The Chrysoto

I remember this car well; Len Beaver built her on a 1927 Chrysler 60 chassis which had been given to him with a badly decayed body.

The power plant was a 1930 De Soto, sisters under the skin. The new body started off being modeled on the 1946 Town and Country but when the publicity photos of the new 1948 model were released, he made up the front to resemble that.

The car was constructed in a lean-to type of car port when the family lived in Porky Reyland’s house at Kawa Kawa. The wheels were remodeled from 16 inch Chevrolet and the subsequent slow speed-high revs forced him to fit another gearbox in, back to front, to get a step down gearing. This idea lasted about a week until on a test run to Moerewa, the thing expired at about 70 mph… back to the old way again.

The top road speed was about 35 maybe 40 mph but that was enough for the Northland roads anyway. She was pretty dodgy on the road, it staggered around all over the place and you really had your hands full. If you study that old photo, you will see the old Chrysler front seat and original door hinges too. I don’t remember what the steering wheel was from.

Len also built a beautiful “Shooting Brake” on a little ’33-34 Bedford chassis, a couple of motor boats straight out of his head, his best was “Katrina”, an 18ft powered with a Zephyr six, no plans, not even a sketch on an old envelope and his only power tools were a little Tanner band saw and a small electric 3/8 drill, all the rest were hand tools.

The “Chrysoto” was sold to somebody in Auckland where she slowly de-laminated through being left out in the weather. I think she lasted about 10 years. Len chose the Chrysler chassis because of the hydraulic brakes.