barringtonderby
Donation Time
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Who's car is this?
- Thread starter barringtonderby
- Start date
65beam
Donation Time
car
this car was owned by john bruney of lancaster,ohio until 1991. he traded it to a ford dealer for an escort. john bought the car used from sports car forum in columbus. no one seems to know where the car was sold originally. the owner of the dealership told me that he bought it at auction since he was not a big enough dealer to get a new one. a local person bought the car for resale and the car ended up going to scott woerth in christiana ,pa. scott did a restoration of the car . the entire car was painted somewhere during john's ownership due to being in an accident. there have been a few changes made to the rear of the car due to the collision damage. scott sold the car to someone in canada if i remember right and it now has another owner.
this car was owned by john bruney of lancaster,ohio until 1991. he traded it to a ford dealer for an escort. john bought the car used from sports car forum in columbus. no one seems to know where the car was sold originally. the owner of the dealership told me that he bought it at auction since he was not a big enough dealer to get a new one. a local person bought the car for resale and the car ended up going to scott woerth in christiana ,pa. scott did a restoration of the car . the entire car was painted somewhere during john's ownership due to being in an accident. there have been a few changes made to the rear of the car due to the collision damage. scott sold the car to someone in canada if i remember right and it now has another owner.
barringtonderby
Donation Time
Do we know what that colour
Harrington Jan
Donation Time
Natasha
Andrew,
For heavens sake! The colour of the car is code 52 Lake Blue same as mine. After the owners Bob mentioned the car belonged to Victoria in Canada. Three years ago Natasha was sold to Europe to a good friend in Switzerland. I mail you off-line about the new owner.
The chrome rear vents came on LHD cars only in summer -62 and lasted just until Oct -62 at the same time when Series C was introduced and the rear vents disappeared from Le Mans.
Regards
Jan
Andrew,
For heavens sake! The colour of the car is code 52 Lake Blue same as mine. After the owners Bob mentioned the car belonged to Victoria in Canada. Three years ago Natasha was sold to Europe to a good friend in Switzerland. I mail you off-line about the new owner.
The chrome rear vents came on LHD cars only in summer -62 and lasted just until Oct -62 at the same time when Series C was introduced and the rear vents disappeared from Le Mans.
Regards
Jan
65beam
Donation Time
who's car?
i always thought it was ironic how john ended up with this car. he told me that he had a TR4 that he had taken back to SCF for some service work and they needed to keep the car for a couple days. they had the harrington on the lot so they let him drive it home until his car was done. after he got home he decided he liked the harrington so well that he called them and said he was buying it. they could keep the TR4. i first met him in the early 80's. lancaster was part of my sales territory and i would stop by his house and we would sit in lawn chairs in front of the garage and we would talk cars. he drove the car everywhere and sometimes drove it hard but he loved that car. i remember getting a call from a guy in lancaster asking me if i knew the car. he told me john had traded it and his 67 mercedes for the escort. he had already put down a deposit or it would be in my garage now. he paid 6500 for it. when scott bought it, he did a lot to it and made a real nice car out of it since john had neglected it some due to his age. there are a couple of us on the forum that have photos taken by tiger tom showing many of the harrington details when scott did the restoration. i did see differences between it and my cars with one being that the lift up floor over the spare tire on both of my cars was plywood and this car had it made of some type of fiber board. has anyone else seen this? john also had a small fan attached to the trans tunnel for air circulation. when john sold it ,he still had michelin tires on it that must have been 25 years old. it was and probably still is a great example of the lemans. i'm glad someone got it that will appreciate it.
i always thought it was ironic how john ended up with this car. he told me that he had a TR4 that he had taken back to SCF for some service work and they needed to keep the car for a couple days. they had the harrington on the lot so they let him drive it home until his car was done. after he got home he decided he liked the harrington so well that he called them and said he was buying it. they could keep the TR4. i first met him in the early 80's. lancaster was part of my sales territory and i would stop by his house and we would sit in lawn chairs in front of the garage and we would talk cars. he drove the car everywhere and sometimes drove it hard but he loved that car. i remember getting a call from a guy in lancaster asking me if i knew the car. he told me john had traded it and his 67 mercedes for the escort. he had already put down a deposit or it would be in my garage now. he paid 6500 for it. when scott bought it, he did a lot to it and made a real nice car out of it since john had neglected it some due to his age. there are a couple of us on the forum that have photos taken by tiger tom showing many of the harrington details when scott did the restoration. i did see differences between it and my cars with one being that the lift up floor over the spare tire on both of my cars was plywood and this car had it made of some type of fiber board. has anyone else seen this? john also had a small fan attached to the trans tunnel for air circulation. when john sold it ,he still had michelin tires on it that must have been 25 years old. it was and probably still is a great example of the lemans. i'm glad someone got it that will appreciate it.
Harrington Jan
Donation Time
Bob,
A nice little story about the car. Victoria became so attached to it so she gave the car the name Natasha. She sold it because she was moving to the States.
May I put your two latest posts together and give them to the new owner? I'm sure he will appreciate the history of his car. He is not at this Forum.
Jan
A nice little story about the car. Victoria became so attached to it so she gave the car the name Natasha. She sold it because she was moving to the States.
May I put your two latest posts together and give them to the new owner? I'm sure he will appreciate the history of his car. He is not at this Forum.
Jan
65beam
Donation Time
who's car
jan,
the name natasha just doesn't fit this car. john was a hard driver that never let up. it should be named" ROCKY". i remember chasing him around mid ohio sports car course during parade laps for the vintage races back in the mid 80's. there wasn't the number of cars that show up now so they let you drive harder. i was in my red car and john was faster thru the turns at the end of the back straight and as i came up over the hill under the bridge i saw john sliding sideways thru the grass. then he got it straight and passed the stopped cars by staying in the grass. he told me later that he came up the hill rather fast and found cars stopped on the track so all he could do was grab another gear and try to stop but one of the front brakes locked and put him into a slide. the tiger owner that was at the back of the stopped cars said he was worried because all he could see was john sideways coming at him. john was not what you would term a slow driver. he and his wife drove this car to many TE/AE meets over the years. i remember him telling me they were made to drive.
jan,
the name natasha just doesn't fit this car. john was a hard driver that never let up. it should be named" ROCKY". i remember chasing him around mid ohio sports car course during parade laps for the vintage races back in the mid 80's. there wasn't the number of cars that show up now so they let you drive harder. i was in my red car and john was faster thru the turns at the end of the back straight and as i came up over the hill under the bridge i saw john sliding sideways thru the grass. then he got it straight and passed the stopped cars by staying in the grass. he told me later that he came up the hill rather fast and found cars stopped on the track so all he could do was grab another gear and try to stop but one of the front brakes locked and put him into a slide. the tiger owner that was at the back of the stopped cars said he was worried because all he could see was john sideways coming at him. john was not what you would term a slow driver. he and his wife drove this car to many TE/AE meets over the years. i remember him telling me they were made to drive.
Harrington Jan
Donation Time
Too bad Youtube didn't exist back in those days. It would have been a sight.
napa 1
Donation Time
Interesting stories. After reading the history you guys have posted I find it strange now that there was a plaque on the glove box door saying that the car had been "made especially for John L. Bruney". See photo attached. I've always thought he was the original owner because of that plaque. I guess the plaque should have read : This car bouqht from a dealer by John L. Bruney. 
Regardless, I think the car will always be known as the Bruney Lemans to us LeMans restorers who are pouring over the "Bruney" photos. I know every detail in the photos by heart now.
Regardless, I think the car will always be known as the Bruney Lemans to us LeMans restorers who are pouring over the "Bruney" photos. I know every detail in the photos by heart now.
Attachments
65beam
Donation Time
who's car
john,
i have the same thing for three of our cars. one of mine was made back in the 70's when he was at mid ohio. they now reside in the hutch where i display all my collectable items. there was a vendor that was from the bay area of california that traveled to car shows and swap meets and engraved these. i have one that has a small rootes logo similar to a lapel pin glued to it. i still see this vendor at carlisle every year but he doesn't do this type of work anymore. you're right about the fact that it will always be called bruney's car. with john living so close to me,i looked at it many times when i first restored the red car. he was a big help.
john,
i have the same thing for three of our cars. one of mine was made back in the 70's when he was at mid ohio. they now reside in the hutch where i display all my collectable items. there was a vendor that was from the bay area of california that traveled to car shows and swap meets and engraved these. i have one that has a small rootes logo similar to a lapel pin glued to it. i still see this vendor at carlisle every year but he doesn't do this type of work anymore. you're right about the fact that it will always be called bruney's car. with john living so close to me,i looked at it many times when i first restored the red car. he was a big help.
65beam
Donation Time
who's car?
john,
just another little personal touch. when we restored jean's first series 5 back in the late 70's,it had the same radio that is in now in the midnight blue car. we had him engrave one for it that said " restored for jean trace " and she mounted it below the radio on the surround since it was only 1" x 3". they can be screen printed also. jewelry stores that sell trophies can also make them.
john,
just another little personal touch. when we restored jean's first series 5 back in the late 70's,it had the same radio that is in now in the midnight blue car. we had him engrave one for it that said " restored for jean trace " and she mounted it below the radio on the surround since it was only 1" x 3". they can be screen printed also. jewelry stores that sell trophies can also make them.
am99ey
Gold Level Sponsor
Jan, I have sent you a PN.
Harrington Jan
Donation Time
Sorry, but I haven't got any.