Last Call: Absurdly Silly Edition

 

It all began with Big Daddy Roth’s fiberglass-bodied bubble-top hot rods, then by the late ’60s, radical TV and movie cars and full-scale, real-steel versions of popular model car kits. By the mid-’70s, and even through most of the 1980s, “hot rod show cars” grew increasingly outlandish, until a raft of fabricators were creating vehicles for the The International Show Car Association’s World of Wheels/Autorama show circuit that were virtually devoid of function. Many were practically undriveable, and some were quite literally non-runners. Few builders got more whimsically absurd than Steve Tansy, who built (among many others) Pool Hustler, this playable 1928 Brunswick pool table on wheels. Comparing the two photos above, the bottom photo is the older of the two, as the car was originally equipped with dually rear slicks and a small green windscreen that were later removed. The pool balls on the butterfly steering wheel were also removed, swapped out for pool balls that were cut in half and attached to the body in place of the original painted-on balls. As of 2010, the car was in the UK, in somewhat dilapidated shape.

I vividly recall seeing Hustler up close at a custom car show in the winter of 1977–78 and thinking, even as a 14-year-old, that it was an objectionable foisting of nonsensical stupidity, not even attractive in a day-dreamy, suspend-your-reality sort of way. As the years have passed, I have developed a more nostalgic fondness for the era in general, but not for the ridiculous cars.

Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

36 responses to “Last Call: Absurdly Silly Edition”

  1. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    If I had a game room, that would be pretty cool to have.

      1. nanoop Avatar

        Neat, and more accessible due to lack of cockpit, sidepipes, open wheels.

    1. tonyola Avatar
      tonyola

      Wow. I never knew about the Raiders wagon.

      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        As with any vehicle with a powered/steered front ‘bogie’ I’m curious how they managed the steering mechanism so it isn’t affected by the angle of the bogie. Or was it just adequate for photos? ie non-driveable.

        There were a few buses built like this as experiments in 1946-47, coincidentally running 2 flathead V8s. They were put in use, but not for that long.
        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cc9219b53504716b01bad209d23075a255208ca9983a1576a36c5519bd42b57a.jpg

        1. 0A5599 Avatar
          0A5599

          I think it was driveable in terms of being self-propelled, but not really intended to go faster than an amusement park tram. What would a rooftop passenger do if the driver had to slam on the brakes from highway speeds?

          1. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            Even 20 mph would be enough thanks

        2. nanoop Avatar

          In the peculiar case of the Raider vehicle the steerability is pretty low on the list of things I’m curious about.. but my guess is that the off-12-o’clock zero of the steering wheel is well covered by the play.

        3. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          With the bus I could in theory see a vertical steering shaft from the bogie’s front axle up to the driver (buses tend to have fairly horizontal steering wheels anyway.
          For the Raiders wagon, maybe an early (and thus terrifying) version of hydraulic steering?

      2. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        Vox loaned the Voxmobile to numerous recording artists back then, for promotional appearances. It inspired PR&tR to commission their own vehicle.

        In case you were wondering why it has a GTO front end:

        1. tonyola Avatar
          tonyola

          Never knew about the Raiders GTO Judge film. They also did a song called “SS 396” about the Chevelle.
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHevollKg9k

          1. 0A5599 Avatar
            0A5599

            It was a TV commercial for The Judge, so not exactly a film. That was about three years after SS396 came out.

            I wonder if their deal with Pontiac prohibited the band from performing SS396, particularly because the lyrics knock the GTO.

    2. salguod Avatar

      Leno drove the Voxmobile on his show. I couldn’t find it on YouTube, only on Facebook.

      https://m.facebook.com/daddario/posts/10157820282705722

    3. tonyola Avatar
      tonyola

      The rear of the Voxmobile had a Super Continental combo organ with a Vox amp plus a platform to stand on. As a keyboard player, I find it awesome if not very safe.
      https://c8.alamy.com/comp/BNDAE8/1967-voxmobile-at-the-cars-stars-guitars-display-at-the-2010-goodwood-BNDAE8.jpg

    4. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      When it comes to 1960s Pontiac-based novelty-rock self indulgent hot rods, the MonkeeMobile gets my vote. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b011e2a12bc9ff6c3b80f01aa4a588a41134b75011b175a89b4f3b5a33a59cd8.jpg

  2. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    When we want to move a heavy piece of furniture, we slide it around on cut-in-half potatoes. Not on V8 powered wheels. I’m not sure if I object as much though – some people here had a lot of beer, and a lot of fun.

    1. nanoop Avatar

      Sliced side up or down?

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Down – the starch is quite good at making the potato just slippery enough on wooden floors.

  3. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    Then there was the Boot Hill Express from the ’60s…
    https://www.kustomrama.com/images/7/7b/Boothill-express.jpg

    1. Manxman Avatar

      That’s a new one for me. Is it a Barris?

      1. tonyola Avatar
        tonyola

        It was by a guy I haven’t heard of – Ray Farhner.

        1. 0A5599 Avatar
          0A5599

          Barris took credit for a lot of them he had nothing to do with, Or, like the Turnpike Hauler, re-themed it (in this case, a Sandford and Son-related Lil Redd Wrecker).

          https://www.joelfletcher.com/reflections/?post=lil-redd-wrecker
          https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/17/91/41/66/ohrber10.jpg
          https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/17/91/41/66/219.jpg
          https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/17/91/41/66/reddfo10.jpg

        2. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar

          Ray Ferhner was a local Kansas City boy. His shop was in Raytown, about 10 miles from my high school. For many years, the local custom car show was billed as Ray Farhner’s World Of Wheels.

  4. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    This explains the design of the Testarossa.

  5. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    Carpool.

  6. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    I’ll play stripes.

  7. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    Pretty Ballsy design. It’s an English car, right? With a Stick shift? Gee, those Balabushkas sure have some nice bottom cushions.

    1. JayP Avatar
      JayP

      Golf claps.

      1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
        dead_elvis, inc.

        Not pool claps?

      2. Batshitbox Avatar
        Batshitbox

        That’s my Cue to Leave…

        1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
          dead_elvis, inc.

          I’m surprised this didn’t rack up more points. Chalk it up to the weekend break.

          Edit to add: Felt like you deserved more.

          1. tonyola Avatar
            tonyola

            You guys have some balls…