...I kind of think these are fitting in this pic you shared as well but 2 things concern me here, fumes and burning of paint...maybe the Lakes header might pose a similar heat to paint issue... Just thinking out loud...and maybe I'm off the mark on all issues, thoughts...
To cool...mighty fine provenance oh yeah, finding info on some of these Hotrods ain't easy...cutting them up and repurposing to a new gig was Traditional and many times a good thing...makes restoring and choosing a challenge though...
If I did lake headers it would definitely need to be capped and dumped out between the chassis and motor and ran out the back. I don’t want it to be annoying until I want it to be. I have a cj7 with a SBC and side pipes already that annoys me to point I drive it now with ear plugs. Guess I’m getting old. A merge style cowl exit could be ran the same way and dump between the motor and head back. I’m leaning to some sort of Fenton style cast iron collector or even a stock manifold for now. It could always be changed. Trouble is trying to find a Fenton set
I like the quieter approach...that sounds very period correct and better than headers...you are streeting it after all...it will still have more than enough balls to satisfy and sound like a million and look the weathered warrior it is...I'm sorry I have to date, come up dry with pics...can't believe it really...but a number of times here that wall has proved very hard to see through...
Just thinking, maybe your Dad raced that truck back in the day...even Gojo's...imagine that...ya never know the timing was right...he didn't lose many races either......Funning aside if you raced that truck you'd never forget it...win or lose
Bttt...to our senior Hotrod Crowd...I gotta believe one of you remember this flaming blue bomb making passes down the strip back in the mid 50's to early 60s...perhaps prior to its Jeffries licks...dig into those photo archives and memories...
I am positive I have seen pictures of that truck, pre-internet. That means it was in a magazine. I am confident that a HAMBer will find it soon. Thats how this place works.
Thanks @manyolcars...I can just see a young kid begging dad to take a pic seeing that at the tree ready to blast down the track... Do you mean pre internet mag as in out of hibernation as a Capsule aka 80s, or old early 60s mag in its heyday?
I would run them out the rear. Headers would be cool but possibly difficult. Manifolds if room was an issue. But it’s not my truck.
He asked your opinion/thoughts though...gosh if one...just one pic showed up we could be historically informed...I'll bet it ran something within the frame...being full fendered and boarded...the paint and body was pizazz enough...
I know I'm way late to the party, but just wanted to state that the #226 pickup at the 1958 OKC Nats was out of New Mexico (vice California): excerpt of the Entry List from page 13 of the 4th Annual National Championship Drag Races Official Program image by Bob Pendergast image by Bob D'Olivo . . . just more evidence that it's NOT a match. As for the CL pickup now in @GoJoMoJo's garage, I swear I remember seeing some vintage photos of it . . . I've searched through my archives . . . but (so far) no luck . . . but I'll keep looking!
Thanks @HEMI32...more eyes, more possibilities of a chance sighting...I've looked through hundreds of images...haven’t given up either... You are pretty connected to the Community down there too so that may be where a breakthrough may come about...if it did turn out to have a parted out Desbrow connection that would be pretty wild...
Love this thread, killer truck! I found a 34 cab about a year ago and went down a very similar mystery path, some of the photos in here were even the same. I’m on the east coast, NJ area, if you find anything similar to yours from my area, keep me in mind! My 34 cab and bed has been in NJ since 1960. Was owned by a guy who ran a Willy’s convertible gasser, John Keck. Chopped 4.5”, channeled 8”, ran 53 dodge gauges in the stock dash, a recessed firewall, firewall notches for a master it seems, was a million colors (teal, blue, black, yellow, red, orange), white on the inside. I about gave up and am building it as my own. Have a thread on here and it’s gone stale. Hope you have better luck!!
...This Truck does share some similarities...hmmmm...could be a former livery, it was 57...because of period finding a match before is just as valuable...I have no other info on this one...I believe you mentioned welded up stack holes on the boards... Has this been shared here already?...it was in my archives...
I would really be interested if there are door numbers under those flames. It looks like it was competition worthy at some point then went show rod for a while. Saying the roll bar was welded to the chassis, it was raced in this body and chassis configuration. She deff. went through changes through the years. Cool rod none the less. Get her driving and enjoy her.
Thanks for the digging and the post @HEMI32. That truck is very close but I think I may have found some interesting info recently. does anyone have the November 1953 Honk! Magazine? If so can you scan the article featuring Don Hudson’s “1934 pickup”
Stogy, you may be in to something here. Yes, the running boards do have holes for the belly burners. Never welded up just covered.
So I found this on a site today. This is why I’m asking for anyone who may have the November 1953 issue of Honk! (The issue before it became I believe motor trend?) And then I see this…. sure reminds me of another truck that was on the cover of Hot Rod in January of 1952…
Well, another dead end. Thought we had found it. That’s 2 cars in magazines now, this truck and his 27 tall T and you can’t forget about his roadster. Don sure did have a lot of cool cars
That was 53, what did Don do with it in the later 50s...that is if he even kept it...it's truly difficult to connect dots, but well worth following up as you and others are doing... Some guys did radical stuff to their original iterations but others built them and stuck with them...either is possible...
Have you tried to track down any of Don’s family? They may have a photo archive they’d be willing to share possibly? Super excited to see how this truck pans out!
1957 coachman motorcade car show Norwalk, ca. Around :13 in and just a quick glimpse. Looks like the Desbrow truck. Some well know cars at this show also. Wish I could find some photos of the truck at the show but no luck yet and this appears to be the only year of any event coverage I could find. They held the car show from 1954-1957
If in your searches you come across a 34 truck with a heavy channel and 53 dodge gauges angled in a stock dash, keep me in mind! My dash is super unique and never seen another like it!
@Stogy, After looking at the picture a little closer this is the closest truck yet in my opinion. The holes in the running boards seem to be in the same spot, the hood has been stretched while the grill has been moved to the front of the crossmember to accommodate possibly an olds or other larger V8. You’ll notice the headlight location and what had to be done to the headlight bar on Don’s truck to make the headlight bar work. The flames look like the same Jeffries style that are on the truck now and the tires are an exact match to the truck today. Does the truck look like it has a splash apron still installed? It does to me.
Rodding and Restyling was an East coast magazine and didn't really focus on California cars unless they were on tour. I have all of them along with full sets of most of the "little pages". Get me a specific issue and I can get pictures if I have it.
Thanks @123. That may come in handy down the road. I wish I had that collection! I would have thumbed through everyone already looking for this truck. I think you may have answered another mystery about the truck in the post at the top of the page by @Stogy. Looks like this truck is the earlier version of the magazine truck you just posted.
The Jalopy Journal
