Vintage shots from days gone by!

Dick Kraft was born in the sleepy California farming community of Anaheim in 1921, where the smell of citrus groves not exhaust fumes permeated the air. Some dang fool gave me a roadster when I was 14 and ruined my whole cotton-pickin’ life, begins Dick Kraft on his entry into the world of hot rods. Then, I had a ‘29 Model A with Kelseys and a Winfield head that I paid for by working on the family ranches. I wasn’t getting anywhere [with the four-banger] so I bought a ‘32 roadster with side mounts and 18-inch wheels for $200. In high school, we had a car club called the Plutocrats. Every Saturday night, we would street race to hold [onto] our number-one status. Street racing, while we don’t condone it, is a part of hot rod history. The legends of the sport didn’t become heros by collecting stamps as kids they were racers.

 

The first AC-Cobra being assembled at Dean Moon's Mooneyes facility in Santa Fe Springs in September of 1962. Seated in the passanger seat is Fred Larsen. Photo by Dave Friedman, Santa Ana, Fred and Marylou Larsen Collection

 

Fred Larsen on the right never forgot the details. Here he is seen waxing the chassis after it was painted. Photo by Don Cummins. Fred and Marylou Larsen Collection

 

The finished chassis of the Larsen & Cummins streamliner. Photo by Don Cummins. Fred and Marylou Larsen Collection

 

Fred Larsen getting ready to change rear end gears at Bonneville in his #115 class D modified roadster. Fred and MaryLou Larsen Collection

 

The Larsen & Cummins roadster at the Riverside 1/2 mile drags in Sept of '59. The car set a gas roadster record of 149 mph. Fred and Mary Lou larsen Collection

 

Unloading after the April 1956 Rusetta meet. Fred Larsen spun at about 190mph and then hit a spectator about 160 mph. Fred's comment "his fanny sure sure put a dent in the nose. Fred and Mary Lou Larsen Collection

 

On July 13, 1958 at the Rusetta Timing Association meet at El Mirage Rollo Brown piloted the Larsen & Cummins GOB class roadster to a record of 170.32 mph. Car is shown at the June meet. Fred and Mary Lou Larsen Collection

 

Celebrating with beer and mud pies just before leaving for Bonneville Speedweek in 1959. Fred and Mary Lou Larsen Collection

 

Loaded and ready for the trip to Bonneville in '59. Fred and Mary Lou Larsen Collection

 

At the age of 15, Don Montgomery was firmly hooked on hot rodding. He got his education hanging around speed shops learning from the technical discussions of his peers. As he mentions, "the final exam was the actual doing of the modifications to your own engine and car".
As a member of the Velociteers Don went to his first lake meet in 1948. A year later he joined the Glendale Coupe and Roadster Club (GCRC) keeping company with legends such as Howard Johansen, Tom "Acmo" McLaughlin and Racer Brown. The club won many trophies and won the points championship in 1951.
In 1952 Don came 2nd. with his Cord in the Russetta Individual Points Championship. He set the Class B Sedan record (137.509 mph) with a straight eight Buick engine and came back to set the 1953 record using a GMC engine in a 1937 Cord.
When drag racing started, Don embraced it with a passion. He ran his Cord and an A Fuel '32 coupe that held many records at most of the So Cal drag strips.

 

In the early 30’s, at a time when the SCTA did not exist, Frank Morimoto was an active participant in dry lakes racing. The place was Muroc and the organization was the Muroc Timing Association. With his brother George, he would make the trek to Muroc in ’a 28 Touring car. Once on the lake they would remove the fenders, lights and anything else to make it look like a hot rod.
Once Frank had been introduced to Bell Auto Parts, there was no stopping his enthusiasm and need for speed. Every penny earned from his job in the family store would go into obtaining speed parts.
When the SCTA was formed in 1937 Frank became a member of the Mobilers. Having acquired a set of Mercedes Superchargers Frank was able to compete with the best of them. In 1937, with a four port Riley in his beautiful ’29 roadster, Frank would obtain a respectable speed of 122.97 MPH.