New Tin Block Times Ready to Go!

Better late than never, nearly 200 copies of the new issue of the Tin Block Times, the West Coast Crosley Club newsletter, are ready to hit the mail!  Mike Stoner's kustom sedan leads the lineup on top, Raffi Minasian and his '53 Giaur at bottom.

But First, Jumpin' Johnny....

Dave and I had planned to leave for Portland as soon as I could get off work Thursday, say 4PM or so. His pickup was running hot so we decided to rent an econobox for the trip and we were scheduled to grab the rental at 5PM.  Then, Jumpin' Johnny called.

Incredible: Putt Mossman's 1949 Crosley Thrill Show

Just noticed this INCREDIBLE photo of a Crosley Stunt Show: Jimmy Leach and His Death Duckers' Thrill Show of 1949 - 'The Show That's Alive With Death!'  Some lucky soul parted with $42 to win one of the coolest Crosley pictures I've ever come across.

A quick internet search turned up zero about Jimmy Leach and his Death Duckers, so I don't know how 'alive with death' the show was, but it seems to have been alive with Crosleys, including a pair of sedans, one of which is airborne over what looks like an uber-rare Crosley Sport Utility.  Seems like the Sport Ute should have had fabric doors, tho, so maybe this is just a cut-down wagon.  Whatever - this whole package is COOL.

The daring driver of the leaping sedan appears to have been Orren 'Putt' Mossman, a stunt driver best known for his motorcycle escapades.   By 1949 Mossman was a thrill show veteran, having been jumping, burning and wrecking two and four-wheeled vehicles for decades.  Despite a penchant for poor prep, and thus, severe injury, Mossman lived to a ripe old age, dying in 1994 at the age of 88.

Vintage Picture: Crosley Wagon and Toddlers

Sadly, no story with this one - just a great vintage photo of a Crosley wagon and two cute kids.  John McKnight found this on the HAMB and I thought it was too good not to share...

Crosley TQ Midget for sale in SoCal - $1200

Interesting ad for a Crosley 3/4 Midget Race Car for sale on the LA CL.  Pictures are so bad that the seller must have taken that "How Not to Sell Your Car" class - it looks like the car has been recently painted but who really knows.  Engine does have speed equipment and he claims it's been hotted up with a big cam.

Summer 2012 Tin Block Times

I teased you all with the back cover shot from the new issue of the TBT so I figured I had to post the front cover too.  Kudos to designer Dean Seavers for the killer job!

Lots of good stuff in this issue, including the tale of Doug Hayes' H and H Crosley dragster and Mike Grimes' amazing 'how-to' on converting a Homelite engine for use in your Crosley.  And then there's the classified ads... can't talk about the TBT without mentioning those.  Here's a taste of the 'For Sale' ads you non-members are missing!

Too Good to Be True? $30 Les Schwab Powdercoat

Last year, I had an epiphany:  The best way to finish my '51 Super Sports project is to start from the ground up.  And by that, I mean tires.  And wheels.  And then axles. And then the frame.  And etc, etc, etc...  I'll just restore pieces in order and keep bolting stuff back together until there's nothing left to bolt on.  Simple, right?

Winter 2012 Tin Block Times is in the Mail!

All the cool kids (members of the West Coast Region of the Crosley Auto Club) are getting their new issue of the Tin Block Times in the mail.   Are you one of them?....

Hers Since 1947

The Washington Times recently posted an article about Sandra Alger, who has had her 1941 Crosley convertible since 1947, when her Uncle Arvel gave it to her at the age of 6.  Sadly, no photos, but it does mention that she once took the car the Crosley Auto Club national meet in Wauseon.  Full story here.

Ebay Watch: Picture Perfect Project - 1948 Wagon

There aren't a lot of half-finished projects I get too excited about. There's usually a good reason that someone quit in the middle, and even if not, there's just too much head-scratching when you're surveying box after box of greasy, rusty parts.  It's bad enough when I'm the one who took it apart - it's another thing entirely when it was someone else.

Two Wheel Drive

Found this great shot of a Crosley pickup-driving auto daredevil on Flickr. Sadly there's no info other than the 1947 date, and I wonder about the accuracy of that date that given that this isn't a roundside. Could be a cut down wagon, I suppose.

Be warned! Flickr user coconv has thousands of other auto pictures posted on his site - you could lose a whole day in there if you're not careful...

Original Photograph

I missed out on this vintage 8X10 of a Crosley auto wreck on Ebay yesterday.  My $20.50 bid just wasn't enough.  If you bought this picture I'd sure love to get a high res scan WITHOUT 'Original Photograph' stuck on top...  let me know!

A Look at the Almquist

Almquist was one of the very first names I came across when I got the idea of looking for a Crosley powered sportscar. Back then (1997) fiberglass bodied Crosleys weren't particularly more expensive than a Hotshot or Super Sports, unless it was one of the few with major race history, of course.  They were just considered old 'kit' cars, back then, so there wasn't a huge following... even if they were harder to find than a stock Crosley.

Hotshot or Golf Cart?

HAMB user '46steel' posted this great pic of his father's HotShot in a thread about Dad's old cars... looks like it's doing duty as a golf cart here.  Lots of great detail - you can really see how the top was constructed and the close-up really underscores how tiny these are.  Great shot!

Ebay Watch: Pick Your Pickup

Not one but TWO Crosley pickups are up for auction on Ebay right now, ending an hour apart from each other!  You've got your choice of a nice runner (albeit featuring some unorthodox resto choices) or a 'some assembly required' car...

Dog 'N' Suds Which-Way Crosley

I've seen a LOT of custom Crosleys, but this Push-Me-Pull-Me version takes the cake!  Photographer Jim Hammer posted some shots of the car(s) on his flickr page and says it was parked behind the Dog 'n' Suds Root Beer Stand on Sagamore Parkway (US 52) in Lafayette, Indiana.   From the bullet nose front it looks like it started out as a pair of late of late 1948s. According to the folks that commented on his pictures, the car used to be a driver and was built by the former owner of the restaurant.  Miller's pictures were taken nearly three years ago... anyone know if it's still there?

His First Car: '39 Crosley

This may be old news for some of you, but I just came across this great short feature about Glenn Klein's first car from the Orange County Register of July 21st, 2010.

The Optimists Club

I don't know what to make of folks who list their cars for sale at exorbitantly high prices and then just keep them there.  And keep them there.  And just keep on keeping on.  For years.