History The Hot Rod In The Barn..(long)

The Hot Rod Next Door



I moved into my house in 1995. It’s in the town I grew up in after leaving the city of Philadelphia Pennsylvania and the Navy projects behind when my parents looked for a nicer life in the suburbs back in the early 70’s. I had an older brother and a sister and a working Mom and Dad like most kids I guess. Nobody was into cars that I knew of except for the guy up the street who was always driving around in something cool. We had family out here and it seems that most of my relatives had settled in the area. Bethel Township Pennsylvania was my home, and in the early years it was like Mayberry from the Andy Griffith show. Bill Haley had a house right down the street from where I now lived. But that is about the only big thing to come from Bethel. I walked everywhere or rode my skateboard or bicycle. Even before I could drive my own car I had picked up a 35mm camera and began snapping images of cars. My brother was in the Navy like my father had been. My Father retiring a Chief after over 20 years of active duty. I shot my very first roll of film at the Philadelphia Navy yard of war ships in dry dock. While stationed in Washington State, my brother bought me a darkroom set up and shipped it home in a foot locker. Soon I began photographing cars all over my little town. On vacation I used to ride around pretending to be a photographer for Hot Rod magazine. Cars and cameras became my life.

I never went far from my hometown. I moved out of state for a short time, but soon found myself renting a home in 1995 that, later I would buy, not far from where I had grown up. It’s a nice little house, built in 1953, with a small garage and a couple of acres of land. My son has grown up here and it was during a session of throwing a football around that I made a discovery right next door. My son threw a ball into the bushes that run along the edge of my stone driveway. Flush up against the property line, behind the bushes sits an old garage..more like a shack really, but it has windows facing my yard. At some point there had been curtains in those windows, but they had long since fallen down and rotted away. Strands of material hang from broken curtain rods and the window panes were missing in places. It was at that moment, while retrieving the ball, I saw the most amazing sight. As I peeked through the old barn window, I saw the familiar sight of old Guide headlights on aluminum stands, a deuce shell and a chopped windshield. There was an old Hot Rod right next door to me and I never knew it!

I immediately ran next door and knocked on my neighbor’s door to get the story on this car. My neighbor had always been a friendly guy. He and his elderly wife always waved and we talked over the bushes a few times. I was always looking out for them and they for me. Neighbors. Mayberry USA. Sometimes we would sit out on each other’s porch swings and shoot the breeze while cars whizzed by the main road leading out of state. He answered the door and I almost couldn’t get the words out fast enough..that car..that hot rod in your garage…can I see it??!!

“That was my son’s car”. Was all he said, and slammed the door in my face. I stood there in amazement. Bewilderment is more like it. I stood there for five minuets waiting for him to come back. He never did. It took me almost a year before he would even look in my direction again or even wave hello. I thought often about what he meant and why he was so upset. I got a story from another neighbor that his son had bought the car in California while in the Marines and that he was killed in Vietnam, the car was shipped back home to my little town of Bethel PA. That sounded about right to me, and I respected that story for a long time. The day after that initial knock on his door, he put up bed sheets over the barn windows so I couldn’t see the old hot rod.

At that time I had just started learning more about old hot rods. Cars had always been a big part of my life, but even at that time I could never afford an old Hot Rod. I had been buying and fixing up 50’s era cars because that’s what was available to me. Soon I would be sending in stories to a new magazine called Hot Rod Deluxe, later called Car Kulture Deluxe, and now Traditional Rod and Kulture Illustrated and a few others. I would push away the bed sheets and sneak peeks at the old hot rod often, sometimes getting caught. I couldn’t help it. I was in love with this old car!

As years went on, I began talking to my neighbor, avoiding the car subject, but began giving him copies of the magazines I shot and wrote for. Turns out he was a bit of a wrench himself back in the day and was always tinkering with cars. He began to soften up..well…as much as a grumpy old guy could… ha. But the sore subject of the car in the barn would come up and it was back to square one.

One day I pulled in my driveway in my 31 Ford Sedan and there, next door, out in the daylight, was the old Hot Rod! The old man was working on her, freeing up the wheels after it sat for years. Neighbors had told me it used to be in parades years ago, but it hadn’t moved in a long time. I rushed over, through the hole in the bushes and almost hugged the old man! Thinking I might be imagining this, I ran over to grab my camera, and quickly snapped off a roll of film on the car. I was excited that the car was seeing daylight and getting attention! From what I could tell on quick inspection at the time, it was a 30/31 Ford roadster with a white canvas top, channeled with a small block Ford engine..matter of fact, someone must have had a wrecked 64 Mustang as a donor car because the shifter, the seats, the steering wheel, the tail lights, were all early Mustang. The wheels looked like M/T’s or Radirs and the California tag read 1973. It was a Jade green..maybe a GM green typical of the late 60’s GTO’s. Before I knew it, it was back in the barn. I remember meeting two younger guys that day. I had thought they were introduced as my neighbor’s Grandsons.

I kept sneaking peeks at the Hot Rod over time, and each time I was caught, the curtains went back up. I would show my close buddies but swore them to secrecy. This car was not for sale, that was clear, but every time I had a little money after selling a car, I would think about it.

About two months ago, I wandered over to trim back the bushes near the barn, when I noticed more light than usual coming from the curtain-less window. I looked in the barn, and she was gone. I thought to myself, “I’ve finally done it”. I’ve pissed off the old coot. Just a week before I had been caught looking in at the car with my buddy. I managed to say something like “I love that car” before I ran away. Maybe he sold it…
Today I went to a small car show in the next state over, Delaware. I walked around and saw the usual cars I always see. But, across the field I spotted a familiar sight. A green old roadster, dirty and worn sat there in a sea of Easter eggs. She had re-surfaced and I was now running to her! Behind the car sat a guy, who I ***umed was the new owner. “Whose car”? I questioned, pointing to the roadster I hadn’t seen in years, and then only briefly. “Mine” came the reply. As I came around to the back of the car, with its un-bobbed rear fenders and Mustang tail lights, I noticed a large Marines magnetic sign on the deck lid. The answer had come from, what I would soon discover, was my neighbor’s son. The one I had thought died in Nam. He had picked up the car from his Father and got it running again. A tune up and an oil change, a set of new tires, and a water pump were all that was needed to get her going again. He had driven it to the show! I talked to him for a long time. Story was, that after he got discharged from the Marines in California near San Diego, he bought this roadster from a guy, and drove it cross-country to Pennsylvania…in the dead of winter! The car had been stowed away in his dad’s barn..next door to me… for almost 40 years! Here I was beating myself up thinking I had scared it away, that it had been sold. I kicked myself for never making a run at buying it, never wanting to offend my neighbor.

I’ll be shooting the car for Rod and Kulture shortly. Watch for this one. Pictures will run when it goes to print. Sorry.

Spike

 

damn...

 

That's pretty cool!

 

Great story Spike, and with a happy ending.

 

You talking about this one?

 

nice ummmh uh story

 

I love old hot rods...but that thing needs....a makeover...sorry

 

“That was my son’s car”. Was all he said, and slammed the door in my face.

Was? Guess he lied to you.....

 

if that car could talk,40 years in an old barn , i bet that marine had a big smile when he got behide the wheel again !!!

 

Neat story and I look forward to seeing your pictures.

 

Now that's a cool story! Can't wait to see the article.

 

Neat story, going in a great magazine.

 

Saw that today myself.

 

Man thats cool..

 

Glad to see it got out. Too many old rods dying all stashed up in old barns and garages. Thanks for sharing the story.

 

Great writing Spike.

 

thanks for sharing, great story

 

Great story, well written. That thing is late 60's "period perfect" but I'm with 3wLarry. It could use some re-do. I don't think that it's historically significant enough that some updating would diminish it. Fascinating story nonetheless.....Don.

 

Very cool story. Thanks for sharing. I wonder why the guy was so touchy about you asking to see the car if his son was still alive.

 

"Today a rat ran across my hood. If I was human I would've screamed like a little girl"
"Today the rat made a nest under my front seat. I feel soooo invaded!"

Yeah, interesting stories there

 

Cool story, thanks.

 

Man, **** you guys, that car is perfect except for the rear bumper tube...I'm a ****er for gaudy 60's and 70's rods, and that one is PERFECT...with the story behind it and the overall cool factor of being a pure survivor I say redo it exactly as it was...I'd be happy as hell to own something like that...

 

Yup. Just surfaced yesterday!

Spike

 

I often thought about that car. What I would do to it if I ever had the chance to buy it. Would I change it? What would I change? I would sit on my back porch sometimes, staring at the back wall of that barn, thinking of ways to quietly saw a big door out and push it to my side and into my garage. My friends would too.

I guess the owner (who is the neighbor's son by the way..the one that was in the Marines) is only changing what needs to be changed and driving it. He sure gathered a crowd around it yesterday, ruining all hopes of getting it cheap like in my dreams for so many years..ha. I'm just happy he's enjoying the car again. He said his biggest thrill in life so far has been driving that old rod cross country, and he's gonna share his experiences with me soon. Can't wait!

Spike

 

thats some good stuff!!!

 

thanks for sharing, great story. I would love to hear the whole story.

 

What amazes me most is that a guy would buy that car and let it sit for 40 years? Just seems crazy to want something, but then not touch it for 40 years.

 

Spike, if you keep writing like that and someone might start paying you for your thoughts! Neat story.

 

that car was about a weeks or two pay 40 years ago .. service men heading home just needed a cheap one way ride ...why leave it so long? cuz he prolly had a car at home waiting or bought something with a roof and windows to drive year round .

funny how certain mods to a " period hot rod' have a certain" appeal" or "ick factor"

oh ya spike where are the barn -backyard pics to go with the "story"?

 

When I shoot the car, it will show all the crudely done work..the square stock and angle iron used and the bird **** stick welds. The mis-matched brackets on the fenders... this car wasn't a show car for sure. It was probably cheap transportation home. Can't wait to hear the whole story as well!

Spike