CARHUNTER FOR NOW IS MONTHLY, MAYBE SEMI MONTHLY BECAUSE READERSHIP HAS DROPPED OFF AND I HOPE TO BE A LITTLE MORE DIVERSIFIED IN EACH BLOG WITH MORE TIME TO DEVOTE TO EACH ONE
TAKE THE TIME TO VIEW SOME OLDER BLOGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
There is a giant old truck body factory in Pennsylvania that houses a private collection!
TAKE THE TIME TO VIEW SOME OLDER BLOGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
There is a giant old truck body factory in Pennsylvania that houses a private collection!
A toy hauler!
What I found was a very unusual and unexpected collection of many stand and drive delivery vehicles!
Like this Walker electric
A Marmon Herrington
You thought you knew what a DIVCO looked like?
DIVCO = Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company and I had no idea they built that thing up until 1986
This is a 1985 DIVCO, much like Checker not much changed in outward appearance throughout it's long life cycle!
Slow down and absorb that this body style first appeared in 1937 and lasted until 1986 = 49 YEARS!
Slow down and absorb that this body style first appeared in 1937 and lasted until 1986 = 49 YEARS!
Almost a half century!
I know you thought the Checker cab was always as you remember it, this a prototype of the all new 1955 Checker which with only a few mods lasted until 1982 - a puppy at only 27 years!
A blog should come eventually on these because they are poised to bring back a new Checker next year!
Stand and Drive out here!
Read this again please, a 1936 Gas/Electric Hybrid!
So I bet you believed all the hype of new technology?
Yes blow some more smoke our way because this technology was actually around over 100 years ago!
Yes blow some more smoke our way because this technology was actually around over 100 years ago!
Yes a Stutz
Get it yet? STAND AND DRIVE!
Got Milk? Yes, but no seat!
You knew it was a White Horse, right?
Yes a complete blog on it's own!
DIVCO power truck mini's
That is a hand pump fire apparatus
No sitting down on the job here!
Another Walker electric!
What year does it say?
Stand and, got it yet?
You thought we were done with DIVCO? NO!
George Bacon who was a engineer for Detroit Electric Vehicle Company DEVC? (explains the Electric and Hybrid versions later) set out to build his own design of a delivery truck forming DIVCO
You might recall CARHUNTER mentioned Henry Ford's wife drove a Detroit Electric?
When the dust settled Continental Engines supplied the power for most DIVCO Trucks and they actually purchased DIVCO 34-35 becoming Continental-DIVCO- over the years Continental supplied engines for 100's of mostly independent vehicle builders and evolved into aircraft engines still in business today, sorry to say in China although headquarter in Alabama! This could be a complete blog!
From 1936 to 1944 Twin Coach took ownership and they built Buses and Trolleys
They became DIVCO-Twin Truck company
I have never seen a long = UL 9ft body DIVCO, have you?
In 1957 they merged with Wayne Works and formed DIVCO-Wayne
I have to skim past Wayne as they spin off in many directions, but based in Richmond Indiana, a large vehicle history in this area mostly unknown to most.
The DIVCO-Dividend bus was created
Wayne was an innovator in bus manufacturing and came up with the cut-away bus design or "short-bus" A Studebaker Wayne
A Chevy
The bus evolved fast to a delivery truck!
A DIVCO Dividend delivery truck
Look carefully at this Mr. Softee look a like Ding Dong Cart
After Wayne in 1961 DIVCO changed hands many times, but continued to produce the same basic truck until 1986 and it all ended!
DIVCO is now a CULT truck much like the cult following of the Checker cab
Could I skip the DIVCO power truck mini?
Let's look at some unusual and re-purposed DIVCO's
DIVCO has become a popular subject to customize and hot rod!
He has nice taste in cars too, like this Nash!
He was laughing when I recognized this Bayliff Packard that I just saw in Illinois for sale!
This "museum" is not really open to the public, but I can tell you A Dairy business help build it and then a small chain of regional gas stations also helped!
My favorite part of the hobby and my passion as CARHUNTER is meeting people like my host J.C. who was so gracious and so informative.
One of the most unusual collections and it is a special moment when your host realizes you are soaking in everything like a sponge!
I know everyone has noticed a remote building at the old original Sears store in your town?
Have you ever noticed it is very Car Dealership like?
At one time these were complete service centers as this old toy shows, you could buy replacement parts, batteries and tires!
I owned a 1971 Plymouth Fury that religiously was serviced at a Sears in Iowa and had Sears labeled parts all over it, voltage regulator and alternator to name a few.
I owned a 1971 Plymouth Fury that religiously was serviced at a Sears in Iowa and had Sears labeled parts all over it, voltage regulator and alternator to name a few.
Many know at one time you could buy complete buggies from the catalogue, actually almost anything could be ordered in that catalogue!
Yes Sears actually sold a car back in the day!
1908-1912 you could buy a Sears Motorized Buggy
Around the same time you could order a Motorized Bike
You all know Allstate Insurance
The insurance company came last as Diehard Batteries were originally Allstate Batteries
Allstate also was Sears own brand of tires later just called Sears Tires
Sears metal Jeep roof selection
This badge showed up someplace of interest
Sears had a holding in Kaiser-Frazer and a new little car named the Henry J popped up (Henry J Kaiser)
Mr. K thought it would be beneficial to sell the car through Sears as the Allstate with a different Grille
From what I read very few of those Service Centers actually became showrooms and most Allstate's were ordered through the catalogue. I have yet to find any photos of Allstate's lined up like a new car lot.
One improvement on the Allstate's over the Henry J was eventually adding an opening trunk lid and glove box- really!
The cars only lasted 2 years and became a part of Sears History they do not want to discuss as it failed!
The alter ego Henry J seems to push the percentage meter and usually shows up like this!
The alter ego Henry J seems to push the percentage meter and usually shows up like this!
You also could buy motor scooters and accessories
Cushman's
Puch's and Vespa's also were rebadged as Allstate's
The ID tags explained where your Sears Allstate came from!
Towards the end the Allstate name was reserved for Insurance and we could keep going, did you own a David Bradley Ice scooter?
Allstate even went racing with the likes of the great Mickey Thompson
This is sacrilege to the straight up Packard Collectors, but let's be serious Packard started to build lower level Packard's and they have limited value.
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