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Author Topic: Solved - NEH 1658: 1953 Ken Mace Cadillac Special based on Woodill Wildfire  (Read 545 times)

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Offline Carnut

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Solved - NEH 1658: 1953 Ken Mace Cadillac Special based on Woodill Wildfire
« on: March 13, 2012, 07:01:50 AM »
What's this, built by whom, when and with what engine?

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AutoPuzzles is primarily a game of automotive knowledge, not of who can copy and paste the quickest.

We ask all members to remember and respect this, and retain the right to ask puzzle-solvers how they came to their answer.

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« Last Edit: March 21, 2012, 05:41:36 AM by Carnut »
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RayTheRat

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2012, 10:04:59 AM »
1952 Woodill Wildfire, Willys F-head I6.
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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2012, 10:22:09 AM »
Quote from: RayTheRat on March 13, 2012, 10:04:59 AM
1952 Woodill Wildfire, Willys F-head I6.


Although it does look like one, I'm afraid that's not what it is!
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RayTheRat

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2012, 11:40:23 AM »
Damn!   :yuck: :yuck: :yuck:
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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2012, 08:40:38 AM »
Quote from: Carnut on March 13, 2012, 10:22:09 AM
Quote from: RayTheRat on March 13, 2012, 10:04:59 AM
1952 Woodill Wildfire, Willys F-head I6.


Although it does look like one, I'm afraid that's not what it is!

OK, what I should perhaps have said is that Woodill Wildfire is not the answer to this puzzle.
Clearly the puzzle car is closely related to what is normally referred to as a Woodill Wildfire, but I want to know who built this and what its power source is...  That information is available out there!
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RayTheRat

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2012, 04:44:35 PM »
Ok.  Woody Woodill started building the Wildfires using Glasspar bodies with Willys components, including the F-head 6 motor.  As things moved along, he (Woodill) began offering bodies, frame kits and complete cars.  Some of 'em had Willys components, others used Ford and a couple used Cadillac and Buick.  By the looks of the headlight bezel on this one, I'd say that there's a good chance that it's one of the Buick- or Cadillac-powered ones.

There were some totally custom-built Wildfires, including a fastback built in 1956, but they all stemmed from the original Glasspar design although the design metamorphosed somewhat over the course of its production.

I hope that's what you're asking for.


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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2012, 05:05:16 PM »
Quote from: RayTheRat on March 14, 2012, 04:44:35 PM
Ok.  Woody Woodill started building the Wildfires using Glasspar bodies with Willys components, including the F-head 6 motor.  As things moved along, he (Woodill) began offering bodies, frame kits and complete cars.  Some of 'em had Willys components, others used Ford and a couple used Cadillac and Buick.  By the looks of the headlight bezel on this one, I'd say that there's a good chance that it's one of the Buick- or Cadillac-powered ones.

There were some totally custom-built Wildfires, including a fastback built in 1956, but they all stemmed from the original Glasspar design although the design metamorphosed somewhat over the course of its production.

I hope that's what you're asking for.




Not quite!
You are right with your guess that it's one of the Cadillac-powered ones.
It was built as a kit but its builder didn't acknowledge what he'd based his 'creation' on and to this day it's known as something else.

I'll lock this for you for 24 hours to do a bit more digging since you've got so far already, and let's see if you can come up with what it is generally known as and who built it!
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RayTheRat

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2012, 12:58:48 AM »
Well, the 24 hour hold came and went and I've found a lotta things it ISN'T.  Might as well unlock, but I'll keep lookin.  I've learned more about Glasspars, Woodills and Kaiser Darrins than I ver wanted to know.  ;)
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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2012, 07:13:45 AM »
OK - unlocked it is!
Keep looking though - the answer is out there...
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RayTheRat

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2012, 12:13:13 AM »
After a lotta searching, I found this car on Forgotten Fiberglass.  It's described as  "The Ken Mace Woodill Wildfire."  The data there shows that it used 1940 Ford suspension components, a 54 Caddy motor (stock) and a Wildfire frame.

So I still contend that it's a Woodill...unless there are 2 cars that both use the same image in their web descriptions.  But that wouldn't make sense, because according to the Woodill info, there was one Buick-engined version and one Caddy-engined car.  I wasn't very clear when I said, "a couple."

Perhaps the confusion is due to a 1955 Mechanix Illustrated article where the car is referred to as "the MI Sportster."  I think that was "editorial license" that was taken a bit far.

Anyway, that's where my searching has taken me.


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Offline Carnut

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2012, 05:36:00 AM »
And that gets you the point, because this is the "Ken Mace Special", allegedly inspired by the MI Sportster.
Although of course it is based on a Woodill Wildfire body, Ken Mace didn't consider it to be one and contended that he'd built his own car!  This was a bone of contention at the time, particularly with Woodill..
Well found!
« Last Edit: March 21, 2012, 06:05:17 AM by Carnut »
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RayTheRat

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Re: Solved - NEH 1658: 1953 Ken Mace Cadillac Special based on Woodill Wildfire
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2012, 06:16:21 AM »
Thank you.  Again, not smart enough to know when to give up.  :)

The article image you posted was the one I found that seemed to clarify (or muddy) things.
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: NEH 1658
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2012, 07:32:15 AM »
Quote from: Carnut on March 21, 2012, 05:36:00 AM
And that gets you the point, because this is the "Ken Mace Special", allegedly inspired by the MI Sportster.

Alleged, indeed. Same number of tires...

Here's a link to a long-ago puzzle of that allegedly inspirational car: http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=2009.0

And the magazine cover from whence the inspiration sprang:





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