Hotrodhillman
Donation Time
I finally had a chance to contribute to this forum on a device that permits “Click and Drag.” I have inserted some photos for your enjoyment. This car was sold as an export in Florida in 1961 to Jack Colton, a “barnstormer” who owned a private airport in Middlesboro Kentucky. According to my oldest brother, this was the “Airport Car.” Jack preemptively bought spares for the car. It came to me with two mufflers and a tailpipe. According to my other brother, after an accident, Jack had this car repaired and painted, with new upholstery applied, for his wife. As you can see from the documents, this work required a new grill. This is not the proper grill for the car. I believe the original paint color was black. Jack put the car in a shed which was later blown down on the car by a tornado. There are dents in the top of the car. Jack was discouraged and just threw a canvas tarp over the car where it sat for several years. My brother traded some work for it around 1991. He became the second owner. He knew a policeman who certified the car as a “genuine antique” in an attempt to get a cheaper registration. There was a parts car, but when my brother tried to raise it to take it home, it fell apart from rust. He took gauges and other items from it. My brother made a new convertible top, black, which is in excellent condition. He drove it on occasion, but mainly he preserved the car in his airplane hangar in Clinton Tennessee until I bought it in 2014 and brought it to a dry climate. It had 38,000 original miles. It now has 47,000 miles. The dashboard is original. Check out the Rootes blanking plug under the gas guage. I placed the Jaegers oil pressure gauge in the far right-hand corner. I used a lot of Meguire’s products, and elbow grease, to restore the paint. It has a ton of touch-up paint on it. If you stand far enough away, it looks okay. If you walk up to it, you will see that it is fairly rough. I am gluing and stitching the interior together as it degrades. I took some pictures of the documents that came with the car. I especially enjoyed the foldout maintenance chart and the correspondence between Jack and the parts house. I took a picture of the identification plate. You could probably tell me something about the car by reading that information. A mouse had its way with the User’s Manual. There were mouse nests and dead bodies throughout the upholstery. It was gross. I cannot remember why I thought it was a “Series IIIB.” It may be a “Series IIIA.” Rootes made a lot of changes in a short period of time. If anyone knows where I can find the proper grill, I will buy it.
