History Bringing the Dick Williams '27 Roadster Back to 1953

The crew at Roy Brizio Street Rods has embarked on the restoration of yet another historical Hot Rod ...

This time, they're bringing the "Dick Williams 1927 Ford Model T Roadster" back to its 1953 America's Most Beautiful Roadster (light powder blue gray) glory:

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The May 1953 issue of HOT ROD magazine:

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... included a feature article (by Eric "Rick" Rickman) on Dick's roadster entitled "OAKLAND PRIZE WINNER":

image from the Petersen archives​

 

The June 1953 issue of HOP UP AND MOTOR LIFE magazine:

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... included a feature article on Dick's roadster entitled "Show Winner" ... with photos shot on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley by Ralph Poole:

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... the roadster's chassis also appeared on the cover of the July 1957 issue of ROD BUILDER & CUSTOMIZER magazine:

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In the early '70s, Bay Area hot rodder & customizer, Dick Falk acquired the "Dick Williams ('53 AMBR winning) '27 Roadster".

Dick Falk was no stranger to the Berkeley-based '53 AMBR winning roadster ... in the early '50s, Falk worked at Bailon Customs (in nearby Oakland) ... and at one time, his sister dated Dick Williams.

After purchasing the roadster (which had fallen into disrepair), Falk made it roadworthy again ...with externally located rear hairpin radius rods ... a '70s tire & wheel combination and steering wheel ... new upholstery in the cockpit ... and he painted it a dark maroon (almost brown) lacquer.

Here it is at the 1974 GNRS:

image by James Handy​

It appeared on the cover of the December 1974 issue of Rod ACTION magazine:

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Here it is at the 1975 Sacramento Autorama:

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Here it is at the 1975 LODI Mini-Nationals event held at the Grape Festival Grounds in Lodi, CA:

images from the @Tom Branch family archives​

Here it is at the ANDY's Picnic event held at Crow Canyon Park in Castro Valley, CA:

images from @HEMI32's archives​

In late 1975, Dick Falk repainted the roadster Candy Apple Red (the same paint that is on the roadster today).

@AMBR 53, please feel free to add any photos, info, and/or correct any misinformation about the roadster while it was in your father's care.

 

In the late '80s or early '90s, Blackie Gejeian acquired the "Dick Williams ('53 AMBR winning) '27 Roadster"... and, beyond painting the engine block white, he left the car untouched from its Dick Falk configuration:

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Under Blackie’s care, the roadster has appeared at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance:

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... and more recently at his Fresno Autorama show ... in a display of Blackie's T-Bucket collection:

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NOTE: Michael "Blackie" Gejeian passed away in 2016 at the age of 90

 

In 2019, the Gejeian family decided to auction off most of Blackie's collection ... including the "Dick Williams ('53 AMBR winning) '27 Roadster":

LOT S63 - MONTEREY - Saturday, August 17th 2019
THE BLACKIE GEJEIAN ESTATE COLLECTION
1927 FORD DICK WILLIAMS ROADSTER

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Engine 221ci Trans 4-Speed Color Red Interior Brown VIN/Serial 14798505

ESTIMATE $300,000 - $400,000

HIGHLIGHTS

• Built by Dick Williams in 1952
• 1953 America's Most Beautiful Roadster award winner
• Dick Williams was clocked at 123 MPH in this car at Bonneville
• According to Blackie Gejeian, this was the first show car built with a tubular frame
• Smoothed and filled steel body
• Flathead V-8 mounted as far back as possible to balance the car's weight
• Offenhauser aluminum heads
• Four Stromberg 97 carburetors
• 4-speed manual transmission
• 1940 Ford rear end
• Custom driveshaft
• Polished Kilmont front disc brakes
• Chrome hairpin front 4-link setup
• Custom painted 1932 grille shell and headlights
• Chromed 4-link rear setup with coilovers
• Custom fabricated roll pan, plate frame and tail lights
• Chromed alternator, steering box and linkage, headers, oil pan, drop axle, leaf spring, drop spindles, front knee shocks, dash, steering column and wheels
• VIN ANNOUNCEMENT

In 1952, a young Dick Williams from Berkeley, California, built a Hot Rod to be as beautiful as it was quick. By the following year, he won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award at the fourth annual Oakland Roadster Show with his custom, powder blue lacquer 1927 Ford Model T Roadster. As well as the car’s bodywork, drivetrain and paint was executed, it was what was underneath it that was so historically important. According to Blackie Gejeian, “It was the first car, to my knowledge, that ran a tube frame.” While a custom, tubular frame is common among Hot Rod builds these days, there’s no doubt that it was a rare feature in custom cars when Williams took home the AMBR with his. Williams’ hand-built, chrome-moly tube chassis was featured on the cover of the July 1957 “Rod Builder and Customizer” as a testament to its unique qualities of the era. He also recorded a 123 MPH pass in the roadster on the Bonneville Dry Lakes before it changed hands. By 1974, Dick Falk, from nearby Walnut Creek, California, had acquired the car and painted it a deep maroon. The Street Rod trend of the mid-‘70s was most commonly illustrated by a deep-dish rear wheel and narrow front wheel combination, dramatically accentuated by wide, raised white-letter dragster tires. Falk updated the roadster with this very wheel and tire configuration, as well as externally located rear hairpin radius rods and new interior upholstery, while leaving the custom bored and stroked ’48 Mercury flathead V-8, magnesium Halibrand quick-change rear end, hand-formed aluminum belly pan, twin 9.5-gallon fuel tanks and signature Kinmont front drum brake setups untouched. While in Falk’s hands, the roadster made the cover of the December 1974 issue of “Rod Action,” before he painted it Candy Apple Red the following year. Named “A T For 2,” Blackie Gejeian acquired the roadster and, beyond painting the engine block, largely left the car untouched from its Dick Falk configuration. Under Blackie’s care, the roadster has appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and has been featured in “The Rodder’s Journal,” “Street Rodder,” and “Mobilia” magazines, as well as coffee table books like “Hot Rod Milestones.”​

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GONE TO A GOOD HOME

Ross & Beth Myers bought the 1927 Ford Dick Williams Roadster off the block, post-sale for $149,600 (including buyers premium).

The Myers “3 Dog Garage” Collection includes the former Frank Mack, Detroit Autorama-winning T, the Spurgin-Giovanine Chevy lakester, and several significant channeled deuces including the ex-Fred Steele ’32, “Ricky Nelson” ’32, Jack Lentz’s “Golden Rod,” the Paul FitzGerald ’32, and the “Kookie Car.” The Dick Williams roadster was a natural for their collection.

Roy Brizio Street Rods will be restoring the roadster back to the way it looked when it won the AMBR in Oakland in 1953, complete with skinny chrome wheels and Powder Blue paint.

Upon completion, the Myers plan to show the restored ’53 AMBR roadster at the GNRS in Pomona.​

 

In 2020, the "Dick Williams ('53 AMBR winning) '27 Roadster" arrived at the shop in South San Francisco, CA:

images from the Roy Brizio Street Rods website


image from Jack @jakespeed55 Stratton's September 28th Instagram feed​

 

This past week (December 14th - 18th, 2020), Jack @jakespeed55 Stratton began deconstructing the "Dick Williams ('53 AMBR winning) '27 Roadster":

images from the Roy Brizio Street Rods website








images from the December 19th Roy Brizio Street Rods Inc Facebook timeline​

 

... Here's some more "naked chassis" pics:

images from Jack @jakespeed55 Stratton's December 18th Instagram feed​

 

The Brizio team has quite a few vintage photographs and magazine articles to assist in the restoration:

image from Jack @jakespeed55 Stratton's December 18th Instagram feed​

... but Jack is hoping the "power of the H.A.M.B." will provide some more photos and/or documentation of the "Dick Williams '27 Roadster" circa the 1950s (i.e., in its '53 AMBR configuration).

 

Smiley placeholder here --->

Copyright protected 2020

 

On a side-note ...

Here's a few pics of Craig Clements' 1/18th scale brass replica model of the '53 AMBR, built by Chuck Meschter:

images by Craig Clements
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Thank you for the info I havent seen the hop up magazine article that helps out a lot I just bought one on eBay

 

More progress at the Brizio shop:

images from the Roy Brizio Street Rods website




images from Jack @jakespeed55 Stratton's January 22nd Instagram feed



image from the January 30th Roy Brizio Street Rods Inc Facebook timeline​

 

Thanks for sharing this.
I really like all the threads you do.
They all content good reading what ever its about old meets you where at with your parents, hotrodders that left us or projects like this.

 

I would like to know more about Dick Williams him self. Back ground, school and friends.

 

Is Dick Williams still alive?----INFO.

 

Stumbled across this image while looking for something else and remembered this thread. Is this Dick Falk?

The only question I have is: Do they know which "baby blue" is correct for the car? Just like there's not a single black, there are multiple shades of blue they could go with.

 

I love this car... A Lot....
Way back in 2019 at the York nationals I had a conversation with a Builder/friend about doing a tribute build for this car... In the blue 1953 configuration....
I have since decided to go a different way for now, but that plan is still on the list.
Maybe after driving the current project for a couple of years I can redo it as the Williams car.
Time will tell.
Chappy

 

If this a photo of Dick Falk It does resemble him. I know Dick and he has always been a friendly and knowledgeable guy.

 

I hope the rear hairpins get moved back under the body, they are a distraction, the angle is jarring & busy against the T body lines.

 

That's the plan!

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I'd like to have those wheels and tires for my 26 Roadster. I know the tires are probably 50 years old though.

 

Another great restoration to follow.

Bob

 

Thanks for sharing @HEMI32...great coverage and a great shop for these kind of stepbacks...a very unique Hotrod indeed...

 

Timeless!

Thanks for sharing!!

 

Anybody want to hazard a guess as to why the hairpins were moved outside by Falk in the first place...?
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Todd, what a great post! This was one of my favorite roadsters, well engineered and detailed. So glad it is going back to its original days.

 

Not to derail this thread, but it's driving me crazy...I can't remember whos roadster is this

 

Dick Flint's...

https://www.rodauthority.com/featur...hould-know-the-dick-flint-1929-ford-roadster/