Merry Christmas to everyone here!!

quote DJ: "Personally I think that somebody built the wooden buck, so he could hang cuts and chips of a smashed junkyard Fairlane. while hammering an rolling the donor panels into shape. Early Porsches and VW prototypes were built that way as well, the wooden bucks were used to adjust and hang the panels."
I agree. I'll check to see if the Hamb poster replied to my query.

Reply from the Hamber:
"It were featured in a car magazine couple years ago, it's a old norwegian build, they took a frame and then scratchbuild the body, with inspiration and parts from 57 Ford.
I can try look for the magazine."

This might be his latest work.
Terry

Quote from: djfordmanjack on 2022-12-25 04:43Rich, check out the position of the front wheel well, and how far ahead it sits of the a post/door opening. that must be a good 10" longer than our real 57s.

I wonder if it just looks longer because the body's profile is thinner.

To me the fenders look much longer than OEM '57, which makes me wonder about the wheelbase...........it's gotta be longer as well, or the main body moved back. Tom, good to see you back, btw

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!
I do like the look of the front end on that homemade '57. I wonder if the longer appearance of the fender is a result of the front wheel opening being shaped differently. It looks like the opening doesn't slope rearward as much as an OEM fender opening, though that may just be a result of the angle the picture was taken from.

   That green car is beautiful, especially with the 57 Ford look to the front end. That car would strike up a lot of conversation at any car cruise or show.
    Tom.  It's good to hear from you. Did you make any progress on your 'Edchero during the summer?  Some pictures of it would be real nice, especially for any new guys that we may have.
     Try to keep warm.  Jay

The front wheel opening is also moved to the front of the car a lot. The panel ahead of it, towards the bumper and grille is much narrower than on a stock 57.
Interestingly, a thought came to my mind which hasn't been discussed before. Do we even know if it is steel ? It could easily also be a one off, glassfibre body, or maybe at least the roof. it would probably be much easier to mold all the different body curves in glassfibre over a plaster buck, than to make all the steel panels meet. Just a thought.

I think the car is very small. The headlight diameters and the wheels and tires look proportionally large to me.

second your thoughts Lynn ! I think it is 55-7 T bird size.
If this really sits on an early V8 chassis with an I beam, it must have a much narrower track than our fullsize 57s.
Very interesting discussion on this one-off Kustom !

I can't see any seams at the hood or nosepiece, and none at the back of the fenders. Almost like a hinged body on the old funny cars. I think DJ hit the nail on the head about the body maybe being fiberglass. The Hamb poster mentioned he would try and find a magazine article on the car.

What a mystery! The car appears to be narrower then a 57 but the grill looks to be original unless it was modified also?

60ish today! I took my wife in the '57 to New Mexico for lunch at Russel's truck stop on I40 just a few miles across the  state line. 150-mile round trip. Nice day for a drive.

He found the magazine.let's see if I can copy/paste the whole article:


Found the mag today, feel free to post it if you like....
Here comes the story, and its quite a story.
The Car is named Refsahl Special after the owner/builder.
In Norway 1959 when Refsahl were 16 years old he started this build, american cars were expensive and rare in norway, the family owned a Ford 36 with a v8 but he dreamed about the 57 Ford he had seen at a dealership.
With the help of a sales ad some drawings and the magazine popular mechanic he began the project.
He bought a frame of a Ford 1937 with a flathead v8, to make the body he used his knowledge building modelplanes making a wooden skeleton covered it with a metal web then covered everything in plaster and then with some fiberglass he could design the body.
5 years later his 2 seater v8 roadster were done and roadlegal.
After 3 years he were tired of driving without roof so time for an upgrade.
He made a fiberglass copy of an Ford 17m roof and he also made a backseat for the car, the windshield is a rearwindow of a Mercedes from the 60s, he also upgraded the front suspension to a induvidual of a Ford Granada, and then a 289 V8 of a Mustang 65 with a 4 speed manual, also upgraded the interior with alot of Mustang parts, power windows and such stuff 1974 it were back on the road again.
2017 the car did get an overhaul again and thats when it got his turqoise kolor. he still owns the car he built 1959.
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OK, the pics aren't copying over, so a link to our messaging:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/conversations/57-ford-hand-build.5667881/

Can't see the pics unless you are a HAMB member.