I also have a few minutes of super8 that shows me following it around at nats east many years ago. I wish I could get it to digital so we all could see it.
It was a long time ago when the Super Bell Coupe first hit the streets. I remember the article in one of the rod magazines about Jim's trip across the country. The writer of the article said that truckers on the CB's referred to it as the "Eastbound Orange".
Great car, great thread. Here's a pic from the '82 Nats: And here's one of my all-time favorite t-shirts.. still wear it once in awhile too!
I almost soiled myself when I went to the local Wednesday night get together in the Hechinger's parking lot and it was there. As I remember they went to the Nats south and came up the East coast to Baltimore for the Nats East. This was the Wed. before Timonium. It's not that unusual to see a classic hotrod at big shows but to have one show up unanounced on a Wed night cruise in is a shock.
it still blows my mind when I go to hang out with one of my friends......I enter his garage and this is what I see......................I got to sit in the driver's seat..........eat your heart out..............
But it's not traditional ..........................wide tires, mag wheels, orange paint, someone needs to explain to Frank what real hot rods are.
I can't remember for sure. I'd guess about 78. Didn't York start in the early 80s? I should know because the Nats East was stolen from us and moved to York because the Pa. clubs provided labor for free. We took a small percentage for our labor but we got entrance fees and motel rooms reimbursed.
When the Bell Supercoupe was in the NHRA mueseum a couple of years ago, it was promoted as one of the 4 most influencial 34 Fords of all times ( along side Jake's yellow coupe, The California Kid and Billy Gibbon's eliminator coupe .....The 4 of them re-started the hot rod hobby we enjoy)....maybe they were wrong and you are right .........and the Carrillo Roadster that Frank owns can't be traditional because it went to Pebble Beach in 2010......wait, it was on the cover of Hot Rod in 1952.............well then Curly's Merc can't be traditional ( Frank owns that too )....wait, that's right......Tex Smith worte a book about chopping the top on that car............. I almost forgot Roland Leong's 1964 Top Eliminator dragster.............you guessed it......Frank owns that as well...........We are restoring that right now Second thought, maybe you have no idea what you are talking about fatkoop.................. go study traditional hot rods and come back and tell us what you learned
Frank Morawski IS traditional in every sense of the word. Proud to know him and share the moment at Pebble Beach when the automotive worid honored hot rods. Traditional hot rods.
The mentioned cars don't even begin to cover his cool stuff. His place is more like a museum. One of my favorite places to hang out.
I love this coupe and the yellow one. Looking at this car now it's pretty bizarre, especially with the halibrands. But it's still one of my favorite coupes of all time...and now I REALLY want one of those "wings" badges.
Frank is and always will be THE smartest person when it comes to recognizing what Hot Rods should be. Has to go down as one of the best purchases I have ever heard of. How could the original owner's not realize what they sold Frank! His coupe is a piece of history and he's proud to be the owner. Desert
It's funny because these cars were all "built again" in the 70's-80's. They all evolve over time, Jakes car started out with the engine that had been shoehorned into the Neikamp when he bought it in 1969, that car originally had a Flatty then a OHV Chevy then a Flatty then a 265ci OHV Chevy pulled from Gray's roadster until 1997 Then a Flatty when Jake re-restored it again getting it closer to the look it had in 49-50. Jake's coupe started out with the above Buick, but ended up in the early 80's with a small block Chevy, still with the 4 speed that he put in when he built it in 1973, but with the Halibrand out of the California Kid when his was deemed "too far gone". A set of Steelies was on his 34, then later the Real Wheels, and ET III's on Dirt Track tires in like 83. A set of Wide Whites on Steelies were put on by Jake & I when we did the movie "There Goes My Baby" in Oct 1990, Then in 93 R&C announced the Americruise and Jake decided to put the Spokes back on it. Although he was much smarter than I, He bought 750-16 truck tires and put them on the rear and saved his dirt track tires, where as I wore mine out.... When he returned home, I don't think I ever saw the mags go back on, just the Dirt track tires on Kelseys. The Ca. Kid had a few tire and wheel swaps. When built it had Halibrands up front and Romeo Palemides 4 Window Americans that came off of Pete's T-Bucket along with Quick Change. after the R&C Cover shoot the Studio wanted an older look for the car, so on went the steelies that stayed on till after Cris Carrier sold it back to Pete in like 1981 and when the steelies were taken off, Jake ended up with the tires which years later he later gave to me, but I wore them out on the River City Reliability Run . On went the Paris Fish Products wheels that appeared in the Fish Products ads in Street Rodder back in the early 80's showing the Kids L/R tire sticking out of the fender and the stub of the quickies axle nut. The rear end was replaced with a 9" I believe from a 1957-59 Ford wagon/ranchero?? The whole front end was replaced with P&J 4 Bar components, Super Bell Axle and a upgrade in brakes. All of this stuff was available in the Catalog in 1981-82. Those wheels stayed on until I believe 95-96 when Richard LeJuerne had ramped up Halibrands Wheel output and a set went on the Kid which I remember seeing around that time @ PC3g with the rear under pinnings being freshened up by RE-Pete & Jake's = (PC3g). Somewhere along the line Jerry/Jason put "Solids" on for that "California Kid Movie" look and it appears in pictures in a book I have somewhere around . It seems as though Jim's SB Coupe went through some changes since it was built. This car was built with a small block chevy, then had a big block, then a Even Fire Buick V6 which I think it still has in it. The wheel and tire combo changed as well, but it was all in the name of driving. The front wheels, I think were American 10 spokes with Moon Discs covering them, the rear where 15x8" with like a N50 or what was available at good price... Then went on the Mags and they've kinda set the look for that car for at least 30 yrs. it seems. I feel weird writing this, but sometimes cars got to go through changes, is it traditional????? I know Doane Spencer would say "Get those Spokes off and put some thing that will make it handle"= as told to Neil East when he showed him his old 32. Neil ended up putting on steelies at 1st then a nice set of Small Window Halibrands=One of my favorite looks of that car.
Kevin Realize this is old to some, not me(or you), I have been smitten with this car from first laying eyes on it. There is a shot of it above the bench in my shop that has been there for years. This 2006 post says you weren't hip to loading photos, so here it is 10 years later and I thought it would be neat to see shots of it that aren't common to the internet. Any chance you could dig out some of your old personal photos of it. This version of the car really blows my dress up.
One of my all time favorites! have lots photos too. But you guys have covered it pretty well. Met Jim, Jake,and Pete at the NSRA nats. It was so COOL! I remember when Jim passed, a great hot rodder at the time when most the other rodders were driving resto rods, but a few were true, to real HOT RODS !
The Jalopy Journal
