Question aboaut Bill Cushenbery's Silhouette

[Bruce Poage]

As I was looking at the "stash" in my "model man cave" and thinking about a next project my eyes fell on a kit started back in the mid eighties, Silhouette. I have tried to do some research on he original vehicle as I was curious what colors it was painted. The show car version appears to have two different colors in photos I have viewed. What can of info can anyone share about this vehicle? Thanks.

[Harry P.]

No specific information other than the car seems to have been painted several different colors at different times...

http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/1/silhouette/

[Modelmartin]

Ther is a video of the Silhouette in a 60s TV special about cars featuring Lloyd Bridges driving the Silhouette as he narrates the opening sequence. It is quite a trip!

[darquewanderer]

That really is a hard question to answer.

What began as a one of a kind show car, was later butchered by Ford, before it was stolen.

In the beginning, the car had a two tone (candy?) red over (pearl?) white, powered by a Buick nail head and riding on chromed wire wheels. None of this is in the kit, from first issue to last release.

Enter Ford and their "better" idea. Two tone gone for what looks like in my photos a garnet red or maroon, hard to say as the old photos didn't hold up to the passage of time. The Buick was replaced with a Ford whatever, a chrome panel insert by the side exhaust pipes and the wires gave way to custom mags. This is the version in the kit, except for the mags, IIRC you've got a set of Hilborne (sp) racing mags and a set of Crager 5 spoke mags.

And then... (as the old serials use to say) it was stolen and disappeared from sight forever into someone's private collection. At least that's what I'd like to believe, as I'd hate the idea of some idiot kid stealing it for a joy ride and destroying it.

[darquewanderer]

Glad to hear that Steve, as someday I plan to do it up original. Now if only I could find a 1/25 Lloyd Bridges to drive it.

[wheels-n-wings]

I was speaking with an engineer/car enthusiast in Bakersfield who seems to know a lot about machining and cars. He said that Gordon ‘Red’ Harden was the last to have that car in Bakersfield at Carriage Masters Collision Repair. That's where it was "reported stolen" and last seen.  The rumor is it was moved and the "stolen" was to claim a loss.  That said car may now reside in a shop in Santa Rosa - it was seen with the body off and the Italian glass bubble removed but apparently the chassis and engine were recognizable. The machinist said it is likely in a body shop that could manage "leading".  

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, wheels-n-wings said:

...That's where it was "reported stolen" and last seen.  The rumor is it was moved and the "stolen" was to claim a loss...That said car may now reside in a shop in Santa Rosa - it was seen with the body off and the Italian glass bubble removed but apparently the chassis and engine were recognizable...

To the best of my knowledge (from personal experience), there's no statute of limitations on a stolen vehicle. It's hot forever, until it's recovered by the police or insurance company, and given a "clean" identity.

If an insurance company paid a claim on the car and it resurfaces, the insurance company owns it, and can take it...even if it's been entirely restored, rebuilt, or heavily modified.

This sticky little fact stopped me from doing anything with an expensive car abandoned at my shop in the 1980s, and reported stolen (without my knowledge) so the owners could collect money for it, rather than paying me to repair damage from an engine compartment fire.

[Daddyfink]

Wow, replies to a 12 year old thread! 

 

[TooOld]

8 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

Wow, replies to a 12 year old thread! 

Yes but did you check out the link to the Fotki Album that Harry posted ?  What a treasure trove of information !!

http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/1/silhouette/

Edited October 12, 2022 by TooOld

[Daddyfink]

35 minutes ago, TooOld said:

Yes but did you check out the link to the Fotki Album that Harry posted ?  What a treasure trove of information !!

http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/1/silhouette/

Yes, it is a great source of material on this car. 

 

[Joe Handley]

17 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

To the best of my knowledge (from personal experience), there's no statute of limitations on a stolen vehicle. It's hot forever, until it's recovered by the police or insurance company, and given a "clean" identity.

If an insurance company paid a claim on the car and it resurfaces, the insurance company owns it, and can take it...even if it's been entirely restored, rebuilt, or heavily modified.

This sticky little fact stopped me from doing anything with an expensive car abandoned at my shop in the 1980s, and reported stolen (without my knowledge) so the owners could collect money for it, rather than paying me to repair damage from an engine compartment fire.

Be interesting to hear how that turned out for the owners of the car.

[Ace-Garageguy]

55 minutes ago, Joe Handley said:

Be interesting to hear how that turned out for the owners of the car.

Car was insured in a state that takes a rather dim view of insurance fraud.

It's a felony under the circumstances, with up to 5 years in prison and a $50,000 fine...but I wasn't in the prosecution loop after the car was recovered, so I don't know the outcome.

EDIT: The fraudster, if found guilty, also has to make restitution to the insurer.

Edited October 12, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[Scott8950]

On 10/11/2022 at 8:48 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

If an insurance company paid a claim on the car and it resurfaces, the insurance company owns it, and can take it...even if it's been entirely restored, rebuilt, or heavily modified.

My Dad found this out the hard way with a 69 mustang about 20 years ago. He bought it for 12k and put another 3k in it only to find out it had been stolen 15 years earlier.  The police came and took the car and my dad never got a single penny back. Always do your homework before buying any kind of classic car. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

42 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

...Always do your homework before buying any kind of classic car. 

Yup.

Even a custom or hot-rod built from the ground up, from junk, should have some kind of certificate-of-origin and an ID number that's traceable. And if the seller gets pissy, walk away.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[stavanzer]

I was in a Promise Keepers Men's Group in the late 1990's with Mr. Cushenberry before he passed. He was a truly nice man, and I was the only person in the group who knew of his Custom Car background. He never mentioned it when we met. He did not attend often, but was always cheerful when he came to the meetings. He passed away before I had a chance to get to know him well.

 

[Danno]

On 10/11/2022 at 5:48 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

To the best of my knowledge (from personal experience), there's no statute of limitations on a stolen vehicle. It's hot forever, until it's recovered by the police or insurance company, and given a "clean" identity.

If an insurance company paid a claim on the car and it resurfaces, the insurance company owns it, and can take it...even if it's been entirely restored, rebuilt, or heavily modified.

Yep, that's how it works. The vehicle ALWAYS belongs to its last registered/titled owner. Although there is a statute of limitations on the criminal act of theft, the vehicle still ALWAYS belongs to the victim of the theft. 

Throughout my career, I've been involved in recoveries of decades-old stolen vehicles. Sometimes VERY valuable vehicles recovered out of large collector auctions [although they usually perform very extensive and effective investigations before accepting vehicles for sale - to protect themselves]. Imagine a 7-figure car being seized right off the floor once it's proved to be a stolen vehicle. Anyone with money invested in it (after the theft) loses the vehicle and the money they invested. 

On the other hand, reuniting theft victims with their beloved cars that have been in the wind for decades is priceless!

Occasionally much money has been spent on a high-level restoration. The theft victim wins!! (Does not have to relinquish improvements or reimburse the thief for same.)

PS:  Although the thief usually can't be prosecuted due to expiration of statutes of limitation, the insurance company that paid out for the car can sue civilly to recover any money paid out and any expenses, including the costs of investigation and costs of the suit. The bad guy doesn't always win. 

 

[Brian Austin]

Rik also has his Kustomrama site, which has those pictures, but also explanatory text as well.  This is one of my go-to reference sites for old custom cars.

https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Bill_Cushenbery's_Silhouette

 

Rik Hoving also runs the Classic Car Chronicle forum, though I couldn't find anything of note regarding the Silhouette.

 

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/

[SpeedShift]

On 10/11/2022 at 11:55 PM, Daddyfink said:

Wow, replies to a 12 year old thread! 

 

Wow...video has Ken Miles of Ford vs Ferrari fame......2:33  and 3:30

[Danno]

On 10/11/2022 at 5:48 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

To the best of my knowledge (from personal experience), there's no statute of limitations on a stolen vehicle. It's hot forever, until it's recovered by the police or insurance company, and given a "clean" identity.

If an insurance company paid a claim on the car and it resurfaces, the insurance company owns it, and can take it...even if it's been entirely restored, rebuilt, or heavily modified.

This sticky little fact stopped me from doing anything with an expensive car abandoned at my shop in the 1980s, and reported stolen (without my knowledge) so the owners could collect money for it, rather than paying me to repair damage from an engine compartment fire.

Absolutely correct, Bill.  If an insurance company paid a claim to the "owner," the insurance company owns the car no matter where or when it turns up. At least in Arizona, any subsequent "purchaser" is completely out of luck and out of any money spent on buying, restoring, or customizing it - no recovery for buying stolen property. That's why they always say, "Let the buyer beware!"