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History HISTORIC EARLY HOT ROD PHOTOS

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by gtopillado, Sep 18, 2024.

  1. mr.chevrolet
    Joined: Jul 19, 2006
    Posts: 8,926

    mr.chevrolet
    Member

    I'd like to have some of those as garage posters.
     
    MMM1693, mad mikey and Tow Truck Tom like this.
  2. SUHRsc
    Joined: Sep 27, 2005
    Posts: 5,096

    SUHRsc
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  3. gtopillado
    Joined: Jul 5, 2013
    Posts: 140

    gtopillado
    Member

    I'll se what I can do on getting book/pictures from Clifford to have them scanned. Especially for a restoration being done.
     
    VANDENPLAS, Pat, Spooky and 5 others like this.
  4. SUHRsc
    Joined: Sep 27, 2005
    Posts: 5,096

    SUHRsc
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Thank you!!
     
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  5. gtopillado
    Joined: Jul 5, 2013
    Posts: 140

    gtopillado
    Member

    Just got this from my Friend Ken:


    Clifford found the his father patch that he wore on his jacket.
    I also found one of the pictures had this written on the back of the picture .

    Clifford okayed with you scanning his photo album
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,544

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    man, why the small pictures again.?? Select “full image” when posting
     
  7. Speccie
    Joined: May 22, 2021
    Posts: 252

    Speccie

    Thanks for sharing those Hot Rod gold pictures, true history of a great era. I especially like the El Mirage timing plaque.
     
  8. pwschuh
    Joined: Oct 27, 2008
    Posts: 2,897

    pwschuh
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Amazing find. Thanks for bringing them here.
     
  9. gtopillado
    Joined: Jul 5, 2013
    Posts: 140

    gtopillado
    Member

    I actually press full image, but maybe cause it on the phone?? Not on laptop, having beers with Ken and Cliff right now talking days gone by and ez wife's lol
     
    40two, mad mikey, Okie Pete and 2 others like this.
  10. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 10,098

    jnaki

    “… in LA before he went to work for Douglas Aircraft's making D3's for the war.
    His father was in the thick of it when Hot Rodding was starting, use to work for Hilborn as well…”



    Hello,

    Nice array of old photos. If the father was working at douglas aircraft, he was in our cruising grounds, but we were not around back then. The older guys from Long Beach had written some history about starting at Douglas Aircraft near the Long Beach Airport way back when they were young. Joe Mailliard and Joe Reath were young auto mechanics and were the core of hot rodding and drag racing builds in the late 40s and early 50s in So Cal.

    Both, called Long Beach home, opened a small shop together,(Eastside) and then, opened two separate hot rod/drag race shops (Eastside + Westside.) They're are gone, now, but both of them also started at Douglas Aircraft.


    Also, back then, Hilborn in the late 50s was located in Los Angeles and moved to Orange County in the late 50s-early 60s in an area that was sheep/horse grazing land. But, it was also close to the newly constructed freeway heading North to Los Angeles and South to San Diego. It is near the current location of the Mission Viejo Mall. No more stuff left from Hilborn at the old site as there is a huge condominium complex on the old Hilborn Company factory and offices high on the hill.

    Hilborn moved to a new industrial site location for a couple of years, prior to the end…

    Jnaki

    Also, some of the similar photos are on the Kustomrama website.

    Search the dry lakes clubs and their websites. @jimmysix would know more about dry lakes racing and its rich history. YRMV

    "Several kinds of hot rods were racing on the lakes in the 1940s. Open-wheel cars with purpose-built custom streamlined bodies were classified as "streamliners" by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), and they are referred to as "lakesters" today. Stu Hilborn's streamliner was one of the best known, best-looking, and most successful on the lakes—and served as Hilborn's mule car for testing his fuel injection technology. It was the first streamliner to run 150 mph. And it almost killed him."
     
  11. banjorear
    Joined: Jul 30, 2004
    Posts: 4,598

    banjorear
    Member

    Everything about this post is killer. Love the patch!
     
    flyin-t likes this.
  12. 29Sleeper
    Joined: Oct 25, 2023
    Posts: 263

    29Sleeper
    Member
    from SoCal

    Good thread on the timing assns. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/outlaw-timing-associations-of-the-1940s.924173/

    I don't think I'd call them outlaw - only ones that didn't survive. I think Russetta was the last to go in the early 60s. They were started because SCTA wouldn't allow closed cars.
    1937 - SCTA
    1938 - Western Timing Assn
    1948 - Russetta Timing Assn

    If you are interested in 1941 dry lakes racing, you need to find a copy of "Throttle The Complete Collection" published by Rodder's Journal in 2009 but now apparently out of print. It consists of the January-December 1941 issues of Throttle magazine, the first hod rod magazine. There are a couple of used copies available through Amazon resellers. Though delayed by wet weather, Russetta Timing Association ran the first meet at El Mirage on 18 May, 1941 with Rod Pugh fastest of the day at 123.96 in his modified. The Western Timing Association ran at Harper Dry Lakes the following week, 25 May, but ran at El Mirage later in the season. There is extensive coverage of results by meet including, of course, the SCTA meets. SCTA's first event of the season was 15 June at Muroc after negotiations with the military.
     
  13. sfowler
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 75

    sfowler
    Member

    WOW ! beautiful pics . Notice that many cars have fenders off for racing but leave the running board aprons

    as they required the body lifted to remove them on race day . my 30 roadster has them on .
     
  14. Bdamfino
    Joined: Jan 27, 2006
    Posts: 655

    Bdamfino
    Member
    from Hamlet, NC

    mad mikey and Jimmy B like this.
  15. Thanks for sharing and be sure to let him know THANKS for sharing ! It was what started with my Uncle's pictures but it was my Aunt that said "show him the pictures".....
     
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  16. 1929rats
    Joined: Aug 18, 2006
    Posts: 683

    1929rats
    Member

    Thank you for taking the time to post these for us to look at and enjoy!
    I gotta say, I LOVE that '34 Cabriolet with the "flipper" hub caps as someone said above....really neat seeing that with no fenders that early on......and I am a roadster guy! Thanks again!
     
  17. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 18,140

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    mad mikey likes this.
  18. Thanks for sharing, what a gem! made me lots of goosebumps. :cool:
     
  19. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,540

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    3rd pic down...is that Phil Remington? Flathead car with carbs through the hood.....
     
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  20. X-cpe
    Joined: Mar 9, 2018
    Posts: 2,084

    X-cpe

    Seeing these kind of makes you wonder how many other treasure troves are hidden away in attics and basements, forgotten, taken by or of guys who tried hard but never made a splash.
     
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  21. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,342

    Spooky
    Member

  22. 29Sleeper
    Joined: Oct 25, 2023
    Posts: 263

    29Sleeper
    Member
    from SoCal

    Close but no cigar https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Phil_Remington's_Modified
    I last saw Remington about 5 years before he died. At 80+ years he was at Palomar airport playing with his 1/4 scale RC sprint car he had built. Completely from scratch while at All American Racers complete with carbon fiber body and wing. Very accurate tube frame with a 2cycle leaf blower engine.

    young-phil-remington.jpg
     
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  23. I think there is a (strong) chance this became Remington modified. The guy in car is a Low Flyer, same club as Phil. The '34 Cabriolet I believe is Phil's

    Flipped photo right way round
    modified.jpg

    phil-34-.jpg
     
  24. 29Sleeper
    Joined: Oct 25, 2023
    Posts: 263

    29Sleeper
    Member
    from SoCal

    I think Phil's was a different car maybe from the same builder. There is a picture of his with a midget type tail. They both probably started life on the dirt oval at Gilmore Stadium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilmore_Stadium If you compare the details of the two you'll see many differences in the body - grill shell and lip at front of cockpit are the easiest. Also the bars for the front and rear axle mounting are different. All references say the car first hit the lake in 1946. The hubcaps are the give away on his 34. https://www.motortrend.com/news/take-5-with-phil-remington/photos/
     
  25. Do you know why it ended up with a Tail? Karl Orr modified that was SCTA champion in '42 also ended up with a tail. 1947 Champion car of Dietrich/Thomas also ended up with a tail.

    I don't say it is possibly Phil's on a whim it is an educated guess. These car were constantly modified/changed sold, usually within in same club. Phil's Modified in the build can clearly be seen it was no new build just and evolution of an existing car, ignore the fact it has the exact same intake and scoops. phil-remington-younger.jpg

    NO! These "Super Modifieds"a term used in Throttle magazine by Babe Ouse were purely 'Lakes' competitors. Some of the earlier modifieds of Ralph Schenck & Marinovich bros ran their cars at South Gate in the late 30s, at this time they were run in Modified Roadster races ( I have a couple of the South Gate programs), a term later shortened to modified which is what they are more commonly known as now.

    The nucleus is there....
     
  26. Arnold Birner banger powered modified. He was running a 4-port Riley. Postwar he built a bellytank and ran this banger in. He would later produce OHV heads for his flathead V8
    Birner.jpg

    Wes Collins Model A Ford, the Orrs owned this for a while. Wes is best known for his 1934 Ford roadster custom, the one @Royalshifter is recreating.
    wes-collins.jpg

    This one below is very cool! Many early pioneers of Hot Rodding ran this car, was also still running post war. Johnny Junkin ran the car with Pete Bertrand they held modified record with 121mph. Karl Orr purchased the car minus engine, Karl built another banger using a Cragar OHV head, Bertrand cam, 2 Winfield carbs, Karl broke the Junkin/Bertrand record with 125mph. Nelson Taylor ran the car next, some good photos can be seen in "Muroc. When the Hot Rods Ran" including the towing accident which saw it upside down (still ran at the meet). Some good engine shots also an interior photo. Who owned it next unsure but Howard Wilson purchased the car prewar also owned it postwar, Howard was a Low Flyer member. There is a great shot of Wilson's modified with Remington's on the street in front of one of their house's. Howard was the driver of Stu Hilborn's rebuilt streamliner on the record run of 150mph. FWIW Ernie McAfee ran the car in the mid 30s.
    junkin-Orr-Howard.jpg

    When Howard Wilson owned the car, 1946
    howard-wilson-mod-40s.jpg
     
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  27. Last post

    AHRF Photo
    417434029_770379178449445_2072170487001321598_n.jpg
    AHRF Photo
    30710993_1611639078872992_4968812823967694848_n.jpg

    Karl Orr likely 1937. From Street Rodder article in Jan 1976 written by Frank Oddo
    karl-orr-srm-76.jpg
     
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  28. 29Sleeper
    Joined: Oct 25, 2023
    Posts: 263

    29Sleeper
    Member
    from SoCal

    Here is Remington's car with the tail - probably after it was first bought. Maybe a test run to set a baseline.
    Also the differences between Remington's car and the other one. WPL_570_Phil-Remington-1.jpg modified.jpg
     
    MMM1693 and Fordors like this.
  29. Umm, No! The Tail was added to Remington's car in 1948, Car did not have one beforehand. Modified class was dropped by the SCTA after the 1946 season. Starting in 1947 cars that had run previous seasons as a Modified were now lumped in (classed) with the streamliners.
    1946
    dry-lake-4-(4).jpg jpb-1946-dry-lake-005.jpg remington-1946-001.jpg
    1947
    Phil-Remington.jpg

    Karl Orr's Modified had a tail added in 1949 by the team Path & Moore to make the car more streamlined. They had run the car without a tail in 1948 & were not competitive against the bellytank streamliners (bellytanks were re-classed as Lakester in 1950).
    1946
    jpb-1946-dry-lake-002.jpg
    1947 before Karl Orr sold car to Bob Path & Chuck Moore k-orr.jpg

    1948 (Warren Durkee photo)
    jill813_jill813-R1-E005.jpg

    1949
    GGC_075_Path-Moore.jpeg


    In 1946 Kenny Lindley ran his Modified but sold the car to Dietrich/Thomas who tied for the 1947 SCTA Season points championship (tied with Doug Hartelt). the Modified was classed as a streamliner in '47, it was run with a tail in 1947.

    1946
    jpb-1946-dry-lake-007.jpg lindley-1946-002.jpg

    1947 with streamlining (Lattin family photo)
    003-lattin-lakester-detrich-vintage-1947-color.jpg

    1948
    dietrich-thomas.jpg
    1949 car was first car to make pass at Bonneville
    walker.jpg
    Car still exists
    https://www.motortrend.com/features/70-year-old-lakes-racer-still-good-for-125-mph/

    None of these cars were dirt trackers, sprint cars. They were in a constant state of evolution and all had previous iterations with other people, this is what I am trying to get across. That prewar car may not be an early version of Rem's car but will say the odds it is are more than you think!
     
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  30. Much appreciated.
     
    Tow Truck Tom likes this.

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