Home » What The Hell Is This?: Cold Start

What The Hell Is This?: Cold Start

Cs Whatisthis1
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I was out driving yesterday, following a squirrel I’m pretty sure mouthed a slur at me as he ran across the street to check on a nearby acorn stash I might have taken a few from. Might! We don’t know anything for sure. Anyway, I lost his trail, but as I was trying to find my way back, I happened to notice the car you see above there. I didn’t immediately recognize it specifically, but it looks to be some sort of custom/kit car built on what could be a pickup truck chassis? I’m not exactly sure, except it was huge. And, huge in relation to the wheels, too. Honestly, the thing looked to be at least, what 50% too big? But what the hell is it? I think I have a guess, but I’m open to hearing from all of you, too.

I got a shot of the front as well:

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Cs Whatisit2

 

That script badge on the grille isn’t exactly legible, but there are a few clues we can follow here. That looks like a big oil sump below the license plate, and A-arm suspension bits, I think? You can barely see the driver’s head over that hood, too. Tires and wheels look to be modern car sizes, also.

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What I think we’re looking at is a Dearborn Deuce, a company (that I think is now defunct?) that built all-steel roadster bodies for use on what I think are custom chassis, too? It’s loosely based on a ’32 Ford, hence the name, and I suspect these usually have Ford V8 power.

This particular one looks to have some custom body work – those cut-down doors, the cycle fenders, and so on. Is that what I’m looking at here? I think so, but I’m not 100% certain. Thomas thinks the passenger compartment is too far back to be a Dearborn Deuce, but I think it’s maybe just a modified one? That is a long-ass hood, though.

Also, if anyone has driven one of these, are they as ungainly as they seem? Or are those just my small car biases showing through?

Oh, how about a bonus picture of Juno, just to start the day right?

Cs Junosticl

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She really wanted to take that stick inside, with the goal of chewing it up into a bown, pulpy, masticated paste and then distributing it even all over the rug. I had to tell her no, leave it outside, dummy.

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Lokki
Lokki
1 year ago

I’m betting that the “B” is for Blastolene.

Hugh Crawford
Hugh Crawford
1 year ago

1933 Studebaker Indy Special Racer ?
Well it sort of looks like it anyway.

Stef Schrader
Stef Schrader
1 year ago

Looks like you found the best Monopoly piece.

Look, a Daewoo!
Look, a Daewoo!
1 year ago

Jason lives among the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, apparently.

MiniDave
MiniDave
1 year ago

Wait a minute…….is that guy wearing a mask, like Batman’s young protégé Robin?

Myk El
Myk El
1 year ago

My first husky had this weird thing with sticks and twigs. Loved to break them apart into tiny pieces by chewing on them. Never consumed, just broke them down like the most inefficient woodchipper ever. No other dog before or since did that, though several would fetch them.

T.B.A.
T.B.A.
1 year ago
Reply to  Myk El

Our ACD does the same thing. You’ll toss a stick for her, she’ll bring it back broken in two, you’ll toss one of the broken pieces, she’ll bring that back broken in two, repeat until mulch is all that is left and then find a new stick. She never gets board of this game.

What me?
What me?
1 year ago

“I had to tell her no, leave it outside, dummy.”

Do you mean that the dog is a dummy? Or that She just kept on walking with the stick into house, leaving you feel like the dummy?

Chris Hoffpauir
Chris Hoffpauir
1 year ago
Reply to  What me?

She managed to convince you to provide her with free room and board, plus an unlimited supply of sticks, without uttering a word.

Who’s the dummy Torch?

Don’t feel bad, my dog did the same thing to me. He still eats half my snacks.

Amberturnsignalsarebetter
Amberturnsignalsarebetter
1 year ago

I think I can see the frame sagging in the middle there… I’m betting homemade.

Boulevard_Yachtsman
Boulevard_Yachtsman
1 year ago

I like the whitewalls/modified 30’s luxury hotrod/dirty-Deco thing going on. Needs flames.

Tim Cougar
Tim Cougar
1 year ago

It’s art!

OrigamiSensei
OrigamiSensei
1 year ago

Always down for some quality Dogtopian.

Whatever that roadster thing is, it certainly has presence. Charm and beauty, not so much.

DialMforMiata
DialMforMiata
1 year ago

This is the most awesome toy ever. It must make going to the Mickey D’s drive through feel like the Mille Miglia. And gratuitous insanely cute puppy pics are always welcome!

Thomas Metcalf
Thomas Metcalf
1 year ago

I don’t know what it is, but i want it!

Car Guy - RHM
Car Guy - RHM
1 year ago

Not a Dearborn Deuce or anywhere near it. Looks homemade. Dearborn Deuce did build Roadster bodies based on 32 Ford Roadster, they were dimensionally correct but had a lift up panel to hide the convertible top.

StillNotATony
StillNotATony
1 year ago

I think you have a supervillain in your area who is working out the bugs on his shrink/expand raygun. Not sure which got zapped, though, the car or the dude.

Jb996
Jb996
1 year ago
Reply to  StillNotATony

That was my thought. The car isn’t 50% too big. The driver is 50% too small.

Shooting Brake
Shooting Brake
1 year ago

10/10 cold start. Super weird car and pupper pics.

Balloondoggle
Balloondoggle
1 year ago

The lead photo looks like Robin took an early version of the Batmobile down to the Walgreens to pick up some Icy Hot.

Rusty S Trusty
Rusty S Trusty
1 year ago

The body looks like it’s shape was inspired by a Bugatti type 55 roadster but scaled up to the size of one of those huge guilded age Bugatti Royale limousines with the super long hoods.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
1 year ago

That hood looks too long and the tail styling is completely wrong for a Deuce. Looks like a custom maybe inspired by Bentley?

MAX FRESH OFF
MAX FRESH OFF
1 year ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

I thought Bentley, too! The proportions are just wrong though, or it is being driven by a 4’10” horse racing jockey.

Rad Barchetta
Rad Barchetta
1 year ago

If that’s a Dearborn Deuce 32 Ford chassis, it’s been very much stretched within an inch of it’s life. My money is on homebuilt on truck chassis.

Goof
Goof
1 year ago

Is that… a radiator on the driver’s side of the car?

Arrest-me Red
Arrest-me Red
1 year ago

Juno has a stick obsession to match your taillight one.

ExAutoJourno
ExAutoJourno
1 year ago

Looks to me as if this is totally homebuilt. By, I must add, a really skilled metalsmith. There are, or at least used to be, a lot of people with the chops to turn out work like this. It often took years, but they could produce smooth, well-proportioned and well-finished panels. The chassis underneath could be anything, and was often whatever the builder could find.

When I was in college (many, many, many years ago), a neighbor drove what looked remarkably like a Vintage Bentley. It wasn’t though. He built it himself, and I believe called it the “Straightley.”

Austin Vail
Austin Vail
1 year ago
Reply to  ExAutoJourno

I once met a guy who had built a whole 1912 Mercer Raceabout replica from scratch, and it was extremely well done. The only dead giveaways were the Ford Pinto engine under the hood and the center caps on the wheels specifically stating it was a replica built by that guy (he made sure to say he wasn’t trying to pass it off as an original). He even offered to take me for a spin in it, and to this day that is the most fun car I’ve ever ridden in. That thing felt like it was going 70 when it was only going 30, and it theoretically had a top speed of over 100, which I imagine would feel like 300. It helps that there is basically no bodywork around the driver and passenger (which would have been the mechanic back in the day), so it feels like a giant go-kart on motorcycle tires.

Pupmeow
Pupmeow
1 year ago

For real though, why are you stealing acorns from squirrels? In October?

Pupmeow
Pupmeow
1 year ago
Reply to  Pupmeow

Like, how do you just say something like that and expect me to concentrate on the meat of the article …

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
1 year ago
Reply to  Pupmeow

I thought that *was* the meat of the article.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
1 year ago
Reply to  Pupmeow

He stealing them BACK!

They started it!

Last edited 1 year ago by Cheap Bastard
Balloondoggle
Balloondoggle
1 year ago
Reply to  Cheap Bastard

Don’t get me started on the Walnut Wars in my yard….

Cerberus
Cerberus
1 year ago

Full size Monopoly car?

Goof
Goof
1 year ago
Reply to  Cerberus

I’d be more impressed if he was piloting a top hat.

Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent
1 year ago

My goodness, that museum has everything! I really have to make it a point to pay a visit some day.

Balloondoggle
Balloondoggle
1 year ago
Reply to  Duke of Kent

It is really cool. We spent a day there and I didn’t feel it was enough time to read every sign on every car. Sooooo much cool stuff.

BentleyBoy
BentleyBoy
1 year ago
Reply to  Duke of Kent

Cannot say enough good things about the Lane. You will see stuff that you have never seen before (and maybe never will again).

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