Darrin auctioned this weekend

[warren]

Did anyone here purchase the Darrin that was auctioned this weekend? I put a bid of $15k last week but was overbid right away. The selling bid was $20k. Without seeing it in person and checking to see what, if anything was missing, it was pretty much all disassembled, I didn't want to go any higher. A friend did point out that it probably would have the one piece that I will find I need. It did have a hardtop, without a rear window, I believe. Any idea how difficult how had difficult that is to locate, what did it use?

[MarkH]

I noticed that sale, no idea who bought it.
I've seen jake post an unfinished fiberglass top before, sans back glass.
There's a nice gal at AM Hot Rod glass that can bend acrylic to match.

[joefrazer]

The Darrin in question needed quite a bit of fiberglass work. I saw the car in person and in several places the body was delaminating. Still, I think the car was well bought at $20k, given that it was essentially complete, had the 2 carb head and was originally owned by Walter Pidgeon.

I think I know who bought it and if I'm right, it will be restored.

[MarkH]

The Darrin in question needed quite a bit of fiberglass work. I saw the car in person and in several places the body was delaminating. Still, I think the car was well bought at $20k, given that it was essentially complete, had the 2 carb head and was originally owned by Walter Pidgeon.

I think I know who bought it and if I'm right, it will be restored.

Did the head looked like a factory casting with standard carbs or a modified single carb head? US or Portuguese script in the casting?

Duane Hayes told me of a dual carb Darrin that used to appear at car chows in his region in Colorado, owned by a long retired Kaiser advertising exec. that was well up in years himself. Said the car never ran very well and hasn't seen it in years.

Makes me wonder how many dual carb Darrin's there are, and if the Brazilian head began development here and these were prototype engines or were early "transplants" brought back to hotrod a couple of enthusiastic owners Darrin's.

[joefrazer]

The head was cast for use with two carbs. I didn't look closely enough to see if it was US or Brazilian.

[MarkH]

Swapping emails last night with Duane, the Hackenberger auction was mentioned. Here's what he had to say about the one that was near him after I told him another dual carb Darrin turned up.

"Russ, (forget his last name), had the dual carb intake and I doubt that he went to Brazil, I'm sure it came from KF right here in the USA.  He also had the factory "much better design" crossmember that KF engineered, but didn't put on any Darrin's other than his car.  He also offered engineering specs and drawings of the crossmember that he offered Darrin owners.  Russ Spaulding.  He attended the National here, but had no interest in our local club what so ever. He really needed help with his Darrin to run right, but never reached out to any of us.  He was an official photographer for KF, if you didn't know."

[joefrazer]

Russ Spaulding and I were acquaintances. Many years ago I visited with him and had a chance to look at his collection of KF memorabilia. As the official photographer for KF, he had quite the collection of material...and stories to go with them. I recall one with a model who used his 51 Kaiser's back seat as a dressing room - while Russ was taking her to an outdoor shoot. That must have been an interesting trip!

Russ also had quite a few one-off Darrin parts that he tested on his car, including the mentioned x-frame stiffener.

[MarkH]

............. he had quite the collection of material...and stories to go with them. I recall one with a model who used his 51 Kaiser's back seat as a dressing room - while Russ was taking her to an outdoor shoot. That must have been an interesting trip!.............

I can only imagine

Sounds like his car would be exceptionally unique.

[Terry T]

One of the models that he used in the 50's was Ellen Burstyn. She is still making movies.

She was featured in the early Darrin photos shot on the U of M campus in Ann Arbor.

[joefrazer]

Here's one.