Spotted this cool non-MOPAR....

[Ponch ®]

So yesterday I went to pick up a new cable box from my local Time Warner Cable store. On my way back, I spotted this gem fenced in an "Equipment For Sale" lot in a small side street right in the middle of Pornoland (Chatsworth, CA). Not a MOPAR, but since it's a rare (almost as rare as a 71 Hemicuda ragtop) piece of automobilia, I thought you car guys would appreciate it.

[TruckDriver]

Just a bit rusty. I bet in a year or two, that will show up on Barret-Jackson

[70charger_boy]

That looks like one of the buses that sold for 4 million at BJ

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Wonder where that thing was parked to have the back half rot away like that?   Where did they find the "spare part"? 

More importantly.....what is it

[Alain426]

its a futurliner, made by gm in the for the Parade of Progress show in the 40s and 50s.



12 was made

here a good link to

http://www.futurliner.com/other.htm

[Ponch ®]

Wonder where that thing was parked to have the back half rot away like that?   Where did they find the "spare part"? 

More importantly.....what is it

Yep..it's one of the Futurliners. The one that sold at B-J was #11.

I did some online snooping and found this:

http://www.futurliner.com/brad.htm

The rear end appears to be crushed in the exact same way as the one in my pics.
There's also this note at the bottom of the page:

"June 2007 -- This Futurliner was purchased by a gentleman in Sweden and is headed there by container later in the year. His intentions are to begin restoration in 2009."

My guess is that it's probably being stored in that lot while it awaits shipping. The part about it being restored in the future explains the spare rear that's sitting next to it.

From what I'm reading, there were only 12 built, only 9 are still known to exist, 3 are restored, and the rest are what we would call "donors" at best. Still, you know that there's always someone willing to invest the time and money to try to bring back one of the "unrestorable" basket cases - especially now that they're going for millions.

[Charger_Fan]

Wow, that's a really cool find! I think those things are about the coolest busses I've ever seen, I'd love to see one in person.

Judging from your link, it sure does look like this is that same one. I wonder what the rest of the one that the back end came from looks llike? Presumably much worse, I suppose.
Looks like it also got the complimentary gangsta tagging from some stupid putz, too.

[Ponch ®]

Wow, that's a really cool find! I think those things are about the coolest busses I've ever seen, I'd love to see one in person.

Judging from your link, it sure does look like this is that same one. I wonder what the rest of the one that the back end came from looks llike? Presumably much worse, I suppose.
Looks like it also got the complimentary gangsta tagging from some stupid putz, too.

Yeah, it had a lot of graffitti....more than you can even see in the pics.

It's the second one I've found in L.A. I used to see this one all the time in the area, mostly parked on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks/Studio City. Back when I first saw it (maybe 10 years ago), I had no idea what it was, but thought it was the coolest thing ever. Years later I saw it parked a couple of blocks away from my mom's house. Apparently it was/still is owned by a local guy named Bob Valdez who converted it into a motor home - with a bar, lounge, and all sorts of cool stuff. Next time I'm in Sherman Oaks, I'll see if it's still there.

[Charger_Fan]

Wow, that's a really cool find! I think those things are about the coolest busses I've ever seen, I'd love to see one in person.

Judging from your link, it sure does look like this is that same one. I wonder what the rest of the one that the back end came from looks llike? Presumably much worse, I suppose.
Looks like it also got the complimentary gangsta tagging from some stupid putz, too.

Yeah, it had a lot of graffitti....more than you can even see in the pics.

It's the second one I've found in L.A. I used to see this one all the time in the area, mostly parked on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks/Studio City. Back when I first saw it (maybe 10 years ago), I had no idea what it was, but thought it was the coolest thing ever. Years later I saw it parked a couple of blocks away from my mom's house. Apparently it was/still is owned by a local guy named Bob Valdez who converted it into a motor home - with a bar, lounge, and all sorts of cool stuff. Next time I'm in Sherman Oaks, I'll see if it's still there.

Oh yeah, now I remember you saying something about that on a thread here about the BJ Futurliner.
Man, can you imagine trying to restore something like that? Lots-o-handmade stuff would be involved, I imagine.