I have recently seen several posts here regarding the so-called "Armadillo" speedster. It has been said that they were made here in Oregon. Link to the posts is at
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/174985.html
A friend of mine, since deceased, owned what he claimed was the original body that this gentleman used as a pattern for his Armadillo bodies. I hasten to add that this is his claim; I have no idea whether or not it is true. In any case, I was at his home today visiting his sister, and the speedster body is still there. She wants to sell it, and the price mentioned was $3,000. I am not a speedster person; my T's are original Ford bodies and I have no interest in this speedster. I just thought I would mention it since others have said they would like to have one. If interested, send me an email and I will give you her contact info.
Ken
Ken , this is Dan from Santa Cruz. I met you once when I came up with Chuck Waugaman to pick up the American La France engine you had been working on of his . Sadly, Chuck passed away a number of years ago, Infection from the cancer operation he had at University of San Francisco Medical center . very sad . He was a great friend despite his oddities ...
With that said .. there is a youtube video of this body at a Portland swap meet , as it is now with no chassis. There are also pictures posted of it w a body from 2008. In the video you can see a manufacturers plaque. It says Seaman Body Corp.,Milwaukee, WI., Body #E-12-448, Body # 328.
See info here about Seaman. http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/s/seaman/seaman.htm
Does the plaque belong to this or did someone just add it for fun ? that is the million dollar question ....would like to know . I'm going to read the seaman page again .....
Ken , is there anyway you could post pictures of the dash and the underside of the body ? After reading the Seaman history , I think the "tag" on the dash was just an "add on " ..but who knows . I would like to see the construction detail in that body... any welds in it ? nuts on back of bolts square or hex shaped ? Galvanized ? any Phillips screws ? I think you can see where I'm going .. Sad that Mr. Becker passed away in October , as he was a dealer for the kit . He might have been able to shed light in the truth .
youtube video here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgYk61JAEsg
The pictures I posted were taken a year or so ago; the body is about 60 miles from me and I didn't have a camera when I was down there today. I rarely get down there so probably won't be able to take more pictures any time soon. In looking through my pictures I do have one of the dash, and I have enlarged the number plate. I would believe it to be original to the car; my friend was not noted for trying to pass off something he knew to be reproduction as an original. Again, I can only repeat what he told me and since he is gone I guess you will have to draw your own conclusions. I have no photos of the bottom of the body. Here are a couple more that I found:
thanks ken ! I hope it is true .. it would be nice to know the design was actually that old ...
Just for ducks....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruckzone/2925058358/in/set-72157607894209612/
Taken at the Great Oregon Steam Up in 2008.
Ken,
I am not an expert of any kind on the body mentioned but the nametag caught my eye. We no longer have the car (and I could be remembering wrong) but I think the 1928 Nash we once owned had a Seaman Body. It was a Model 328, which was the top of the line of the "Light" 6's. Here's a photo of the car.
Verne
The only patents that I could find by or assigned to
the Seaman Body Corp., Milwaukee. Wisconsin
were for closed car design features and were applied
for in 1924 / 25. It’s always possible there were patents
in the name of the individual designer or designers
that were not assigned to Seaman.
Regards
Art
I compared the photo here http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruckzone/2925058358/sizes/o/in/set-72157607894209612/
with my car and some
other close up pictures of identical cars built from the Oregon kits: the screws on this CAR ARE NOT COUNTER SUNK it seems! Definetly built different , possibly the prototype , circa ?????????
Also the front seat cushions are split in two sections ..thats different from the "Kit".
Window post holes are not like the window stantions supplied with the kit
It has an oil pressure gauge... built for an early Ford Flat head T ? Did any modification to a T engine allow it to have an oil pressure gauge ?
Yes the addition of a vw oil pump!
John
So Thanks to Peter from Australia, I now have the scan of the second add for the Armadillo Speedster Body kit. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my car was the Poster Child in this add ! Easy to identify by the Clock on the dash, Drum Headlights, Unique step plate and Megaphone exhaust. The former owner had told me this car had been specially built by the manufacturer for a friend , so I'm guessing this is correct as here it is in the add.
Detail pictures
3rd add from Peter....
bump
Thanks Dan, This is what I was looking for. I was wrong about it being a Bee Hive body and the color. Memory is not what it used to be. Now I just need the sellers information.
John
Ken Lauderback in Oregon had the contact information for the owner . If you read through my notes in the post you will see that that body seems to be different from the kit ones like I have because of the raised screws in the body: It is either a prototype or an older speedster. I have yet to contact the one living person from the partnership that built the kits to find out the story. Let me know if you get it ..... I would like to find out the "real story" behind the design..... Dan
Dan, Ken emailed me and the lady who was selling it has sold it, Do anyone know who bought it?
John
Just wondering if we ever figured out who bought the "proto-type" body Ken's friend's sister had sold ...
"Dan, Ken emailed me and the lady who was selling it has sold it, Do anyone know who bought it? "
John
Yes Verne the Nash had a SEAMAN body. In those days Nash owned half of Seaman Body but many other cars used the Seaman body too. In '35 Nash bought the other half of Seaman. I believe Essex and Hudson used them as did other makes.
I have the same car but a year newer, a 1929 Nash 428. The first number of the body style tells what year the Nash is. 2 is 1927, 3 is 1928, 4 is 1929, etc. in the Standard 6 line.
The the last pair of numbers (28) means it is a landau sedan. I think 320 would be a 1928 4 door sedan (not lansau) and a 433 would be a 1929 2 door sedan.
I am speaking now of the small Nashes, the Standard 6. The large cars had their own first didget numbers.
I purchased the armadillo body.Live in Sunny So. Californa.