***U.S.A 1966 a Hot Rodding Trip of a lifetime.MANY pictures***

Fantastic!

 

An amazing adventure with amazing photos! That Toronado Jeffries was working on was Meacham's, the billionaire that entered those Stingray's in Sebring around '64. It was in February 1967 Rod & custom. Rumored to still be around. This thread and the one about the roadster's life can keep a fellow dreaming for awhile!

 

Well I guess it's time I chimed in here and thanked Flatoz for posting the pics and story. He's been on my back for years about doing this and I didn't think anyone would be that interested but I've been staggered by the feedback and great comments from you all and it seems you have all enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane or as someone else put it the "Time Machine" It has also been fantastic that folks like Anton have recognised their cars and others have been able to identify the cars at the shows and add extra info which just makes the post more interesting for all. I find it interesting that Klaus from the other side of the pond to us had pics of that Mercury concept car that was out the back of Barris' shop- it's a small world nowadays.

My typing skills are zero so I will just add some comments to some of the pics which Flatoz didn't get cos my computer has been down till today for the last 3 weeks.

Orange roadster with the SOHC was at Indy Nationals and they were trying to get it thru scrutineering. Don't think they made it cos we didn't see it run. Possibly an early "ratrod" dragcar.

The green 56 Chev was what the High School kids were fond of in Glendale with 327/Muncie combo.

Our 60 Plymouth wagon cost us $600 and we did 25,000 miles in it. Didn't change the oil for the last 15,000 cos we were on the largest o/size sump plug you could get, AND we were using recycled oil.Was a good car to us anyway. BTW we wanted a 59 or 60 Chev wagon but they were too expensive at $1000.

Pic of the A RPU was taken at Longbeach swap.

The 66 Mustang in Lindners yard with Fred Steele in the pic- Barry organised for the 289 from it to be shipped home and it went into his mate Ern Harewood's 32 Sport Coupe.

The T roadster with the flathead was a local car in Glendale. Guy also had a Kombi with a Corvair 6 in it.

On Peddros post the Chrysler 300C was Phil Weiands car. Phil took us up to his house in Yucca where that pic was taken for a weekend.

Pic of Plymouth in the snow was our overnite stop at Crater Lake in Oregon. Arrived in the dark, got up at daylite, took a pic of the Lake then got the hell out of there before we got snowed in! We were not used to that white stuff!

Shots of Fred Steele's A Tudor - Fred took us on a tour of the Fall colorings and the covered bridges in Mass and Vermont but Fred had chopped the A 6 inches and left the stock seats so we were always glad of a chance to get out and stretch our necks!

The 67 Cougar was one Scritch organised for us to do a road test for Car Craft and he and Peterson photog Bob Swaim took us up to Palmdale just out of LA so we could try it out on the winding roads.It was fitted with the 390 and for us Aussies that was a real thrill. The article never got to print tho.

The big classic was a 27 Cadillac at the Boston show that year.

Flatoz was right in that the 57 injected Chev was taken at Bonneville.

The 32? roadster at the LA show I had listed on my slide as a 31 on 32 rails. This was not that common back then.

The wreckers yard with the pickup in the foreground was in the San Fernando Valley.

Pic of the workshop with the blue Vette was I think Ted Wingates in Mass- have not found that slide yet to check.

Finally the dragstrip shot with the Falcon Ranchero was in Hawaii.
We hopped off the boat there into our rented 66 Chev convert (I had never ridden in a convert before), cruised round the Island all day then caught the Honolulu drags which just happened to be on that day!That was our first taste of American drags.BTW the convert had a 283 and powerglide.

Well I've just used up my years quota of typing so hope i didn't bore you all with this stuff.

swifty

 

Not boring at all! Waiting for the book with bonus DVD!

 

The truck has a Plexiglas (Perspex?) firewall, floor, and bed floor IIRC. The frame was "boxed" with chrome plates with holes bored in them, and you could see all this and the chrome suspension and ENGINE BLOCK through the "Perspex". Had an old magazine feature of the truck sitting inside. I think it had been painted since the feature, but the color was similar.

 

About bloody time you chimed in Swifty.
I can't believe that you can still remember all that info about this trip as it was 40+ years ago, I have enough trouble remembering what I did yesterday.
May be you need to talk to Eddie Ford about putting a book together as you can see by the interest on here it would be a good seller.

For now though we need to get a slide night together.

Binga

 

Thank you so much, that was remarkable.
This is a hell of a brotherhood we got here.

 

Thanks swifty, would like to see more when you get the chance mate.

 

Binga, Eddie has talked about a book many times, it's just a matter of doing it. Funny thing is now that 41 years have passed it's the stuff in the background that is interesting too! My memory is not that good cos I have notes on the slides but maybe it was an unforgetable experience.

Jamie, it was very short notice from Corey plus he didn't even have his good camera. He asked on the way home from Ballarat swap on Friday night. I had trouble finding the slides, projector and screen then his camera filled up!! I am surprised that taking the pics off the screen worked as good as it did plus a few Wild Turkeys then the rest of my Sol beers did not help for a steady hand!! Little bugger drank the last of my Sol's , wouldn't come at my Tooheys RED!!

swifty

 

Those Sol's weren't on the far left side of the room by any chance....?!

Not even I'll touch Toohey's Reds!

 

I think the time is right to do the book, Eddie is only doing the one magazine now, and with the reaction that has been created on this board from what I'm sure is only a small number of slides it would a popular book.

You also got to remember you aren't getting any younger.

I can see it now Swifty, Eddie and Fletch and a couple of beers and the book will write it's self.

Binga

 

Thanks for doing this, great story...

I am sure others have stuff that needs to be scanned and shared as well.

 

THANKS! This is why I joined HAMB. These were the legends I followed by magazines and now I see they were really gentlemen. Great message for us, and yes, PUBLISH THESE SLIDES with COMMENTARY. While your dad is here to tell you. My dad is gone and there are so many untold stories.....

 

Dude, that is some cool shit. Scenes from an era that can't be duplicated.

 

Geez....you guys make it sound like he's gonna croak tomorrow!

The man's fit and well....well, at least that's what it looked like as he trekked 20 miles of swap meet isles over 2 days.

 

Thats what alot of people thought about Billy Thorpe!!

 

Time waits for no man. Better get on it boys. And thanks.

 

Too cool Swifty and Swifto. I've heard some of these stories before, through Flatoz and his dad. Even these days a trip like that would be amazing, so in '66 it would have been like going to the Moon!

You really need to scan those slides properly and get the stories, anecdotes and memories recorded (for the 100th time this post!)

Thanks for sharing, please show more pics. Love it!

 

Great Pictures,and story,I really like the pictures of Dick Scritchfields 32 roadster,the car should have been restored that way,but with the steel wheels,once again,great stuff.

 

I had been a little pre-occupied and didn't get to this post right away. I am so blown away with all this cool info and pics, but am really impressed with the hospitality by such greats as Wiend, Parks, Jefferies, and many more. This is one of the greatest hot rod treasures that exsists today. You all are so generous to take us on the trip. The shot of downtown Glendale reminds me of the early simple beauty of the Golden state!! Thank you mates!!-Sololobo

 

This is simply an amazing post. The pics are great, I'd say if you and your dad ever want to see them preserved to have them sent to the AHRF (they do the "Ask the Expert" thing that shows up here from time-to-time). Its cool, I think they just do hi-res scans for the archive and then they send them back, but you would have to ask them about it. AHRF.com.

 

what a cool step back in time , THANKS ! ...........ratso

 

Fantastic pics and story!!! Thanks!!

 

Uh... Tie me kangaroo down Sport!

 

That was oh so neat to read and see.
Your old man is around my age so I can relate to allot of the pictures and words. I too did a trip across the U.S. from L.A. to Baltimore in 1964 (mostly hitch hiking) just before being drafted into the Army.
Thanks for the NOSTALGIC TRIP and reminding me of mine.

 

Can't think of any words that'll do this story justice, so I won't try. I expect the swelling to go down at some stage, and that not about stovepipe pants .

Don't risk losing them in the international post. Don't ask me how I know. Digitize them locally, then share.

Did any of these guys take any Super 8?

 

Bluddy brilliant Corey , I spoke with Swifty earlier, what makes it all the more pleasing is knowing you emptied the fridge and still got it done.
Definitely a book there , timing is everything and the time is right as responses here show

 

Mike you need to spend more time here instead of Ozrodders.

I told you it was worth the look and it was written in words even you could understand

Binga

 

You were right. I scrolled down and saw the pics and then had to go right back up and read the story. Super cool!

 

What a great story.

Those Chevy gassers like that 51(?) were a dime a dozen at every high school parking lot in 1963/64...In fact those early 50's Chevys could be got for anywhere from $75 to $250 depending on condition....In 1964 a ten yr old car or anything with more than 60,000 miles was pretty much junk.