Comments on: 1960 ELECTRIC SHOPPER (Apr, 1960)

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:24:53 +0000

after 50 years the car i have like this stills runs

By: rolly polly

rolly polly — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:09:15 +0000

I have pic’s of fully restored Electric Shopper.

By: GRANT WALKER

GRANT WALKER — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:14:09 +0000

Thanks For the info. Toronto. Well I personaly have the photos. They are not on a web site.
I have more info on the companys. There were two separate Companys.
“The Electric Car Company of California Inc.” And “Electric Shopper Sales and Service Inc.”
The latter was at 417 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach, Ca. President of both Companys was
Mr. B.T. Cline, Vice Persident Mr. B.G. DuPont, Secretary Treasurer Mr. Thomas R. Walker.
This would be the Principals of the companys on Feb. 1962. No, I do not have that good of
of a memory. I wish I did. I am getting this from paper work from the company that I saved.
If some one would like the photo or more History of when I worked there let me know. grant

By: Toronto

Toronto — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 05:39:49 +0000

Grant: You can’t post photos here as far as I know, but you can post a link to a photo-sharing web site. Beyond that, I’ll defer to Google, as I’m out of date on such things.

By: GRANT WALKER

GRANT WALKER — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:17:28 +0000

Electric Shopper also built a tram. It could carry 5 passengers plus driver. It had a streering
wheel with two wheels up front to steer with. Had a canvas top with a fringe. I found the
color negatives of this from 1961. There were taken to be used for a brochure. I do not
know if the brochure was ever printed. Fun picture with a Market that was giving Green
Stamps in the back ground. grant

By: GRANT WALKER

GRANT WALKER — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:15:21 +0000

As far as the colors I do not remember much of a choice, if any. More on that later. I
would be happy to share the photo but need help on sending it. How would I do it?
I have it scanned in. grant

By: Ross Kelsey

Ross Kelsey — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:44:54 +0000

Hey Grant!
Very cool to hear from someone with first hand knowledge.
I would love to see the photo of the car being delivered.
Do you remember if there was an owners manual or any documentation?
Also were they all the powder blue with white top or were there other “options”?

Thanks, Ross

By: GRANT WALKER

GRANT WALKER — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:34:07 +0000

I have a photo of shop were they were built in Long Beach with one on a trailer ready
for delivery. The same one you have the ad for. This one is light blue with a white top.
It was one of my jobs to deliver them. grant

By: Toronto

Toronto — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:34:16 +0000

Grant – nice to hear from someone with a connection to the story. In a way, the Shopper was the grandfather of today’s mobility carts, more-so than electric cars, anyway.

Things don’t have to be very high tech to be useful to a lot of people. It’s a shame the Shopper didn’t take off: if cities had accommodated them then, we’d probably be better off today.

By: GRANT WALKER

GRANT WALKER — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:50:54 +0000

I use to work for Electric Shopper in 1961. I remember they had trouble selling them.
They even took in cars as trades for them. I got an 1949 Hudson that was taken in
as a trade. I think one of there best sellers was a flat bed truck with a steel diamond
plate bed. At that time they all were built with 6 volt Trojan batteries and simple car
starter solenoids for speed regulation. Brakes were cast aluminum drum. We did build
one that did 60 mile per. hour. I never did drive it but was told it was scary. Hard to
steer, impossible to stop and very short battery life. It was build just for the fun of it, not
for resale. I left in 1961. They had no money to pay wages. grant

By: Warren Dunn

Warren Dunn — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:05:47 +0000

Does anyone know of a 167 for sale?? Does not have to be perfect or run but more complete is better. Thanks

By: Toronto

Toronto — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:18:20 +0000

John – got pix?

By: John

John — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:57:39 +0000

Just started on my 167 and mounting w/w tires on it to get it to roll around first.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:17:08 +0000

Just bought some new batteries for my model 167. I spent memorial day painting it olive drab in honor of the ww2 vets who built them.

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:08:45 +0000

I just purchased an Electric Shopper exactly as pictured in the ad above on EBay.
Got it home put some batteries in cleaned up some wireing and went for a spin.
What a kick! Does anyone have more info on these. How many built? A manual or parts list? Wiring diagram? Would pay if the literature is correct for this car.
I intend to strip it down and completely restore so anything might help.
Thanks Ross

By: leticia cortes

leticia cortes — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:50:27 +0000

i have an electric shopper also in los angeles california style:fj4565 mines has a complete different look but the same mechanism,mines is red black convertable top and is rounded off,

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:12:55 +0000

i have a car like this will send some pictures

By: Toronto

Toronto — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:39:55 +0000

The illustration in the article looks a bit like one of Bruce McCall’s Bulgemobiles, writ small.

By: Tiomthy Griffin

Tiomthy Griffin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:06:13 +0000

What I belive to be an Electric Shopper, year unknown sitting outside in Cedar Key FL.
Rented a golfcart from the owner to bop around. Do not know if its for sale…
This is a link to the photo on myspace.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.co.....ID=1044295

By: nick

nick — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:02:34 +0000

I have a 1962 167 model which is red. My grandfather bought it from his neighbor for $25 in 1990. I will have some pictures when I am finished.

http://www.3wheelers.com/electra.html

By: lwjohnson

lwjohnson — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:22:05 +0000

I have the more conventional 1957 model. Here’s a pic:

http://s206.photobucket.com/al.....t=719f.jpg

By: don caturia

don caturia — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:52:04 +0000

i have a electric shopper for sale. its not like the one in the first picture,its a convertable, steel body, two seater,3 wheeler 6 volt,has a trunk,headlight,turn signals, brake lights, , has org batt, and charger. its org factory red with white top. needs restored or cleaned up and cruz. asking 1500.00 253-584-1821, don. tacoma washington. i have some pics to send. happy new year to everyone.

By: nick

nick — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:27:55 +0000

Here is a good sorce of info on electric cars of the past.
http://www.econogics.com/ev/evhiste.htm

By: nick willcutt

nick willcutt — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:15:38 +0000

I actually have one of these. It has been in the family for about 20 years. I guess these things came with an army surplus sherman tank turret motor. I am currently converting mine to be a hybrid vehical. You will drive with the electric motor till the batteries are almost discharged. Than switch to a 6.5 hp Techumseh engine (like a 600% increase in hp since the electric motor is rated at 1.5 hp) then the electric motor will act as a generator until the batteries are restored. Charging will be regulated with a 24 volt solid state D.C. regulator. It is a really nice car. Is everyone else cars fiberglass? I know they built some with steel bodies.

By: troy vera

troy vera — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:15:47 +0000

there was a recent car show, in june 2008, called peggy sue’s cruise in santa rosa ca, and someone had a kustomized one… http://www.rodsandwheels.com/g.....emId=96151

they called it the mouse rod because it was too small to be a rat rod.

looks really clean and kool

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:51:09 +0000

Cute… I want one of those. Not one of the ugly modern electric cars.

By: Ed Tozer

Ed Tozer — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:38:02 +0000

I own the electric shopper, it is now called the mouse rod because it is to small to be a rat rod. However it looks like a rat rod now. Built in 1959, this was a street legal electric car for urban use. Customized in Rat Rod style black suede paint. 50′s pin-striping, 59 cadillac tail-lights, wide whitewall tires, moon disc caps, tuck and roll interior, pistol grip steering, billet grille, custom windshield, coil over rear shocks and an Am Fm Cd radio. It has gone an extensive frame off restoration of the highest workmanship. Every piece has been polished, painted or replaced. Truly a one of a kind. Thanks you Ed Tozer

By: MALLTHUS

MALLTHUS — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:47:20 +0000

Downtown Long Beach used to be lousy with these slow moving deathtraps (early 1970s).

Invariably, they were being piloted by people old enough to have been Civil War veterans.

What I remember best though is how bad the paint was on all of them.

I do remember seeing both the kind featured in the ad here and the Electras in the link in another comment.

By: Orv

Orv — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:27:34 +0000

The problem with electric cars is they tend to cost a lot more than gasoline cars of similar capabilities, and because they’re only good for short trips you never drive them far enough to make up the difference in fuel savings.

By: Mike Brisendine

Mike Brisendine — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:15:21 +0000

There’s a great documentary called Who Killed The Electric Car?. It’s about short production life of the GM EV1 electric car produced in the mid 1990′s. Everyone who leased it (only way it was available)thought it was great. Eventually the cars were all recalled and destroyed. It seems oil companies had little interest in the EV1′s success.

Telsa Motors is creating a high end electric sports car. The price will be in the $95,000 plus range.
http://www.teslamotors.com/