Check This One Out....Amazing

black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
edited April 5, 2010 in Other Cool Shots
Can you believe this car was made in 1948? It's a Norman Timbs Special.The body is formed from hand-beaten aluminum. You don't have to be a metal craftsman to appreciate what a miraculous job that was. The engine ( a Buick straight 8 ) sits right behind the cockpit in a tubular sub-frame. The car weighs 2200 lbs. and can reach speeds of 120 MPH. The entire rear panel, starting right behind the driver, raises up for access to all the mechanicals. Stunning in appearance.


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I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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Comments

  • DMPhotographyDMPhotography Registered Users Posts: 20 Big grins
    edited March 30, 2010
    That is phenomenal! Thanks for sharing
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 30, 2010
    To get such a perfect body...considering the degree and scope of the metal work required...is indeed phenomenal. Thanks for looking in.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • Wil DavisWil Davis Registered Users Posts: 1,692 Major grins
    edited March 30, 2010
    That is absolutely stunning!

    Great pictures, and what a gorgeous shape!

    The cockpit reminds me of a Chris-Craft...

    Nice job!

    thumb.gif

    - Wil
    "…………………" - Marcel Marceau
  • invisibleinvisible Registered Users Posts: 440 Major grins
    edited March 30, 2010
    Way to be ahead of the times...

    (Photo #3 shows the car's design in all its glory.)
    I steal the soul of inanimate things.

    Federico
    Website / Flickr
  • eL eSs VeeeL eSs Vee Registered Users Posts: 1,243 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Wow!! I am speechless! That is a beautiful car!
    Lee
    __________________

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    "If you've found a magic that does something for you, honey, stick to it. Never change it." - Mae West, to Edith Head.
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  • TonyCooperTonyCooper Registered Users Posts: 2,276 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Pretty car, but I don't think my wife could parallel park in it.
    Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
    http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/
  • AzzaroAzzaro Registered Users Posts: 5,643 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    That is something, Tom.....I found a picture of it in 2002 and it was in a junk yard. The only thing left was the body..... clap.gif azzaro
  • WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Cool car.

    How does one change the rear tire when there is a blowout?
    What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hey Wil,

    Great minds think alike....I also thought of a speedboat cockpit when I first saw this car. It's even more stunning " in person ".

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hi Federico,

    According to the builder....Timbs....his primary influence for the design of this car came from the GP race cars of the '30s; mainly the Audi Auto-Union cars.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • johnny lichtmannjohnny lichtmann Registered Users Posts: 22 Big grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Pretty slick, nice photo, beautiful refelctions,

    pretty car, but where would you put your groceries after yr visit to walmart/asda?
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hi Lee,

    That was exactly my reaction when I first saw this beauty. My jaw dropped.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hey Tony,

    Hell, I don't think I could parallel park that thing myself. That car is LONG, even more so than it appears in the pictures.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Yo Gary,

    Yeah, that's the story the current owner was telling me. The car had been abandoned in a desert junk environment. It took a huge pile of cash to bring it back to its current state....which is flawless....but, to my mind, he rescued one of the most beautiful cars ever to grace this earth.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • lilirishangellilirishangel Registered Users Posts: 166 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    its more than a work of art it's exquisite. Amazing that its so well kept..

    thanks for sharing
    "MOTIVATION WILL ALMOST ALWAYS BEAT MERE TALENT." Anonymous

    www.snaploonphotography.com
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hey WillCAD,

    Thanks for looking in. Changing a rear tire on this thing would be a snap...way easier than on most cars. The entire rear panel is hinged right behind the driver. Hydraulic lifters raise the body shell from the very back upward....exposing a rear spare tire, the gas tank, and engine. Very clever design.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Tom,

    Nice job (as usual) of capturing this beauty and thanks for sharing it with us. I think most of the descriptive terms have been properly applied here, so I'll not pile on with those.

    The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the car is: This machine was designed to confidently swim through the wind-stream, not fight it as most cars do.

    OK, I can't fight it any longer: That is one AWESOME automobile clap.gif
    Randy
  • hgernhardtjrhgernhardtjr Registered Users Posts: 417 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Excellent photos, Tom ... for those who want to know a bit more, here's a link showing its many stages of existance from build to bust to restoration:
    http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Norman_Timbs'_Buick_Special
    — Henry —
    Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.
  • Nikonic1Nikonic1 Registered Users Posts: 684 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    WillCAD wrote:
    Cool car.

    How does one change the rear tire when there is a blowout?
    black mamba wrote:
    The entire rear panel, starting right behind the driver, raises up for access to all the mechanicals. Stunning in appearance.

    I can't imagine the effort it took to get the body that flowing and smooth while being hand formed. It appears that the body is two pieces only, is this correct? Was bondo/body filler around when this car was made? I can't imagine using lead to do all that work!!! If it's only two HUGE pieces, how the heck did they get it so smooth?!?!?! I know metal workers often use an english wheel to smooth smaller curved pieces of sheet metal but my gosh this is incredible.
    Matt :thumb
    http://nikonic1.smugmug.com/
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hey Johnny,

    Under the hood ( I think over there it's called the bonnet ) is quite a bit of storage space. I doubt, however, this car ever went on shopping trips. Thanks for looking in.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hi Irish Angel,

    Exquisite, for sure. It took a ton of money to get this car back to the status you now see. You can bet the owner intends to keep it that way.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Yo Randy,

    I gotta admire your resistance level to caving in to the allure of this jewel. But the outcome was never in doubt....something with the pull of this beauty is going to win out every time.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hi Henry,

    Thanks a lot for the very informative link about this car. I had read the H.A.M.B. piece about it. Your link fleshed out the history even more.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hi Matt,

    There are only two major panels on this car. During construction, some smaller panels were welded together to create the two larger pieces...but that happened at a very minimum. There are still some VERY HUGE panel surfaces that are a single piece. And you're very correct....it's absolutely incredible that they could generate those smooth, flowing surfaces. I'm talking some real talent here.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • vintagemxrvintagemxr Registered Users Posts: 224 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Really nice shots, Tom, and it looks like the cloudy weather made it a little more challenging. I'd seen and read about the find and planned restoration of the car elsewhere and it' great fun to see how amazingly beautiful the restored car is. I think Mr. Timbs created a car that is far better looking than the already clean and elegant Auto Union Type C that must have been his inspiration.

    clap.gif

    Doug
    "A photograph is usually looked at – seldom looked into." - Ansel Adams
    My B&W Photos
    Motorcycles in B&W
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Hi Doug,

    Thanks for the kind remarks.

    I'm forever amazed when I see, first hand, these remarkable restorations. I've fooled around with cars all my life; enough to recognize the supreme skill levels required to produce results of this caliber. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to get to experience this aspect of the automotive world on a regular basis.

    Take care,

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • PantherPanther Registered Users Posts: 3,658 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2010
    Howdy Tom,

    What a stunning piece of Art and Craftsmanship.

    You've really shown us some one of a kind cars lately.
    Take care,

    Craig

    Burleson, Texas
  • tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
    edited April 1, 2010
    Tom,

    I have seen a lot of unique cars through your photos. Keep them coming.

    Anthony
  • rgphotorgphoto Registered Users Posts: 251 Major grins
    edited April 1, 2010
    Hi Guys,

    Sorry to bust the party, but it's not all that impressive. I have 3 in my backyard haha.

    -Rob
    website | blog | twitter | facebook

    Nikon d700, sb-600 external flash Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM, AF NIKKOR 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D, AF-S NIKKOR 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 G, AF Promaster Macro

    Using photography to pay for engineering school is a bad business plan.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited April 1, 2010
    Hi Craig,

    This show was blessed with quite a number of truly unique and different cars. Some were almost comical, but all were interesting. There's more to come.

    Take care,

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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