MTFCA Forum

Summary:

Below is a photo of Donnie Brown’s speedster project:
(Thanks you Frank Brandi for posting that photo at: https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php? ... 56#p138680 )

Below is photo taken of a silent movie star named Harold Lloyd who drove this very similar looking speedster body in one of his films.
That is a “still capture” taken from a funny clip on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/tcmtv/videos/479434440122553/ When I clicked on it tonight it still takes me to the video and the scene is in the first 30 seconds or so…

What do you think? Same style body? And if so – maybe Donnie could say it was “alleged to be used by Harold Lloyd” by someone once on the MTFCA message board? …..
Slightly different body – well then it would be harder to claim that Harold Lloyd used it in a movie….

Additional details:

Some more shots from the movie provided for those that do not have access to facebook.
I'm having issues adding photos so I'll post this and add one more afterwards.

(continued)
Additional photos of Donnie’s speedster are located at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1487043839

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5

Interesting. It would seem to me the trunk lid/flap and holes from the angled mounting of the horn would be distinguishing features.

Always appreciate your pots Hap.

Andy

They look very similar but the slant on the cowlings on top is different as is the shape of the rear behind the gas tank. Could be the picture angles though….

I had seen the photos of the car above when I was building my car. I always thought the body was the same or real close. My body was bought at Chickasha. I bought the body, hood, radiator, and radiator shell from the same person who said all the parts came from the same Craigslist seller. So I feel like those parts may have always been together. The trunk and trunk lid were missing. So I had to make them. I did have wear marks, holes, the distance from the mounted body to the rear of the frame,, as well as other references points,, and also some remaining wood to go by. So I feel like I recreated the trunk very closely. So if this was the movie car we can not use my trunk for reference. I'll look tomorrow at the horn mounting area. Its highly unlikely that my car is the movie car, but I never really noticed before how close it appears to the movie car.

Like many movie set cars or props there were more than one made so if it was damaged or broken they could continue to shoot film. Perhaps you have, if not the original car, a back up car from the movie.

Obviously not the same body. Close, but different.

Past threads about Donnie B's car have shown era photos of several similar speedsters, some clearly made from brass era cars, some from later cars. It was a fairly popular style, with a lot of variations. Some had bench seats, others divided seats. Some used the standard model T round gasoline tank, others larger tanks, and in several sizes. I suspect the basic style was built and sold by a few different companies, although I don't have any reference material for any of them. It is a nice style, quite attractive.