Building A Dream

[Prototype]

Very Cool! Where did you find the Data Plate? I like the Dash pod. You are well on your way!

[TUCKER]

Hi "Prototype", I would like to see your "Spruce Goose" data plate if you can scan it and send me a picture.

Was the Spruce Goose the plane that never got a chance to fly and was in storage till Howard died? The plane seen in the Tucker movie?

[Randy Earle]

To help others here, (including me) and just for the record, what is the official status of Tucker bodies #52, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57? What happened to them? Are any of them still around, and are they complete?

[TUCKER]

Here is what I know about the Tucker bodies
1052-body on frame is still with us. It is the car that had the roof cut off. it now have most body panels from 1018

1053-Rusted away

1054-this body is on Tucker 1051

1055-rusted very bad and only frame, coul and back section were saved. back section was used on convertible and the other parts are still out there in a private collection. Roof was scrapped.

1056-Rusted away

1057-this car is still around but have never seen the day of light since it was at Erza and no parts of it have been out. It is believed to be with Allan Rainert after tracking all and any history about the cars since then.

[tractiondk]

What about body #51 and #58. Did they also rust away together with #53 and #56?

Torsten
Denmark

[TUCKER]

There have never been a 1058 as I know but I may be wrong. Body 1051 I have never heard of it but I'm shure it was sold in 1950. It might have rusted away also and that might have been why they used another body on 1051 along with part of the 1042 body. Just another mystery to solve

[tractiondk]

If you read "The Indomitable Tin Goose" chapter 22 page 185 it says that Phil S. Hanna counted 58 finished bodies in the assembly line. But maybe he counted wrong.
Wasn´t there 5 bodies rusting away and only #55 was saved? That would leave #51, #53, #56 and #58.

Torsten
Denmark

[TUCKER]

Here is 55 on the photos. I have many more photos of this body. So yes 51, 53, 56 and 58 rusted away but part of this 1055 body was saved. (nothing to do with the topic of my project but here we go! )

[Prototype]

Tucker- Here is the Data Plate from Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose. They are available for about $50. Just do a G@@gle search under "reproduction howard hughes data plate spruce goose". Hope this helps.

[TUCKER]

That shure would be a great item to have in my collection. That shure was a great "flying boat" and would like to go out there someday and see it in person. I believe it is somewhere in Oregon. Thanks for the photo.

Now as an update on the Tucker project I have been putting the dashboard together with all the switches and details as in the real Tuckers!

[Prototype]

Tucker-Thanks. Yes the Spruce Goose is in Oregon. It has been beautifully restored and preserved and is on display with many other aircraft and spacecraft's as well. It did actually fly once in 1947 for just over minute, then it was put in storage by Hughes in flight ready condition for almost 30 years at a cost of $1,000,000 a year. In the Tucker film it shows Tucker meeting Hughes in the Hangar in Los Angeles, but this never happened, it was actually just phone call, since Hughes disliked meeting in person. The huge wooden hangar Hughes built to construct the Spruce Goose is still there and is used as a sound stage for films.In fact it was used for filming of the "The Aviator". If you ever come to Oregon, I will personally take you to see the Spruce Goose, but you have to drive your Tucker here, so I can ride in it! Ha Ha!

[TUCKER]

Yes you can ride in the Tucker when I finish it. I would like everyone here to see it so they all know a Tucker was finally built by someone. I am really building a Tucker not like many others who said they would make one and never even started anythng. You will all see it soon.

[TUCKER]

Hi for about the past 7 months I have been looking for an emergency brake handle that look like the one in a Tucker. Do anyone here know where I may find something like that?

[Tucker Fan 48]

The car looks awesome. Are you sure this wasn't started at the Tucker plant and taken out the back door just
before the SEC walked in? I heard a RUMOR that this car has been hidden under a tree in Los Angeles for the
last 60 years and only now has been discovered.

[TUCKER]

Wished it was a real Tucker but shure is looking like a Tucker with all the perfect detail from a real Tucker and some small parts off other Tuckers like 1027 dash plastic cover, 1050 front grill, a radio speaker grill along with a Tucker radio, inside and outside parts that were used by Tucker on his cars from other cars and are still available and more. None of the body panels are original but shure are looking the same as an original car as time go by. I am trying to get the car to look as original as posible. I will have it available to look at after October if you wish to come see it in person.