History 1973 & 1974 LODI Mini Nats

Here's the STREET RODDER magazine coverage of the LODI '74 event by Pat (@pgan) Ganahl:

click thumbnails to enlarge​

 

Awesome thread I remember looking at Dads magazines during this time as a kid ....

 

Really good coverage Todd.................................

 

Thanks Ed ... my pleasure!

I know you're too humble to "toot your own horn" ... so I'll do it for you ... The LODI '73 event wouldn't have happened if it weren't for people like you!

NOTE: It was Ed "@plywude" Lee and Gary "Goodguy" Meadors that initially pitched the idea of such an event to the "powers that be" in the town of Lodi (Chamber of Commerce, Lions club, Kiwanis club, Police dept., etc.).

 

Great pics and huge effort, thanks!

 

Thanks for the kudo's Todd just to let you know Billy B. traded me a 57 Nomad for the 29 roadster, that Pontiac motor had been in two of the T buckets I had built so when our deal happened it went with the body, my son Greg picked up a 57 chevy big block and I traded him the Nomad to get him out of the 57 " ticket getter" and the big block went into a digger I built. Just a note but Gary's brother Craig did the early programs good artist and lay out guy.

 

Just a bump of an old thread to share Sherm @fuely32 Porter's photos from the LODI '73 event.

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Some T-Buckets at the LODI '73 event:

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Some Model A's at the LODI '73 event:

flamed '28-29 Roadster


Bud Bryson's '29 Roadster


Bay Area Roadster member Dick Mendonca's '29 RPU
... with Rod @RodP Powell’s yellow ‘39 Chevy in the background​

 

... and a couple more Model Ts at the LODI '73 event:

Gary Lang's T


Ray Callejo built C-Cab​

 

Here's Sherm @fuely32 Porter's photos from the LODI '74 event:

Bob Barnes' Tall T Coupe


Twin Blowers on a T-Bucket


Arly Ashley's T & Gary Meadors' chopped '32 Tudor​

 

Random cars at the LODI '74 event:

'30-'31 Model A Coupe




Woodies




Bay Area Roadsters members Dennis & Kathy Varni enjoying the event​

 

Some Model 40's at the LODI '74 event:

flamed Tudor


Tudors


Phaetons: Ed @plywude Lee (red), Mel Taormino (blue), Lee Hammock (yellow) & Dennis Riviera (black)​

 

... and some Deuces at the LODI '74 event:

Bill Henderson's '32 Roadster (with Sherm @fuely32 Porter's T Touring behind)


Bunton's '32 3wd Coupes: Bunton's Hot Rod & a Stocker


Jack Stewart's '32 Roadster​

 

Fantastic photos Todd! Thanks for bumping with Sherm's photos.

 

the good old days.

 

YEP!----Miss Bruce!-----LAR was there!

 

Thank you very koool

 

in the second thumb nail is a small shot of my 32 pick up with a gemsa ohv converted model b 4 banger.

 

I'm so glad that this older thread resurfaced, I missed it. Great photos of a great time. That was an active time period for me as well but I lived down in L.A. back then and being a young working guy I never got to travel up to NorCal.
I was scanning the background for a silver '33 Ford pickup. From the decals and papers I got with my '33 pickup the owner attended a lot of northern California shows and runs. Does the name Tom Wells ring a bell with anyone from back then? His stock bodied '33 pickup was not a show stopper by any means but he and his truck got around. Just thought someone may remember it or Tom.

 

Richard ... Very cool!

Perhaps Pat has the original photo in his archives ... @pgan ???

In the meantime, here's a zoom of the photo & caption:

image from page 29 of the October 1974 issue of STREET RODDER magazine
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No, no. I remember Richard, his Gemsa-powered pickup, and the trip over the Grapevine (plus some nursing he had to do on the engine). But those photos, like all the ones I took later as an employee of Hot Rod and Rod & Custom mag, went into the files of the magazine/publisher, in this case McMullen. In some cases I've gotten (or paid for) permission to use file photos I previously took. But McMullen wasn't much for saving files or creating a library. Couple times I went back to look for something like this, it was all gone. Nobody knows where. Just gone.
P.G.

 

That's so sad, especially compared to the extreme of the Petersen empire and how much is still available from them. Thanks for digging, pursuing, and sharing with us, Pat!

(I started reading SR in Dec. '74 and can remember your intro when you joined the mag. "Yes, I played basketball." )

 

Lodi was a fun time. The first big Rod run I ever went to. I didn't even have a drivers license yet. We went in my Dads black 40 Chevy coupe. One year after I had my drivers license I was able to drive up in a T Bucket that my Dad built for a local guy. That was a lot of fun. We lived in San Lorenzo then.

 

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I wonder if this is the one my buddy Bruce owned? I think it got repainted and christened Dr. Finewine. Sadly Bruce (aka Hiway) passed

 

great to see what was accepted as Cool back then

 

Yep....love those Goodyear's - ran them on my OT's.......and if I couldn't afford white letters - I grabbed a tire stick and did it myself.

 

Prior to the pandemic, swap meets/shows and auctions were still being held at Lodi's Grape Bowl. The annual Downtown Lodi car show always had a good turnout. And don't forget Kingdon's annual drag race for charity. I'm sure all will return by 2022.

 

A few years ago, our friends over at posted an article (by @John D) entitled:

LODI MINI NATIONALS 1973 – GOOD TIMES AT THE GRAPE FESTIVAL GROUNDS​

... which featured forty-one (41) photographs taken at the LODI '73 event by @Tom Branch's father Bill Branch.

I've already posted four (4) of those forty-one (41) ... here's the other thirty-seven (37):

LODI '73 images from the Tom Branch "Street Is Neat" Collection​