Featured Art & Inspiration The Friday Art Show

I had fun trying to draw the early versions of the Speed Sport Roadster and the Ford Coupe, as they rolled down the track together.

During those "push to start" showings, the orange 50 Ford Coupe was instrumental in pushing the old Speed Sport Roadster down the track. The color of both looked pretty good. Both 50s style hot rod/drag racing vehicles together moving on down the lane.


Hello,

Steve Gibbs has been around So Cal for what seems like centuries. Ha! His involvement in all sorts of drag racing/hot rod venues goes without saying. The one thing he does or did was cruise around in his 50 Ford Coupe.
The local car shows and big time events in So Cal were the attractions. But, his involvement in the Nitro Revival programs goes back to the days of blocking off the two main streets of Bixby Knolls for the So Cal contingent of old FED race cars to show the general public what burning fuel and flames did when fired up. Most attendees of those early Cacklefest as they were eventually called were old racers, but even in the dark of night, those flaming exhaust pipes were amazing. The sound and flames were “music to most racer’s ears…”

He expanded his programming and had his new adventure Nitro Revival that drew the top fuel racers from So Cal at first, then drew others from the USA to attend with their fuel burning race cars. Not just Top Fuel sling shots, but Altered Roadsters and Coupes, too. All this time, the top fuel cars were highlighting most shows with a push down the tracks and firing up the evening. Then a stationary “all together” event to end the festivities. What a sight and smell event. Not a dry eye was in place. Pun intended…

It is what I remember of the early 1959 days at Riverside Raceway when I first saw the Speed Sport Roadster in the pits and filmed it racing down below on the dragstrip. It was up close and personal for us... in So Cal. Adding a 671 supercharger and a custom scoop just made the Modified Roadster almost unreachable...

The sight of the roadster for the first time in person was amazing. A teenager within an arms distance away and watching it fire up was amazing. The sound will forever be in my memories as it was sitting at the starting line. Then in other races throughout the day when I was on the cliffside seating area, the moving sound coming toward and then zoom by was as I would call it, historic.

All of our heads were like we were at a tennis match when the ball gets hit over the net from side to side. The sound was first and as it moved toward us and then blasting by our location, it was fast and loud. When I talked to Steve Gibbs, his group was across the dragstrip on the opposing cliff top seating and he, too was impressed at the time.

Then, it was a few months later in 1960 at the Bakersfield Smokers March Meet.


Those memories keep staying at the forefront each time I saw the 50 Ford Coupe or Steve at a drag race function. Like, the grand opening of the original Lion’s Dragstrip Museum. He was instrumental in setting up the giant Cacklefest in the parking lot for all to see, hear, and smell the whole scene.

Lion’s Dragstrip Museum Cackle Announcing:

Jnaki

But, sad news for all of us. The orange 1950 Ford Coupe is no more. The latest huge So Cal fires took its toll and some bit of valuable history is gone. So, the memories will have to continue with old photos and the activities that the coupe was shown to the general public.

In order to give a boost to the memory and possible future of the 50 Ford Coupe, here is the latest art work to provide some new memories with a new build. This time, the 671 supercharged SBC motor will be in place along with some American Racing 5 spoke rims that were popular in those hey days of early So Cal hot rod history.

and we can’t forget the lowered rake stance and scallops… Plus a Speed Sport famous scoop…

Thanks, Steve

"Back to the future?"

 

Happy FAS folks.
Some more stuff from back when I didn't make grunt sounds getting out of chair.

From Junkyard News.


T shirt design.


Cartoon from Street Rodder Magazine.

 

Happy Friday ( FAS) to all of you!
This week I thought I would show one of my favorite old school, front engine dragsters, that is local to our area.
I just love the color and the little details!
Enjoy from Dennis.

​

 

So far, I count 11 Aliens.
There is a corrected count as you will see in the following post's, the count is now at "12"
The winner of last weeks little 4TH round, contest of the stuff on the junk tray was
@down-the-road, the correct answer was the child's "JACK" and the correct count was 3 of them, and he found all three of them!
So he chose the Rooster shirt, and its scheduled to be delivered to him tomorrow!
Great work again @rusty1 .
Thanks from Dennis.

 

Hey @jnaki great write up this week, I was just wondering if this is the same Orange Ford that you have in your offering this week, if so, I shot this photo of it at the CHRR at FAMOSO years ago.
I am pretty sure its the same one, the stance and the wheels match, as well as the license plate number, plus that outstanding color of Orange as well!
Such a bummer that such a cool ride doesn't exist anymore!
Thanks from Dennis.

 

What the heck ! Here’s another.

 

Hey Dennis, I'm up to 12 aliens in the artwork from @rusty1! I think the junk tray treasure hunts sharpened my search skills. That rooster shirt will be perfect for the warm weather and sunshine we are all looking forward to! Thanks again! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

Hey @down-the-road , I could be totally wrong, but I am going to stay with my count of 11 Aliens, its so easy to over count, @rusty1 does a great job of positioning them!
"Everyone's results may vary greatly"
We shall have to wait till @rusty1 gives us the official count!
Thanks from Dennis.
Update on this post, YES, I was totally wrong on my count, there are 12 Aliens and the count has been corrected on following post's as well!

 

More from Dale Klee

 

I'll agree that @rusty1 does a great job with the scenes where these aliens hide, but I'm not sure how much control he actually has over the little guys themselves. Sometimes they move around to different hiding places when we are not looking. I have seen them pop up in places that I know were empty.



This guy did that a few weeks ago, and he is still laughing about that little stunt!

We need help from the rest of our HAMB search crew!

 

I count 11 aliens also.

 

I did my other fender and actually went back after the video and took some of the red out, always subject to change. I sprayed the top with flat clear but may go back and give it a satin clear to make the water drops more 3D like.

 

Hey @down-the-road (Jim)
One of the things I am going to do at some of the various upcoming local swap meets, is to try to take more pictures of what that swap meet mystery junk tray looked like in last weeks (FAS) post.

Such photos, with all of that mixed up jumble, really do offer a great detective/puzzle piece, to search for the items that make it interesting to contribute to the weekly (FAS).
Thanks from Dennis.

​

 

I took a bad photo with the sun in the wrong place made a few adjustments and posted it here in the Friday Art Show as if I did it on purpose.

 

Sorry to be a stranger, it’s been very busy around here as was go through many changes. Soon I’ll be back in MAX force!!!

 

I knew something was missing from the Art show..

 

I copy that. I was there, He come out grinnin'

 

chopped tub on the lawn, ART

 

I got 11
Dan