anyone recall where CAL AUTO was located. I remember going to a big parts store in L.A. area [around 1956] but can,t remember the name. Bought my stock ford wheels and dropped axle there. Wheels were like $6 ea. and axle was $25. Wonder if it was a 'dago'?
Great piece. Growing up in San Diego during that era was fantastic. As a kid, I always though that that chopped Vickie was worth a million dollars!
mike, thanks for the history lesson. yours and others are what make the HAMB great. yes there are other sites but their only pretenders.
What a great article! I just bought a '32 chassis with what looks like a Dago axle. What year did these axles start showing up at the Dry Lakes?
Great story their is so much more that my dad (Bob Stewart) could tell you. Like how they would get that old 32 ford up Cajon Pass on their way to Bonneville I miss that old 32 had some of my best times ridding with my dad in it!!!
Ed, welcome to the board. I spoke with your dad a couple of times, real nice guy, and a true hot rod hero !
Thank you for the welcome. Yes he and my Grandpa are heroes to hot rod and their are time I wish I could have been a live back then they where the best times for hot rods
Well, goodness gracious, you must be the son of the young fellow that used to come out to the shop in back of the house ED lived in. I used to do the porting and relieving in the back yard, and, once in a while Bob would pop out of the house. Ed used to get complaints about the die grinder going in the backyard from the neighbors. You won't remember, but Bob might, that a set of pistons rings and pins cost $12.50, the crank grind was $3.50, and rebuilt 97s were $1.75. And as to the fellow who was going to talk to Ward Soule, tell Ward hello for Jack Osborne, a fellow SDRC,.which used to be called the Road Ramblers. Oh, times were different then, folks. I hated to see Ed and Paul Schiefer die so young and still think of them every so often
Nicely Done! Defined "Dago" and taught me the history and culture of the times my father built his car for. Even though it was built in the 90's, he built it like a car he would have wanted in his teenage years, but couldn't afford. Im a lucky daughter to have this 32 now...to learn, respect and appreciate the folks in history that created the look and feel of those 50's car culture years. Please keep all this information alive and continue to share! I'm soo grateful! Sandi, the Fireman's Daughter
Good Sandy Eggo history lesson - brought back my shoulda-woulda-coulda thoughts: born in 1953 and my dad was into sports cars not hot rods. Hence I went about my hot rodding hobby in the 1970s all on my own, even though I now know that several notable rodders were around in Pacific Beach...
The Jalopy Journal
