Marysville, MO was the location of the first owner of this car. It was sold new to Richard Landes for $3518 by Curnutt Motor Co. I know this because all of the original documents, the broadcast sheets, the Protect-o-plate and the original Owner’s Manual are with the car!
This car is nicely equipped with air conditioning, deluxe am radio, soft-ray tinted glass and Strato bucket seats. What is odd, is that it was ordered with a column shifted three speed manual transmission behind the 350 Rocket V8. But I love that about this car! It has 3.08 gears in the open rear end.
Mr. Landes cared for this car like family. He kept great notes, receipts and part numbers. It is easy to justify the claim that the odometer reading of 71,212 is actual mileage. You can follow along in his notebook and files as he cared so his car and filled it with gasoline.
The next owner was an Automotive Shop teacher in South Central, MN. He and his son utilized the shop and their skills to perform a frame-off restoration around the turn of the Century. They went through the car from top to bottom and refurbished it completely. At the same time, they refinished the body, repaired the trunk floor and rebuilt the engine. They made certain that all features functioned properly. They converted the Freon to 134a. Unfortunately the clutch on the compressor needs to be rebuilt.
Otherwise, all features work properly. The doors look via key. There is a proper spare, jack and lug wrench stowed in the trunk.
The most recent owner was from St. Paul, MN. He enjoyed showing the car and driving it to automotive events. He kept up with the maintenance. You will find the tires, exhaust, gas tank, emergency brake and carburetor to have been recently replaced.
This is a great car to drive. It is really fun to go through the gears. And even more fun to watch onlookers expressions after they notice it has three pedals and there is not a floor shifter!
The only modifications I know of are the addition of power steering, the addition of an under-dash mounted modern stereo, the switch from the Rochester carburetor to a Holley and the change in color from Platinum to Black. I also believe the original wheels would have been steel wheels with small “dog dish” hubcaps. It is now sporting era-correct Rally wheels. I am pleased with all of these improvements.
This is a great looking car with lots of documentation. It is fun to drive and even more fun to talk about. It is ready to enjoy and cruise. If you want cold A/C, a repair is required. But you can certainly drive it and enjoy it immediately.
