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Michigan
In 1949 and 1950 I attended the University
of Michigan in Ann Arbor. During summer vacation some friends and I went back to
Watkins Glen to see the SCCA (Sports car Club of America) Road Race. This was
back in the days when the race was held on the city streets and everybody was
into sports cars. In the evening we went to see the Concours d'Elegance which
was held in the Glen.
Driving back to Ann Arbor, the guys were talking about what they thought was the
outstanding car of the meet. They were talking Duesenbergs, Jaguars, Ferraris,
and other classic cars. I mentioned a 32 Highboy Roadster that a young couple
had driven back from Massachusetts. It was meticulous with a flathead Merc,
hydraulic brakes, and a black lacquer paint job. The workmanship was first class
and I was duly impressed even though it wasn't my friends idea of a sports car.
We were living in the Willow Run housing project which was
left over from the war years and converted to student housing. We got some
kind of a bonus about that time, something to do with military service and I
decided to look around for a roadster. Not a very smart move for young couple
about to graduate and no job in sight but fortunately I married a very
understanding young lady who is still with me today,
You've heard of Preston Tucker and the famous Tucker automobile. Well his son
was living with the grandmother in Ypsilanti. The son had a beat up rusted out
32 roadster that he had given up on. He managed to latch on to a cherry roadster
that he was building up so I gave him fifty bucks for the old one. I wish I had
a photo of it as received cause it was in pretty bad shape.
I then got a good deal on a forty one Ford for one hundred bucks and I was all
set. I transferred the engine, transmission, hydraulic brakes, wheels and tires
to the roadster and I had me a "Hot Rod". The 41 ford used .060
nitride steel cylinder liners which I removed, honed the cylinders and installed
3+3/16 Novi Speedmotive aluminum pistons. Wow !
The car was licensed and on the road by graduation time and we towed it out
to Seattle where I went to work for the Boeing Airplane Company. (1950)
The tow car was my 41 Chev which was in pretty good shape at the time.
Here's s photo of the cars taken en route and probably the
earliest photo I have of the roadster.
The frame has been sanded and painted but the body still needs lots more
work.
How about those Pontiac tail lights ? Yeah !
The tow bar connected to the roadster tie rod and steered it. When we
hit the western mountains, I climbed into the roadster, fired up the
engine, and we went flying over hill and dale..
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