It’s hard to believe that under this swoopy Fiberglass body lies a humble Henry J chassis, but that’s how LaDawri sold kits in the late 1950s. This particular project is listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for only $1,800. This fantastic fiberglass project is waiting for you to go pick it up in Carson City, Nevada. So what exactly is a LaDawri Conquest? I’m glad you asked.
Barn Finds has posted about several LaDawris, and like most kit cars, they tend to surface as unfinished projects or cars that were on the road at one point but later fell into disrepair. Once they are complete, Conquests, Sebrings, and Daytonas all attract a lot of attention, and you can see why from the picture above (from the 1957 Conquest brochure). The lines are definitely dramatic! The body was designed by Leslie Albert Dawes, the founder of LaDawri Coachcraft.
As you can see, $395 would purchase you the basic Conquest kit in 1957. When you consider that even the most basic new Chevy or Ford started around $1,800, it’s easy to see how attractive the kit was to potential purchasers. The Quest QT, Daytona, and Sebring were all similar in design but varied in size and details.
It’s unclear whether this car was ever finished enough to be on the road, but the body shell appears to be in great shape. The seller makes it clear that there is no engine or transmission included-one could look at that as a negative or an opportunity. A Jaguar rear end (presumably an independent rear setup) has been “strapped in place”. The seller also specifies that a very good used windshield comes with the car; a little bit of searching revealed that it’s an inverted 1955–1959 Chevrolet or GMC truck windshield. The Henry J frame is currently set up for a Studebaker V-8, but the seller was planning to install a Mopar 440 V-8 and is offering both a mock-up and a usable engine at additional cost. I believe the engine visible behind the car in the top picture is one of them.
Unlike many kit cars, the Conquest offered a styled dashboard. The thickness of the windshield surround is due to the “roll bar” incorporated into the design for safety purposes. Presumably, it also gave a great place to mount the door hinges. Fiberglass removable hardtops were available for all LaDawri designs; unfortunately, this car doesn’t have one. I would think judicious cutting and welding of a 60s sports car convertible top frame when paired with a custom-stitched top would yield a functional convertible. Of course, that’s if you wanted a top! I’m guessing most drivable LaDawris are only taken out on sunny days!
Looking at this picture, it wouldn’t take much to adapt an American V-6 or V-8 of your choice to this chassis. The substantial pillars at the bottom of the picture should accept one of the many types of custom engine mounts available for hot rods. The crossmember visible through the firewall opening might have to be modified, depending on your choice of transmission. I’m thinking the Buick/Olds/Pontiac/Rover/Triumph 215-cubic-inch aluminum block V-8 with a 5-speed manual would be a nice, lightweight choice. I’m not sure how good the front-end geometry of a Henry J is, but the seller has begun a disc brake swap and the Jaguar rear is a nice choice for both handling and strength. And if worst comes to worst, you could always adapt the ubiquitous Mustang II-based front ends found on many component cars. Personally, I think this car could be spectacular once completed-are you the right person to do it? Have any of you had any experience with LaDawris?
As far as kit cars go, this is a nice looking one. I can see the Henry J being a donor car in the 50’s, they were mostly likely inexpensive used cars at that time. This definitely needs some work besides a motor and transmission, but if you have the space and the desire and ability, this looks like a solid project. Nice one Jamie!!
Tell me that the front doesn’t kinda look like the Batmobile!
Carson City was my hometown and everyone with unusual cars of any kind all knew each other or knew of each other (28-35000 population back then) at the time.the guy with the Daimler SP250, another with 1-of-2 Sebring Corvettes, the friend with the restoration shop by the airport with a Shelby Daytona he restored ..but this one doesn’t appear to be from that time era.
Interesting car.
Like Driveinstile said-nice one, Jamie.