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What's your "white whale"?


Billy Kingsley

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In one of my other hobbies, something that you want, but have never seen, is considered a "White Whale", a reference to Moby Dick. 

 

What is it for you in the automotive hobby? 

 

For me, I've never seen a 1958 Edsel wagon, any trim level, in any condition, despite regularly attending car shows since the age of 2, so 33 years of shows.

 

Something like the Reeves Octoauto, which no longer exists, would make the list if I thought there were any out there.

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Never have I yet seen a 1960 Edsel Ranger four door hardtop, neither Standard (57A) 104 built or Deluxe (57B) 31 produced.  I have seen the station wagon and all other styles.

Never have I yet seen a 1958-'60 Ambassador four door hardtop station wagon.

Others will come to mind over the week, we keep a mental list to check off.

 

Added 4-18-2020

Never have I yet seen in the metal any of the 1933 Continental Beacon, Flyer or Ace models or the 1934 Beacon.  

Never have I yet seen in the metal a 1930 REO Flying Cloud Model 30 or '31 REO Royale 8-31

Edited by 58L-Y8
added more never seen cars and models (see edit history)
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52 minutes ago, J.H.Boland said:

I would like to see a London Six,built in London,Ontario in the early 1920's.Approximately 100 were built.Anyone know of one in existance ?

 

Most likely, an 'assembled' car, with 85% proprietary components.

 

Craig 

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Brass is Best said:

I would like to see an Unrestored Original Model A Ford that looks like new. 95 points or more.

Great choice, closer to home for me as well, if I cannot see the Doble that would work.  Maybe just as elusive when you add in "looks like new". 🙂

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22 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

Most likely, an 'assembled' car, with 85% proprietary components.

 

Craig 

 

 

 The London Six used a Herschell-Spillman six cylinder engine,and had a locally made aluminum body. The other drive train parts were likely outsourced as well. Owners claimed a top speed of about 85 MPH.

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A Lloyd Auto.  The owner of a little repair garage in my hometown used to buy cars that the bigger dealers didn’t want and fix them up and resell them on his property.  One of his oddest cars was a Lloyd.  I don’t ever recall seeing another since that time.  It was a microcar with a small, maybe 600cc engine.

 

2794ABF7-4F05-4ECD-A7A1-A94F9181E6C4.jpeg

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3 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

I think there are more like a dozen Dobles remaining.  I've seen one, and the engineering is very interesting.

Thanks, I first read about them as a child when one Christmas I received the AQ World of Collector Cars book, where I thought (happily mistaken) onle one remained.  I thought it was cool steam had made to the Classic era, and the featured car was very attractive.

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28 minutes ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Great choice, closer to home for me as well, if I cannot see the Doble that would work.  Maybe just as elusive when you add in "looks like new". 🙂

  Merry Christmas!

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Jay+Leno+Doble+Steamer&docid=607995136293997587&mid=C98423C2879388E81A77C98423C2879388E81A77&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

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3 hours ago, gossp said:

Supposedly, the Reeves does still exist. 

I have heard about it for years matched to some people saying it was disassembled multiple cars and some saying it was converted to normal wheel configuration - best kept secret though in southwest Ohio, southern Indian, and Norther Kentucky. 

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5 minutes ago, John_Mereness said:

I have heard about it for years matched to some people saying it was disassembled multiple cars and some saying it was converted to normal wheel configuration - best kept secret though in southwest Ohio, southern Indian, and Norther Kentucky. 


I met a guy from the family that has it, if it is really what they say. It was actually Shawn, after I relayed this wild tale, that gave me the strongest confirmation that there is something to the story. 

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I think my "white whale" might be a 1931 Dodge Brothers DH6 roadster. I have seen photos of a few examples, but none in person. I wouldn't harpoon it, but I would surely own it. (The one in the middle is marked as a 1932, but is the style of the 1931)

3269928.jpg

Picture 102.jpg

post-37352-143142855876.jpg

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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3 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

A Doble, well the one (I believe) remaining Doble would be cool to see

 

 

Come on Steve,  there are at least 20 known cars.   I just bought Jim Crank's Doble Opus and I've only read 10 pages in but it is awesome!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Doble-Steam-Car-Jim-Crank/dp/0578464632

 

 

 

41be-X%2BwQ%2BL._SY322_BO1,204,203,200_.

Edited by alsancle (see edit history)
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This seems really similar to the thread I made up a day ago concerning "gulity pleasures" so I'm going to put my choice for that down here.

 

GAZ M-21 "Volga" 
 

                                                                                                                     1968 Volga Gaz 21 Deluxe Russian Restored Classic Car ...

Edited by Jaybokay (see edit history)
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And he piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it.

 

This is my all-time favorite quote and my personal creedo. All about obsession and fury and unreachable goals. Beware the white whales.

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5 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said:

 I've never seen a 1958 Edsel wagon

 

I've owned 6 Edsels over the years including two '58s, three '59s and a '60. The rarest wagon is the '58 Roundup which is a two door. The rarest Edsel of all is the '60 Ranger convertible of which only 76 were made before production of the Edsel was discontinued in November 1959. Some of the '58s and all of the '59s and '60s were built in Louisville. For more info check out Edsel.com or Wikipedia....

 

 

08B74174-82BC-4828-8841-969DE5483985.jpeg

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For me it might be a Lotus type 62.  I like production Lotus Europa's and have owned 3 over the decades. The production Europa gave birth to the Lotus factory race version, the Lotus 47. Rare and costly. Around 60 produced, and well outside my reach ; $125,000.00 and up these days.

But for me the ultimate is the type 62. Only 2 built. The Vauxhall based Lotus 907 engine as later used in things like the Esprit. Full tube chassis rather than the sheet metal , " backbone " style of the Europa and type 47. And lots more. Lotus was getting out of GT racing and the car was not properly developed

or supported . At least 1 of the 2 built now lives in the U.S. , I belive they both survive.

Lotus Europa { S2 }, type 47, and type 62. A number of type 62 replicas have been built.

imageslotus.jpg

imagesF6LOMXKF.jpg

 

TN_Brands_Hatch-1969-04-13-071.jpg

 

Edited by 1912Staver (see edit history)
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1 hour ago, alsancle said:

 

Come on Steve,  there are at least 20 known cars.   I just bought Jim Crank's Doble Opus and I've only read 10 pages in but it is awesome!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Doble-Steam-Car-Jim-Crank/dp/0578464632

 

 

 

41be-X%2BwQ%2BL._SY322_BO1,204,203,200_.

I now need to dig up my AQ book, as I swear they referenced one extant, maybe meaning a specific model.  If price on this book is correct, AJ, I will just borrow yours. 😯😁

 

Any additional comment on white RR?  Certainly looks to have survived.

Edited by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)
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At the moment:  It had a VERY amateur restoration, it is way too green (but they are the originals colors), and from all the problems with it mechanically upon completion matched to the needed re-do work  it ended up being a good driver 1931 PA Model 42 Berline Club Sedan for the family (second owner) that initially restored it.  Last seen in a bankruptcy sale of third owner in 1990's.   // There is probably a space in the garage too for an unrestored Auburn 12 or a Cord L-29 and you know how I  love a good Club Sedan.  Also, a Ford GPW Jeep that is not rusted away and has sound potential. 

 

Scan_Pic0003.thumb.jpg.406fa248a7452ec1304a41787ccfe874.jpg

 

Added a second photo - This Lincoln floated my boat years ago when it was sold in Hemmings in probably late 1970's or early 1980's

48455282227_3442df1356_b.thumb.jpg.e2f7445eac94d928f12f8b54445126f0.jpg

 

And, this DuPont has always struck a chord.

gettyimages-3169558-2048x2048.thumb.jpg.17705386a5b08d9ea0c4968ace4f3fe9.jpg

 

Edited by John_Mereness (see edit history)
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Not sure how to respond to this. That said there are two cars I have always thought to be the most beautiful sports cars ever that I will never own:

- 1935 Squire (has a boosted engine but what the hay.)

- 1938 SS-100 3.5 liter

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Back in the mid-sixties I did see a brand new, never restored Model A Ford.  It was in the old Strong Ford dealership in Minnesota.  It had 50 miles on the odometer, had never been sold and was a car that still sat in the showroom.  For some reason Dave Strong's father just kept the car, leaving it sitting in the display room.  I don't know whatever happened to it.

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My "White Whale", also could be titled "A Bridge Too Far".  It has to be something like a '23 Kissel Gold Bug and / or a '21 Daniels D-19 design modernized with something like a 6 speed manual and a 350 V-8, positraction and series rubber.  I had planned to do that until I tripped over a rock, ripped out my left shoulder and now I can only dream.

21 Daniels D-19 Submarine Speedster 01-16.jpg

23 Kissel Gold Bug.jpg

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Ed Minnie  suggests in the comments section of the OLD MOTOR article that a long  hidden one does exist. As we all know on this forum, if anyone has the inside story on a rare pre - war car chances are it is Ed. Any further information ?  Also a small number of ReVere cars that the Richelieu was based on do exist.

Greg in Canada

Edited by 1912Staver (see edit history)
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1931 Model A Ford Travelers Wagon - an offshoot of the Special Delivery which was an offshoot of the Station Wagon.  It had a water tank suspended under the roof, a wash basin, a fold-down bed, a storage chest, and roll-up curtains on rear windows.  The lowest production body style - only 10 units built and IIRC, all went to South America.  No known survivors but there are a couple replicas around.

 

31ford_model-a_traveller_prince_rr.jpg

 

31ford_model-a_traveller_prince_ro.jpg

 

Some others that fit the OP criteria - something I want but have never seen (at least not in the flesh...errr, steel):

1931 Model A Ford Town Car Delivery

1931 Model A Ford Special Delivery

1937 DeSoto Convertible

1966 Ford Mustang GT350H

1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass SX Convertible

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Guest Mark McAlpine
9 hours ago, Jaybokay said:

This seems really similar to the thread I made up a day ago concerning "gulity pleasures" so I'm going to put my choice for that down here.

 

GAZ M-21 "Volga" 
 

                                                                                                                     1968 Volga Gaz 21 Deluxe Russian Restored Classic Car ...

 

There was a 1957 Gaz M21V "Volga" proudly displayed by Dmitri Shvetsov and his family at the 2019 Eastern Fall Nationals in Parsippany, NJ.  I had the pleasure of talking to them about the car.  Wish I'd had more time--a really nice family and great car.

IMG_7112.JPG

IMG_7105.JPG

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Really enjoying the comments. I've learned about cars I didn't know about already. I purposely left it ambiguous since I know a lot of people people on this forum have owned a lot of interesting cars. 

I was inspired by the guilty pleasure thread but that's about cars we love, with many owned. This is about cars we've never seen or have never been able to hunt down and own, depending on perspective. 

 

Another reason to regret missing that show, I've never seen a Gaz. I had planned to go but the heat was too much, my health problems are made significantly worse with heat, and it was what, 97° with 80% humidity that day? I probably wouldn't have survived it, so I stayed home...and will regret missing it forever.

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27 minutes ago, zepher said:

A 'white whale', something I've always wanted to see but never have.

 

A 90+ point Duesenberg for around $40k.


I would be happy with a 80 point pre-J at the same money. 

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