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First time seeing this one.


casper50

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Apparently you guys aren't the only ones. Typically a 1 off prototype vehicle would be in high demand. This poor thing has been bouncing around without anyone fixing it up. It does have an interesting history of how it survived this far. 

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13 minutes ago, Dan Hiebert said:

Kind of catchy, in a unique, ugly, airplane/boat wannabe kind of way...I'd let it sit in my driveway, but it would have to be free. 

Last time it was on ebay I believe they were trying to get 60K for it....

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A reminder that despite current theories,some people WERE taking mind-altering drugs in the 50's. Especially the artistic types.

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20 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

Last time it was on ebay I believe they were trying to get 60K for it....

I would think that a car museum would love to buy it for 60K. Being able to advertise they had a one of a kind prototype car could help them sell a lot of tickets.

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Just now, knuckleharley said:

I would think that a car museum would love to buy it for 60K. Being able to advertise they had a one of a kind prototype car could help them sell a lot of tickets.

You'd think so! I believe however it went unsold. I suppose 60K plus restoration costs would be a lot of cash to lay down. 

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2 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

You'd think so! I believe however it went unsold. I suppose 60K plus restoration costs would be a lot of cash to lay down. 

Yeah,but if you are running a museum you can write it all off your taxes as educational expenses.

And really,other than the cosmetics,there is nothing you need to restore for a museum piece. How good does it have to run if all you would do is move it around the museum or drive it in an occasional parade?

Edited by knuckleharley
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Either I'm not recalling ebay correct or these guys are much better at selling. This says the wagon sold for 176K

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=CA14&ID=r0005

 

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4 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

Either I'm not recalling ebay correct or these guys are much better at selling. This says the wagon sold for 176K

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=CA14&ID=r0005

 

Ed,some sharpie with the cash to risk may have bought the car from the ebay sale for 60 grand,and then put it up for sale at a big-bucks auction where the Palm Beach/Napa Valley denizens go to play.

Let's face it,the crowd that can afford to set fire to money doesn't shop on ebay or admit they ever shopped on ebay. If you want to sell something to them,you have to present it at one of those "by invitation whine and cheese" auctions. Preferably one that is televised.

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Just now, knuckleharley said:

Ed,some sharpie with the cash to risk may have bought the car from the ebay sale for 60 grand,and then put it up for sale at a big-bucks auction where the Palm Beach/Napa Valley denizens go to play.

Let's face it,the crowd that can afford to set fire to money doesn't shop on ebay or admit they ever shopped on ebay. If you want to sell something to them,you have to present it at one of those "by invitation whine and cheese" auctions. Preferably one that is televised.

If thats what happened someone is sure happy with the results. Almost tripled their $. 

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22 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

If thats what happened someone is sure happy with the results. Almost tripled their $. 

Happens all the time. Back in the mid-80's a local car museum was closing and auctioning off all their cars,tools,memorabilia,etc,etc,etc. I went down there to look and one of the cars that interested me was a 20's Maxwell touring car that had been used in the tv show "My Mother the Car". This museum had several tv or movie cars for sale,some by Barris,Roth,and maybe Starbird.

Anyhow,the Maxell was a VERY well preserved original car appearance wise. Even had the original leather upholstery in it.  I believe it even had the original paint on it. The engine and trans were a 283 Chevy and powerglide to make it easy to drive and reliable for episodic tv shooting,and I THINK it probably had modern brakes,too. It had a hidden tape recorder that made antique car sounds that could be played when driving the car for the microphones. I thought it was interesting,but just knew I didn't have enough money to buy a TV car,so I didn't go to the auction.

It sold for $450,with a clear title.

Been kicking myself in the butt over that one ever since.

 

I have no idea how much the Barris and Stawbird stuff sold for,and don't care. If it was more than lunch money it was too much. The Bannachek tv show Javeline was pretty cool,but the other stuff was Gawd-Aful "two ugh" Ugly" to own. Probably the least offensive to the eyes was the Ed Roth "Beatnik Bandit"  I guess the drivetrain may have been useful as core parts to rebuild,but I see nothing else of value.

Ed-roth-beatnik-bandit.jpg.8b2572ce7d0d98ae61ffbfbdce21279b.jpg

Edited by knuckleharley
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   It’s a little known fact, but many, many, of the show cars built back in the 60’s, 70’s, and into the 80’s, didn’t run. So, to save weight in the semi-trailers, the engines, and transmissions were empty. No fuel, no coolant, just enough grease in the rear-end to keep the gear and bearings from catching, no door glass/no door glass mechanisms, etc., in fact—the only fluid in the cars was brake fluid, so they could stop the car. Further, most of them didn’t even have titles, and weren’t even street-legal.

   I remember Ed Roth had one of his show cars on an open trailer going between shows, and somewhere in south-central Kansas, a frame rail broke in two, probably due to hydrogen embrittlement from the chroming process. So, he pulled to the side of the road, pushed it off of the trailer, stripped the car of what he wanted for his “next project”, and just left the remains sitting on the shoulder of the road. The owner of the shop where I was working at the time got a call from Ed saying he could have it if he wanted it, and we went down to get it with a trailer behind a car. I met him, and he was a very cool guy, albeit a bit "out there". However, once we saw it, we just got back into the car and went back to the shop. Ahhhh . . . . . memories . . . . . . good times . . . . .

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3 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

I just looked at that wagon for the first time...it immediately popped into my head that this was a Mercury Parklane roof reveresed and attached....possibily with a Ranchero bullshead attached to the exterior sail panel

I think you are right.

I also think it looks better reversed.

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A company I do some work for is currently re-doing the dash instruments for that ugly car... it is being restored to it's former glory!!!?

I guess.:o

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Guess this would have been "early" Virgil Exner? I really like most everything he did. Maybe he was hungover, having a bad day or something on this one.

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as part of motoring history it has its place....while I am sure if given to me I would accept the gift and probably keep it...buying the car however would never happen even if offered at the moderate price of the average production wagon of the era...compared to this car how can anyone ever call a 62 Dodge Polara 500 ugly....

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11 hours ago, casper50 said:

1956 Chrysler Plainsman concept car.  Has a Pontiac flavor to the front.  Not liking it much.

Plainsman_900.jpg

CA14_r0005_02.jpg

I Love it! The3 Jet Age.Where is Clark Grisswald/ Where is it now?

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7 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

A company I do some work for is currently re-doing the dash instruments for that ugly car... it is being restored to it's former glory!!!?

I guess.:o

Well,history ain't always pretty,but it is always history. There will always be people attracted to "one-off" stuff.

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1 hour ago, knuckleharley said:

Well,history ain't always pretty,but it is always history. There will always be people attracted to "one-off" stuff.

This one is a good example of history. From the hemmings write up "Despite its real-world underpinnings, the Plainsman was never production-bound; instead, Chrysler used it as a rolling testbed for ideas like powered rear-facing “spectator seats” that increased passenger capacity to six adults and two children, a power tailgate, and the automaker’s first “hidden” spare tire compartment, contained in the right rear quarter panel. With the seats folded, the Plainsman delivered more than 106 cubic feet of cargo space; with its tailgate down, the five-foot interior width even accommodated full-size sheets of plywood or drywall." Those features became a staple of station wagons until their demise in the 80s/90s.

 

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