller - no relation. Very friendly (as are all Midwesterners). I said that we were not looking for real estate but I owned a blue hot rod roadster which I think belonged to one of your brokers in the 60's. "You must mean "Pete" said Michael. "I remember that car," said Marvin, "he drove it a lot". "Is Pete, Dorsey", I asked. Marvin said that since he was Dorsey P. Miller Jr. he used his middle name "Pete" since his father went by Dorsey. "Would you like me to get him on the phone for you?", said Michael. "That would be great," I said. "Hello, Pete, I have a guy here who owns your old blue roadster. I'll put him on the line." We then spoke, with Pete reeling off all the specs of the car like he had owned it yesterday - 241 Hemi, '39 Zepher tranny, Model A rear, four 97's.........
I then called Rich (RRbR), and said, "Guess who I just spoke with. - D. Miller Jr." Rich replied that I should have had a camera crew following me on this fact finding trip.
We thanked Marvin and Michael for their help, and we were off to the Marriott since Pete and I arranged to meet at 1 pm that day. Pete was shown the H.A.M.B. thread of the restoration, I showed him upholstery samples, and paint chips, and he said - "you got the color right. I called it The Blue Crystal." Among other facts, I now knew the real name of the car.
Pete told me he had purchased the car from Chester Cary, of Lima. (Chester Cary was a major collector, and owned in 1971, among other cars, Harry Markiecki's famous Ford "T" named "The Trojan") He wasn't sure where Chester purchased it, but this would put the car as a 1950's build. He thought it might have come from California. Pete said he had Jim Bellman, of Cuttervillle, Ohio rebuild the engine with a Chet Herbert cam and four 97's on a Weiand intake. The '39 Lincoln transmission and the Model A rear end were not modified. Pete made a seat complete with armrest, and had it upholstered by Don's Auto Upholstery of Lima, Ohio, (Don had done the famous Bill Breece (of Lima) 1932 Ford 3 window coupe). Pete made a top frame and it was covered by Don. Pete also fabricated the nerf bar bumpers and the (now missing) side pipes. He drove the car from 1960 to 1964, and, he told me that in 1963 he loaned the car to Shawnee High School for the Homecoming parade. He had graduated form Shawnee High School in 1957. In 1964 Pete went to Vietnam.
Pete told me he was in Vietnam from 1964 - 1966, and the car was idle while he was away. When he got back, he was on to other things, and he put the for sale ad in Hot Rod Magazine. He finally sold the car to Rosemary Bliss of Lima in 1967. She bought it as a gift for her boyfriend, but he never used it because he was in a band and his drums did not fit in the car! It sat in her garage for a year, and her cats made a lounging area in the top. She called Pete to ask if he wanted to buy it back. He wasn't interested after he saw the condition of the car.
Rodger McClain, who is currently Executive VP of the Lima Auto Mall, a large GM and Nissan dealership, purchased the car from Rosemary in 1968. I was able to meet with him on Saturday, September 11, 2005. Rodger had some color photos of the car from 1968 - 1969 which allowed us to see the design of the missing side pipes, as well as the color scheme of the car which confirmed that it was light metallic blue and that the seat inserts were a close match to the paint, as well as showing the dark blue carpet. Rodger also confirmed that Don Staver, owner of Don's Auto Upholstery, Lima, was the upholsterer who did the car.
All in all, a very successful trip for Howard. Both Rodger and Pete sent him copies of photos of the car, including a spectacular shot of it at a Rod and Custom show. The Ohio plates on the car show a 1960 date at that show. It provided enough information to do an accurate restoration to the early 1960's appearance as done by D. Miller, Jr. Right now we only need to determine from whom Chester Cary acquired the car, whether it carried the Homecoming Queen of Shawnee High School in the Fall of 1963, or one of her attendants, and who owned the car after Dick Thiddoff and before William Schlosser if there were other owners. If anyone knows these answers, please feel free to elaborate.
Here's a time line as complied by Howard Wagner, of the various owners through the years of the Blue Crystal, then the Little Town Flirt.
Chester Carey, Lima Ohio Pre 1960
Dorsey "Pete" Miller, Jr., Lima Ohio 1960 -1967
Rosemary Bliss, Lima, Ohio 1967-1968
Rodger McClain, Lima, Ohio 1968-1969
Jim Lynch, Lima, Ohio 1970 - 1972
Dick Thiddoff, Delphis, Ohio 1972 - ?
Unidentified, Toledo, Ohio late 1970's
William Schlosser, Findlay, Ohio, 1980 until 2005 (in storage from 1999 - 2005)
Ray Schuler, Indiana & Phil Goller, Defiance, Ohio, 2005
Howard Wagner, Massachusetts, 2005 - present

 

Now...Currently RRbR is awaiting a few more pieces from the chrome plater, the upholsterer is doing the soft top and I'm finessing the car in anticipation for making its debut at the Goodguys Southeastern National at Charlotte Motor Speedway at the end of October. As I understand from Howard, I think I may get to meet Pete Miller at the event as he may be coming to see his old ride once again. Here are a few pics of the car back when Pete Owned it.


I always tell myself that I'm not going to face the stress of a last minute thrash and no matter how hard I try to avoid it, it always seems to happen.


I've been waiting for the chrome exhaust to come in and that finally arrived and that has put me behind.

 

Great story Rich! Looking forward to gazing at all that chrome on a truly historic rod!

 

When I first stumbled across this thread I was disappointed that the car was not getting just a clean up and tuneup. After following the rebirth, and seeing the car coming to the finish line, my early concerns seem almost foolish.
The car is a stunning representation of a true early 60's hotrod, and impeccably done!

 

Rich, Car is looking good. Neat to hear that you and the owner have collected it's previous history. Any possibility the owner may bring it out to the roadster show in Jan ? Only way I would get to see it.

Dave

 

All the detective work is due to Howard.