The Great Tucker Tour - 30 Tuckers in 3 weeks - For Real!

There was a guy in Oregon who had a gold colored Tucker, and I saw him driving it from time to time back in the 1970's. I heard it had a different engine, but never got to see it up close. I hope it survived and got a well needed restoration.

 

There it is. It is being returned to it's original state and should be done soon.

 

I don't like the stereotype "Okie" slams from anyone, intentional or not. Yes, I noticed the "smiley", and yes, I am very aware of 3wLarry, thank you.

And YES, this is a great thread!

 

Todays leg of the journey brings us back to the US. Had at great time at the Border. The Border Patrol agent asked why we were in Canada so I explained I was looking at a Tucker and to my surprise he knew all about the car and has seen the movie many times. It didn't seem strange to him at all that we were traveling from Seattle to New York on the way to Los Angeles just to look at Tuckers.

After clearing the Border and waving goodbye to our new friend we headed off to East Aurora NY. There are no Tuckers here anymore but at one time a Tucker was the big talk of the town. In August of 1948 Tucker #1018 was on its way back to Bradford PA after a stop in Buffalo NY. It was raining very heavy and the driver made a sharp turn which caused the Tucker to skid sideways into a tree. Tucker #1018 was a total wreck and was embedded into the tree. Both passengers walked away but Tucker #1018 wasn't so lucky. When the tow truck came the car was ripped in two trying to remove it from the tree. Much of the parts survived.



So how did the tree do? Well it appears it is just fine after all these years. There is still a good size scar near the base.



From East Aurora we've changed our planned route and head to Bradford PA. We'll catch the Paris Hill Tucker in Part Two of the tour. The little town of Bradford on the PA border is home to Zippo Lighter. For Tucker memorabilia fans a Tucker Zippo is very rare. If you find one buy it quick.

Tomorrow we'll stop to see the car that is known as the Tin Goose.

 

I'll adhere to my signature.......

 

What is so special about the house in Hinsdale, Il. I live just a few miles from there, and I didn't realize something that close figured into the Tucker legend.

 

Did you hear back from the "mr. New owner" of the tucker convertible #1057. I heard it sold for 1.8 million. It sure is a beautiful car.

 

Subscribed post more pics

 

#1050 is down in San Marcos, TX in a museum and has less than a mile on it. The only tucker I've ever seen with my own eyes.

 

Subscribed

 

30 Tuckers, I thought they only made 49 or 50, didn't know there were that many still around and in good running order.

 

Good luck on your journey from a fellow Tucker fan! Take lots of pictures

 

The house at 107 S Park in Hinsdale IL was owned by the Tucker Corporation. They bought it so that executives would have a place to stay. It was one of the first things ordered sold when the Court took over the Company.

 

Not yet. All I know is he lives just outside Boise ID and owned a 1968 Shelby.

 

Arrived at the Swigert Museum in Huntingdon PA. today. Duane was nice enough to show me their collection of autos including two Tuckers. Tucker #1013 and the original prototype known as the Tin Goose. Both cars look exceptional.

The Tin Goose was rescued from rusting away and was restored to its current condition. The car was completely hand built and had over 500 pounds of lead on it.

Tucker #1013 looks very near original. It was used in the Tucker movie. It is shown at car shows quite often.

The Swigert Museum also has a nice collection of Tucker Memorabilia on display. It's a very nice Museum and is worth a visit if you find yourself in the area. Don't forget to check out another rear engine car, Herbie the Love Bug, while you are there.







We finally make a big turn and start heading west. We'll go through West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and into Nebraska on our way to LA.

 

I'll check and see if they have a Shelby club in Boise and maybe I can track the guy down that has the Tucker convertible through them. Since I used to have a Shelby and can talk the lingo, someone might know this guy. I'd sure would like to see it.

Does the Tin Goose really have 500 pounds of lead in it? Is "tin" part of the Tin Goose, a tonuge in cheek way of saying it was full lead? Just wondering?

 

Cool i was just in huntingdon got a few shots of the place...........

 

#13 was just at the Elegance at Hershey concourse on Sunday.

 

Great thread, im real envious as Id love to be doing the tour as well. Been really interested in the Tuckers since I first heard of them 20 or so years ago, great car that unfortunatly never really got the start that it deserved.

 

Do you know if any of the existing Tuckers
happen to have - or perhaps ever originally
had - flathead Ford V8s in them, instead of
the big, helicopter-engine-derived Franklin
6? My 82-year-old father remembers seeing
a pair of Tuckers on display at the Tucker
Company exhibit at the annual "New Car
Show" that used to be held every year as
part of the 'Canadian National Exhibition' in
Toronto, in either August 1947 or August '48
- he's not sure which - that he claims had
flathead Ford V8s in them. Supposedly these
were pre-production 'display' models and had
Ford V8s fitted to them because the 'planned
and used for production' Franklin engine wasn't
ready yet - at least not ready in time for the
show at the C.N.E.

Mart3406
========================

 

This one is about 3 miles from my place. The last Tucker... less than 1 mile on it.

 

I've never heard of this. It doesn't seem likely as the flathead Ford would be pretty large to fit into the space where the 335 Franklin motor sits. Also Tucker had plenty of problems as it was. If he had put a Ford motor in his car of the future the press would have hung him out to dry. He did use a lot of parts from other auto makers for things like ash trays, door handles, air cleaners, etc.

 

Cool!!!

 

This thread rocks! Have always loved Tuckers after seeing the move as a kid. I prefer to believe that the movie version of Preston Tucker is real and not historical accounts that portray him as a douchebag.

 

Enjoyed the pictures of Tucker 1018 showing the results of it's unfortunate mishap with the tree. I guess you could say that it was the original "tree hugger"! Tuckers always seem to be way before their time in everything.

 

I still remember my first encounter with the Tucker. I was traveling from Idaho to Michigan to pickup my Shelby I bought in 1989. I was traveling through S.Dakota on the freeway. At Mercado, there a billboard on the freeway with a big picture of a Tucker on it, adverting a museum just off the freeway. I had never of A Tucker before, so my family and I whipped around to see the "cyclops". The museum was sorta like in a miniture Old Western theme and they had this dark green Tucker in a little building by itself, sorta of like a barn as I remember. I looked at this car and
remember thinking, "that is the most unusual car I had ever seen!". motor in the back and a helicopter engine at that(something out of like a James Bond movie). The the huge fenders on the rear that stuck out from the body, hardly no dash(to me it looked like they hadn't finished it), no transmission on the floor and then the "clyclops" eye in the front center of the car that turned with the steering. SWEET and then sour at the same time. It was so unusual looking ,that I strolled around about 6 times just admiring it's unusualness. I asked the host what a car like that was worth and he said about $150,000 to $200,000. I was floored! I knew I had been in the presence of greatness; a real work of art.

 

GTT, here's a quiz for you. About 30-40 years ago a friend used to clean cars for a gentleman from Steelton, PA., near Harrisburg. This guy was up in age and had three Tuckers. I think his name may have been Shaeffer? Where did these cars go? Part of the Cammack collection?

 

This is gorgeous...... but less then 1 mile???? This thing needs to be drivin!!!!!!!!!

 

Les Sheaffers cars were the Tin Goose, #1008, and #1044. The Tin Goose is at the Swigert Museum in Huntingdon PA, #1008 is in a private collection in Chicago BUT will be on view this weekend near Chicago at a show, and #1044 is privately owned.