Any idea what this might be? A buddy thinks it’s just and old pulley machined down for something to stick in the cover for the oil seal. you can also see in this pic the chassis is a lighter shade of blue and has red chipping though. The truck may have had many other lives before its final form we are looking at today.
Cool find! I searched the Kustomrama Website and Petersen Publishing Photo Archives.Didn't see anything. I hope you find history.
That’s what I was thinking. If you cut the shaft down on any mag it would work or a Harmon Collins flathead mag. I haven’t sent a picture of it yet but it has a sun mag tach driver under the dash.
Hello, Nice find of an old hot rod/drag racer. Thanks, @Stogy for thinking of me for early drag photos and information. The first thing I noticed is this hose linkage in the cab. It put the proper time line that our drag race car build influenced us and that we experienced first hand. Then things happened to set the starting point of Moon Tanks.. This is a remnant of a Moon Style Tank set up allowed in hot rods and drag racing cars until September 1960. At least on the Westcoast dragstrips, they were given the notice to NOT allow any cars, Gas Coupes to Altered Cars to FED race cars to have them inside. The line came through the firewall directly into the inside, attached to the floor and hooked up to the Moon Aluminum Gas Tank set up. The 1958 U.S. Nationals movie showed a similar truck with an odd shaped tank, shut off valve and a pump. All were allowed from the early days to 1960. But, there is no rollbar fitting on the floor of the blue 32 truck. So, one is to believe that the blue truck was allowed in the Gas Coupe division with a Moon Tank inside of the cab… it was the thing to do for a small 2-3 gallon tank and direct pressure access to the carbs from the gas tank. Our Willys Coupe 671 SBC motor was a similar hook up that led to the 671 SBC motor and 6 Strombergs. Similar 6 Stromberg carb set up on a 671 with a new Isky-Gilmer Drive Belt system and accessories. Jnaki So, as popular as the upholstery shop may have been, the full car photo is puzzling. If the interior shot had a gas line set up with a shut off valve in the picture, why was there a Moon Tank sitting outside of the radiator in the full frame photo? Unless, of course, this whole stoppage of the build, rebuild or storage of the truck was from September 1960. It was when the decree from the Standard 1320 safety committee and the national drags folks told all builders/racers to move the gas tanks out of the driver’s compartment and install them forward of the radiator or in the trunk. Since the tank in the photo looks to be an official Moon Tank, somehow it is installed at a crooked angle or perhaps the one thing that insurance companies hated. The first contact of the insured hot rod for street driving was a nice shiny Moon GAS tank that made contact with another car or wall or…. You get the picture of the illegal street cars with real gas tanks sitting in front. Or they are folks that want to have the looks of competition cars placement of gas tanks and are fakes… Note: The one thing I got out of the 1958 U.S. Nationals film was the Westcoast racers Cyr & Hopper and the Chrisman Brothers Hustler I competing and winning. But, my favorite part of the whole old video in the comparison thread, is the action and final shots of the Speed Engineering 1941 Studebaker of Junior Thompson in action and trophy scenes. Little Eliminator trophy was a big deal. Junior Thompson winning the Little Eliminator Trophy from “Speed Engineering” in the Westside of Long Beach… a Tom McEwen/Ronnie LeGrand Speed Shop… a few blocks from our Westside House. (an earlier HAMB thread) Eddie and Junior Thompson Little Eliminator Champion. Note 2: Here is a good sample several months later in late 1958 to Summer 1959 for a color action film I took at Lion’s Dragstrip. Then I added actual September 1959 sounds from the September U.S. Nationals of the 41 Studebaker racing in his class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH33IqeF9-8 Check out the smooth shifting mode and sound… Thanks for watching…
@jnaki there was a rollbar in this Hotrod Pickup...the link below is the post @GoJoMoJo shared referencing it with a photo. It was cut off at some point in the game... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/help-id-this-32-ford-pickup.1303201/#post-15017429 Thanks always for chiming in... By the way I watched much on your extensive Lions Drag Strip film shared by @Ryan in a Blog post on your career participation in some of Drag Racings in some of the most revered times in its history... I will find that link and share it here...I didn't see it but it would be worth watching again to ensure nothing was missed...found it...see below... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/lions-dragstrip-1960.1025215/#post-11599488 I believe this Pickup did race with all the legal guidelines and did show duty...it certainly has some provenance without a doubt... The fact the Bar was there makes dots more connectable that's for sure...
It sure looks familiar. Maybe a model box with the build it three ways deal. It sure is a cool truck that I wouldn't change a bit.
Paging @Tweety's Resurrection...Maybe thinking Jim may recall being nose to nose with this pickup... You haven't been on in quite some time...hope all us well...chime in when you have a moment...
Jnaki, Thank you for the history lesson on the NHRA rules. That info really narrows down the time frame the truck ran. I remember years ago talking with Rich Guasco at one of the Hot Rod reunions. One of our crew guys, Ray Kobayashi, knew Rich well. He starting talking about how every NH RA rule was written in blood. He then went into why front engine dragsters were required to have anti rotation devices and more rear end housing mounting bolts installed after his accident. I was looking over the truck a little closer yesterday. The chassis was definitely bright red first then maybe a yellow and light metallic blue before its final rendition we see today. The pin stripping and paint was done in 57 or 58 according to Dean Jeffries signature on the hood. It looks like the truck wasn’t taped off but just sprayed with fenders and cab installed. Where the paint is chipping on the fenders you can see what looks like black lacquer. I’m not sure if they used sealers of any kind back in the 50’s. I seriously doubt it so this could be factory black paint or perhaps the truck was painted black at some point after all the body mods.
Hey S, That long video I sent Ryan way back then was my first batch of movies I got back from the video converter store. The transfer/converter guy took all of my films and just put them together. Then, he put them on an external hard drive I provided. So, he did preserve them and I am grateful for that. But, the folks I sent the whole copied file was labeled Lions 1960 from that video guy. It was a mistake by him. Some 1958, 59 and one of 1964 were all part of the conversion day. I had separated them as I thought they should be, in order. Ryan’s copy was such a jumbled mess and I have been trying to separate them into categories so it is much clearer. Comments are valid as they were a jumbled mess. It is the only jumbled mess copy still posted online. As a newly You Tube neophyte, I thought those that I sent a film file would edit them, make them fit their site, would be analyzed and edited for individual purposes as the site saw fit. Since they own the websites and have rules. There is custom 49 minute long version of all of my films on one reel. It was created for the original Lion's Dragstrip Museum opening. It was on a loop and played all day on a giant 80 inch monitor. That was their request and their copy for viewing usage, if they see fit to include it into the new wing(s) as built. I wish the original movie I sent Ryan was deleted, including the You Tube version. I can send copies of the edited versions if necessary to keep the Lion's 1960 thread going for future contributions. Since being able to separate the Lion’s years and the 1964 All Gas Coupe/Sedan Races, my copies have been easier to go through and identify as much as I could. If I had the teenage memory from 58-64, I would not need someone who was there to identify those that I could not. Jnaki As I keep going through a massive research through folks I knew from back then, the remaining guys from the standard 1320 group and other sources, I have been able to get close to 90% identified. But, there still is hope, if I include the edited version as a historic reference catalog of those times. It isn’t just showing the films or having copies. It is trying to get the information out there for all to enjoy and have an understanding of what we did as teenagers in our times. But, I am still searching for films of our 1940 Willys Coupe in the b/gas class and with a 671 on the SBC for the c/gas class. I definitely know I took those and they have been totally misplaced. Even the video transfer guy looked all over his workspace, to no avail. So, instead of “keep on trucking…” I will keep on searching… “I've been searching, oh yeah, searching, My goodness, searching every which a-way. Yeah. Yeah.” Coasters 1957 That truck is not in any film that I took back then or in my files to date…
Thanks @jnaki...you are great with the memories and I am amazed you know most every Racer you captured... You can pm Ryan and I'm sure it's as simple as a new Youtube file insert...you just have to load it onto Yourube so he can access it to insert it into the Thread...
@GoJoMoJo, I've been surfing the net scanning those Little Page Mags and Hotrods...No hits yet but perhaps I'll find something prior to your meeting the family as you are working towards... That said we are certainly excited to see what you uncover should we come up empty... The Red Pickup on the top right mag...is a near clone minus some details...
Stogy, I appreciate all the help trying to track down the history of the pickup. I’m feel cross eyed looking through pictures myself. That red car is very similar I agree but the 1961 date of magazine wouldn’t match up with the Dean Jeffries signature on the hood unless some trickery took place with the signature which I don’t think is the case. I’m trying to get in contact with Deans son at the moment. A few hours ago I texted someone who knows him personally and hopefully Kevin will reach out. He has a lot of his fathers cars and put together a museum in fathers memory so I’m sure he will. I’m also waiting on a reply from a gentleman that knew Don Hudson personally. Obviously the best bet would be able to get in contact with Dons daughter who lives near me but I don’t know her name or possibly married name. I know the small town she lives in so if I get the car running I’ll be spending weekends driving the car over and parking it downtown and pray she or someone she knows sees the car. These are the closest trucks I’ve come up with….. -The moon truck I believe is still around and I’m not sure of the date of the picture. It also may have a slightly bigger chop but put some fenders on the truck and have Jeffries do his magic and you have Don’s truck. It appears to have the same back window as well. It would also explain the moon stickers and related moon parts but again I believe it’s still around. -The Blue truck has the same chop and channel but the back window and bed is wrong. -The wood bed black truck has the same back window, wrong bed and engine but the wood bed could tell the story of the wood dash in Don’s truck. I think I’ve seen this truck though in pictures from the 70’s.
Evidently chopping and channeling Deuce Pickups was popular eh...ha!! we already knew that...yes GoJo it is exhaustive...but exciting as well. It even opens the eyes to the diversity of this culture... You've come up with some good candidates as well... Tell me the Flames were also the work of Jeffries? I'm thinking yes but those in the know may suggest differently...I see you mentioned paint, so I suspect that includes flames...
Paging @lurker mick, @Sancho, just because... Not so much for these pics...it's for the Drag Pickup the Thread is about...just trying to identify it...but it already has some notable Provenance...just digging further into that... 1956 on plates...a trip to the shop...chop cut hammer and weld...hmmm dunno...
Stodgy, that truck is so close. But there are some tiny differences. Like back window, Ford emblem in grille shell and shape of grille, tail gate and how the rear fenders are bobbed. But there are some major similarities like chop height, headlights and bar shape, tail gate latches and hinges. So it’s still anyone’s guess? The year under Jeffries name looks like 58. Many things can happen in 2 years.
Very true...Fabrication shop gets instructions and saws and torches are put into action...and off to paint...this was commonplace, nothing was really sacred, that even goes for today as we have seen time and time again... ...and as Gojo asked...what happened to Roy Desbrow's Pickup... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/what-happened-to-the-roy-desbrow-32.1303317/
The bed was definitely off the last paint job. You can see in this photo the back of the cab is blue but the front fenders are left on for the paint jobs after the red to yellow and then blue.
Stogy, I definitely think the 2 trucks (the one you found) and the blue one are related. The question now becomes how and how much? As for Desbrows truck I have no idea, but it would be cool ifffff?
Drag Racing is a rough around the edges sport...and the owner of that truck sure drove it as a warrior...not a powder puff...even though it was a looker...I wonder how that would buff up aka @Chris style...I just paged him did you see that......I'm sure he'd like to see this Timewarp with many layers...
Wow! It looks as if you may have an interesting problem on your hands! It looks as if it may have been 3 great trucks at one time. Which one do you bring it back to? Or do you do nothing but polish it and get it running? But then how do you honor the other 2 versions?
Smile from ear to ear...just knowing...It's heartwarming to see things like this...it's a bit sad at the same time but to see one acquire it without a Streetrod mentality is a big bonus... I give praise to the previous owner for preserving it as it was... If it was up in our Rustbelt this would be a different story altogether...Capsules are found up here as well even in admirable condition but it is rare...
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