Electroline Manufacturing...
Electroline Manufacturing Company made a lot of lighting products but Paul maintains that these were made for American LaFrance fire engines. The horn came from a ’40 Indian.
To save more weight, Paul eliminated all carpeting from the floor and front seat back. “Carpeting is for your grandmother’s floors,” he says. He hand-cut black rubber floormats to fit, adding ’41 Harley footrests for protection. To help streamline the car, he laid back the windshield bases and chopped the stanchions, the windshield frame, the top irons, and bows, still providing a folding top. The interior, top, and side curtains were all done in Paul’s garage with the help of Sammy Head.
The tail is brought up with Chrysler AirStream lenses on Packard buckets and ’31 Ford reworked arms. Hanging below are ’50 Triumph motorcycle mufflers. Out front are streamlined ’40 American La France fire engine headlights, a ’37 Indian motorcycle horn, and a Pines Winterfront grille.
What Paul’s car represents should be clear by now. He set out to increase the performance of his tub in the three ways possible. Each step he took created the appearance you see—form following function.
He ended up with a really “hot tub.” On one hand Paul Gommi’s phaeton is a shrine to the most desirable obsolete parts in the world. On the other hand, he put those parts together in a way our forebears never thought to. The result changes our notions of tradition and progress.
It’s unlikely anyone else will focus so many rare and desirable parts in one place in such an original package. At the very least, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could top it. For more photos of Paul’s tub, visit www.streetrodder.com.
The taillights are aggregates...
The taillights are aggregates of ’37 Chrysler Airflow/Airstream lenses, bezels, and webs; Packard buckets; and Deuce taillight stands. The directional signal between them is one of the eclectic hallmarks of a Paul Gommi car—in this case a ’34 Rolls-Royce piece.
Pines made these thermostatically...
Pines made these thermostatically shuttered Winterfront inserts as early as the ’20s. If they saw hot rod use, Paul notes that it would have been to prevent air from entering the engine compartment at high speeds. Word has it restored Deuce examples can bring five figures.
Paul employed two sets of...
Paul employed two sets of mufflers in this exhaust system: one pair of glass-packed mufflers upstream and these ’50 Triumph motorcycle mufflers at the ends.
The story describes how Paul...
The story describes how Paul fit the ’39 Lincoln brakes but that wasn’t the extent. He also milled slots in the backing plates and drilled 420 rotary-indexed holes in the drum fins.