Author Topic: Solved - NEH 481: Glasspar Special (or Atlas-Ford?) on Ford chassis - 1955  (Read 2137 times)

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Offline Carnut

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I don't know what this car is and I don't know what it's not..
So if someone can come up with a name for it they'll need to somehow prove they are right.  Only those with definitive proof need apply for a point!
« Last Edit: June 02, 2019, 04:08:27 PM by Wendax »
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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2010, 03:49:39 PM »
Let's see if the Experts have any ideas..
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Offline Paul Jaray

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2010, 04:09:38 PM »
I'm absolutely sure one of us knows this...I think he actually took this pic....

Offline D-type

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2010, 06:56:10 PM »
The tail looks very Daimler SP250.

 I vaguely recall seing a feature on a prototype of a Jaguar-engined version which lost out to the E-Type (XKE) but I don't think this is the same car.
Duncan Rollo

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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2010, 06:56:45 PM »
I'm absolutely sure one of us knows this...I think he actually took this pic....

But does he know what it is, even if he did take the picture?!
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Online Oguerrerob

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2010, 03:55:54 PM »
Ghia Design?

Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2010, 06:16:18 PM »
Ghia Design?

Can't answer that as I don't know what the car is, as I said in the original post!
Wouldn't have thought it's Ghia though.
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Offline Tackitt

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2010, 07:45:49 PM »
I found this car (exact same picture, in fact) listed as "1955 California Sports Special".  One of many old kit cars referred to as "Forgotten Fiberglass".
Unfortunately, no other information.

Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2010, 08:20:00 AM »
I found this car (exact same picture, in fact) listed as "1955 California Sports Special".  One of many old kit cars referred to as "Forgotten Fiberglass".
Unfortunately, no other information.

That's probably where I got the picture from.
It just looks so professional I thought someone would know what it derives from!
Will move it to the Pros and see if there's a clever dick there who knows!!
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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2010, 09:38:57 AM »
  Hmm they mention that all information concernig designer, builder and previous owners are lost, and they are asking anybody with any information to respond.
All thats left there is another picture and the names who restored this who do not seem to know either.

quote:
Rick D’Louhy and I (Geoff Hacker)succeeded in completing the restoration on the 1955 California Sports Special with a gang of experts (Scott Miller of Tampa, Jonathan Rucker of St. Petersburg, Tom Jaudon of Tampa, Tim Masters of Tampa, and a cast of seeming thousands…) in record time too.  And Merrill Powell from Victress chipped in during the last few days up to the event, and brought the restoration right on home (with the help of partner Scott Miller).  
« Last Edit: June 02, 2019, 04:10:13 PM by Wendax »

Offline Paul Jaray

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2010, 11:48:58 AM »
They are looking for info in many sources, but this is how it was called at THAT event:
« Last Edit: June 02, 2019, 04:10:56 PM by Wendax »

Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2010, 01:21:53 PM »
Yes but 'Mysterion' is just a name dreamt up by that Website for any car they don't know the name of!
Thought if anyone anywhere would know what this is they would be an AutoPuzzler!
But maybe it's destined just to get lost in the mists of time.
We'll see.
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Offline Tackitt

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2010, 03:51:28 PM »
And its too bad too. Its one of the best looking 'glass cars of that era.

Offline Scott Miller

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2010, 11:37:00 AM »
I would love to bump this to the top if I may!  ;D

Online Oguerrerob

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2010, 09:16:25 PM »
 This California Sports Special 1955 according to some source has a front engine Carburated V8 Ford flathead with Offenhauser speed equipment with Aliminum block and Manual transmission. Rear wheeled. They called 1955 Mysterion Roadster. Maybe that would help

Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2010, 06:58:28 AM »
They called 1955 Mysterion Roadster. Maybe that would help

Thanks for further info.

See replies #10 & 11 for the Mysterion name!
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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2010, 07:08:37 PM »
I've found an article about this car, maybe could clear a little bit more:
"Most people have a pretty firm handle on the history of the car they’re restoring, if only the basics – make, model, year of manufacture. These three basic chunks of information define a car and give it a place in autodom. But our friend Geoff Hacker has spent the last few years restoring a car of which he knows almost nothing.

If you attended the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance this year and browsed through the Forgotten Fiberglass class that Geoff put together, you’d have come across the above car, which Geoff has labeled a “mysterion.” Not to be confused with Ed Roth’s Mysterion, Geoff has been using the term mysterion to encompass all the homebuilt fiberglass cars that he has yet to discover anything about. If you know Geoff and his terrier-like insistence on discovering every iota of information about a car he researches, then you have to wonder if any record still exists to fix these mysterions’ histories.

The mysterion displayed at Amelia belongs to Geoff’s friend Rick D’Louhy and is perhaps the most unusual of Geoff’s mysterions because he’s discovered two others exactly like it, which means that somebody tooled up and made an effort to put these fiberglass bodies into production, an enterprise that should have generated some paperwork and possibly a few magazine or newspaper articles. However, everything about the cars seems to have vanished except for the cars themselves.

Like many fiberglass cars of the early 1950s, these were built to set atop a 1940s Ford chassis, and this one gets its power from a dual-carbureted Ford flathead V-8 with Offenhauser heads. If you did inspect it at Amelia Island, you’d likely have noticed that it wasn’t quite finished at the time; Geoff passed along these photos and videos to note that its restoration is now complete – save for, of course, any idea about its history."

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2010, 07:11:11 PM »
Another View

Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2010, 07:24:39 PM »
Thanks for this oguerrerob.
Think just about all the info that's out there has now been posted on this thread so doubt there is any more anyone can add.
It's a real shame that cars like this have survived but the info as to their history hasn't.
I'll  have to think where to move this to now; it's hardly 'Solved' but don't think anyone can add more..
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Offline Paul Jaray

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #19 on: October 25, 2010, 04:01:32 PM »
I've found a letter of the previous owner of this car, from an old magazine:
Paul Ingram (Oregon) wrote what He knew about: body by Glasspar in San Diego, built on a 1937-1939 Ford chassis and originally equipped with a Ford flathead power, then modified with a Chevy crossmember and rear axle. Head and taillamps are from a 1950 Ford and the front axle is a dropped Ford unit with a ’40-48 style hydraulic brakes. It was originally painted black, later gold. There is evidence of a stripe or two running the lenght of the car and also traces of numbers or letters which might hint at a racing history.
There are also 4 pics of it, unrestored of course.



Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 481
« Reply #20 on: October 25, 2010, 06:50:37 PM »
Thanks for that PJ.
I think it's time to move it to solved and perhaps I can give it a name now "Glasspar Special"!
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Offline Carnut

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Re: Solved - NEH 481: Glasspar Special (or Atlas-Ford?) on Ford chassis - 1955
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2012, 06:07:47 AM »
According to this info it's an Atlas-Ford!:

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