Ran into Bob Schmidt (he wasn't hurt) @ L.A.'s "Spring Fling", over the
weekend.
Asked him how the "57 Heaven" 's (one model-representative of EACH
U.S. car manufactured in 1957!) "move"to Branson, MO, from Palm Springs,
was coming-along. Bob's the chief-restorer of that collection/museum,
and, arguably, the "best" (mass-)FWDLK'er restorer in the world.
Bob said that the museum building is still being
completed, but that it's scheduled to be finished by the start of 2006;
all the cars are still in CA, but they should be begun to be moved, by
the end of this year.
Bob is expecting/scheduled to become the museum's curator.
AND THEN, I asked him about "how" the 57 D501 was 'doing', in regards to
its restoration, there. The museum's owner (forget his name, & the
car-mag he own[s/ed] )
had bought the car, with engine-out, & in rough-
-but-complete condition, several years ago.
Bob said that Ryan Newman (Dodge NASCAR
driver, who reportedly also owns a 57 D500) and his
NASCAR-team-owner had recently visited the museum, AND, that the
team-owner had expressed a "serious" interest in buying & restoring the
D501.
Well, Mr. museum owner says, "hmmmm, I've got a "son (IIRC)" who wants
to become a big-deal NASCAR racer; I'll SWAP you this-here car, for a
legitimate try-out-chance, for my [relative], on your/a NASCAR team.
So, the car is 'out' of the museum, without having been worked-upon, by
Bob, & Bob's not happy about 'losing' the car.
So, if you happen to hear/learn about a 'new' NASCAR racer (as unlikely
as that may ever be) with that museum-owner's name, OR, the existence of
"another" D501, in NASCAR land [ this, in addition to Lee Smith's D501
on loan, to the Don Garlits museum, in FL ] ,
well, now, you'll know the REST of the story.
Neil Vedder
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