Hot Rods Ricky Nelson’s ’32 Roadster

I got the privilege of seeing Ricky Nelson’s famous roadster that he drove in a couple episodes of “The Ozzie and Harriet Show” today. I thought it was super cool, so I took a ton of pictures of it. So, I figured I’d share some of them. Hope y’all dig it.

 

Thank you for posting the pics. The 3dog Garage is something I want to check out one day. They are amassing a nice collection of Historic Vehicles.

 

cool........

 

I don't think I've ever seen it in color before.
It must have made quite an impression at the time.
I like it, thanks for posting!

 

Glad you guys like it. It was so cool, I was like a kid in a candy store. lol

 

Great car. I always knew it as the Tony LaMesa roadster (and assumed he built it). Show card says it was built by Ray Di Fillipi.

 

Very cool

 

Thanks - Ricky made some good music with his voice/guitar & his roadster

 

That car, along with the Grabowski T and the Geraghty & Crawford Grasshopper roadster were at a show I went to at the Arcadia Guard Armory in 1957. I was 12 years old and these 3 cars just blew me away. The thing that really stayed with me was the '40 dash in Tony LaMesa's roadster.

 

Yes he did! Damn shame his stupidity killed him.

 

Ray built it in the early 50s and was featured in the April '52 Hop Up magazine. LaMasa rebuilt it in the late 50s to what is now known as the Ricky Nelson roadster.

 

What engine did it have?

 

@Mac VP-
I never got to see under the hood. I think it's currently a Cadillac engine.

 

Thanks for posting, VERY KOOL !

 

Engine is '58 Corvette engine, article from August 1960 HRM.

 

The FAA determined that it was, likely, a faulty heater that cased the crash. No drugs or drug paraphernalia were found in the plane and only trace amounts were found in the bodies. The stories that they were free basing cocaine are internet rumors that are purely speculative. The amount of drugs found in the toxicology precludes any recent freeebasing. No need to drag his name through the mud.

 

Man that hot rod is really gone!

 

Very sweet hot rod, details are over the top. When I was a kid that TV show was one of my favorites.

 

When Ray owned it, it had a 24 stud flathead, 4 inch stroke 3 3/8 bore, dual coils, Harrell heads,
Winfield SU-1 full-race cam, and two 97's. Was painted fire engine red.

 

I agree. That free basing crap was dreamed up by the "reporters" without any real knowledge of the facts. Pure speculation and has tagged him throughout the years after that terrible accident. Why not find out who manufactured the heater and slag them? Meanwhile back at the car, I generally don't like channeled cars but that is one cool little roadster.

 

Just a super cool roadster. HRP

 

From what I have read the car was never actually owed by Ricky although he wanted it,The Paterfamilias of the Nelson family said Ozzie no! HRP

 

Thank you for setting the record straight on Rick's death. I had never heard the other side. I am a big fan of his music, and am glad to know his death really was accidental.

 

A sorry day when we lost a good DC-3/C-47.. getting harder to replace...

 

A name from the past. I went to school with Rick Nelson (Bancroft Junior High School), we were in the same grade together. His brother Dave was either one year or two years ahead of us at Bancroft. Rick and I then went to Hollywood High School where I stayed for one year before transferring to and graduating from Fairfax High (Rick graduated from Hollywood High). During the period when I knew him, he was not yet known for singing or song writing, just doing the Ozzie & Harriet Show...

 

I didn't know it had a flathead! Neat.

 

Serving the record straight!!
Rick Nelson died like a HERO!!!
His WWII ex USAAF C-47 was built with magnesium frame work. This flammable metal was used in wartime production. An electrical short, and or possibly the passenger compartment gasoline heater ignited this flammable metal in the wing root. This spread quicly and intensively into the passenger compartment.
The pilots set the plane down on a rural Texas road and escaped through the cockpit windows.
Mr. Nelson's body was found shielding the body of his girlfriend from the intense heat and flame.

 

Fake news

 

Hang on, here we go.........

 

I would like to have seen that roadster in red.
Growing up - I don't know what we kids thought - all TV cars were either black, gray or white I guess.