George Albright Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Dear Friends I have been offered this strange handbuilt rear engined car,built from who knows what parts. Kinda looks like a 1955-6 T Bird,except smaller. Anyone have any idea who built it,the history,and what originally powered it.(Maybe a Crosley?) Thanks,George Albright,Ocala,Fla. email gnalbright@gmail.com PS The center grill may be Nash,but look at those nice front and rear bumpers! What are they off of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dictator27 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Grille is 48-50 Packard. Taillights look like early 50's Nash.Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dictator27 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Headlight rims are 47-49 StudeTerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Looks like the same car was on Packardinfo.com a while back.Packard Motor Car Information - FOUND: Packard's long-lost midget concept [Packard Forums - Post-War (1946-54)]West, did anything further on it turn up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 Is the rear end from a Crosley? George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 Will everyone also look at the rims without the wire covers on them,in photo #1. Are those Crosley rims? Geo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Looks like a Packard redo on a Nash Metropolitan to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 None of the visible parts look like Crosley. There has been several Packard Crosleys made over the years. I'd have to look for pictures but this doesn't look familiar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleek Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Could it be based on a British car? Austin comes to mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 If you post this on the hamb with a decent title like "Identify mystery 50s rear engined custom" somebody will tell you exactly what it it. If you want I'll post it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fcat Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Perhaps you should post the pics on www.ferrarichat.com You may have a missing race car there. Check for a serial # tag w/ "0846" on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCox Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 This may in fact be the car James Nance commisioned to be built for his small grandson in or around 1955. Rumor has it that Dick Teague worked on it personally with the help of Studebaker Packard employees?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yes please post the photos and info on the HAMB! Please include my name and address,and I will keep this forum updated on what is said. Thanks,George Albright,Ocala,Fla. cell 352 843 1624 Email; gnalbright@gmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Here you go George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 THANKS for posting it on HAMB. Everyone is so helpful on this site! Geo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Hearn Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Headlight rims are 47-49 StudeTerryAnd '49-'53 2R truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 George, the hamb guys want more pictures. Also, why do you think it's rear engined? There seems to be a big transmission tunnel there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Good Question as to if its front or rear drive! The owner says its rear drive. I will try to get him to take a photo of the front engine compartment,and also of the area right behind the seats so we can try to figure that issue out. Hey a 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk drove by me yesterday,and it appeared the cowl vent was identical or similar to the ones on this car. Maybe the side panels or body is a narrowed 1953 to 1957 Studebaker speedster of some type. You guys thoughts? Geo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Good Question as to if its front or rear drive! The owner says its rear drive. I will try to get him to take a photo of the front engine compartment,and also of the area right behind the seats so we can try to figure that issue out. Hey a 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk drove by me yesterday,and it appeared the cowl vent was identical or similar to the ones on this car. Maybe the side panels or body is a narrowed 1953 to 1957 Studebaker speedster of some type. You guys thoughts? Geo.THAT'S where I have seen that side vent before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 This may in fact be the car James Nance commisioned to be built for his small grandson in or around 1955. Rumor has it that Dick Teague worked on it personally with the help of Studebaker Packard employees??It seems a bit crude to be associated with high rollers like Nance and Teague. Whoever built it didn't even have access to a tube bender. Look at the flex tubing used around the cockpit. It was someones homebuilt dreamboat, I'm almost certain. I does have a certain ugly charm. It deserves to be finished Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I think that because the turtle deck is so long and because of the vents on the top of it, that it probably was mid engined, not rear engined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_a Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Someone has a car like this for sale in Montana and they are calling it a Packardbaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Judging by the short hood and louvers behind the seat it was meant to be a mid engine sports car. There were many home made sports cars built in the fifties. Some of them were even finished. This looks like one of the other ones.My question is how was he supposed to connect an engine and transmission direct to the rear axle, and still allow the axle to move up and down for suspension movement? I suspect this stumped the original builder too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Chassis appears to be an English or European import from the late 40s or early 50s. If you held a gun to my head I would say English just because they sold a lot of cars in the US in those days.Rear suspension is unusual trailing arm with 1/4 eliptic leaf springs, appears to be home made.Engine may have been a big Vtwin harley or indian mated somehow to a small car transmission and a very short drive shaft. There appears to be a pair of exhaust pipes or mufflers under the deck that bears out the Vtwin hypothesis. I might be able to figure out more if I saw the car in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Interesting to see this thread come back into life. Re Rusty's comments about it being English; most of the smaller English cars went to various forms of semi-monocoque construction post WW2. This is obviously something earlier with a separate chassis. The first pic with the Model A in the background hints that the wheelbase is about the same - around 103". The only prewar American car I thought of was Willys - which I see was between 100" and 104" during the period 1937-'42. The wheels look right too. The position of the steering wheel and the vents behind the seat suggest the builder was aiming for mid engine. All we need is a Willys expert to confirm the appearance of the chassis components.Still doesn't answer who built it, when and why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landman Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 The profile reminds me of the Daimler SP 250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Looks like a good cellmate for your Batmobile, George. !! I have a nice Packard grillelike that one if it is the right year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Looks like an unfinished 50's project. Not well planned or executed. Salvage the grill, headlights and tail lights and let mother nature comsume the remains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Foggy norm Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 A real collection of parts. Appears the entire top of the rear nash fender was sacrificed to accommodate the tail lights, I suspect trunk deck also. The same thought would apply to the front fender and lights. Sorry to say, the vents look as tho they came off a furnace. The bumpers are chopped in the middle, what a variety of parts they are. Can't imagine all this work being done without advance knowledge of what was going to power it. I think it had potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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