History This Is The Pioneer Hot Rodder Who Changed My Life...Who Changed Yours ?

My Pop

His name was Sam Mullens,

He showed me stuff in the early sixty's that you wouldn't beleive.

He could french headlites with a hacksaw a torch ,some coat hangers ,some lead ,he taught me you can do what ever you sit your mind too.

Interior and exterior..

The man was not a saint but he WAS one of my heros.....

 

Well, my dad. He owned a shop and was a trained mechanical engineer. As far as hot rods and customs, it would be Tony Nancy. All his stuff was a clean and well done. I got to tell him in person at one of the Hot Rod Reunions.

 

My Dad, but he wasn't a hot rodder. There was a guy in our small town, Visalia, CA, that was a fabricator for the Walnut Growers ***n., and he would build these walnut tree shaking machines/vehicles. He had a shop space that he used on nights and weekends to work on cars, boats, dragsters etc. This was the first time I had seen anyone actually doing the things that I saw in the how-to articles in the magazines. He had worked on Jeff Black's '29 roadster that was entered in the GNRS in 1963. His name is Bob Swack, and I admired his abilities, but I don't know if he is around anymore. I'm primarily art & sculpture oriented, and I admire people that can design and build one-off *****'in traditional rods and customs because I think it is an art.

 

I started reading car mags in the late 60's, which would put my age at 9 or 10 yrs old...Pat Ganahl's style of writing and photography about hot rods and street rods was a big influence. I remember reading in fascination his build articles about his '32 chevy coupe in Street Rodder in the early 70's

 

My dad, Ed Shepherd, he also got me into drag racing, took me to see Don Garlits run at Kansas City for my birthday in August 1969, he also taught me my career, auto mechanic.

 

Like a few others mentioned....my pops first and foremost, I remember "helping" him on his 57 chevy when I was knee high...Then later on drag racing against him in my teens...(see below)

Then all the rough necks at the drag strip, Gene Snow (not that Snow, but another from Abq NM) Eddie Hill (got to be good friends with him when I was a teen.) Jonsey and his hot rod Datsun P/U (I loved racin that cat), Frank Sanchez and finally Terry Hill (on the HAMB) originally from Mild to Wild then went his own way....I learnt alot from just goin to his shop....

 

Tex Smith. Bud Bryan. Spence Murray. Pat Ganahl. Gene Winfield. I won't say who inspires me now, don't want to embar*** anybody.

May sound wierd, but I try to write with Pat and Tex in mind, thinking they might read my blog or posts. My silent editors...

Brian

 

i lived in decatur, ill in 1960 and remember the sectioned ford. 50 model i believe. there was a outdoor car show at the cl*** d baseball field which the ford won the big trophy over mandy holder's barris built 51 mercury.do not remember his name, but car appeared in several car mags around that time. also attended alton ill drags where the greek from chicago ran 204 when every one was struggling at 180's. got to see the scotty's muffler roadster ,with the eight megaphone exhaust system, run at springfield drag strip. lots of good role models

 

My Dad - without even knowing it.

Rat

 

Thank you fellow-Hamber's !

Your memories & thoughts about those who changed your lives and set you on the path we follow today are fantastic. My personal thanks again to Don Ferrara who, along with my Dad, changed mine. http://www.legends.thewwbc.net/gpage105.html

Always remember: Even though many of those that started us on our current course and changed our lives may be gone, when we think about them & remember them they "come to life" for us all over again.

Keep that thought in mind, and have a G-R-E-A-T Labor Day Weekend !

JK www.legends.thewwbc.net

(BELOW: Labor Day On The Homefront, September, 1942 )

 

Bill Burnham.

 

32ford5,

Bill Burnham was a legend himself. A great street rodder & writer, who died WAY too soon.

JK www.legends.thewwbc.net

 

I would have to say my High School auto shop tacher Bob Graff, before him I just liked to tinker with cars as my dad tought me (a great man in his own right but not a "Hotrodder") but Bob had cars he built in the late '50s early '60s in Car Craft and Hot Rod and an office full of trophies. He would teach hotrodding to those who wanted to know and I did.

 

Dad wasn't a car guy,... But he was a Test Driver at Fords "DPG",... My Brother Rick and I were car nuts for as far back as I can remember,... Once a year Ford Motor Co. would have a "Family Day" at DPG and the design center across the street,... And everything that could possibly "fuel the fire" for young car guys was there,....

Instead of selling or trading in the 57 Ford when the folks bought a new car, Dad decided to put it in the garage for a second car,.. (Mom never drove ) It didn't take to much convincing, to talk Dad into letting Rick and I tear into the 57,... Dad had some tools,... but whenever we were stuck for a special tool,.... off we went to Sears,....

Rick and I filled up that garage for years to come,... Dad had to park in the driveway,... but as long as we cleaned off the snow, shoveled the driveway (without being asked) and warmed up his car before he left for work,.... He was good with it,.... and in fact, encouraged it.

My brother Rick and I kept each other going on the Hot Rod projects we were working on,..... But it was my "Non car guy" Dad, that changed mine & my brothers life. when it came to Hot rodding,.... There were other influences in my life,... Bob Kaiser who I grew up across the street from, Frank Mack who became a very dear and close friend,.... Its a pretty long list,...

But Dad and Rick deserve all the credit,..... Thanks Dad, and thanks Rick,... I love and miss you both,.... But there is never a time I spend in the shop, that you two aren't with me.

Yea,... I know you seen it 100 times,... but heres My Dad,... with another hopeless cause I drug home in the late 60's,.......

 

My old man.

 

Harms Way...Truly great story about your Dad.

My Dad was there at the beginning for me, and Don Ferrara completed the picture. If you missed it earlier, here's the link to the Tribute Page for Don...one you should read...a true R&C Legend :
http://www.legends.thewwbc.net/gpage105.html

God bless, my Dad, and, Don...

JK www.legends.thewwbc.net

PS: That's my Dad, Bill, on the Left Below (with our friend, Oscar Wood) with his new '39 Studebaker...my Dad was always c-o-o-l. And, truly the nicest & kindest person I've ever known in my life.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth!
Dad could fix anything.

Second, my friend Larry Hostetter.
He could fix anything, too
He often said he could fix anything but a broken heart. Said he would work on that, too, if she was young and good looking.
Next was Steve Vanslyke at C&V Cl***ic Cars.
Actually I was Into cars about the first time I met Steve, When he opened his shop, I got a first hand look at what it is to completely dis-asemble a car, repair and replace wornn parts.

 

Poplar Mechanix,Mechanix illustrated,Tom Macahill,Toby Tobias,Jim ladd,many dirt track racers,and the slow start of hot rodding,On both coasts.

 

My teacher was B.B.Blackburn, he owned Blackburn Auto Service in Atlanta Ga it specialized in Hudsons, he let a 12 year old work in his shop doing all the dirty **** that the mechanics didn't want to do, s****ping grease off the floor, washing out oil pans, cleaning carbon off heads, sanding cars and learning more than most 12 year olds about cars. Years later Bill Burnham got me off my *** and out into my garage when he'd come by and catch me watching tv, he was like the street rod fairy( not that kind of Fairy) as soon as you got your car on the road he was over at some one elses house helping them get on the road. He loved hot rods use to come by in his roadster while I was building mine toss me the keys to his roadster and tell me to take the wife for a ride so she could see what the hell I was trying to build. Great great guy.............

 

plywude,

Never had the pleasure of meeting Bill Burnham, but have always heard he was a fantastic longtime street rodder who helped many like yourself.

RIP, Bill. Thanks for all the great words you wrote in Street Rodder & Custom Rodder, et al, and for the help and support you always gave to others. You won't ever be forgotten.

Jonnie King www.legends.thewwbc.net