4 pass. Darrin parade car

[Gordie]

Did anyone ever take a Darrin and stretch it by making it a four passenger with a back seat and second windshield?  If that seem odd I wonder how a model maker named "True Dimensions" got the idea as that is exactly what they made in 1:43 scale.  It is a pretty light blue with wire wheels, four doors with the back door handle in the front of the door right next to the front door handle.  Everything else is very authentic and well made.  I had never seen one before finding this one.

[ipledge]

There was a drawing by Dutch Darrin of a 4 door Darrin years ago.  A person was modifying a Darrin 20 or 30 years ago into a 4 door according to Dutch's drawing.  It was in the News Letter.  I'll have to dig through my old files and see if I can find it.  Don't know if it was ever finished.

[ipledge]

It took me awhile but when I was asked for a copy of the Interchange List I did back in 1989, I found the note on the 4 door Darrin in my stack of old Darrin Newsletters.  It was at the bottom of the front page of a 1980 Newsletter back when Andy Schroyer and Ted Dahlmann did the original Newsletter. A Mr. Ned Bean in Massachusetts announced he was converting Darrin #077 into a 4 door based on the Herb Weissinger sketch on page 201 in "Last Onslaught on Detroit". I never saw anything else on this.  Don't know if it was completed, but whoever owns #077 will surly know.

[DTort96646]

Mr  Ned Bean  contacted me in 1972 looking to buy a windshield for his Darrin because his Darrin had been hit in the side. That was  before the windshields were being reproduced by the manufacturing fund project of the KFOCI. I do not know what became of Mr Beans Darrin, but I understand that Mr Bean has since passed away. Darrin #077 is not listed in the club roster, but I have heard there is a Darrin in the Chelsmford, MA area which is near where Mr Bean lived.

[Terry T]

I had a  Tru-Dimensions model of that car but sold it many years ago.

[ipledge]

A little more information on the 4 door Darrin.  Looks like the person converting Darrin #077 into a 4 door passed away around 1981 and a member of his family listed Mr. Bean's Darrins for sale in the March 1981 Newsletter.  The listing states that #077 was partially converted into a 4 door Darrin.  Later rosters show that a Mr. Ed Willis of 476 University Boulevard, Denver, CO 80206 purchased both of Mr. Beans's Darrins in addition to Darrin #133 which he also owned.  Later rosters (1991) indicate Mr. Willis passed away and #077 was listed as lost.  Anyone with information about the purchase of Mr. Willis' Darrins #097 and #133 may have seen or have information on #077.  While the last roster I have shows #133 and #077 lost; #097 appears to have been owned by Dennis Witthun of W268 N 2327 Shelly Lynn Drive, Pewaukkee, WI, 53072

[Gordie]

The True Dimensions model looks more like a stretched Darrin than Herb Weissenger's stylized drawing but the idea was the same, a four door Darrin and it looks very nice.  I will try to bring around 25 Darrin models and toys to the next Darrin Breakfast with permission of Lee Abrahams our Darrin Manager.