Kit Car

Grantham Stardust - Kit Carchives

By Harold Pace

Photography by Grantham Press, Motor Trend

It is not often that I meet a fellow fanatic who cannot get enough of ancient kit cars, but Geoff Hacker has been involved with American specialty cars for more than 25 years. He purchased his first fiberglass car, a Tiburon convertible (more about that in a future issue), in the early 1980s, and he still enjoys rare American specialty iron today. Recently, Geoff acquired and exhaustively researched a 1953 Grantham Stardust, and he has kindly offered to share his abundant Grantham information.

Grantham burst onto the automotive scene in '53 with a Stardust feature in Motor Trend magazine and an appearance in the Michigan Motor Show. Styled by company president Bill Grantham, the original Stardust was a two-seat sports car, usually based on the '39-41 Ford running gear (other full-size American chassis could be used as well). The frame was shortened to a 110-inch wheelbase, and a modified Ford Flathead V-8 was typically the engine of choice. They were sold in turnkey ($3,750) or kit ($950) form, including windshield and mounting hardware. For fit and improved weight distribution, the Ford frames required lowering the engine 5 inches and setting it back 19 inches.

Adding clay to a Jaguar XK120 body to reach the desired shape resulted in the first Grantham body, built in the Grantham Industries' Hollywood, California, factory. With help from Jean Schneider Plastics, the Stardust had voluptuous lines, a plunging side profile, and a sculptured twin-opening grille. Celebrities like Tony Curtis and Jeff Chandler were known to drop by the factory showroom to watch the cars' construction.

Chevrolet started offering the Corvette the same year the Stardust was introduced, so the public was primed for new sports car designs. Despite plenty of positive publicity, it appears only 12 Stardusts were actually built, and these were probably all turnkeys; an unknown number of kits may have also been sold. The Stardust was one of the featured cars in the racing classic "Johnny Dark," which showcased a variety of early American kit cars. With wild spinning, dicing, and plenty of action, the Stardust easily stole the limelight in each of its racing scenes.

RebirthWhat makes the Grantham so unusual is that it hibernated from '54-77, miraculously sputtering back to life in '78. Bill Grantham's son, Fred, and widow, Dolores, recently filled Geoff in on the Grantham automobiles later built in El Segundo, California. Five more cars were produced, but little attempt was made to seriously market the new designs. And while the bodies bore a family resemblance to the original Stardust, they were built on more contemporary chassis.

The first and most handsome of the five Granthams was a pale yellow and black roadster mounted on a Jaguar XK-150 chassis (already at least 20 years old at the time) and cockpit with a rumble seat in back. The Jaguar running gear was then replaced with a Ford 351 Cleveland V-8 and an automatic transmission. It turned out to be an exceedingly attractive car, with a convertible top, leather interior, and Dunlop wire wheels. The last known owner moved to Israel in the '80s, though there is no confirmation the car went too.

A second Grantham, blue, was built on a '80s-era Chevrolet sedan chassis and cockpit featuring a Stardust nose and tail. It was the only four-person Grantham built, and it did not include a rumble seat. Unfortunately, the lines did not work well together: The Chevy doors looked out of place, the wheelbase was too short, and the four-seat cockpit was too long, accented by the swept-back hardtop. It was sold to a man in Arizona, and its current whereabouts are also unknown.

Grantham number three was built on a Toyota chassis, which made the Chevy version's ultra-short wheelbase look comparatively graceful. As before, the donor car's doors were put in place; however, the upswept nose looked more like an afterthought than a planned design. This car also lacked a rumble seat, though in one respect it provided a glimpse into the future. An electric motor with 12 batteries had been added so it could be switched from gasoline to electric power-it was a hybrid well ahead of its time. Sadly, it is believed that this car was destroyed in an accident.

The fourth Grantham served as the personal ride for Bill's wife, and it was a silver and red beauty. It was built on a Chevrolet sedan chassis and featured a rumble seat, a removed back seat, and a shortened cockpit. It was later sold in the Los Angeles area and abandoned by a future owner; its current location is unknown.

The fifth and final car built in the second production run was Bill's own, constructed on a Cadillac Eldorado chassis. The back seat was removed, a rumble seat was added, and the body was painted a sporty two-tone red and white. And unlike the other four unknowns, this car is still in the Grantham family.

Today, just a handful of Granthams survive. Geoff has one of only two accounted-for original Stardusts, and of the newer models, only the Cadillac version can be found. He acquired his Grantham with the help of his friend Jon Greul, who maintains www.ladawri.com. Although the site concentrates on LaDawri kit cars, it also provides valuable information on many classic specialty cars.

The Stardust Geoff found appears to be on the original frame, though it has lightening holes throughout its body. This Grantham may have some Bonneville or other racing history, as it features a hot Ford Flathead with three Stromberg 97s on a Weiand manifold. Geoff has taken great pains to research the car and the Grantham family, spending countless hours interviewing Bill's wife and son, as well as an original employee who worked on the first Grantham bodies built by Jean Schneider Plastics.

Anyone who can add to this history, or who knows where any of the cars are, is encouraged to contact Geoff via e-mail at geoffrey@grhacker.com, or phone (813) 888-8801. Geoff is also co-writing a book with automobile historian Rick D'Louhy focusing on the history of fiberglass kit cars; it is tentatively titled Forgotten Fiberglass (www.forgottenfiberglass.com).