Comments on: 1960 ELECTRIC SHOPPER http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:11:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: troy vera http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-1057116 troy vera Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:15:47 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-1057116 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/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=96151 they called it the mouse rod because it was too small to be a rat rod. looks really clean and kool 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 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-1052412 Anne Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:51:09 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-1052412 Cute... I want one of those. Not one of the ugly modern electric cars. Cute… I want one of those. Not one of the ugly modern electric cars.

]]> By: Ed Tozer http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-1047058 Ed Tozer Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:38:02 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-1047058 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 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 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-998090 MALLTHUS Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:47:20 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-998090 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. 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 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-968315 Orv Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:27:34 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-968315 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. 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 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-965738 Mike Brisendine Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:15:21 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-965738 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/ 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/

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-961470 jayessell Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:16:32 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-961470 <b>Stannous</b> That's right, starring Burgess Meredith. (As a present day unemployed and unemployable doctor.) "The Little Black Bag" and "The Marching Morons" were both by C.M. Kornbluth. Oops!: Rereading TLBB, no Golf Cart Car. Some other story. Sorry. Stannous
That’s right, starring Burgess Meredith. (As a present day unemployed and unemployable doctor.)
“The Little Black Bag” and “The Marching Morons” were both by C.M. Kornbluth.

Oops!: Rereading TLBB, no Golf Cart Car. Some other story. Sorry.

]]> By: nlpnt http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-961397 nlpnt Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:54:58 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-961397 Soundl like "Idiocracy", except in that, the smart people die out entirely... Soundl like “Idiocracy”, except in that, the smart people die out entirely…

]]> By: Stannous http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-961176 Stannous Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:46:59 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-961176 Those are 'energy fins', they make the batteries last longer. Honest. I love "Little Black Bag"! there was a TV edition (Night Gallery maybe?) too. It has some very interesting points to make, one being that the only people who support and participate in Zero Population Growth are those of above-average IQ and education while the rest keep spitting them out like sunflower seed shells. The end result being a world where the elite must hide their brains and let the morons think they control what goes on. (thank goodness nothing like that could happen in real life, eh?) Those are ‘energy fins’, they make the batteries last longer.

Honest.

I love “Little Black Bag”! there was a TV edition (Night Gallery maybe?) too. It has some very interesting points to make, one being that the only people who support and participate in Zero Population Growth are those of above-average IQ and education while the rest keep spitting them out like sunflower seed shells.
The end result being a world where the elite must hide their brains and let the morons think they control what goes on.
(thank goodness nothing like that could happen in real life, eh?)

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-960426 jayessell Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:52:52 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-960426 There was a Science Fiction story from the 50s of a distopia where the Proles toiled to be consumers that supported the economy. Some cube dweller was driving home in his car... a dressed up golf cart. "Little Black Bag"? The time frame seems about right. There was a Science Fiction story from the 50s of a distopia where the Proles toiled to be consumers that supported the economy.

Some cube dweller was driving home in his car… a dressed up golf cart.

“Little Black Bag”?

The time frame seems about right.

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-960208 Blurgle Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:40:02 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-960208 Thirty whole miles?! Boy! Thirty whole miles?! Boy!

]]> By: MC http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-960062 MC Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:46:47 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-960062 That's a painting, not a photograph, isn't it? Did they ever actually build any? That’s a painting, not a photograph, isn’t it? Did they ever actually build any?

]]> By: Neil Russell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-959687 Neil Russell Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:32:19 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-959687 This was as close as I could find for any more detail on this neat little electric. Not sure if it is the same company but it was from Long Beach as far back as 1961, sadly the electric car shown doesn't have the sleek futuristic design of the one above http://www.3wheelers.com/electra.html T There's also a link to a surviving (if you can call it that) car at the bottom of the page This was as close as I could find for any more detail on this neat little electric.
Not sure if it is the same company but it was from Long Beach as far back as 1961, sadly the electric car shown doesn’t have the sleek futuristic design of the one above
http://www.3wheelers.com/electra.html
T
There’s also a link to a surviving (if you can call it that) car at the bottom of the page

]]> By: Neil Russell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-959667 Neil Russell Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:27:03 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/26/1960-electric-shopper/#comment-959667 Yeah, all that other stuff is nice, but the most important thing is that it has fins!! Woohoo! Yeah, all that other stuff is nice, but the most important thing is that it has fins!! Woohoo!

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