Just received a present of TRJ's "Deuce" from my son. Page 158 has a photo of Ed's car I think at Oakland. I spent many evenings as a 15 year old kid helping him get ready for the GNRS in 1956 where he won the AMBR trophy. A couple things folks might find interesting. The lettering on the cowl says "Stryker Body". Bill Stryker was a member of the Pacers Car Club in San Francisco, as was Ed, and was an oustanding body and paint man. The headers were made by Charlie Tabucchi another member and the striping of course by "the Greek" The wheels were chrome reverse made by Don Hentzell who owned Western Wheel and Rim in Oakland who, NorCal legend says, invented the concept. The Pacers were the premier club in S.F. then. A lot of them worked at the Southern Pacific Railroad maintenance shops in the city and had the skills and tools to build absolutely anything. For a hot rod struck kid, they were heroes.
Is Bill Stryker any relation to/or the same person as Willie Stryker that still does amazing metal work today ?
The late Bill Stryker was a 1st. cousin to Willie. Both were and are excellent crafstmen. Tom Stryker Brother & Cousin
Just FOR THE RECORD my father in law VINCE PALOMBINO painted that car at his house on silver ave in SF also TABUCCHI yellow coupe and GENE LASCOSTS GREEN 53 MERC CUSTOM ALL 3 WON IN 1956.
I know WILLIE from about 1970 he had shop in marin co out in TERRA LINDA HE welded a american mag for me and made some linkage for my hillborn inj NICE GUY i saw him at the petaluma swap meet a few years back he told me he had shop on main st in PETALUMA.
My great grandpa is Charlie Tabucchi. I've heard some awesome stories my entire life about him.. He was a genius mechanic..... Thanks for the post..
Eddie Bosio made a plaque for Charlie that read TABUCCHI ENGINEERING " The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer"...
The Jalopy Journal
