What is this! Stutz? Please help!!

[Guest t_towner]

Can Someone help tell me about this car?

It's titled as a 1932 Stutz Convertible Custom. DV-32 Engine.

One owner since the 50's. Parked since 1964.

[jdome]

Those are modified 49 Cadillac front and rear fenders and deck lid. The bumpers and head, tail and parking lights are 49 Cadillac too. From what I can see of the top of the engine it does look like Stutz. Interesting vehicle.

[jdome]

A second look at it it could be 50-52 Cadillac. Is the grill half of a Studebaker rotated 90 degrees????

[Guest t_towner]

That's interesting. Definately looks like 49 Caddy fins and possibly front.

I wonder who would do such a thing? Hasn't the DV-32 chassis always been expensive? The craftsmanship is incredible. Why would someone yank a Stutz body and do this unless the buyer or circumstance were very special?

It is said this car was one of 2 cars built for the movie Topper w/ Cary Grant. They used the 36 Buick vs this particular car. It could have been the sequel to Topper he is talking about. I was hoping someone would know the car or the coach builder?

All the parts are there.

Edited July 6, 2010 by t_towner (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I don't know what it is, but I LIKE it. Sure hope you can resurrect it. Please keep us informed!!

Thanks

Ben

[Peter Gariepy]

The original "topper" was released in 1937.

Topper (1937)

There was a TV series in 1953, wonder if it was from there?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topper_(TV_series)

[Marty Roth]

I cannot get a good-enough look at the right rear wheel to read the center cap

Engine certainly looks like Stutz

Body, fenders, bumpers are certainly Cadillac.

1953 Version of Topper - leo G. Carroll played Topper, a banker who was constantly gotten in and out of minor problems by George and Marion (and their St. Bernard), a couple - ghosts who would materialize and dematerialize at will to mystify Cosmo Topper in front of his wife. Was she played by Spring Byington?

Edited July 6, 2010 by Marty Roth
CRS (see edit history)

[Guest t_towner]

They are Stutz hubcaps.

Edited July 6, 2010 by t_towner (see edit history)

[TG57Roadmaster]

I believe the grille is two halves from a '50 Nash, sectioned horizontally with a center bar added,

then rotated 90 degrees (as mentioned earlier). Episode 11 of the first season of Topper is called

"Car Story"(or similar) but you'd have to buy a DVD set of the series ($16 plus $6 S/H)

to find out if this is the car in question.

I would bet that if they used a hopped up car for TV, it was probably already around town,

home-built which the producer rented for the occasion.The episode I watched of Topper looks

like budget sets were used, so such a purpose-built creation would have been prohibitively costly.

Perhaps.

I also bet that you'd find pics of the car by scouring through some of the early hotrod and

custom car magazines; someone would have been very of this baby!

TG

PS. 1.11 Topper: CAR EPISODE

18Dec53 CBS (copyright date 18Dec53)

Produced by John W. Loveton

Written by George Oppenheimer & Stephen Sondheim

Synopsis:

The Kerbys try to persuade Topper to buy a sports car. [RF]

Synopsis (possibly "Car Episode")

The Kerbys want Cosmo to get a sports car for Henrietta's birthday. [TD]

[Dave Henderson]

Could be some XK120-140 Jaguar roadster pieces there too. Would fit the timeline. Cowl, especially its sides, the doors, and rear panel above trunk lid, all modified of course. Check to see if doors are aluminum as were the Jag's. Its other panels mentioned would be steel. Very interesting!

[K8096]

I know this car, have talked with the owner, and saw it in person back in 2003. The car was originally a 1932/1933 Stutz DV-32. We don't know what body was originally on it, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were a sedan. Some time around 1949/50/51 it was modified. Really the only things left on it that are Stutz are the front 1/2 of the frame, axles, and engine. The frame was cut about 1/2 way back and the rear 1/2 is from something else. The transmission isn't Stutz, it's out of a truck or something and the gearing on it is terrible, or so the owner told me. He said it was a slow car because of the transmission gearing. The body obviously takes it ques from the 1949 Cadillac. The car is very heavy as it's full of lead. The craftmanship was good and the owner told me it came from Southern California. He thought it was going to be used ina movie but then wasn't for whatever reason. One interesting this on it was the water manifold on top of the engine. Originally it went over the front timing cover and into the radiator with a hose in between. Because the new body on the car is so low, the people who built it cut a round hole in the front timing chain cover (remember this engine is DOHC) and ran the water tube through the cover inbetween the two upper timing chain gears. Pretty ingenious. I'm sure someday someone will fix it up, but I'd be tempted to rebuild it on an 1949 Cadillac chassis and save the Stutz parts to ressurect another Stutz.

[K8096]

By the way, the hubcaps with "S" on them are actually Studebaker, not Stutz.

[Guest t_towner]

K8096......you have a PM.

Curious, do you have any pics of your 2003 viewing? I'll check the transmission as I understood it to be orignal Stutz.

Thanks, Greg

[Rusty_OToole]

There was a Topper sequel called Topper Returns with Roland Young and Billie Burke as Mr and Mrs Topper but no Cary Grant.

In it, Topper's car is a 1936 Mercedes 540K roadster chauffeured by Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, best known for his work in Jack Benny's movies, radio and TV shows.

[safarikar]

Can anyone tell me more information about this car like who the builder was or anything ????

Mark

[West Peterson]

The current owner, Steve Snyder at The Vault, is probably who you need to contact:

http://www.vaultcars.com/1932-stutz-dv-32

[Guest 914Driver]

The car from Topper started out life as a '36 Buick.

I'm no expert, but that engine looks for all the world like a straight double overhead cam six Jag motor.

[Guest 914Driver]

[Restorer32]

Similar in appearance but definitely NOT a Jag engine, at least not XK 120, 140 or 150.

[60FlatTop]

Here is my old Mark VII engine:

It is different for sure. But if you swapped sides for the intake and exhaust as well as reversed the rotation of the engine, you might be able to get a Jaguar to sound that bad. I sure miss the sound of that Jag.

Bernie

[Dave Mellor NJ]

I cannot get a good-enough look at the right rear wheel to read the center cap

Engine certainly looks like Stutz

Body, fenders, bumpers are certainly Cadillac.

1953 Version of Topper - leo G. Carroll played Topper, a banker who was constantly gotten in and out of minor problems by George and Marion (and their St. Bernard), a couple - ghosts who would materialize and dematerialize at will to mystify Cosmo Topper in front of his wife. Was she played by Spring Byington?

I remember the dog named Cleo. I think it was a Basset hound but that was the TV series.

[Restorer32]

I have the XK 140 I drove in college home in the garage. Last run in 1969. I'm gonna fix 'er up someday.

[alsancle]

The XK 120/140/150s are great cars. My mom drove a 140 MC for years as her everyday summer driver. The only issue was warm days you watched that temp gauge. Big engine in a little compartment.

The subject of this thread, a Stutz special is supposed to have a shortened DV32 chassis under the 1950s bodywork. Not horrible looking, not fantastic either. It has floated around in various Internet forums for years.

[supersix]

I remember the dog named Cleo. I think it was a Basset hound but that was the TV series.

The dog in the Topper TV series was "Neil". Cleo was a dog in the series The People's Choice.

[Restorer32]

Who would name a dog Neil?

[West Peterson]

Better than "Cuddles" or "Trixie". I'm partial to the name that Steve Martin called his dog in "The Jerk."

[supersix]

Who would name a dog Neil?

And I think he had his own inscribed feed bowl.

[Rusty_OToole]

In his hand built car he struts

He started with a Safety Stutz

Nash, Cadillac, gears, bolts and nuts

A thousand welds, a thousand cuts

To build the homeliest of mutts

O how the Classic Club tut-tuts

And Stutz restorers hate his guts.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Don't be a klutz or you'll fall into ruts, no ifs ands or buts.

[Bleach]

You must be nuts to own that Stutz as it's certainly worser than a Mercer.

[Restorer32]

and stinkin' more than a Lincoln...

[paulrhd29nz]

And after he lost all his penny's for not being wiser ,

He had to seek out a design job, and work for keiser

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smithbrother]

Neal sr. , yep, he might name a dog after himself, maybe...

Dale in Indy

[alsancle]

This car is owned by a friend now.  In case everybody didn't already know,  Steve Synder has the complete story here:  http://www.vaultcars.com/1932-stutz-dv-32

 

It was built Dr. Elwood Needy, a dentist in Missouri from 1949 up to about 1953.

 

[zipdang]

When was the nosed changed from the Studebaker? And to what? I think the Stude flows better.

[mercer09]

I have the XK 140 I drove in college home in the garage. Last run in 1969. I'm gonna fix 'er up someday.

 

that's what everyone says....................

 

the dog was named Neil, so he wouldnt run away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[padgett]

Gives a whole 'nother meaning to Studillac.

[Willie Wurke]

On ‎7‎/‎5‎/‎2010 at 9:17 PM, t_towner said:

That's interesting. Definately looks like 49 Caddy fins and possibly front.

I wonder who would do such a thing? Hasn't the DV-32 chassis always been expensive? The craftsmanship is incredible. Why would someone yank a Stutz body and do this unless the buyer or circumstance were very special?

It is said this car was one of 2 cars built for the movie Topper w/ Cary Grant. They used the 36 Buick vs this particular car. It could have been the sequel to Topper he is talking about. I was hoping someone would know the car or the coach builder?

All the parts are there.

Here is an answer to your third question. At a trotting track (horse racing) in Australia they used a Stutz starting gate that was a car with the body removed.  Our fellow club member down there , Garry M,

now has it and is building a three door roadster body similar to a Locke body on it. I hope he reads this post and will give us a progress report 

 

[edinmass]

This car is currently owned by a local friend and car collector. I spent a few minute looking it over last week. I'm not sure quite how to describe it. It's built with talent and thoughtfulness. Like so many one off customs they look and feel a bit ............awkward or off. To be fair I think it will look much better when it is put back to its original configuration. They have acquired the parts to do so. As the current owner has a bunch of cars and is very active in the hobby, I'm not sure how soon he will get to it. Ed.

[JustDave]

years back i was at the pomona swapmeet this is probably sometime in the seventies there was a custom supposidly built for the movie boston blackie,it was a cut down lincoln as i remember looked similar to this car supposidly built for or by the studios  as i remember it was 1200 back then it was red and pretty rough,about a year later i saw it advertised in hemmings it was in colorado at that time    dave