A Wally Parks Moment

Thanks Ryan,
I guess the thing that rings my bell is that as a kid growing up in the 60s. Wally Parks was NHRA and that was what I knew. So years later after learing about the dry lakes and old school magazines did I appreciate what this man and his pals represented. A true American Icon. Abarth mentioned about how they would go out to the dry lakes back then. Gives me the chills thinking about that. Very inspirational indeed. Slim

 

I think this is a pretty good answer. I have several of the issues that were mentioned; besides the variety of topics, they also have great photography and great writing

 

Funny you should say that. The first thing that came to mind when I saw that Falcon issue in Wally's 10... I thought to myself "Hot rodding really changed when that car came out".

The Falcon was the first compact car, really... and not thought of as Hot Rod fodder, I'm sure.

Hot Rod was and always has been on the cutting edge of hot rodding. And that means that sometimes you have to stick your neck out once in a while, and get beat down for it more than you don't.

Up until that issue... hot rodding had remained basically the same... buy the lightest car, put the biggest motor in it that you can afford and haul ***. Sure, you had the odd-ball guy with a wrecking yard full of **** that wanted to be different... but man, v8's were where it was at.

And what's this? A 6 cylinder compact car on the cover of Hot Rod?

That sold a few magazines to some new guys, got a few cancellations from others, and sold a **** load of Falcons for Ford.

He may have been telling you to put your nut sack on the anvil once in a while, Ryan.

Sam

 

What a cool post. I was so fortunate to meet Mr. Parks at our home drag strip in the late 50's when he brought the Drag Safari team out to show us the ropes. He was so friendly and on a mission, a very very special moment in my life. He set up a timing ***ociation and some of my buddies were involved in timing at several Midwest strips from his guidence. I had my personally signed NHRA membership card for years but lost in lifes many shuffles around the country. I am thinking it was the day my avatar picture was taken in 1958.Thanx for sharing your great experience with "the man". ~Sololobo~

 

“Always publish for the p***ion and not for the business. As soon as you do the latter, you’ll be on an equal playing field with your compe***ors. P***ion keeps you a step ahead.” – Wally Parks, 2002.

That almost knocked me out of my chair when I read it!

In 1995 I began writing for an O/T magazine that was run by people with p***ion for the subject matter. Several years ago it was taken over by a larger publishing corporation and the change was dramatic. Not in content but in at***ude and approach. The p***ion was gone, and it was just a business.

It wasn't fun anymore so I left and went over to a compe***or who still has the p***ion.

Every niche magazine publisher should have Wally's quote in large type right on his desk!

Thanks Ryan for sharing what Wally meant to you.

 

The JJ/HAMB is to Traditional Hot Rodding like Hot Rod Magazine was to hot rodding in the 50's. As a result, Ryan is the modern day Wally Parks to the traditional hot rodding circle, and yes, p***ion is what is most important. I believe we all see people who do a job because they have to not because they want to, I'm thankful to no longer be one of those people. Keep up the good work Ryan and those that help you.

 

P***ion. All of the names we equate with hot rodding, racing, customs etc had a p***ion for what they were doing. I've looked inside myself quite a few times and tried to figure out why I build and drive what I do. If I was the only person doing it I'd still be building and driving the same stuff. It's my p***ion and it seems a little self serving but there it is.

That brings me back to the hands on, "you can do it!" at***ude Hot Rod had back then. From most issues I heard, "find what you like, build it, modify it, drive it". Pretty simple for me. Then again I'm not thinking about this from the business standpoint.

 

Awesome words to live by.

 

Good to know where you come from. I think you selected the correct mentor. Thank God it wasn't John Dianna.... vic

 

A truly interesting post, Ryan.

I think that 296ardun's point is very good. History is made by the people p***ing through it, sure they build and create, but it is people who are behind the innovation.

Tradition and p***ion are a huge part of our hobby (and/or career), but it is the artistry and innovation that we as individuals bring to it that makes it unique.

As a businessman and human being, I would think that Mr. Parks would agree that you need the people to create the things that are admired. I wouldn't be as brash as to try to speak for him, and I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but everything that I have heard about him is – that not only did he value the things that were made, but the people who made them.

History doesn't just happen, WE create it.

 

Wally Parks seemed very unusuall as a much nicer more clean cut dresser at car events than most other people attending as well as a hands on rod builder and car lover...I think he may have been tugged emotionally by several en***ies. Sometimes wanting to observe, write and think but then actually getting into the middle of the hobby...super interesting guy.
GW

 

" Thats not to say that I don't go ga-ga over a perfect post-war roadster, but the "tradition police" can be as bad as the gold-chainers if left unchecked".

What a profound statement!

I met Wally when he was still the HRM editor at 5959 Hollywood Blvd. Wally's p***ion for hot rodding was infectious and his p***ion was very much supported by his wife Barbara.

 

Nobody has asked, so I will: Is this why the May 1960 cover (all the guys around the Falcon) graced the top of the HAMB at one time? Or is it just coincidence because it's a neat vintage shot of guys enjoying cars together?

-Dave

 

I'll second this. Well said.

 

"Through the years of running my own publishing company (I think that’s what I do&#8230, I’ve come to figure what’s important about many of these issues. Others still elude me, but I figure it will come in time."

Is there a part 2 coming up? I'm curious to know what was important about those issues, unless, like someone said, he was trying to get you to take a step back and realize it was about the p***ion... or he was your Mr Miyagi telling you to do a mundane task like painting the fence to learn a greater truth eh?... Wax on wax off Ryan-san.

Great story!

 

A golden moment in my life,.... Wally and Frank Mack, at the circle of champions brunch at Autorama a lot of years ago,... Frank was like a "Dutch Uncle" to me and I really miss him, his whit & wisdom,... when these two got to talking it was pure magic,.... A time I will always remember and treasure.

 

ahh....ironically I was going to ask about you about this 'topic' of sorts (maybe I'm dreaming or reading between the lines, although you've aluded to this topic on numerous occasions), as I know it's been a source of 'perspective' for some time, and wanted to know if you were steping closer in your journey...

Like 'Tfeverfred' said "A successful medium should be able to educate as well as feed dreams and ambitions. That's what I saw and if you take a broad look at the HAMB, this is what it does. Ryan, perhaps you knew what to do, before you even started. Lightning in a bottle and bright as the sun"

Pioneers have hero's too, and if nothing else is learned, they all stepped into the darkness with p***ion being their fuel, and confidence to step away from the lit path, even if only in little steps, they all marched on their own path. This is a new era, a new and quickly changing world, embrace the opportunity, and make it yours....


(Note: all said with a ob1canobie tone...)

Cheers,

Drewfus

 

"These ten are the issues that I feel were most important to Hot Rod as publication and a business"

Ryan,
Do you have ten Jalopy Journal entries that you feel were the most important to Jalopy Journal as a publication and business?

-Juan

 

Yeah, That issue in particular served notice on the hot rod m***es that ANY car could be fodder for performance modifications... Those 144 Ford modifications were waaaay out there. (cutting off the screwey intake/exhaust combo manifold and brazing on a new intake surface was inspired to say the least.)
It signaled a whole new ethic in rodding. Groundbreaking for sure.

 

If my memory is correct, HRM did build an early Falcon sedan delivery with a SBC shoehorned in it, and somewhere there's a pic of a smiling Wally Parks behind the wheel of same.

I met Wally P back in the 1960s and remember him being a very warm, generous individual.

 

That was a Comet. It's in the August 1960 issue.

-Dave

 

Mr Wally Parks had a memory like an elephant.....Last time I spoke to him,,CHHR..before his p***ing.He remembered me as being from Dallas and asked me about some of the old Dallas guys.some that had long departed this life...Amazing man......

 

Thanks for setting the record straight. Must have been having a Senior Moment.

 

I always recommended the Falcon, for a young persons first car, bakwhen they were plentiful. Very simple basic car at the time, a modern model T. 'just turbo it and see what happens!'
I,m 71 and Wally has been around since my 'enlightening',,,,the first Hot Rod mag i read in 49. He was the key player from the beginning.

 

One thing for sure, ever since the Peterson Publishing business was sold it has never been quite the same, its been a downhill slide in my opinion. And that doesn't reflect on the current staff either, because they have the p***ion but just who they work for and what corporate dictates makes the difference.

P***ion is what makes life worth living!

 

Good thinking, especially the turbo idea - something that Ak Miller would have suggested. I remember back in the 1960s when a lot of my friends were going through the h***les of dropping a SBC into a six-banger Chevy II (getting the right oil pan and pump pick up, etc) how much easier it was to put a 289 into a Falcon (and I was a Chevy fanatic at the time!).

Speaking of Falcons, the Australians made the model their own over the last 50 years. Those of you who aren't already familiar with Aussie Fords should check out the 1971 model XY GTHO Phase III (what a mouthful!). I road-tested one of these for NZ Cl***ic Car magazine back in the mid-90's and it was surprisingly quick.

 

This is why I selected a roundbody as my “first” car (first that I selected, that is; third that I’ve owned). I love the simplicity of the Falcon, and the fact that it shares so many parts with the perennially popular Mustang.

Turbo, eh? Might be something interesting to do with my 170 once I’ve got a 200 builder around. I’m not sure how a three-bearing engine will hold up to boost!

-Dave

 

4 bearing,dont short change it gggg ya turbo will change its manners quite well. you can always slip in a 200, 7 main bearing, and add more pounds pressure and that one will give all the V8 boys fits. yeah glad somebody else agrees with my outlook on the lowly Falcon, they forget its the cousin of the Mustang.