Ryan submitted a new blog post: Tom Cobbs: 1953 Palm Springs Road Race Continue reading the Original Blog Post
The picture on the power poles with 4 stripes ( reflective ? ) Think that was their camera bag ? Or did they stop when they saw it driving by ? Question just hit me first reaction. No way of knowing. Great Hot Rod pics.
This is the earliest roll I’ve seen. In my opinion, the photography isn’t as considered as some of the Pikes Peak stuff we saw. Plus, he had some exposure issues… I wish I had a way to open these chronologically so we could watch him improve as a photographer. I just don’t have any context at all with these… just each roll scanned, put into a directory, and a title. That’s it.
Well written, Ryan. Sad ending for the '36 Coupe. Is that a tractor grill on Tom's Roadster, maybe Ford or Massey-Ferguson?
Another mystery I’d like to solve is who took this picture? And, of course, others with Tom in them… Also, note he’s loading film into a box camera… Looks to be a Rollie? This roll was shot with a 35mm camera and we know that Cobbs used a Leica M3 on later rolls… Makes me wonder if we are gonna run into some medium format shots eventually.
Man what a great group. The photos remind me of the early hamb trip threads to the salt. One with @highboy32 snd @Greezy popped to the front page this morning with some good shots
So that heap of crashed cars at Muroc… Anyone know the uber-chopped model-40 that also got twisted up? That chop feels familiar.
In getting ready for Wednesday’s feature, I cracked open the next directory—1958. And fellas… this one hits different. What’s inside is nothing short of breathtaking. In just five short years, Tom Cobbs went from a guy snapping decent casual shots (even if he sometimes left the damn lens cap on) to a full-blown sorcerer behind the lens. Mastery. Pure and simple. Now look—I’ve had more archival material dumped in my lap than I care to count. Shoeboxes of forgotten negatives, envelopes stained by time, film that never should’ve survived. But I have never—not once—seen anything that compares to this Cobbs collection. And we’ve barely scratched the surface. Ten percent maybe? Some of these frames might have seen daylight before. I swear I’ve spotted that shot in this series of Tom driving his roadster somewhere—maybe in a book or buried in a mag spread. But that only deepens the mystery: How the hell did so many of these stay hidden for so long? This archive… it’s not just a find. It’s a full-blown cultural unearthing. I’m sort of freaked out by it all…
So...you don't have the originals? Only the scans? This roll should have been scanned at a higher dpi setting. A lot of detail lost/digital noise when expanding the photos. Still, some great snapshots/history there. Appendectomy scar seen in one shot at the front of the pickup? Andy
The paint was probably some good old Du Pont Dulux Enamel. After 2 or 3 coats were applied, the final coat was called a, “ FOG COAT.” They, “OVER REDUCED” the paint, basically killing the gloss. I watched my father do this to paint for years in our garage. That’s how he was taught in high school auto body shop. About 1953. It looked good but it to a lot of Turtle Wax to maintain
Wry cool! I’ve seen Tom’s complete personal archives and there is a ton of connecting the dots of the Hotrod world and what he’s done for the industry and So Cal Speed shop. Thanks for sharing!
Hold up… Where? I would love to know the history of the archive and why it hasn’t been published before… it blows my mind not only because of what’s photographed and when, but because of the quality.
Ralph is how I got the archive… and that’s about right on the photo count. Is Ralph how you got access? Any chance you remember where it was published? I’d guess I haven’t seen about 95% of the photos I’ve seen so far…
A HAMBer with a 1953/1953ish Muroc timing program may be able to narrow it down. The 48 Chevy taillights on the Model 40 are a good clue. How about the black 36 5/w shell? It sports #102c on the door and you can see "ERS" on the deck lid which could be any number of clubs (Gophers, Oilers, Road Runners, etc.). I recon the "end of the road" junk pile, periodically got scooped up by the county and taken to the landfill. Racers obviously pulled drivetrains and and good parts and left the shells. That stuff is gold in current day builds!!! Back then, a trip to the junk yard got you a replacement body. Would live to have that Socal door for a wall hanger... Once again, thanks for sharing Ryan, this stuff all next level!
When Mr. Whitworth owned the Cobbs car, it went to Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido for a little clean up. I was fortunate to get to sit in the car. Randy Clark said it was the fastest flathead he ever drove which is a real compliment.
I drove it at the hot rod revolution after Randy sorted it. Without question the hardest hitting flathead I’ve ever driven…
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