We didn’t know too much about this little red roadster when we received it at Blacktop Depot. With a bit of diggin’, we found the whole story.
Story/Photos: Blacktop Staff
At first we thought it was a prop car for the movie industry or possibly from “The Little Rascals” TV series. I wanted to know more. Knowing a bit about movie and TV props, it was built too good for “the industry”. It is about the size of a Shriner’s car and possibly thought it may be one. I did some searches on Google and found nothing.
Why not look at the item itself for clues? The Cardinal baseball sticker on the window was interesting. On the back it is a bit torn and the first word is partially missing. It says:
“…atello’s Home Schedule 1941…” First thought to be a High School mascot car. Back online, I found that in 1941 there was a Cardinals minor league baseball team in Pocatello Idaho. Maybe a mascot car after all.
Then I opened the trunk hatch and dug around in there, not finding anything. I noticed some writing on the wood frame around the door. “Van Horn Antique Auto Marmarth, North Dakota”. I got online and found that JD Van Horn owns a museum in the small town near the Montana border. When I called JD answered. I told him about the little red roadster in the store window here in Orange, CA. He asked if I could send him some photos. I asked for his e-mail address. “I don’t have anything like that. Go ahead and send some photos in the mail.”
So I buy a couple of stamps and send him the photos.
A week later I get a call from JD.
“That’s the little car I built by hand in High School in the late ‘30’s. I sold it to my cousin many years ago. He was going to put in a new rear-end. I told him if he was to ever sell it, I would buy it back. Well, he gave it up for some back-rent he owed and never put in the new rear end.”
About a week later I got a neat card with a photo of his dog in the car ad inscribed was “Thank you for letting me know where the little car went.”
SPECIFICATIONS:
1930’s era Maytag washing machine motor. With side mounts for kick starter on the left side of the engine right next to the frame, however this engine was fashioned with an electric starter motor to spin a sprocket on the front of the engine. The right side features the carburetor added to give it a variable throttle. The exhaust exits through cast iron house hold plumbing. We have not tried to start the car and the motor is not seized. It actually moves pretty smoothly when spinning from the clutch wheel.
All this power is focused on the centrifugal clutch and a Ford Model A transmission top for forward and reverse gear. Model A Amp Gauge on the dash keeps the charge in check. The starter is powered by a battery in the trunk, which also lights the Model A cowl lamps and rear red gem cut tail light. However, the starter motor, battery and rear end are missing. The steering linkage needs to be repaired.
The body was built like they did in coach building of the 1930’s. Wood frame and metal skin folding around the corners, especially in the door frame area. Very well built and solid construction.