Undiscovered Classics

Preserving the history and integrity of American handcrafted automotive marques of the 40’s, 50’s and beyond

[undiscoveredclassics]

We have a very exciting update about our recently acquired, Renault based race car! Thanks to the efforts of the talented automotive historian, Joel Driskoll using his own film archives, we now know that this car is the 1955 Dale Halliday / Dr. Paul Winters Special. This is the first purpose built Renault race car in America and raced at Torrey Pines, Bakersfield, and Santa Barbara just to name a few. It even won 1st in class in 1955, it’s inaugural year. The front and rear clips are identical and of fiberglass, while the doors and belly pan are aluminum. This was all done for the ease of swapping / replacing damaged ends during racing. Marvin McFalls will have a future story in Hemmings about it as more comes to light. In the meantime, if anyone else out there knows about the car, let us know! . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #renault #renaultspecial #hallidayspecial (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqbFmtyPQnO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The 1959 LaDawri Conquest with the experimental electric drivetrain built by General Electric was mobbed all weekend at the @buffalomotorama! Thanks to everyone who came out and talked about this unique piece of history and engineering, it was amazing to see how well received it was. The car even won Outstanding Survivor. Special thanks again to George Dellapenta (pictured in the last slide) for getting this incredibly complicated drivetrain fully functional again for the first time since 1961! - Mike Puma . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #ladawri #motorama #generalelectric https://www.instagram.com/p/CqTvC5ypUaA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Two Undiscovered Classics are on display at the @buffalomotorama all weekend! The 1959 LaDawri Conquest that was used by General Electric as a test mule for their experimental electric drivetrain and the original buck and molds for the 1961 Bohada Sports Car. If you’re planning to come see then, be sure to say hello. - Mike Puma . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #ladawri #bohada #motorama (at Buffalo Motorama) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqL5tLNpD5F/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The 1958 LeMans Coupe being restored by Dennis Kazmerowski is looking better than ever with its fresh, black cherry metallic paint job! Be sure to go to the last slide to see where it all started. As Dennis said in his update post, “I would like to take a minute and thank several people who have helped me take the LeMans Coupe to the next level, of coarse Geoff Hacker made me buy the body and now the guys from Billy Bob’s Corvettes, these guys made the car come to life! I just picked it up from the paint shop and I can't thank them enough for the work and effort they put into this paint job I have over 2700 hrs of my own time in this car and they just brought it to the next level. Thanks again guys, you are really great craftsmen” . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #lemanscoupe #strothermacminn (at New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqJRov6ppvl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The Debonnaire is moving ever closer from rendering to reality! The front bumper fabrication is in progress as you can see swiping through here to compare to the renderings done by @danpalat. We’ll be cutting back on an angle and capping the ends of the bumper to align with the wheel well opening for a cleaner look. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #debonnaire #tucker #prestontucker #egan #phillipegan #replac (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqGMsqqLDQi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Here’s the Debonnaire getting wheeled into the metal fab shop for the bumpers and trim. Wait until you see what they’ve come up with so far! . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #debonnaire #tucker #prestontucker #egan #phillipegan #replac (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqEPqV_pmPt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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We’re nearing the finish line on the Debonnaire and getting into the final details. Rob Hernandez has been hard at work getting the body work dialed in and @mike_puma_ gave us a hand taking it to our metal guys. They’ve been working on front and rear bumpers as well as the side trim, shown where the tape is on the car. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carcheology #debonnaire #tucker #prestontucker #egan #phillipegan #replac (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqD0m3wJqoi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Keeping our equipment maintained and ready to go at the drop of a hat is crucial to getting as much done as we do. For example, having our massively oversized trailer always ready to go like when we went to get this Formula 1 race car. Just kidding gang, it’s actually a great quarter midget, with a body produced my Victress! Swipe to see it compared to the 1957 Galileo. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carchaeology #victress #quartermidget #galileospecial (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqA4C34r_Aj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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What a unique trio these beauties make and something like this only happens this frequently at Undiscovered Classics! We’ve got the 1952 Allied Swallow on the trailer with the 1957 Galileo Special and the 1954 Frazer Custom facing off out front. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carchaeology #galileospecial #mcdanielsspecial #frazercustom #alliedswallow (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp_UbTiJ1j9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[undiscoveredclassics]

The amount of stuff we do in a given day surprises even us sometimes! We’ve got even more cars getting shuffled and organized this afternoon, including the McDaniels Special, the 1957 Galileo coming face to face with the 1954 Frazer Custom, and our Allied Swallow flying the coop to make room for the Galileo as it moves into the next phase of restoration. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carchaeology #galileospecial #mcdanielsspecial #frazercustom #alliedswallow (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp_FQ7_p8Qo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[undiscoveredclassics]

Another busy day here with moving cars around and getting restorations advanced. Here we have the 1957 Galileo Special along with a brand new Byers SR-100 body. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carchaeology (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp-6n8apDPv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Another unique sports / race car is making its way down to Undiscovered Classics. Although not much is presently known about this Renault based fiberglass bodied car, it appears to date to the early 1950s. We’ll have updates post just as soon as we have them to share! . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carchaeology #renault #renaultspecial (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp8Buh5LDKY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Huge thanks to Daniel Strohl for such a great write up in @hemmings this morning about the Buffalo designed and built, Bohada Sports Car. Come see the Bohada buck and molds in person a week from today at the 2023 @buffalomotorama along with my 1959 LaDawri Conquest, which was built by General Electric with an experimental electric hybrid drivetrain. George Dellapenta has been hard at work doing the mechanical / electrical restoration of the car, which is well beyond my skills, for which I am eternally grateful. None of this would be possible without the continued efforts of my colleague and friend at Undiscovered Classics, Geoffrey Hacker! His tireless efforts and research have continued to bring attention to these amazing American sports cars, often overlooked in the hobby and history. Additional thanks to @mellis2 for helping with the Bohada buck and molds when we first went to get them out of the barn. - Mike Puma https://www.hemmings.com/stories/bohada-fiberglass-molds-buck-discovered/ . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carswithoutlimits #bohada #buffalony #ladawri (at Buffalo, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5ujikpu_z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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As a follow-up to the last here post, here are some photos of what a completed Shark Coupe looks like in case you missed it previously. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carswithoutlimits #theshark #shark #eltiburon #henrycovington #glenngums (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp4-qbJLKaB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It’s never a dull day here at Undiscovered Classics, the adventure always continues! One of several things we got done today was moving the mold for the Shark Coupe in preparation for pulling a new body from it, the first new one since 1961! If you want to check out previous posts we’ve done of the Shark and it’s history, the best way to find the post is to use the #glenngums. We’ll be documenting the build of the new car as progress continues, stay tuned. . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carswithoutlimits #theshark #shark #eltiburon #henrycovington #glenngums (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp3cS9npfiU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[undiscoveredclassics]

The restoration of the 1958 LeMans Coupe, originally designed by Strother MacMinn, is making great progress. Owner and friend Dennis Kazmerowski sent along these photos of the car in a beautiful black cherry metallic paint. It looks incredible and hasn’t even been buffed out yet! The paint work has been done at Billy Bob’s Corvettes in Jackson, NJ. Dennis took this project on with the car as a basic shell and has done an outstanding job reviving it from the brink. The completed LeMans Coupe will likely debut at a major Concours in the near future. Stay tuned! . . . . #undiscoveredclassics #forgottenfiberglass #fiberglasscar #fiberglass #handbuilt #sportscar #sportscars #americansportscar #restoration #restorationproject #restorationcars #carrestoration #classiccar #classiccars #cars #carsofinstagram #carswithoutlimits #vintagecars #customcars #carchaeology #lemans #lemanscoupe #strothermacminn #victress #johnbond #roadandtrack #macminn (at Jackson, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp0HZ3frGnD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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We wanted to share Richard Brown’s story with the 1958 Thor, reposted below along with his photos. Showing a car at The Amelia Concours D’Elegance was amazing. Translated to “competition of elegance”. It’s considered the Pebble Beach show off the east coast. I’ve been going to the Amelia show for 23 years, but this is the first time I had a car invited to attend. This isn’t a typical car show where you bring a car if you want to. It’s quite different. If your vehicle qualifies and meets the standards and criteria they are looking for… the board of directors will choose your car, and officially invite your car to attend the event. In the automotive collector world it’s an incredible honor. This event is more of an art exhibit than any thing else. It’s about sculpture, history, design, and provenance. If this sounds high brow and “Hoity toity”, well that’s because it is. And on a rare occasion, riff raff like myself slips through the cracks and gets in anyways!! I started the project in July and stayed on it till the day before the show. Everything came apart to get restored. The only thing not touched was the shift knob. I wanted to leave it with all the fingerprints from the past owners, all the way to its original creator Nik Gudmunds. Thanks goes Matthew Burke and Karl Gudmunds for historical reference, to Augie Maurer for chassis fabrication and exhaust recreation, Nathan Lizana for the period correct 36hp motor, Ronnie Schmitt for seats and headliner upholstery, Patrick Frye for wiring harness and engine tuning, Marvin Rabalais for initial body stripping and prep, and especially Scott Taylor for the final bodywork and paint, and sticking with me…staying up till midnight helping me put it all back together. A special thanks goes to my friend Geoffrey Hacker of Undiscovered Classics for pushing me to restore the Thor, and being the conduit to connect me to the Amelia Concours show. Couldn’t have got there without him. (at The Amelia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvEtvas7ny/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=