O Scale Motor Vehicle Chronicle Apr 3

 This two-toning never existed for the Impala, only the Bel Aire in '58. Impala was roof-only for two-toning. The Impala had 6 small tailights (like this model), the Bel Aire only 4.

I tend to get "picky" when the model costs $80. and up, and when the "fix" would involve no extra cost. In this case, it was just a case of sloppy research.

Joe,

I forgot about editing out right after picky. I too, own quite a few just like you're relating to. It's all in jest....no harm intended I DELETED MY POST JUST FOR YOU..... Want anything else?

We had several cars in the 1950s and 1960s that had the "Body by Fisher" emblem on the door sill.  My Dad had told me in the mid '50s that it didn't mean as much then , rather like "body by the GM people who do bodies."   I was proud anyway because my Grandfather's really cool Cadillacs all had that emblem and they felt very well built. 

I think this big Cadillac had a body by Fisher back when it really meant something really special.

And this postwar Cadillac had a body provided by Fisher (inattention to using the vacuum enough provided the dust!). 

And I think these guys, too.  

And the thing about some of those Cadillac series is, that some could be had with

other than Fisher or Fleetwood bodies; the chassis could be ordered and provided to any of the classic body houses you could afford.

That was like the Duesenberg situation. You bought a Duesenberg chassis and had your coach builder build the body.

Saw this one up close and personal at the 2013 Councours in Rancho Palos Verdes last year. The photo doesn't do the car justice.

I've been inside and underneath this one. The Curtright 1929 won 3rd place at the 2013 Concours at Rancho Palos Verdes. It's one of only a few Duesenbergs NOT owned by a millionaire.

My high school buddy's dad, now deceased, owned a country store that was on

the road that paralleled Louisville, Kentucky's "Main Line", the rail line east that

was used by wealthy commuters to access their estates.  One of his customers

owned and drove a Duesenberg.  His dad said there was a problem with the clutch handling the torque.  My "dream classic" has always been the largely aluminum 16 cylinder Marmon, and it had a problem, too, insufficient lubrication to the overhead valve train, that I understand can be corrected in restoration with additional oiling channels.  I used to see two of them regularly, a roadster owned by a Tenn. legislator, that was shown there, and a victoria coupe, that was an original car, shown in the Ft. Wayne, Ind. area, which had been driven through WWII on one bank of cylinders, that is, as an eight.  I would guess that any current Duesenbergs have had the clutch problem re-engineered also.  I have never seriously lusted after either of these makes,

but after a whole spectrum of long defunct medium priced orphans that once were

offered, most of which now, like Duesenberg and the 16, are recognized as "Classics".

It is a long list, from Auburn to Windsor (not Chrysler Windsor, built by Moon of St.

Louis).  Marmon, of course, and a number of other makes had custom bodies on their

chasses.  That Cadillac shown by Lee above was available as a 16, or, if you preferred,

a 12, or even an 8.

The '58 Impala reminded me of Finland. A young Finnish woman who worked in the Embassy had a '58 Bel Air that she had restored herself. She won at least one show trophy with it. She was a character - a rock and roller and a hard partyer. She had dark red dyed hair streaked with black and dressed in black a lot. 

Old American cars are popular in Finland. On summer evenings, when the sun doesn't set until 11:00, the owners like to cruise around Kaivopuisto, a seaside park near Helsinki harbor. The old cars are called "summer cars" because it's illegal to drive them in the winter. The poor traction makes them unsafe on icy roads. 

Finland's most famous film director, Aki Kaurismäki, always had an old Cadillac featured prominently in his films. His best-known film in the U.S. is Leningrad Cowboys go America, a road picture in which a hapless Finnish band drives a 60's Cadillac limo from New York to Mexico.

A New Orleans funeral for a band member who died along the way.

I don't remember what this scene is about.

And, just to make this relevant to trains, here they are with a Wild West locomotive and a couple of saloon girls. 

A guy at church had a brand new 58 Impalla that he had had painted candy apple red. Candy paint was new then and it was a top quality paint job, it seemed like you could see in the paint about 8". It really impressed me, I was 15.

Heads up! Diecast Direct has the Bluesmobile and the Chicago Police cars available in 1/43 at $16.95 each. Also have the 1/50 Back to the Future car for $10.95. And for you big spenders they have Bump Around Bumper Cars at $1.49 each. I got mine, anyone else been waiting for these?

Paul Goodness

On a British camping tour in Norway in 1976, I saw a '31 Chevy coupe driven on the

street, it looked like a restored car, and later, while camped on a lake in Sweden,

I saw a circa 1930 Packard pass on the road above, towing a camp trailer!  I was

somewhat surprised to see an expensive classic used for that. A high school buddy

who graduated with me, and immediately got a job, came by the house in a brand new 1958 Chevrolet convertible, a 348, but with automatic, and black.  I got an Impala

coupe in 1960.  I look at these cars in shows, but I much prefer the handling of

the cars I drive now, over those big boats on 14" wheels.

I can't find the bumper cars. They sound like something I "need".

I just checked myself on their web sight. Appears they are out of stock now that I ordered 4 of them. They were by HOT WHEELS #HW 2013-X1941 Bump Around Bumper Car @ $1.49 each. They were posted as "Limited Number" so maybe I cleaned them out. Sorry I got your hopes up. Maybe you can locate them elsewhere. I'll let you know what they are like when I receive mine.

Paul Goodness

Apparently I got there too late, too . . .

My own fault, though.  I usually check the site at least twice a week because often when they get something new it leaves really quickly.

Received the Hot Wheels Bump Around Bumper Cars and Blues Brothers cars today. The Bumper Cars are 2 in long X 1 1/4 wide X 1 high not counting the power pickup. It is heavy die cast metal and plastic. Nice candy blue paint with well applied graphics. Seat has a seat belt molded on the seat. There are two foot petals and a steering wheel. It is free wheeling. In short: a very nice model. The Hot Wheels hanging blister pack states "NEW for 2013". I think it would be worth looking for some if you are doing a bumper car amusement in your park.

The 1974 Dodge Monaco Bluesmobile and 1975 Dodge Monaco Chicago Police car both nice models with crisp graphics. My Bluesmobile is missing it's rear window which is probably a defect as I do not recall that being in the movie. Both come in plastic display boxes and nice cardboard outer box with graphics.

Paul Goodness

Walking through the Median, Ohio, show yesterday....what was odd was that there was

a Marx parts dealer there, but no Lionel parts dealers to be found.  This show is billed

and functions as a toy and train show and is at least half devoted to toys.  In searching

for 1/43rd, in spite of being a "toy" show, almost none of that, either.  There were all

kinds of odd ball scales, and crude, unprotoypical toy vehicles of odd sizes, but almost

no useable O scale models.  There were some uncommonly seen S scale AHL truck

models there.  I don't see them very often these days.  Generallly disappointeing.

I found the bumper cars for sale on eBay, but I don't think having wheels make them look like the classic bumper cars I'm use to seeing in amusement venues.

Thanks for keeping this series of informative posts going on a continuing basis.

Maybe I missed something, but I recall the "Body By Fisher" badges applied in the door channels of Chevy, Pontiac, Olds and Cadillac cars of the 1940's and 1950's.  However, rides in 1941, 1948, and 1952 Buicks revealed that their badge read "Body by Buick".  If you have already addressed this, please forgive my ignorance.  However, it always seemed odd to me and I never understood the back story.

Joe Hohmann, I did notice the exposed wheels and agree the bumper cars I remember had hidden wheels and the bumper went all the way around the car without any exposed wheels. I guess the models could be modified by trimming the width of the wheels and enclosing them. It would require some work and the results would probably look extra bulky. On the other hand, I haven't seen anything better or cheaper bumper car models. Lemax did have a bumper car operating accessory that was very nice.

I checked with Diecast Direct and the Bluesmobile is manufactured by Greenlight without a back window. It is NOT a defect. I must have missed seeing that in the movie.

Paul Goodness

That is a curiosity, it must have been for marketing reasons or perhaps they had excess manufacturing capacity and were stamping some of their own body panels.  The '52 Buick Specials used the same bodies as Oldsmobiles and the Buick Supers and Roadmasters used the same bodies as Cadillacs.

A more "real" bumper car can be found on eBay in the form of a previous McDonalds give-away. However, they come with a cartoon-like figure inside. I have the Lemax animated "bumper car" set...it's small, scale-wise, but great fun. We love to ride the "real thing" at Funland on the Rehoboth Beach, DE boardwalk.