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HELP! Need info on circa 1935 streamlined vehicle I just bought!


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No, I think you are reading it and understanding it exactly like I am. The secret to our way of life is to buy low and sell high. I understand how that is supposed to work, but I just have never managed to get very good at it.

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Dear Gentlemen; Let me clear up whats going on here: The Ebay auction someone linked to right above was the original auction where it was listed and sold. The high bidder backed out,and I paid the seller quite a bit more money to sell it to me,rather than repost it on Ebay,as he had enormous interest in the first auction. Had I been able to bid at the first auction,I would have bid substantially more than it originally sold for,as I understand its great historic value. It was probably copied from one of the half dozen or so mid 30s Scout Scarabs that still survive,and that are now worth well into 6 figures. They,like this vehicle,roamed the streets of Detroit in the 1930s and 40s.If we prove the rumour that it was built for,and displayed at the 1939 Worlds Fair,then you guys know what happens to its value! My offer to sell it to someone crazier than me for 25K was only a casual remark meant to question my sanity and judgement in the first place!! Anyway,I look foward to moving it soon from Grand Rapids Michigan,to Ocala,Fla. Once I can examine it in person,I will give you guys a blow by blow report! George

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Good luck with it George. I think it is really neat but it, and the rest of your stuff that I have read about in the past is WAY out of my price range. I look forward to reading about your first class restoration of this one.

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  • 2 months later...

Dear Friends The beast has been picked up in Grand Rapids and should be here in several weeks. I STILL have not found out the orgins of this strange vehicle. I am hoping some new viewers,or old viewers with new insight might have something new to provide. This car really deserves to be historically documented. Sincerely George Albright email; gnalbright@gmail.com

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George...we are looking forward to any new information that you unearth about that vehicle. I am on the edge of my seat. I have scanned through all of my books on prototypes and other non-mass produced vehicles and still have not come up with your vehicle.....it's a puzzler.

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Since prior to 1935 or so the automobile industry lacked the know-who and presses to stamp 1-piece turret roofs and had to use fabric inserts in car roofs, for something this big to be built with a one-piece roof, terchnology had to make large rapid advances so yes, it would have been built a bit after 1935.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good evening.

I have been following this thread for some time and finally tonight I had some extra time to do some investigating.

First off, I want to say that this is truly an interesting vehicle and one can only imagine what this thing looked like roaming the streets of Michigan.

The Clark/Kimes Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805-1942 appears to misspell “Hariss.” How I arrive at this conclusion is simple. In my review of the Social Security Death Records there are very few people with the last name of Hariss. Next, from reading the article in the Clark/Kimes Catalogue I determined that Mr. “Hariss” may been an inventor of sorts. From here I did a search of U.S. Patents under the name “Hariss” I found none.

At this point I decided to use the standard spelling of “Harris” and found that a Herman Ray Hariss of Grosse Point Woods, Michigan was in fact an inventor and patented a holder for extra-long carbon brushes at U.S. Patent Number 3133218 on February 13, 1961. He assigned this Patent to Herman R. Harris (perhaps his son??? also of Grosse Point Woods, Michigan). He also patented a “through-type oil burner with forced combustion air supply” for use in furnaces at U.S. Patent Number 2663366 on April 22, 1947.

Social Security Death Records do not show any Herman Harris dying in Michigan in 1967, however they do show a Herman Harris who died in Wayne, Michigan in 1965.

Hope this helps.

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Dear Bryan I am TRULY humbled for you taking all of the time to do this research! I just spoke to Dan Sheler,who owned the car in the 1980s,but went to Harris Hariss? house in 1963 to view the car and speak with him. Sheler provided the photo and info for the Clark/Kimes book,shown at the beginning of this posting. Sheler did say he went back to see Hariss Harris? several years later,and that he had died. Thus you may be on to the right guy! I believe it is important to put the history with this car,as we are merely stewarts of them for future generations. This research only happens with our old car community working together. Plus its fun! Thanks again. George PS KEEP DIGGING!

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Just for fun, Google "Seagrams Diamond T", a truck produced in Canada by Smith Brothers Body Works in the 30's. Just wondering if they might have experimented with a car version of the design. The old truck would sure look good displayed with this car.

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OK Guys got a little more info on the beast! Spoke with Dan Sheler of Mi. who owned the car in the 1980s. He read about the car in the Detroit paper in 1963,when he was in Detroit for awhile,working for Ford,doing the clay models of the Mustang. He went over to Mr. Hariss (or Harris) house and spoke with him about the car,and inspected it. He said the owner was quite proud of the car and wanted to show it off. Sheler went to see the car in around 1967 and found that Harris or Hariss had died and the car was gone. Then in the late 1960s or early 1970s,the attached photo below of the car showed up in one of the steam car magazines that was published at the time,offering the car for sale. I got this from Sheler. He copied it out of the steam car magazine at the time.He thinks there is a brief history of the car as text in the steam car magazine ad. Obviously this photo is of Harris Hariss in the 1940s or 1950s showing off the car. The owner of the car at the time must have gotten this photo from the family when they bought the car from the Harris Harris estate. Notice it has a bumper on it in this photo,which is missing now. If any of you have or know some one who has 1960s and 1970s steam car magazines,such as Art Hart,please ask them to go tru their magazines from approx. 1967-1975 and see if the ad with this photo is in one. Maybe in the text is referenced who actually built the car. Thanks guys. Keep digging! George Albright email gnalbright@gmail.com cell 352 843 1624

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  • 3 weeks later...

OK Guys,the steam car beast is now in Ocala,Fla! ( See enclosed new photos!)AMAZING construction-not a homebuilt. Probably built by a Detroit area styling studio during the late 1930s. Still no real answers on who built it though. SOMEONE in the Detroit area must know its history. Please keep digging! George Albright,Ocala,Fla. email gnalbright@gmail.com cell 352 843 1624

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Guest DeSoto Frank

The steering wheel that's in the pictures looks like it is from a '47-'53 Chevy / GMC truck...

Wheels look like Packard... '29-'31 ?

Very unusual looking vehicle...

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Guest DeSoto Frank

I think I see a master cylinder filler cap (square head) between the two pedals, and back a bit.

Which makes things a little more interesting if this is based on '28-'31 Packard running gear; Packard didn't get juice brakes until 1936 or so ?

Also, while some of those gauges might be Packard, that switch group is early 20's at the latest...

There appears to be a lot of wood framing in the body; I'll bet there are a lot of leaded seams in the skin, under that grey paint / primer... I wonder if the skin was pieced-together and formed over wooden bucks...

No doubt there's some skilled fabrication in evidence here, but I'm still thinking this could be the handiwork of some skilled individual over those long Michigan winters...

Curioser and curioser... :cool:

Edited by DeSoto Frank (see edit history)
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George...I sent your photos of the vehicle to the "History Detectives" (as they emailed me back with the request) and they are deciding whether or not it will be a worthwhile project for them to undertake. I am crossing my fingers! John

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Well, I may have found the correct outfit to figure this mystery out. They are all excited about your strange vehicle and needed more/better photos. I sent them, so we will see what happens.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest rideswithchuck
Is it my imagination or does it not look similar to the SCARAB????????????:D:D:D

When it gets all buffed out and shiny it will look a little more like a Stout Scarab.

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  • 3 months later...

Dear Friends: Here is a response to this subject I just received my email. Thanks,George Albright : I saw your queries in the AACA forum.

Mrs. Hariss said the body was built by Fleetwood craftsmen. This tends to indicate that it was not built at the Fleetwood shops. I remember the ads from steam car magazines as I subscribed to the Steam Automobile quarterly, the Steam Calliope and the Steam Power Quarterly and have them all. It is not in the Steam Automobile quarterly, though, since I have it on pdf and searched it. The car was written up in the Steam Automobile Bulletin with attached photo, as follows:

Dan Sheler writes: I read with interest the recent

Bulletin article on the house car built by J. Roy Hunt.

I have a similar vehicle that I first saw in Detroit in

the 30s. It was built by a Mr. H. R. Harris, a retired

engineer. I obtained the car from former SACA President

R. A. Gibbs in March, 1993. Mr. Gibbs did not

acquire the car from the builder, and does not recall

the name of the party he got it from. I have been

unable to locate any of the late Mr. Harris's relatives

or acquaintances. If anyone can shed some light on

the subject, I would like very much to hear from you.

Write or phone me - 41 Wayne Street, Grand

Rapids, MI 49548, Tel. 616/455-3948.

Mr. Harris had obtained the body somewhere and

mounted it on a Packard chassis of about 1929 vintage.'

The steam generator is a "Thorne Multiple,"

with forty separate water level steam-generating

elements. The burner is similar to a Stanley, but with

multiple perforated lava discs instead of a cast iron

plate. The rest of the power plant is from a 1922

Stanley 740. All steam components are in excellent

condition.

Steam Automobile Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 3. Sept/Oct 1994.

If you need it, you can find the factory brochure for the Thorne Multiple Boiler on the internet.

Karl A. Petersen

Boise, Idaho

208 340 4570

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Here is my response back to Karl,posted above,and below this thread. George Albright: Dear Karl; Many thanks for your info. I have spoke to Dan Sheler and he could not remember what publication has the comments in it,that you uncovered. Several months

ago Mr. Harris(correct spelling) grandson contacted me,Mr. Wayne Beutel of Michigan. His family had quite a bit of stuff on his grandad and his car. We have a letter whereby Mr. Harris mentions the car was built by employees of the Fleetwood Body Company,whatever that means. 2 months ago Mr. Jeff Lane of Lane Motor Museum of Nashville,bought the car from me,at what I had in it. His committment to restore and display the car convinced me that he was the right guy to take it in trust,for future generations. All of us are continuing to look for info on Harris and the car,and your email is very appreciated! You will notice at the top of this email is a CC to both Wayne and Jeff at their emails. Jeffs email is lane@lanemotormuseum.org Wayne Beutels email is waynebeutel@hotmail.com You are more than welcome to contact me or either of them in the future concerning the car. We are working to research and restore the car as a team! Thanks again,George Albright email gnalbright@gmail.com cell 352 843 1624

- Show quoted text -

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 2:36 AM, Karl Petersen <karlp@firedragon.com> wrote:

I saw your queries in the AACA forum.

Mrs. Hariss said the body was built by Fleetwood craftsmen. This tends to indicate that it was not built at the Fleetwood shops. I remember the ads from steam car magazines as I subscribed to the Steam Automobile quarterly, the Steam Calliope and the Steam Power Quarterly and have them all. It is not in the Steam Automobile quarterly, though, since I have it on pdf and searched it. The car was written up in the Steam Automobile Bulletin with attached photo, as follows:

Dan Sheler writes: I read with interest the recent

Bulletin article on the house car built by J. Roy Hunt.

I have a similar vehicle that I first saw in Detroit in

the 30s. It was built by a Mr. H. R. Harris, a retired

engineer. I obtained the car from former SACA President

R. A. Gibbs in March, 1993. Mr. Gibbs did not

acquire the car from the builder, and does not recall

the name of the party he got it from. I have been

unable to locate any of the late Mr. Harris's relatives

or acquaintances. If anyone can shed some light on

the subject, I would like very much to hear from you.

Write or phone me - 41 Wayne Street, Grand

Rapids, MI 49548, Tel. 616/455-3948.

Mr. Harris had obtained the body somewhere and

mounted it on a Packard chassis of about 1929 vintage.'

The steam generator is a "Thorne Multiple,"

with forty separate water level steam-generating

elements. The burner is similar to a Stanley, but with

multiple perforated lava discs instead of a cast iron

plate. The rest of the power plant is from a 1922

Stanley 740. All steam components are in excellent

condition.

Steam Automobile Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 3. Sept/Oct 1994.

If you need it, you can find the factory brochure for the Thorne Multiple Boiler on the internet.

Karl A. Petersen

Boise, Idaho

208 340 4570

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  • 7 months later...

I saw this vehicle in MI on a car tour at some time in the 90's. It was, at that time, sitting outside after having been relieved of a Stanley 30hp engine for use in creating a racecar. I seem to recall it appearing home made but very well home made. I took a great interest in it and in the news that it could be purchased. The story attached to the car at that time was that it was ford flathead powered when first constructed and a later owner wanted to promote steam and altered it for that purpose. I don't recall if a chassis swap was a part of the powertrain swap.

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I purchased it 2 years ago from the guy in Michigan who had it for 10 years. I sold it to Jeff Lane of Lane Motor Museum in Tennessee this spring. I put him with Buck Boudeman of Michigan who has the original 20 HP Stanley motor from the vehicle,and who removed it 15 years ago. The grandson of the inventor found me a year ago,and provided lots of info ,drawings,and photos. Jeff Lane was given a complete copy of my file,photos,etc. It was started in the early 1930s on a circa 1930 Packard car chassis,and the 20 HP Stanley engine and transaxle,removed from a wreck at that time,was always the only engine ever installed in it.The car was completed by Mr. Harris in early 1937 in its present configuration. Jeff Lane is fully restoring it to its original glory! Chalk up one for historical preservation! George Albright,Ocala,Fla. email gnalbright@gmail.com cell 352 843 1624

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just read this entire post and green with envy ! Glad to see it's being done right though. Good Luck and how about some progress photos ? The great thing about this car is if the steam unit blows up you only kill the passengers ! Usually the mother inlaw !

Rob in the UK. P.S. Love those eyebrow windscreens !

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