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Doble D2 - Missing History
Posted by: Barry Herbert (IP Logged)
Date: March 02, 2003 04:06PM
<HTML>I am in the process of restoring Doble D2 and also trying to get the history of the car together.
During dismantling we found that the car is definately D2 and not D1 as previously reported.
The known history of it is therefore that it was built as a demonstration and experimental chassis, leaving the factory on the 12th June, 1921, fitted with engine No. 2 and auxilliary unit No. 2. These are still with the car.
In 1926 the car was purchased by the Doble employe Matt Gigo in 1926.
The next known history is that Dean Spencer of Seattle, Washington bought it in the early 50's and being in the aircraft history replaced a lot of electrical and fuel items with ex WD items. One of these items was a fuel solenoid that has a manufacturers date stamped on it of October 1954. that confirms that the car was being restored in the mid 50's. Nobody remembers Dean actually getting the car to operate and Wolfgang Gower, who bought the car next did not get it going either.
Wolfgang Gower did a surface paint job on the body that was a poor replica of a Murphy two seater with a two seater Dickie at the rear. This body had posidrive screws hidden in the woodwork and certain screws were covered with body filler, again hidden. This would suggest that Dean Spencer converted the body in the 50's as I dont think posidrive screws were around in the 20/30's.
Underneath this body was the original floorboards of a Murphy 4 door phaeton body (not 2 door) with the floor number 3766 on all the floor boards. The scuttle was certainly 1920/30 having a construction that was much older looking than the main body and had the crude type construction of a Murphy body rather than the fancy joints , posidrive screws, etc of the later part.
What I would like to know is the history of the car from the time Matt Gigo had it to the time Dean Spencer had it.
Jim Crank has a recollection that Dean Spencer bought the car in the early 50's but whether this was directly from Matt Gigo or someone else is not known. Can anyone help here? If Dean Spencer bought the car from someone else, who was this person, where did he live, etc?
Were there more people in the chain between Matt Gigo and Dean Spencer than just one person?
Of course as Matt Gigo had the car in the late 20's/30's this was the big depression and steam cars would be scrap price and not desirable. Also in the 40's was the Second world war and again no money around. The car could just have been in storage from the late 20's to the 50's.
Does anybody know?
Dean sold that car to</HTML>
During dismantling we found that the car is definately D2 and not D1 as previously reported.
The known history of it is therefore that it was built as a demonstration and experimental chassis, leaving the factory on the 12th June, 1921, fitted with engine No. 2 and auxilliary unit No. 2. These are still with the car.
In 1926 the car was purchased by the Doble employe Matt Gigo in 1926.
The next known history is that Dean Spencer of Seattle, Washington bought it in the early 50's and being in the aircraft history replaced a lot of electrical and fuel items with ex WD items. One of these items was a fuel solenoid that has a manufacturers date stamped on it of October 1954. that confirms that the car was being restored in the mid 50's. Nobody remembers Dean actually getting the car to operate and Wolfgang Gower, who bought the car next did not get it going either.
Wolfgang Gower did a surface paint job on the body that was a poor replica of a Murphy two seater with a two seater Dickie at the rear. This body had posidrive screws hidden in the woodwork and certain screws were covered with body filler, again hidden. This would suggest that Dean Spencer converted the body in the 50's as I dont think posidrive screws were around in the 20/30's.
Underneath this body was the original floorboards of a Murphy 4 door phaeton body (not 2 door) with the floor number 3766 on all the floor boards. The scuttle was certainly 1920/30 having a construction that was much older looking than the main body and had the crude type construction of a Murphy body rather than the fancy joints , posidrive screws, etc of the later part.
What I would like to know is the history of the car from the time Matt Gigo had it to the time Dean Spencer had it.
Jim Crank has a recollection that Dean Spencer bought the car in the early 50's but whether this was directly from Matt Gigo or someone else is not known. Can anyone help here? If Dean Spencer bought the car from someone else, who was this person, where did he live, etc?
Were there more people in the chain between Matt Gigo and Dean Spencer than just one person?
Of course as Matt Gigo had the car in the late 20's/30's this was the big depression and steam cars would be scrap price and not desirable. Also in the 40's was the Second world war and again no money around. The car could just have been in storage from the late 20's to the 50's.
Does anybody know?
Dean sold that car to</HTML>
Re: Doble D2 - Missing History
Posted by: Peter Turvey (IP Logged)
Date: March 04, 2003 09:10PM
<HTML>Barry - can't help on this - only have photos taken of this car just before you bought it - but can you send me your email as I'd like details of the coachbuilders & trimmers you will be using for the new body, so I can get som costngs for sorting Stanley 7644's body</HTML>
Re: Doble D2 - Missing History
Posted by: Barry Herbert (IP Logged)
Date: March 04, 2003 09:17PM
<HTML>Coachbuilders name is Mike Riley, Tel 01298 83855</HTML>
Re: Doble D2 - Missing History
Posted by: Theresa Bright (IP Logged)
Date: April 17, 2003 02:40PM
<HTML>I Have original stock certificates for Doble Steam Car company, as well as a prospectus booklet. is any one interested in purchasing them? My father, grandfather and aunt all bought shares May 3, 1923. I have 5 certificates. Three are for 80 shares and are framed together. The other two are for more shares, but they are packed away so I am not sure of the number of shares. I'd really like to keep the ones I have framed, as they are part of our family history, but I am interested in selling the other two. I don't know much history about the company. The family story is that this purchase was the first, last and only stockmarket purchase my father's family ever made. What ever hapened to the company? The family tale is that it went out of business in the depression and that the stocks were worthless, but they kept the certificates. When my father died in 1967 the bank insisted on taking possession of the certificates and have had them in their keeping (as part of a trust account for me) until three years ago when my mother died. I remembered them and made a special request to get them and the bank was pretty snotty about turning them over, saying they were worthless. I had them framed because I value family history and antiques. I hope someone can give me a source for info on the company and maybe a Doble fan would like to buy the rest.
Thanks,
Theresa</HTML>
Thanks,
Theresa</HTML>
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