The Glasspar G2 was one of the first American sports cars in fiberglass, predating the 1953 Corvette by two full years with the first one built in 1951 for Major Brooks, known as the Brooks Boxer.
So what do you do if you “invent” the market for a new type of product like Bill Tritt did for sports car bodies made out of fiberglass? Well, one of the activities that you have to undertake is to teach your prospective customers how to complete the very thing you’re trying to get them to buy, a fiberglass bodied sports car.
After all, you’re selling them a car, not a body. It’s just they’ll be the ones building it, and you have to figure out how to support this new business endeavor.
In 1952, materials for showing people how to build your own car were few and far between, and the first book showing how to do this didn’t come out until August 1952.
When you bought a fiberglass body in 1952, very little information was available. At best you got a one page instruction sheet, at worse, a pat on the back and encouragement to read some of the articles on the newsstands printed in 1952 on how to do this.
In creating this new set of materials needed to build your own car, Bill Tritt of Glasspar would once again be recognized as “first” in his field.
This is what guided young men on how to build their own sports car - from soup to nuts. They were a brave bunch, indeed. Can you imagine the guys of yesterday looking at a typical instruction manual for a modern cell phone? I can’t either.
Remember, the average skill set / ability / experience that a teenager brought to the table in the early ’50s was completely different than today “Hands-on” experience was the rule, not the exception. So while one page might seem scant to us today, it probably wasn’t a bad start for these guys, especially because cars were a bit simpler then.
Only two paragraphs of information are shown along with two pictures of the Alembic I Glasspar G2 Sports car. Here’s what the paragraphs say:
"It is necessary that the chassis be modified from 99” to 102 “ wheelbase, preferably 101”. It is also necessary that the motor be moved aft approximately 21” and lowered to a road clearance of approximately 7”, thereby giving you a much lower center of gravity and weight distribution. This, then, will increase the ease of steering as the excess weight will be removed from the front axle. The body is designed to take a tread of 55” to 58”.
The body comes with one coat of prime paint. However, some sanding and glazing will perhaps be necessary before final painting. Also included are the body mounting brackets, instrument panel mounting brackets, firewall mounting brackets, recess for 1948 Pontiac Tail lights and brackets for General Motors sealed beam headlight assembly. Wheel wells, windshield frames, grill, door with hinge and latch, and hood with hinge and latch are included.
You can read about the connection between Glasspar and Shorty Post from this Road & Track Article from February, 1953:
“To meet the demand for either a complete sports car or a build-it-yourself package, the aggressive Glasspar Company has had a frame designed to suit their fiberglass sports car body. While the body itself is suitable for almost any chassis in 99 to 102 inch wheelbase range, a certain amount of reword is inevitable.
The frame was designed and is being built by Post Body Shop of Orange, California. While offering no weight saving, it does have advantages in the matter of adequate pedal room, ease of assembly, and versatility. At the left is shown the Willys powered version of the Glasspar Post body-chassis combination.
Glasspar has arranged to supply, thru a local Willys dealer, either partially or completely assembled cars. For this model, the transverse spring independent front suspension of the Willys Jeepster and the Willys rear axle are used. Steering requires only 2 and ½ turns from lock to lock. The purchaser has a choice of gear ratios, overdrive, type of upholstery, color, etc. Price complete, about $2950 FOB Orange, CA.
On this page is the Ford version of the Glasspar-Post sports car. The suspension and axles are from the transverse spring model Ford, while a new Ford or Mercury V-8 engine and transmission may be used. This demonstrates the versatility of the Post frame, and, as a matter of interest, even the ’49 to ’52 Ford type suspension can be used for those who prefer a softer ride.”
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Thanks for watching the video SUPER RARE 1952 Glasspar G2 | America's First Fiberglass Sports Car, Before the 1953 Corvette!
11 сен 2024
