Hot Rods Iconic cars Then & Now

Bell Engine Crankshaft Special
Then

Now

 

Frank "Ike" Iacano Dragster
Then

Now

 

Berardini Bros.
Then

Now

 

The Ricky Nelson roadster
Then

Now

 

Then

Now, still owned by Nelson Stolz

 

I wanna see some "then and now" photos with the same broad (now an old lady) in them.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/hrdp-1104-hot-rod-pinup-girls

 

And that didn't sound weird at all...........

 

If your giving the old car some fame, you have to give the girl some too

 

I got my 28A Bobtail hotrod running in 1959,was doing a engine recam to a 3/4/build in end of 1960 in first pic.
Same 28A Bobtail,still same power; Thunderbird V8 "Y"{rebuilt a number of times over the years} in 2022.



Rollbar,struts and MC type fenders were gone by 62. Added alum slots later/around 64 an chrome header after,two sets over time. Same guy still dose all the work{ Me } Yup,like riding in a time machine !!

 

The Al "Buck" Peek number 63 Sportsman crashed and rebuilt as the number 68, found and restored by my friend Mike Gray.

 

The Ed “Axle” Stewart roadster of Dago axle fame

Then

Now

 

Hello,

In those very early days, a sleek aluminum skinned body with a rear mounted motor showed up at the Lion’s Dragstrip. The driver was almost non existent as he was so low in front of the motor. It was definitely one of a kind in all drag racing. Paul Nicolini designed and build the original Sidewinder dragster that surprised everyone not in the Long Beach hot rod/drag race circles.

It instantly made people notice and sit back for the great show on each run. We saw it in the pits, the dragstrip and in the local Drag News paper. For most people that followed the drag racing scene in So Cal, it was a new and exciting race car.

Within the year, Joe Mailliard was asked to help out in fine tuning the design and add/subtract things to make it faster and handle better. So, by the time the photos of the newly formed old Sidewinder was shown at Lion’s Dragstrip, records began to fall and the resurrected Sidewinder started to win a lot of Top Eliminator trophies, with Jack Chrisman driving.


Jnaki

My brother and I filmed a lot of Sidewinder action as it was one of the most iconic race cars in this whole time period. Watching them a week later in our living room projected on a wall size movie screen was almost as good as being there. Our teenage friends all had a doubly good time being at Lion’s Dragstrip and then being able to see the 16MM color action again, sitting in comfortable sofas and chairs.

But, the reality of it was there was no sound in 1958-60. There was, but the recording device was too large to lug around. So, it was not until 1959 Winter that a recording of the Sidewinder was made public.

Again, it took a lot longer (2015-16) to actually put the original Sidewinder sound to the original Sidewinder films in one version of what we always saw and filmed in 58-60.

Sidewinder Sound 1959


Upon being invited to showcase my Lion’s Dragstrip films in the original grand opening of the Lion’s Dragstrip Museum in So Cal, it was a long version of all of my films. The sound edition was not viable at the time. But, in the afternoon Cacklefest in the parking area of the complex, the latest version of the Sidewinder created by Jack Gillete participated in the “sounds” of drag racing.

2017 Lion’s Dragstrip Museum Grand Opening Cackle



B. Brown photo

 

Alvrin Pfeifer
Then

Now

 

Mooneyham & Sharp
Then

Now

 

Hello,

The famed Gene Mooneyham/Al Sharp coupe had an earlier “Then” starting point. In the old historic photos still posted everywhere, the Sharp Engineering 1934 Ford coupe started with fenders. Then as different classes of competition were tried, the fenders disappeared. The design is as seen by most people in the late 50s and early 1960 in So Cal (being the car was in Lakewood, CA for a home base)

The results from very early Drag News reports showcased the team+coupe all over So Cal dragstrips in competition. There were plenty of dragstrips in the So Cal basin, too.

One day, we were driving to a friend’s house in a new tract of homes in So Cal. It was a surprise to drive around the corner and see the Silver 34 Ford Coupe sitting in the driveway and on another time, in the garage. Lakewood was one of the first “planned” communities in So Cal. It was the start of the abundance of “Tract Home” building throughout all of California and the rest of the USA.

Despite the Ford Sedan Delivery in the background, that is not my 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery in the background. When we visited a friend that lived around the corner in the new master planned community, we saw the coupe and were in my 1958 Black Impala at the time.
Lakewood, Calif.
Post by @Dean Lowe

Jnaki

We saw and filmed a short elimination race with the Mooneyham/Sharp Coupe at the 1960 Bakersfield Smokers’ March Meet.
1960 Bakersfield Smokers March Meet


A surprise at :44 in the film

Thanks again, @Dean Lowe

 

How about finding pictures of famous cars in previous builds in comparison with the current restored versions? For example, the Eddie Bosio AMBR and the Vic Edelbrock and Dick Scritchfield and the Bob McGee.

 

Then

Now

 

@goldmountain That's the original intent of the thread.

 

My six bits

 

Bob Mcgee roadster
Then

Now

 

Vic Edelbrock roadster
Then

Now

 

South Central Los Angeles 1956

Tony Berardini sold the 1929 roadster to the Harrell Brothers


Hello,

In the very early days of hot rodding in Los Angeles, the local racer/builders all knew each other. The Berardini Brothers compound was an auto sales, paint/body shop, and the muffler shop. They made the early Ford motors/cars their bread and butter. Originally, the two separate Berardini Brothers roadsters were built/modified at their shop on 84th and Figureoa. It was just a stone’s throw away from downtown Los Angeles.

Currently, it is now known as South Central area of Los Angeles. Just two blocks over on Main St. was the Harrell Brothers Engine Shop. Those brothers built a couple of racing Flathead motors for the Berardini roadsters. It was early 1955 when Jim Harrell bought the Berardini Brothers' '29 roadster. At first the roadster continued to wear its black paint and white flames while racing on the local So Cal dragstrips.

Jnaki

Early history from the archives…
1950's

 

Bill Niekamps '27 T Bonneville roadster
Then. Posted by @Jimmy B on Facebook.

Now

 

Bill Niekamps '29 Roadster '50 AMBR winner.
Then

Now

 

Frank Mack T Roadster
Then

Now

 

Sadd Teague Bentley
Then

Now

 

Chrisman Bros. Model A Sedan
Then

Now

 

Moody & Jones '37 Chevy......1961 World Series of Drag Racing Champion C/GS
1962, '63, &'64 US Nationals Champion C/GS

 

What happened to that car between when it was built to when you got it...