Pro Cars @ Burning Man 2011

[Paul Steinberg]

Thanks, Paul. I wondered about that. I'll get it corrected.

On my '51 Cadillac Miller Ambulance there is an aluminum shroud that serves that purpose, but it looks like it was hand made. It looks like it was just pounded out with a hammer--there are wrinkles in it from the construction. Is this something the coach-builder created? Should I just strip, paint it and replace it (for originality sake?) or try to do a better job having one fabricated?

If it works, then just clean it up and reuse it. If you want it to look pretty, use the old one for a pattern and have a new one made of steel. Then have it powder coated in the color of your choice, and install. It is your car, so do what ever makes you happy.

 

[Chris Bruno - Deceased - 1962-2022]

Whatever makes me happy?

If it works, then just clean it up and reuse it. If you want it to look pretty, use the old one for a pattern and have a new one made of steel. Then have it powder coated in the color of your choice, and install. It is your car, so do what ever makes you happy.

All right, then I want the rear end red, too.

Oh, it is.

Good.

Interestingly, my rear-end guy, Mike, would not allow me to replace any bearings in the rear end. He said it would be criminal to spend any money given how smooth they are. He confirmed that from his perspective this was a 14,000 original mile car as represented to me by the owner (pictured), who said it sat beside some flight-line for years before he bought it nearly 40 years ago. The way to get lucky buying cars, I believe, is to have experience being very, very unlucky buying cars in your past. My story of The One That Got Away would probably cause you as a grown man (or woman) to put your forehead down on your keyboard and sob a little. It's that bad. Thirty years later I still dwell on it.