Bonhams 59 carrera coupe

[David Jones]

Surely this car has the wrong overider bar. Should be low and this looks like a high bar.
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24809/lot/146/

[C J Murray]

I thought all 59s had the high bar.

[David Jones]

The high bar was a change in February 59. Both my 59's built in September and December have the low bar.

[C J Murray]

Mine didn't have the bars on it when I got it. It is a 2/2/59 completion date so I guess I am ok with the high bar that I installed, maybe. Were the holes for the supports in the nose moved with the change?

[Dick Weiss]

David,

This one of those "cross-over numbered cars" w/the chassis being near the end of the '58 model production, but the engine, being a 1600 GS, would be for a very early '59 model, so the high over-rider bar would be for a '59 due to its 692 engine--I wouldn't contest it.

Dick

[David Jones]

Dick, my coupe was made after this one in December 58 and it has a low bar. I always understood the high bars were a February 59 change.

[Rusty Ferrell]

106119, looks low, hell I didn’t even know there were high low

[Rusty Ferrell]

I can tell you one thing about the Carrera, when I bought it a valve had hid the piston, but the car was nearly perfect. I didn’t own it more than a year and Steve had to have it and paid a ton of money for her. I think 10 K.

[David Jones]

Brett Johnsons book states that the overider bar was raised 1 inch in January of 59. If anyone has a Kardex and an original car with an overider bar of that era they may shed some light on a close approximation as to when the change occurred.
As far as I know my car that I acquired from a used car dealer 2 weeks after the first owner sold it had the low overider bar originally and it was built in late December 58. Chassis # 105955. Rusty's car was probably on the production line just behind mine so I would think his overider bar being a low version is still correct. Anyone got another data point?

[C J Murray]

It looks like the holes in the nose for the supports are higher on the higher bar.

[David Jones]

You may be correct CJ. Looks like the holes are midway between the horn grill on the low bar and level with the top on the high bar. I shall look at my cars when I next venture out to the garage.