Its great to see the tribute to the Tokyo Rose Junior Stocker coming along. Curetons Rose needs to be remembered, and I dont see the real car being completed anytime soon.
65delux...thanks for your efforts in writing Junior Stock; Drag Racing The Family Sedan.....I read your book and it convinced me to get going on this project. If I get lazy, I get out your book and recharge.
Take your time with the project and don't rush through any part of it. The paint really looks good. Jimbo
Recently I read Chuck Norton's extraordinarily-articulate, comprehensive and definitive piece on the latter days of the Junior Stock 'scene,' Obviously, he retains an abundance of 'gray matter' and the skill to utilize it -- impressive summation indeed! I am a bit uncomfortable sharing this post, as your "Rose Project" is a very-ambitious enterprise.. And I can certainly see this activity as a very-useful self-therapy endeavor -- that's a good thing when you are enduring 'the declining years.' But what exactly is to become of the pseudo "Tokyo Rose" in the end. Race it? -- against exactly what benchmark? Or 'show' it to the ever-declining late -60's, - mid/late-70s folks who were actually there in 1966-to-1970? Alas, it is/will be a (albeit, well executed) 'replica' with no provenance. The current 4-Banger 'buzz box' crowd will have no interest. And many of 'us' are too disabled (I'm 77 and have 'Stage 4' Parkinson's Disease) to have any interest in attending 'shows' at all.
We'll hit a few local car shows but our main intent is to run it down a few tracks. I think races like the Meltdown Drags and the Hamb drags will be our focus with a little bracket racing mixed in. I still enjoy running down a race track, but cutting perfect lights, running dead on a dial and having the latest greatest gadget is less important to me at this point in my life. We're wiring the car now and I'm putting a full wire harness in it with blinkers and all so I don't have to do it again if it's retired to the streets, which is what happened to a lot of the original Jr. Stockers. I hope the nostalgia stuff has a few more years in it because I want to have a little fun with this car. As for Chuck Norton, I met him and had a conversation with him at a race one time and he was one of the nicest (and smartest) guys I've ever had the pleasure of talking with at a race track. He has a vast knowledge of stocker history and he sure has a way with words. And if it pleases the 4-banger crowd, an 06 Subaru WRX, STI has taken over my shop for the last 3 weeks....getting back to the 56 is a treat!
hopefully the current owner soon comes to realize the original TR needs to be in the hands of someone who has the means to restore it properly.
Dave -- Alas, not much remains of the delivery (as raced), but it is a shame it wasn't 'pa$$ed along' to (as you say) "... someone who has the means to restore it properly." Methinks it's too late for that to happen.
Wow you guys kill me. Seriously you do. Altho some of you seem to think everyone OOZES cash out of bodily orifices, Some do not. You have no frikkin clue what has happened in the guys life to set things back, at many different turns. Yet he still collects parts in that specific quest. Poor as he may be. As for having the "Means to restore it properly" I have seen him do a 72 Cutlass, 65 Falcon, 64 Chrysler Imperial Crown Coupe and a 75 Buick estate wagon. Just to name a few and I cannot even count the Chevy Vega's on 2 hands. NONE OF WHICH he started if he did not have ALL the parts to do so PROPERLY. ALL OF WHICH turned out to be VERY SWEET RIDES when completed. So please do not think he "Cannot" do it. So you think he should just "sell it to someone else" Or it's too late for exactly WHAT to happen? Do you have ANY clue what so ever what was planned for the car before he found out what he had? Do you know what was spent on items to do THAT, that had to be sold at a loss? I know damn well it will get done, And I know damn well it will be sweet and right when finished. I don't see any old school know it all's tossing any vintage parts stash parts his way. A few have helped him out with very reasonable priced items. Others want to stroke you. You all know how that works. He's gotten leads on many parts that turned out to be the wrong ones. But he still keeps looking(as do I). Can't wait till he see's this he'll be real impressed with all of you people.
I read this twice and think I understand it. Just let me say from a guy who restored the race car I have. I went to the track with this very car when I was 12 yrs. old, I was in the driver's seat when it was towed down the return road. I had the opportunity to buy it from my friend in 69 but bought the Willys PU next to it. Fast forward 30+yrs. and it's available I buy it now most of the people involved with this car are now dead or very old and dont give a shit that it has a powerglide instead of a hydro the guy that originally built the car Willie Feyh (my friend) has seen the car and has been with the car at shows and last year the Dover dragstrip race at Lebanon Valley. He was so happy and proud to see it run again. My point being the value of these cars is the joy and enjoyment they give to the original owners and those involved and all those who remember them running. Barrett Jackson, Mecum and E-bay have skewed the worth or value of things, way beyond my pay grade. Pat
I think anyone offended with the text of an internet forum ... is probably wound a bit too tight. They're words man. No emotion, or facial expression to judge the intent of the typist. Joking, angry, happy, or horny ? It's akin to having a paper plane battle. On point is nearly impossible or extremely lucky. Screw it. Good for the original Tokyo Rose carcass' owner ... collect away, and restore as he will. Good for us .... we see the clone/tribute/celebration, and converse with those interested in both of 'em. Happy days.
Progress is good, Great build to watch. Although I was only a little kid in the late 60's, this is the stuff that turns my crank today.
Mikeszcz, you're doing right, don't listen too much dirty talk. you're doing nice work with a good intention. i for myself enjoy reading the whole thread and like to see the this fabolous tribute car growing. keep on, i'm watching, Carsten
Agreed^^ You don't have to have 'been there' 66-70 to build and enjoy this stuff, and you don't have to justify why you're building it or how you're gonna use it. You're doin' no wrong Mike. Car looks awesome. I love the 55 wheels up front, and the 55 centers in the rear wheels. Perfect choice man. Is that a Janesville car by chance? -Kevin Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The car came from Lewiston Minnesota where it had been sitting for a number years while the owner collected parts with the intent of building a mild custom street cruiser. He told me he got it from some one in the Twin Cities area and that he thought it was a North Dakota forestry car. He actually approached me about the purchase because I had expressed interest in the car 4 or 5 years earlier, but I had forgotten about the car. He was moving to a new home, needed some cash and didn't want to move it. I offered the balance of my checkbook ($1700.00) for the car and parts and took it home. As for the wheels, George told me money was better spent on other places on the car than shinny wheels and didn't have the Cragars on until the car was blue and after he won the championship with the car. I was lucky to find one of the front wheels in my wheel pile and another in a friends pile. The rears are Wheel Vintiques. On a side note, I have a complete set of 210 2-door sedan side trim less the vertical paint separators that I'm going to list in the for sale section if any one is interested.
Me too and thanks! It's not a show car, but it should look good from the grandstands. We started wiring today, what a rat's nest. I bought a Speedway 12 way harness and will use a stock ignition and light switch. The shifter is a donated B&M. I added a longer handle just to make it look a little more nostalgic. Going to take on a 55 quarter panel project later this month....bad thing, it will take us a way from this project for a bit......good thing, it will give us some cash to finish the paint job.
This thing is going to be soooo cool. I'm in the middle of building a period correct gasser build on my 56 210 Hardtop. But I have to say, I have always, and still want to build a sedan delivery junior stock. This thing is going to be sweet, I'll make sure to keep an eye on this build.
It was nice to meet you at the HAMB drags Mike. NHRA rules back then stated that the wheels had to be the same weight as the originals so most guys just ran them.
Tim, It was nice visiting with you and Don as well. There’s something special about those survival cars!
We've been pretty busy with some other projects. A few Engineers at work thought it would be a nice morale booster to have a company car show so we spent the last couple days buttoning a few things up so we could drag the 56 out. It moves and stops on it's own and the fender well headers and stocker cam sound as they should.
Yea you guys are right. No way that dude has a clue. Couldn't possibly restore a lawnmower or bicycle let alone a car.
As long as we're off topic, here's what we're working on now to generate some paint money. We'll be back on the project soon.....I promise.
The Jalopy Journal
