Thank you for visiting my blog. This is my first ever, so please bear with me as I get this thing tweaked.
The primary purpose of this blog is to provide progress updates on the Venus, a car that was designed and built in the early 50’s by my father, Ken McLoad.
If you know nothing of the Venus car, I suggest you to visit the “official” website that goes into far greater depth than this blog ever will. First please read the History of the Venus, and then The Restoration for the on-going trials and tribulations of this car’s restoration (which began in 2004…gosh, has it been that long?!!)
Last but not least, please feel free to leave a comment, either about the Venus or anything else that comes to mind. I would also like to hear about any problems you encounter, or constructive criticism.
Many thanks,
Patrtick McLoad
Great blog Patrick, it must take almost as much time as your restoration. Ok, maybe not. Is the Motor Trend in your header the one you bought from me?
I notice that the grille in the publicity photo (with the Battleship) is different than your restoration and the toys and it’s not the ‘55 Chevy grille either. Was this one a custom?
No, quite actually, I have about a dozen or more of those magazines already. On occasions I try to snag MT’s that are in good condition, without a label, and at the right price.
You are so observant Bruce! Actually, I consider the grille with 2 wings per side as the original “prototype”. I have photos of at least 5 different cars with the two-fer style.
The Venus in the Battleship Texas (and other photos) belonged to one of the partners (D.Y. Gorman) and he felt the need to customize his just a bit more with 3 wings per side as well as a convertible top. This particular car was probably the most photographed of them all. I don’t know when the ‘55 Chevy grille came into play; may have been a design change when my Dad sold the company. Obviously, it would have had to be sometime in 1955, otherwise those grilles would not have been available from Chevrolet.
I think the Chevy grille looks good, but it is too recognizable.
Thanks for the comments and for the kind words!
Patrick