Featured Folks Of Interest Ed Iskenderian

My first real high performance engine had an RPM300. When the guys asked, all I had to say was
“It’s an Isky”. Suddenly, even the big boys looked at me with more respect. Not for me, but for the name.

RIP.

 

Asdvadz hokin lousavoreh

 

RIP Sir.

 

To all of Ed's family, so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing him with the hot rod world.

 

Does anyone have a scan of the 1948 article in Hot Rod? It appears that the Petersen Archive is no longer active.

 

He will be sorely missed, they both will be.......RIP

 

May his memory be eternal.

 

I still have a copy of the photo of Isky and his roadster that he offered free back in 1966 or so.

 

RIP
A little rumpity rump in heaven now.
Dan

 

What a guy l was fortunate enough to meet him a few times in Joe Reaths shop in Long Beach
He would sit and chat and l learned so much just listening.
RIP my friend
John Kellett Originals Hot Rod Club UK

 

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Ed Iskenderian some years ago when I was in the military in California, maybe it was a cacklefest sometime in 2009-2011. I talked with him for some 20-30 minutes and asked him a few questions about a y-block cam, he got my name and I called a few days later to his shop and he sent me the cam we had talked about and I’ve still got it on the shelf. I also got a cam ground for a amc v8 (in a car) from him and I just got a flathead (in a 34 ford) that has an isky cam in it.

Life somehow finds a way to get in the way and things get pushed to the side. I need to get the cam put in the motor I have been collecting parts for over a decade and have been putting off to the side from time to time to actually sit down and build it.

I’m in my early 40’s and I thought that both Ed Iskenderian and Gene Winfield would outlive me, and I’m not in bad shape. It’s difficult to imagine hot rodding being the same after these legends are gone, the automotive hobby has lost an absolute gem of a hot rodder (or “Degenerate” as my grandmother called hot rodders) in Isky.

Ed will be sorely missed even by those who have never met him. I know that he p***ed down a ton of knowledge to the younger generations and I hope enough of us have absorbed a small amount of his wisdom and knowledge to not embarr*** ourselves in looking to go fast.

Rest in peace and please look over the young hot rodders, as we all eventually try to do something stupid to make more power, and let them find those as willing to help as you always were.

 

A couple years ago I was not too much into hot rods but more into all sorts of motorcycle racing - especially salt flats speed contests. When invited to ride the Max Lambky Vincent Streamliner it became a lifelong addiction. Part of it was the sheer possible speed and the other, equally important part was meeting the heros of the Bonneville salt flats. I was schooled over the mobile phone until the accu was empty by Dave Campos, then world record holder, what to expect at 300mph and how to react to all sorts of things that might happen when "up there". I talked at least an hour to Sam Wheeler, another of the "Greats" and got a lot of good advice. Marty ****erson, Jim Leinewebber (the Barn Job!), Boris Murray, Dave Matson, Sonny and Don Angel and Rocky Robinson were in our pits and told me many stories from the glorious past and present of american salt flats racing. Rocky went on to become the new world record holder while we kept on breaking gearboxes and crankcases and almost everything else and I just once got up to 275mph in second gear when the blower shaft broke.
What remains the most important thing in my life was that all these seasoned and highly successful riders received me with open arms, shared their wisdom about racing, tuning for max power ("..if your engine grenades at the end of your return run, you probably got all that was in there....") and answered any question.
I never met Ed but he must have been one of those open armed guys that share their speed secrets with anyone interested enough to ask. The world has lost another one of those highly successful idols of a generation that had to work a lot harder and still had a smile on their face. God speed Ed - you made the most on this side!

 

RIP Isky. Sincere condolences to family and friends.
Jim

 

RIP, Isky. A life well lived.

 

First: 283 SBC motor: Iskenderian cam and kit. Second: An original 292 c.i. blower spec SBC motor with a new Isky-Gilmer belt drive and kit not available to the public for several months.
An old post from early HAMB
Hello,

The last time I saw Ed Iskenderian was in 2017 when the original Lion’s Dragstrip Museum opened. All of the old time drag racers were in attendance. The opening day/night was just for the racers, builders and suppliers. Since then, the latest version of the expanded Lions Museum has been the home court of Isky’s birthday celebration day events in So Cal.

8 years ago, I filmed a portion of the original Lion’s Dragstrip Museum opening day happenings. It was in a short area of the Stone Woods, Cook section of the whole large warehouse. I was talking to Mike Cook and completed a set of photos, plus a short video of the afternoon happenings. They had set up dinner tables surrounded by a lot of local drag race cars and the invitees were the old Lion’s Dragstrip racers.

I knew the grand opening would give me some surprises. Seeing some old friends and talking about those old days was fun. But after talking to one of the folks who had a book signing table, I was ready for any other surprises. The book was called “So Cal Thunder… When Lions Roared.” by John Glaspey.

It is the definitive book on all of the early Lion's Dragstrip history. The original artwork by art majors from a local college and outstanding photos makes this book, one to have on a coffee table for all to see. Now, one sits on our coffee table for some quick memories each time I walk by the book.

The whole time we were talking, the author was explaining about how he and several college friends were watching our 671 Willys Coupe winning each race all day. They were 19 year old college kids out for a good time in the bleachers. He said it was fascinating that our Willys was out in front of every race. By the time it was 9:00pm, he saw us roll to the starting line for the final race of the C/Gas Cl*** eliminations.

Much to their surprise, he saw the big two car lead, the powerful motor screaming, and the giant fireball exploding right in from of them on the track. Our Willys was on fire, then as it p***ed the finish line, turned right and ended up in the chain link fence. It was right in front of their seats. He saw racers (including me and Atts Ono) spraying the large cans of fire extinguishers. It was exciting and sad at the same time.

Jnaki


After that conversation, I could not get that image of the night action, out of my head and walked into the large open area of the warehouse where the tables and race cars were positioned. As I filmed the whole area, when I got home, I noticed the last film I shot had a familiar face.

 

A few of my prized hotrod possessions . . . he was a very kind man to me when I was building flatheads out in SoCal.

The cams are an Isky 404-A, an Isky 505 and a custom roller cam we made together. He only made three billet 505 flathead cams, Jazzy Nelson ran one and he had been looking for the other two "they're somewhere out in my shop".

One day I'm walking with him, and I spy two flathead cams a****st piles of other stuff (if you've ever been to Isky's you know the scene!). Anyway, I went and grabbed them out of the mess. He says "Hey Pal, you found my 505's! I'll take one and you get to keep the other!". He had told me the story of the 505's quite a few times - they'd been lost for 40 years . . . I guess it was our lucky day to find them.

Rest in Peace Ed, you were awesome dude!

 

I encountered Ed a number of times but the most memorable was at the Speedsters Trials and Reunion where he was the keynote speaker...I was fortunate, through out the event, to get to shadow him. At just shy of 100 years of age he showed excitement, total engagement and curiosity about everything.... a he recognized others, in his past, for his success, notably Ed Winfield I imagine the two of them reunited now....
Here is to a life well lived....

 

Joe Reath was a good friend of mine - he sort of took me under his wing when I was 15 years old and wanted to build racing flatheads. He introduced me to all his ole' friends --> Isky, Edelbrock, Joe Hunt, Moon, Don Ferguson Sr. . . . just to name a few. Joe was like Ed, he always made time to talk to you, p*** on some information, take interest in what you were working on . . . and let me roam through his shop for hours on end.

 

RIP Ed, thanks for the distinct 400jr rumble.

 

He will be missed for sure. Great guy.

 

Back in the 80's when the racing market was flooded with cam companies, Isky was almost a forgotten company. I had one of his cams and his roller lifters. The cam wasn't anything special but the lifters were lighter and stronger than the others on the market. I had a disaster and wiped out a bunch of lifters. I called Isky and got replacements right away. I have seen him at many reunion meets but never had a conversation. I think if you had Winfield on one side and Isky on the other, it would be better to be quiet and listen. I'm still amazed at what people figured out long before any modern methods were available. My respect to Ed and sympathies to family and friends.

 

Most sincere condolences to his family, friends, and fellow hot rodders.

 

RIP Isky. Condolences to your family and friends.

 

Great SoCal life style picture. Hot Rods and the Helms Bakery truck.
2 of the trucks (Divco & Chevy) are on display at the Lions museum.