Deep Woods Mystery Car
Rob B. and a friend found this car out in the woods on a piece of land that his friend just purchased. It has obviously been out in the forest for many years, as it has sunk into the ground and is about rotted away. Both he and his friend were curious to know what kind of car it might be, but after having no success identifying it, they decided to turn to the BF community. We want to thank Rob and his friend for sending their find in. Now let’s see who can identify it first!
Their photos aren’t the best and don’t reveal much detail, which could make identifying it from just the photos difficult. It is obviously a pre-war car, but that’s the only clue we are going to give. We are sure that someone will recognize a few of the parts still intact. Good luck!
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Comments
Pretty sure it will show the make on the end of the hub cap. Most vehicles of this era had the brand name cast into the face of them. Good luck with the restoration!
Looks to be an early Ford truck, possibly model T
First picture and second seem to be taken some time apart. There is a lot of debris on the car that has been cleared (understandably), as well as a trim ring or headlight of some nature laying below the FL headlight that is not present in the second. But the biggest question mark is the front left fender, visible in the first photo, but covering the wheel….whereas in the second, no fender…wheel unobstructed. Wish the sender had taken more shots of the cab, cowl, dash, and explained more of what they had messed with/gone through during the expedition. Very cool find, Wish i could find something like that!
Early model t…. Maybe 1912? Judgeing from the head lights and water inlet on cylinder head…?…….
Flint Six?
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/01/02/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1924-flint-touring/
I’m the one who took the pictures. The Flint touring looks like we may have an answer. The solid wheels with the tabs, and the hubs look pretty darn close. The lights are mounted in a similar fashion as well. I’ll try to get more pictures tonight or this weekend. Any specific places to look for an identity, of what’s left?
I think you nailed it. The unusual exhaust manifold configuration and spark plug wire tube, along with the can on the firewall are the most telling features. The only real difference is that the car in the picture is missing the top support bar for the headlights that this car has.
Yeppers it looks like that to me too.
I am going to take a stab at this one, it’s the creature from the black lagoon.
Ok here is a wild guess. the same car granny klampit had.
That was a Buick Truck
Oldsmobile truck. 1921.
Wish we had more info, like six or eight cylinder motor.
Disc wheels say early-mid-’20s. Drum headlights on forks ditto. The headlamp pedastal mounts and the design and mounting of the tie bar between them should narrow it down.
And yeah, did they check the hub cap visible on the disc wheel pic?
Looks like Nebraska to me …if it’s a Cameo pickup, looks to be worth $140,000
Too funny, I love this site.
Not giving is much to go on.
The size of those headlights lead me to believe its something that is a cut above a Model T, Chevy or cars at that level. Thinking if was a high end something. Disc wheels.
It was something pretty special at one time.
@Justin: I’m sure they’re withholding the more telling pics to make the contest more challenging.
For my guess, since the engine is NOT a 4, but a 6 or more cylinder and the it has electric start. And the headlights are definitely not Packard so I’d say Cadillac. I know that’s probably wrong due to the supports between the headlights but we’re talking early ’20s here, judging from the headlights and it would take quite a long time to figure out what it is NOT by process of elimination…
Ah, Thanks. Didnt think of that. Thought this was all that was sent…
I think it is a late twenties Franklin.
Franklins were air cooled. This one had a radiator in it at one time.
That first photo looks like a generator or something. The text on it reads, De Jon Electrical Corp. That company still exists in Louisiana. If one could get the part number from it, it might be possible to find out what that part fit on.
Do those headlights have a greenish cast to them? Could they be brass or copper? They dont look rusted
1921 Locomobile
http://www.dragoneclassic.com/auctions/images/vehicles-05-13/1921_Locomobile/IMG_5622.JPG
Yeah, but this car has disc wheels, not wooden spokes…
Almost certainly nickel-plated brass, but under the nickel is almost always a copper strike and that is what has most likely caused the greenish corrosion patina.
Agree this is a large car, as evidenced by the headlight size, the cowl with vent and the front fender as seen in the lead pic. Front fender bill design again suggests early ’20s.
The green leads my imagination to wish it was a Blower Bentley.
Locomobile is a good guess, but I don’t think that’s right because of the engine and the placement of the headlight tie bar. And I don’t recall ever seeing disc wheels on a Locomobile.
Can’t be a Franklin as that was always an air-cooled car and this car is not air-cooled.
The experts on these sorts of early cars are over at the AACA forum. Webmaster, may I repost these pics there, crediting Barn Finds? If so, I’m betting we’ll have an answer fairly quickly.
Posting photos on forums uses up our bandwidth, but perhaps you could share a link to the post instead. I am sure they would enjoy the challenge!
to me it looks like the headlights are tarnish brass and looks like it is a 6 cyl. you can plinly count at least 5 of the spark plugs and from what i know i can be wrong about this its may be a 1925 willy truck
Compairing the the hub cap, the solid wheels, and the headlamps. It looks like a 1920 Essex.
Damn… the 1923 Locomobile model 48 really looks similar…
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3418/3359236309_b657386b27_z.jpg?zz=1
Even the wheels…
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJXAiAL3utE/TlCED5TzuwI/AAAAAAABppk/r5-ovFeRd7g/s640/1920%2527s++locomobile+model+48+with+farnum+and+Nelson+coachwork.JPG
Damn – what a great mystery – my eyes say its not a ’23 Locomobile due only to the headlight mounting system, quite different, and I don’t have a clue as to what it is.
Looking forward to the revelation!
Take a look at the 1923 Locomobile’s motor and you’ll see why it can’t be that:
http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2005/03/01/hmn_feature17.html#PhotoSwipe1380819208994
Ran when parked…
SWM: me thinks you are wrong – it couldn’t possibly have “ran”, looks more like it crawled!
Hudson Terraplane?
Nope, as this is definitely an early-to-mid ’20s car.
Hudson Terraplanes were produced 1932 to 1938…
Dunno why it isn’t appearing here, but Rob. B. who took these pictures seemed to post this:
“I’m the one who took the pictures. The Flint touring looks like we may have an answer. The solid wheels with the tabs, and the hubs look pretty darn close. The lights are mounted in a similar fashion as well. I’ll try to get more pictures tonight or this weekend. Any specific places to look for an identity, of what’s left?”
The more I look at 1924 Flint touring pics, the more I think this is right.
Look at the top of the cylinder head and compare it to this pic. Note the shape of the “stand” where the water outlet attaches and the slope of the water “tube”.
http://s301.photobucket.com/user/patriotic_2008/media/jimsflint2.jpg.html
Look at the end of the generator compared to the OP photo of that part. And at the cast-in generator brackets on the side of the motor.
Look at the hub and hubcap on the OP wheel and this one:
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/01/02/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1924-flint-touring/
Compare the cylinder head again, the single fan pulley, and the front end of the exhaust manifold as compared to the parts in the originally posted pics.
http://s301.photobucket.com/user/patriotic_2008/media/JimsFlint3.jpg.html
It was hard to find pics of where the headlight mounting was clearly shown so this will have to do:
http://www.dmacweb.com/makes/flint/1924%20Flint%20Bob%20Krause/target3.html
Note that the tie bar is fitted in a different position as compared to the deep woods car, but that’s easily explained. Fender shape looks right too, but I can’t see any molding detail
In every detail I see, the mystery car is a 1924 Flint model E-55.
Only other point is that these cars carried both disk and wooden wheels.
C. W Muse nailed it in the fifth post to this thread. Nice work!
by the look of the Headlights, I’d say it was a model-T pickup in the 1920’s era, or earlier than that. That’s my best guess. Actually, it just looks like an old pile of car parts scattered into one area, when you look at the photos, so I don’t think the whole car is even there
Area friggin’ 51………………
Rob just sent me another photo and a little more info, so hopefully these new clues will help out!
The one front fender is missing, since he took it home for further investigation. The motor is a six cylinder and is stamped with some type of identification, but it is hard to make out all the numbers. Stay tune for more updates!
Thinking the Flint may be the answer. Looks close any way. Good work
Well done, looks like great sleuthing is coming to the front. Hope to see more pic’s and info – this one deserves an Easter move and a good home!
could this be this car :
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YjmlF9KMAjE/UbnmoCNKZYI/AAAAAAAB420/dfdiQ1E1v_I/s1600/FLINT+-+TOURING+-+1924.jpg
1924 Flint Durant E55 ???
Correct ! Slotblog found the same pic as those I found !
The winner seems to be the 1924 FLINT E55 !!! :)
http://www.dmacweb.com/makes/flint/1924%20Flint%20Bob%20Krause/index.html
Headlights match 24 Dodge, 22 Hudson, 23 Buick. We have one of each where I work.
When I first read the phrase “pre-war era” , I thought yeah WWI. I really enjoy this site, trying to figure stuff like this out. But to throw my guess in this, I’d say a Flint, maybe a ’22 or ’23.
I don’t know what it is, but I can tell all those who keep guessing Model T that it is most definitely not a Ford of any kind. Ford never used disc wheels, In addition, the camshaft and manifolds are on the left (drivers side) of the engine, Ford Model T and A and even the 4 cylinder flathead tractors put the manifolds on the right. Now off to the several links.
I think it’s pretty much settled that it’s a 1924 Flint E55! Awesome job everyone! I really thought this may be tough, but C.W. Muse had it right and several others confirmed it. Great job guys!
That was once a beautiful car! What a shame… There is a car cemetery near me and the owner refuses people on the property. There are so many vehicles that could be saved and they are rotting away like the Flint in your picture. So sad.
I’m a real “go-to” expert on these things and I think it might be an early Corvette (But the headlights seem too close together) God,I’m good!!!
After looking at the links provided I would agree that with a 99.9% certainty this would be a Flint. Never heard of a Flint automobile until now, so clearly I am not an expert. What I find intriguing is the mix of parts. Stylewise, the headlights on this and the restored examples in the links look to be carryovers from the teens, not contemporary with headlights of cars made in the twenties. And yet, on the other hand I would guess that this must have been one of the first cars to use solid disc wheels. Prior to this posting I would have guessed that disc wheels made their debut in the late twenties. Who used them first and when?
So, what will be the fate of this find?
Richard V, It has mostly been returned to mother nature, and what’s left will too. The engine is only thing that’s salvageable.
Any chance this car is still sitting there? You’re right, those headlights are worth something. I have a nice set on my truck but would love to get them for parts. Available still?
There is alot of stuff on there that a person trying to restore one might want, like those headlight buckets. I’d get a shovel and make some money if I was you.
People want stuff just for the pattern to make a new one. I have a 1934 Lancia that’s missing a driveshaft and the cast aluminum fan. I’d love to have an old rotten one just to copy.
I see this post has not been looked at for quite some time now. I’ll try again, anyone know how to get in touch with the owner of this car…… I would buy some parts off of it. someone with info can call me anytime. thank you
Richie
I will sell all of the parts from this beauty! What do you need?
I hope we’re kept updated on the fate of this incredible find!