Vern's looks like a place I could spend a week at and only see 10% of what's there. But I would love every damn minute!
Summer of 2007, I had no idea what I like. September , I found Clark's T in a parking lot. Fall of 2007, A HAMB member with a cool hot rod
Thanks for sharing the pictures and the explanations of your adventures. How many of the HAMBers would like to walk through that place?
You either have the eye to compose a photograph with a camera or you don't. No question to that in your eye.
I can’t say I always agree with you about my eye, but I appreciate the words. Truly. The truth is, I think I get more credit than I probably deserve, and a lot of that has to do with the equipment. I have spent an embarr***ing amount of money on cameras and lenses over the years. New ones. Old ones. Mechanical jewels. Most of what I publish is shot on some of the finest optics ever made. Lenses that resolve detail on film in a way most people simply are not used to seeing, especially when the subject is something greasy and mechanical like a hot rod. Take these snapshots, because that’s really what they are. They were shot on a Leica M3 from the 1950s. Still one of the best film cameras ever built. As far as I know, the only hot rod photographer who can be confirmed to have used a Leica back in the day was Tom Cobbs. Most of what you saw in HRM or R&C was likely shot on Argus or Yashica systems. Honest cameras, sure, but not platforms known for legendary gl***. The lens on these images was a 35mm Leica Summicron v4. A legendary piece of gl***. It cost me around four grand back in 2005 and goes for even more now. These days I shoot a Leica M7 for film, an M11 for digital, and hang lenses on them like a 35mm Summilux FLE or even a 50mm Noctilux that costs more than some people’s project cars. What I am trying to say is this. If you see something that feels like perfection in my images, chances are it was bought and paid for through obsession and sacrifice rather than earned through some rare natural gift. I invest in the tools because I love the process, the gear, and the history of it all... I'm not a photographer, I'm a camera collector.
Cool photos for sure, thanks. I spot 4 model T's on the property, Vern likes to putt around in a T occasionally?
Yeah… I never actually saw him drive one in anger, but there was almost always a Model T lurking around somewhere. Like a stray dog that never really leaves. You could not spend real time there without tripping over a T frame or a tired little motor sitting in the corner waiting for purpose. But here is the part that still makes me grin... You remember those brutally square little toaster looking SUV things Scion built in the early 2000s? The xB. Rolling shoeboxes. Vern went through a phase where he was completely obsessed with them. Not one. Several. And I have no idea why. This is a man who can make a 32 Ford look like it was carved by God’s own machinist, and there he was collecting these weird little Japanese (or are they Korean?) cubes like they were coachbuilt exotics. And I love that about him. Because it proves something. Taste is not a straight line. P***ion is not a purity test. Sometimes a guy who understands flatheads and dropped axles better than anyone alive just wants a square little grocery getter that makes him smile.
What a great thread! The shots of what I would consider a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to the holy land of traditional rodding accompanied by the great, visual written descriptions. The pieces about the flathead rebuild and the concrete pour were just as visual to me as any photograph. You are very fortunate to know the Tardels and to be in their world. Thank you for sharing this glimpse back in time.
Verns place is something else. I was there in 03 and again in 05. The volume of parts he has is unreal, starters, generators, etc in shipping crates outside covered with a sheet of plywood, heads stacked like cordwood
Scions are made by Toyota. I know why he liked them. My wife has a second generation xB, more rounded edges than the first ones. Lots of space for a small car. They are fun, and have better handling and acceleration than you would think.
The Jalopy Journal
