Hot Rods DO YOU REMEMBER A TIME WHEN A HOT ROD WAS A RARE SIGHT IN YOUR TOWN?

Never saw a hot rod, it was all muscle cars.

 

When I was a senior in High School I worked at Goodys restaurant on Las Tunas. It was a car show every night as the local cheap gas station was a block away. It was all ruined when the boss's son parked his brand new '62 bubbletop w/ 4-speed at the back door. Old cars never seemed to hold the same reverence for me.

 

Raised on a farm in a little town that had 3 bars, store/post office and a Chesse factory, during the 60s the factory owner had 4 hard working boys that spent their money on muscle cars. Also some of the young guys that worked at the factory drove nice cars.
One hot rod in Branch, a gold 36 Ford coupe with a 389 pontiac 4 speed, I worked at the store with him,one Sunday morning he showed up for work the roof caved in alittle, said he rolled it over, that was last time I saw the car.

Got my drivers licence in 1970 so I could drive my 64 Chevelle eight miles to Manitowoc, it had more than its fair share of hot rods and muscle cars for a small city in Wisconsin.
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I don't ever remember a Hotrod/Custom presense in my life in Ontario right till today...Always just here and there and at the shows... So really its a niche market...

I did a 500 mile jaunt to a Hotrod/Custom event last weekend and could count the amount of Vintage Cars I saw there and back on 2 hands not including thumbs...

It doesn't discourage me though as I'm cruising...

 

My first perception started in a place long ago, and far away. Born in '42, Santa Clara was a nice place, with a small town. 6 city blocks of commercial buildings, Franklin St. was the Main Drag... only nobody used it for that.
I was raised in my Grandma's house, a "Los Angeles bungalow," built by my Grandpa and some contractors from plans. Sat on 1/2 acre, on prominent Lincoln St., across from the convent grounds of the Carmelite monastery.
Some years later, "Grandma's place" was 'host' to lines of hot rods lined up on both sides of Lincoln St. '58-'62, it was the 'meeting place'.

One mid-Saturday rainy morning, I was out front on the large porch, working on my bike. I was 9, it was 1951.
A slight roar was heard, and I looked southward...Coming up the street was this black 'hot rod', but it was tall...The tiny white canvas top looked like a tank turret, the open wheels were sending 'rooster tails' of water 12 feet high.
The focal point was the low windshield, and its tiny wiper, going like the dickens! 'Whish, whish,...' The driver sat low, and the car made a kind of 'rattle' from the twin exhaust pipes.
He hooked a left at the corner, then stepped on it, I could hear the roar as it got out of site past the monastery wall.

Wow! I'd never seen that before, but a few nights later, during the week, my Mom had to do some evening shopping...I went with, and we passed this large lot, with a sign: "Mabs Drive-in" At the rear of the lot sat a round building with windows most of the way around, and cars parked up to the windows...Hey! Some of those cars were hot rods!
I talked Mom into coming back that way and turning in to just creep by those cars, so I could get a better look.
On our way back, she turned in, as it was easy to 'skirt' the lot, and leave by the other entrance...
I saw a Model A, looked stock, but large back tires, (I know now it had 16" V8 wires on it) and 'Open Motor', as my older cousin would say.
There, next to it was my 'Tall hot rod', also 'open motor', they both had the finned Ford V8s, with 2 carbs each.
Two more, but 'newer' (a '37 flatback like my Dad's, only suped up...and a '35 five window, with big Merc engine.)

I know now, for these guys befriended me 2 years later when my Dad was killed. By 1955 (I was 13) I was made 'Honary Member' of their racing team. I had the largest collection of Hot Rod magazine any of them had seen, except for Al Soto. But we both had every copy starting with #1. I was a fierce reader, as long as it had to do with flatheads, Zephyr gears, '32-'34 Fords...LOL
The 'tall hot rod' was obviously a '32 Highboy, and Al "Boof" Marceline was the owner: he had bought the early Highboy from Sid Owen, (serious flathead racer) and then 'cleaned it up', I recall taking 2 rides in it, both racing club members, and blew engine both times. But "Boof" won both times.
I saw him beat FAST Clifford Ambrose, 296" flattie w/4 Strombergs, Sharp heads, Isky 404 cam, Weber flywheel, in a beautiful '32 full fender 5 window, reversed '49 Merc wheels and '50 Merc caps. This car was $$$ up.
Boof slammed the gate on him as soon as Tebash dropped the flag. This was on Coleman Ave., right alongside the San Jose Municipal airport, now S.J. Internat'l. 1955.

My first trip to the drags (San Jose drag strip, 1954) blew my young mind! 100 hot rods (and some neat tail draggin' customs, semi customs, etc.) ALL IN ONE PLACE!
I was blessed to know some of the 'big cheeses': Babe Royer (Babe's Muffler) Jay Cheatham (record holding Olds dragster/ Olds powered '34 altered, Tommy the Greek, Vic Hubbard, and so many more.
They all knew my name, 'cuz I was always there, listening.
One time Johnny Perreira, '32 Tudor sedan, 'B' flathead, BIG, ran mid-90s 1/4 mile. 4 banger??? Anyway, Johnny's like 20, says "Mikey, walk into the pits over there, and see what Cal and his guys are sayin', then come back and tell me."
I did what he asked, and when I walked up, this guy Cal (flathead powered chopped & channeled '32 coupe) looks over the cars opposite and says, "Aw, hell!!! Perreira's here, might as well put it back on the tow bar!"
I reported this to Johnny, and we laughed...Me, kinda nervously...I didn't like to get between some of these guys, they were hard core racers! (then)
I continuously thank the Lord for the favor of exposure I got with these wonderful guys...
Yeah, hot rods WERE in Santa Clara, (San Jose, mostly) but you had to 'discover' them.

Mab's drive in; Johnny Freitas' Standard station; Frank Barcell's Signal Station. These were the Hot Rod hangouts.

 

When I was growing up in the 70's my Dad was a hot rodder, so my brother and I would go along when Dad stopped at other guys' shops. We'd commonly visit Bud Otte, Jim Wall, or Dave Damman's garages to see what they were working on. So, no, it wasn't uncommon to see a hot rod back then.

Later, when I was old enough to drive I had a hot rodded Chevelle as a daily, but there weren't many other guys my age with the same taste in cars. There were a few with air shocks and 50 series tires on their Camaros, but no lowered and louvered cars like I drove to school.

 

Still is

 

That's neat.

 

Now.
As much as I hate to say,lot less kids into cars of any kind.
Thankfully there are exception.

 

No.

 

Yep. Lots of t'rahnahs, mnare'ohs, HO's and a few Vals, but few rods. Hasn't changed much between then and now - still see a few of the Aussie muscle cars out at the drags Wednesday nights but very few rods. Almost no rods as daily drivers. I drive my avatar as a daily and beat on it at the strip, and enjoy the hell out of it.

Cheers,
Harv

 

That is what it is all about. Cheers my friend.

 

It's ironic now that there are so many hot rods/street rods and rodent rods around now and I don't know the owners, every time I get a chance to strike up a conversation with someone I don't know/ haven't met I encourage them to keep building cars, I promote the traditional rods & customs but always try to find something I like about their cars or trucks, even if I have to stretch the truth. HRP

 

Nope! Grew up in Iowa in the 60’s. Someone was always building a new ride. Some of those farmers had great shops and time on their hands in the winter.

 

Not really. I have 2 older brothers!

 

WOW EEE Thanks Mike, for a great story, as can only be told from those times in that region.
And Thank You Danny, for 'Kicking the Ball' there.

 

Reading was encouraged by my mother and on regular trips to the library is where I first got my hands on a dogeared hardbound copy of Henry Gregor Felsen's 'Hot Rod" , it wasn't long after that I read his others books.

Then on one bright Saturday morning at Bryant's corner drug store I was looking at all the magazines, one in particular caught my eye and I pleaded with my mother to purchase the magazine.

It was Hot Rod Magazine, Dean Lowe and his red roadster pickup was on the cover, I still have that very same magazine and I ask Dean to autograph it a couple of years ago and he so graciously did so.

That image made a huge impact on me and from that day I knew I would build a hot rod some day. HRP

 

I also read "Hot Rod" (might still have it in the attic along with a slew of "little books").
I remember when I was about 12 and waiting for the papers to deliver, middle aged guy with a 35 Roadster would go by with front cycle fenders,. A few years later down tjhe street a black 40 with a "dressed" flat head and then another fellow with another 40 also with a dressed flathead.
In 61 I had a 5W Coupw with an Olds.
Paul in CT

 

When I grew up in the late fifties in the Lake Minnetonka area, there were more sports cars (jag's MG's, etc.) than Hot Rods. There were a few, but they were rare enough that we thought "coupsters" were cool.

 

In Philly there were quit a few customs but I don't remember too many hot rods, if we saw them they were being towed to a race track.

 

BTW, thanks for posting, it looks like the hot rod and custom scene was different depending on where you lives, I would have thought California was the hot bed of customs.

 

When I was a kid in the late '60s/early'70s, it was predominantly muscle cars around here. The first hot rod I remember seeing was a '40 Chevy coupe parked in front of the store where I bought comic books. I peered inside it and was impressed by the number of Stewart Warner gauges lined up in and under the dashboard.

 

I grew up in kenai alaska in the 70s. At that time there were no 30s and 40s cars in the area, but muscle cars were plentiful. My first experience with a hotrod was in 1987. I was on my way to college with a wad of cash in my pocket. I almost bailed on school when I saw a red, white and blue 1923 t bucket at a car lot in spokane. I have been hooked ever since.

 

I was born in Milwaukee in 1955 and grew up in various areas in south easter Wisconsin, Folks settled in Burlington in 1966. Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove was about 15 miles one way. Lake Geneva raceway was 10 miles another and within 25 to35 miles there was Wilmont, Hales Corners, and Slinger which were dirt track ovals. It seemed no matter where you looked growing up then it seemed like every gas station or service shop there were some type of race cars sitting around the shop and most of had employees with cool street cars. My first custom car discovery was my Grandparents neighbor's sons 49 or 50 Merc, I was 6 and did not know what it was till I got a little older. But at 6 I knew it was Black, loud and Kool! A girl I went to school with, in East Troy in 1965 Dad had a 41 Willys. A front engine dragster and her mom drove a 56 T Bird. I would have married her, but we were only 10. To a car crazy Kid there was just Kool cars every were. A lot of my younger Uncles and older cousins had what I called cruisers which were mostly late model hardtops and convertibles with skirts, twice pipes, glass packs and chrome tips and maybe continental kits. I went to my 1st world of wheels in Milwaukee in 1967 and then I really got the custom car bug. As far as 30s and 40s hot rods not really on the street. I got my license in 71 and by that time muscle cars pretty much dominated the scene and Vans. I was a big Vanner in the 70s, anybody remember the Sud city vans out of Milwaukee! lol. On Saturday nights driving 35 miles to Milwaukee to cruise hwy100 or south 27th was at least a once-a-month thing in the Summer. I have always been influenced by sleek. smooth shinny drag racing inspired builds. Even my Vans had big and little tires, I was a Custom Rodder from the start. lol Larry

 

Late 60's early 70's at 12-13 years old there were no hot rods in our small community. But there were 4 gasser style cars. A yellow 37 Chevy, 2-tone 57 chevy wagon and two 52-54 Chevy sedans. Those were the exemptions. Mostly Detroit muscle ruled the streets in our town.

 

I live in a small town. In the 60's it was a little less than 3000 pop. I remember a 25 Dodge t bucket, a model a coupe with a mild flattie, a chopped 32 Ford pickup that the owner drove into a train and was killed, a pretty nice 34 Ford 5 window in about 69 with a sbc and a 27t that was a pretty nice car in about 1970. That covers almost 10 years. What there is now is me most often. Many have remarked how my stuff gets driven no matter what the weather is. There are a few other cars in town but seldom get driven. I have a friend that has more rods than me but he drives an assortment of stuff so the rods don't get used as much. The town is now around 5700 pop. I'm the lucky one.

 

A fellow here in Anderson worked with a construction company and had managed to acquire a lot of older cars, I recall seeing his dark grey 1934 Ford tudor sedan almost daily even when I was in high school, after I got involved with the old cars I met Hoss Martian and got to know him.

With all the old cars he collected he never did anything with them and he had some nice pieces, but continued driving the 34, unfortunately just a couple of years ago there was a freak accident at work and he was killed instantly. HRP

 

I remember a T bucket and I guess that's what inspired me to build my tub using 2 Bird glass body's fiber glassed together.

 

Forgot the photo.

This photo has ladyhrp in the drivers seat, Danny can't get in with the top on.

 

1960 in Tootgarook, ( dump then ) Vic, Australia , there was only one hotrod i remember and that was as far as i know a 1932 Ford roadster pickup with cycle gaurds , chrome wheels and all the chrome headbolts on the flathead. I was 8 years old and the hotrod belonged to the boyfriend from the girl across the street from us. She was nice , he was a hoodlum .
Then in 1964 we moved to Ringwood , Vic , the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and busy. Plenty of hotrods in that neck of the woods. The Ampol gas station had a Hemi powered drag Healey BN2 named " little red ram " and at the other end of town the gas station had a candy painted drag Customline named "candy man " Down at Wantirna Creek there was a guy with a powder blue and white top full fendered 1932 Ford roadster. Must have been around 1970 when Colin & Christine Bates opened their Custom Chassis Works just around the corner in NewStreet. So with a rod shop around the corner , allways something to see. By that time there were Torana XU1s, Monaros , Falcon GTHOs and the occasional Valiant Charger racing around everywhere as well. With 3 drive in theatres in the area , Croydon , Wantirna, Springvale , it was allways busy on Friday and Saturday, Good times for sure. .