Hello from NC

[rdhillegass]

Greetings to everyone. I came across this site while surfing the net for Hiram Hillegass race car photos. I can't seem to get back to the first page that I entered this site on but there was mention of Hiram's cast iron bucks and his louver forming machine. It brought back some old memories. Hiram was my great uncle. My father, Darwin Hillegass, had a close relationship with Hiram and we visited each other back and forth from Wayne, NJ several times yearly. I was 13 years old when Hiram passed and remember his shop in Center Valley quite well. I even have pictures of me as a toddler sitting in one of his cars outside of his shop in Allentown. I have many photos of Hiram and his cars in various stages of completion that I would be willing to copy for anyone that is interested. I also have a balsa wood and sheet metal model car about 12" long that he created in 1932 that is signed and dated by him. The only tool of his that I have is a worn out thread chaser. I also have some of his blue stationary and a couple of the red metal tags that he attached to his cars indicating the car serial #'s. I would love to see any of his old tools if that would ever be possible. Thanks, Bob

[longyard]

Hi Bob, I live in Winston-Salem and posted those pictures of Hiram's bucks which are in the auto museum in Allentown, PA, as well as the tools which are in the great Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in Latimore Valley, PA. Stan Lobitz was a great friend of Hiram and posts on this forum often. Perhaps you also know/knew Stan?

[Oldnek]

Hello Bob and Welcome.
Cheers John

[Dave Deyton]

Welcome from a fellow North Carolinian.
Lots of good info and tips to be found here.

[Peter Tommasini]

Hi Bob welcome to the forum
Peter

[David Gardiner]

Welcome to allmetalshaping Bob.

David

[rdhillegass]

Can anyone tell me how to get in touch with Stan Lobitz? The only name that I can recall is a fellow named Drumheller that used to help Hiram. Somewhere along the way I was told that he wound up with the cast iron bucks. Perhaps his wife is the current owner? My father told me that Hiram started out using wooden bucks to form the bodies over but they wore out too quickly and eventually he went to cast iron. Wouldn't one of the wooden bucks be a collectors piece to have! I remenber Hiram using the louver tool on the hood of a maroon Mercury. It's amazing how some things remain in your memory, I recall the chalk lines that he used for the layout. I haven't seen any pictures of Hiram himself on the net, only his cars. When I locate the cd with his Pics I'll post them. Years ago I saw the body of a sports car for sale on ebay that was claimed to be made by Hiram. Anyone ever seen or heard about him making a sports car?