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Their first rod back in the ‘70s was a built ‘38 Pontiac they bounced around the North in, then they drifted to a muscle car, pounded the quarter-mile a few times and went back to street rodding early iron. Jeff has built a series of rods and sold his last one at a show three years ago for a price he couldn’t refuse. Jeff thought about the seven-year build time his rides take him to finish and he needed another answer. He took his pile of cash, went to the Nationals and came home with this basic ‘34 Chevrolet cabriolet you see here. The rod has been completely apart (including drivetrain) twice, repainted a different yellow, had the interior re-done, a little sheetmetal work, and we just got off the phone with Jeff’s upholsterer and he told us he is doing the interior one more time.
The basis of the rod is a 6-inch lengthened ‘34 Chevrolet cabriolet frame fully boxed and outfitted with a tubular center crossmember. The front sus-pension of choice is a Heidts’ IFS with polished stainless tubular A-arms, coilovers, rack and pinion steering and Wilwood calipers. A four-bar-located Ford 9-inch riding on coilover shocks takes care of the smooth moves out back. A 350ci Chevrolet ZZ4 powerplant is located between the rails. The 350- plus horsepower motor is wearing a Street and Performance serpentine belt drive, an Edelbrock induction system, ceramic-coated shorty headers and is backed up by a 700R4 overdrive tranny.
The first thing you notice about Jeff and Leanne’s ‘34 Chevy is the hood has been length- ened 3 inches. But, we didn’t notice the extra 3 inches in the doors, but did think it looked long and low. The extra space required longer running boards, hood and fenders. The rod was yellow when Jeff bought it and he promptly blew the car apart and straightened and smoothed everything out. It was then put in his best friend’s hands, Greg Shuff, who laid down the Millennium Yellow hues by PPG. The exterior was finished off with commercial headlights, Hagan Fattie mirrors and RodWorks LED taillights.
Jeff’s favorite part of his rebuilt rod is that it’s ready to drive cross-country anytime, but to make that happen the interior had to be comfy for all-day drives. Jeff redid the interior starting with building the super slick center console that houses the Kenwood tunes, Vintage Air A/C with defrost and various switches. The restyled and smoothed-over dash is filled with VDO gauges and hangs an ididit tilt column with a Billet Specialties steering wheel. Jeff used a Ron Francis kit to wire everything up including the Dakota Digital remote entry system. Jeff loves his new ride, but misses not being the builder. That’s where we ask, “where do you draw the line?” Jeff may not have been the guy that first built the rod, but he certainly has modi- fied what he started with. He’s repainted the car, slipped in new wheels, redid the interior, perfect- ed the body and chassis while he was at it, and is cranking down the miles in it (coming up on 10,000). Street rodding all summer and having the fun of building in the winter, isn’t that two- times the fun?
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The National Street Rod Association has entered into an agreement with Rusty Holcomb - Page Custom Rods & Restoration - of Oilville, Virginia to give away a completed street rod at the 2012 Street Rod Nationals Plus.
Mr. Holcomb will furnish the NSRA with a Hi-Boy 1932 Three Window Coupe that will presented to a lucky rodder attending the Street Rod Nationals Plus. Page Custom Rods & Restoration is a longtime supporter of the National Street Rod Association and has participated in many of the NSRA Events.
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Surf City Garage is the fastest growing car care products company on the planet. Its Enthusiast Grade™ products are achieving record sales even in these challenging economic times. Surf City Garage maintains its own collection of 125 vintage muscle cars and its own restoration shop. To keep the cars looking great, Tim Miller, the company’s founder and CEO, tried every car care product around, but he simply wasn’t satisfied with their quality or performance. So he developed his own “car care products for real car guys.” Today, Surf City Garage Enthusiast Grade products are recognized around the world as the best detailing products anyone can buy. Manufactured in the USA, the company’s products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia..
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Those thoughts hid away in the back of Keith’s mind until he saw a clean ‘40 Ford pickup sitting in the swap meet at the Nationals near a ‘34 roadster. Once the vision of a ‘40 Ford roadster pickup with a DuVall windshield entered Keith’s mind, he had a problem. He couldn’t help but to build the rod. He ultimately drug home a very clean ‘40 Ford pickup and started working on the rod for the next ten years. Keith, of course, was detoured once or twice with his full life, that included wife (Kim) and kids (Dan, Karen and Sarah), but it was his dogged pursuit of the perfect blending of the two styles that took so long. We think the results speak for themselves. The original plan was to cut the top off and massage a DuVall windshield into place. As soon as the top came off it was obvious that the belt line, hood line and bed line didn’t flow into each other at all. The solution was to raise the belt line up to the bodyline that was switched to a single revel. The door tops were then rolled to match the contour of the DuVall shaped cowl that also matched the hood. The cab was channeled 1 inch and the bed was raised 1 inch to get the lines perfect. Keith is 6 foot 1 inch so he lengthened the cab 5 inches, which made him shorten the bed 9 inches to keep the proportions just right. After all that cutting, Keith realized the stock hood was now kind of chunky so it was pie-sectioned 1 inch in the rear to 2 inches in the front.
Then while filling up all the extra holes (like door handles and hinges), Keith got to looking and saw that some radiused wheelwells would just perfect the look. The ‘40 pickup headlight rings just didn’t cut it, so a set of Bob Drake-lit ‘39 Ford units were installed. The chassis holding up the goodness that Keith put into the body had to be equally great. The stock perimeter frame was boxed and beefed up. A Heidts’ Mustang II IFS with tubular A-arms, a Flaming River rack and pinion and RideTech airbags were installed. The rear suspension of choice is a Ford 8-inch riding on parallel leafs with airbag helpers. Keith may have been inspired by Ford stylings on the outside, but he’d been dreaming of a 327ci smallblock Chevy wearing double-bump 202 heads, dual quads and ground-smooth Ram horns since high school and that’s what he got. He backed up a ‘63 327 with a Turbo 350 and topped it with a Keith-fabricated air cleaner designed to look like Don Prudhomme’s dragster from 1962. The car was then finished off with 15/16-inch American Salt Flats and an owner-sprayed Washington Blue paint job. Keith took care of the metalwork inside while mom, Karen, did the stitching. The new metal continues on through to the interior with sweet door moldings flowing smoothly into the Auburn-styled dash that houses Stewart Warner gauges in an engine-turned panel, an ididit column on a custom hanger and the original ‘40 Ford steering wheel. The rest of the interior is roadster simple, with two pedals, a simple tan pleated leatherette bench seat and a ridiculously long shifter.
That’s it and that’s all you really need. The last step was Keith wiring up the ‘40 with a Ron Francis kit. Few rods change our perceptions of what a street rod can be. One of the coolest parts of our hobby is despite the millions of dollars professional builders earn every year, at least 15 to 20 percent of rods that are radical come out of home garages across the country. Many of the brilliant homebuilt rods don’t really match the pros’ quality, but Keith’s ride really steps it up a bunch. In many ways, it reminds me of a Brizio roadster (my highest roadster compliment). We thank Keith not only for having the guts to do and redo what his mind saw, but also for putting it all together so nicely that we were inspired.
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It’s our friends which get us through the low points during the construction of a rod (it took Larry 20- plus years) and like 9 out of 10 of our feature car owners, Larry wanted to thank his friends Ernie Vishion and Brian Campbell. He says they are the most helpful and talented rodders on the planet and never get any credit. So let’s see what Ernie, Brian and the rest of the crew did to help out on the Hibbler’s sweet ride. Larry found the rod when he was delivering parts to a customer from his salvage yard and after a couple years of dickering they made a deal. The rod came home to Larry and his wife Barbara. Larry started getting things ready for the project, then came kid one, then number two and so on until they had five. The rod spent a few years get- ting pushed back by more kids, more braces and finally massive college bills. Fast forward nearly 20 years and Larry was ready to get building. He had his friend Ira Holensbe (the car’s original owner) box-up the stock frame and then Larry slipped in a Vega- steered Super Bell tube axle bouncing on a trans- verse leaf spring with a stainless four-bar system. The rear suspension is a four-bar located Ford 9- inch riding on coilovers. Larry self sourced his junkyard powertrain that includes a fuel-injected 1994 Chevrolet LT1 powerplant backed up by a transmission.
Brian Campbell did some of the weld- ing on the chassis, but his talents started to shine when he made (remade?) the cowl, the floor pans and started filling holes. Ernie Vishon started help- ing out by hanging the doors, making the rear hinged three-piece hood (sides and top) with all of the assorted hardware and helping get everything to fit. The old Model 40 was then delivered to H & H Autobody who hammered the top 2 1/2 inches in the back, 3 1/2 inches in the front and filled the roof with one from a ‘62 Chevrolet station wagon. The car and frame were then dropped off with Bob Mitchfield who laid the Freightliner Fleet Green paint. The car is rounded out with 15- and 16-inch American Salt Flats in as-cast and wrapped in Michelin rubber. Two special awards were given out: Association Participation with 34 members of the Minnesota Street Rod Association traveling 23,966 miles to attend and the Club Participation recognition for 14 members of the Sedan Deliveries Ltd. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for traveling 9,224 miles to attend. The Safety Inspection team was hard at work throughout the event and 115 inspectors from 19 states inspected 318 cars and passed 246. The prestigious Safety 23 decal was awarded to 195 cars. Also working hard to make sure everybody had a good time, even if they encountered mechanical troubles, were members of the Michigan Hot Rod Repair Shop.
The interior follows the simple, but stunning, flavor of the exterior. Ernie was called on to per- fect and make the dash that Larry wanted. It’s filled with Stewart Warner gauges, Sony tunes and the Ernie-built inserts and covered in wood grain by Roger Bell. Larry then slipped in the Escort front seats and Neon rear seats before shipping the car off to Jerry Sexavers for upholstery. Jerry made new door panels, slipped in some dark sand-colored wool carpeting and covered every- thing else in tan leather. The interior is rounded out with air conditioning, a ‘40 Ford steering wheel connected to a tilt column, Lokar pedals and shifter. The last step was to have Rob Hightful put together the wiring before Larry, Barb and the kids (he still has at least one young enough to drag around) hit the road. Larry was lucky enough to have friends who physically helped him with his car, but the most valuable support he received was in the form of encouragement. It doesn’t matter whether it was the rodders looking through his salvage yard for parts silently egging him on, his friends giving him a hard time for letting the project sit, or his friends coming through when he had no idea what to do next. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, it may be the cars that got us coming here, but it’s the people we meet that keep us coming back year after year. Rod on my friends!
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We have personally told many enthusiasts, and even seasoned industry experts and builders, about the excitement and wonderment of this greatest of events and many have decided to see what it’s all about for themselves. All have ended up in amazement at all the cars, vendors, activities and simply the sheer size of the Nationals. Even if you are not necessarily a car fanatic there are many other things going on that anybody can get enjoyment from. This year during August 4-7 over 10,000 incredible street rods, customs and performance machines gathered at the huge Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, to enjoy four days at the 42 Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus.
The engine, interior, chassis and color on Dick Steven’s ‘56 Chevy from Isola, MS, look picture-perfect to us. The powerplant of choice is a 400ci small-block Chevy with 32 valve heads and direct-port injection, a Morrison chassis holds everything in place and the paint is mirror finish PPG Black.
Over 300 volunteers representing 42 clubs and associations totaling 817 years of combined experience joined NSRA staff and Field Force teams in the production of this year’s Nationals. Prior to the start of the event, on Wednesday evening, a gathering of all the volunteers and clubs was held and commemorating plaques for their years of service to the Street Rod Nationals were presented.
The key to street rodding is ingenuity. Tommy Manner of Centersville, GA, knew this, and you can see it in his ‘25 Dodge. Not to just pass by all of the cutting, widening and transformation from four doors to two, but we dig the roofline LED turn signals and third brake light, as well as the quick- check oil dipstick cutout in the hood. The slick sedan took a Mopar Country award.
Two special awards were given out: Association Participation with 34 members of the Minnesota Street Rod Association traveling 23,966 miles to attend and the Club Participation recognition for 14 members of the Sedan Deliveries Ltd. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for traveling 9,224 miles to attend. The Safety Inspection team was hard at work throughout the event and 115 inspectors from 19 states inspected 318 cars and passed 246. The prestigious Safety 23 decal was awarded to 195 cars. Also working hard to make sure everybody had a good time, even if they encountered mechanical troubles, were members of the Michigan Hot Rod Repair Shop.
Herbert Harvey’s Gasser- style ‘51 Henry J caught our eye with its
aggressive look. Above the modified straight axle sits a 327ci SBC backed by a four-speed Borg/Warner Super T10. Radiused rear wheel openings now accommodate the large 34 OCTOBER 2011 cheater slicks, while ET wheels finish the Gasser guise for the “Husslin’ Henry.”
Three clubs gathered donations and presented the MHRA Hot Rod Repair Shop with some extra operating capital as a way of thanking them for their efforts to help rodders. They were the American Classics of Southern, Indiana, with $100; the Backyard Classics of Charlestown, Indiana, with $200; and the Okolona Street Rods of Louisville, Kentucky, with $200. As you can see from our coverage of the event there were too many things going on to list them all here. But considering the number of volunteers, clubs and associations more than willing to make sure everybody had a great time, it is a must to put on your “Bucket List.” We’ll see you all next year on August 2-5 at the 43rd Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus. Do everyone you know a favor and convince them to experience this!
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There are few things better than a Ford in a Ford, and a 347ci all-aluminum Ford detailed to the nines would rank just about perfect on our list.
He’s built himself and his wife a slew of cars (this one is officially Peggy’s). In the tech sheet after Peggy told us about Bob’s previous projects she added, “My husband loves to build and I know this isn’t the end since there is a ….” and she goes on and tells us about the ‘49 Woodie and ‘55 Chevy waiting to be completed. So let’s see what Bob and Peggy put into their second ‘32, their first was a roadster. Bob built the ‘32 Ford for his wife, so the chassis had to be not only bullet proof, but beautiful. The fully chromed front suspension hangs off a boxed chassis with extra beefy crossmembers and consists of a Magnum 5-inch dropped axle, hairpins, a Panhard bar, Wilwood brakes and a Unisteer cross-steer rack. Who doesn’t love a quickie? Bob hung his Speedway Engineering quickie on hairpins and controlled it with ProShocks coil-overs and a Speedway anti-roll bar.
Now this is the kind of place we could spend a day or two (with the floor mats in place). Dark Green Ultraleather with seat heaters provide supple comfort that will last for miles and miles.
If I were building a car for my wife, I’d keep steering effort in the back of my mind and the rack and pinion styled steering box combined with an aluminum headed Dart aluminum block have got to lighten up the front end. All that aluminum combines to make a 347ci small-block Ford that wears a Quick Fuel carb, a polished Edelbrock intake, an MSD ignition and custom Sanderson headers (check out the collector flange). The factory-fresh good looks of a ‘32 Ford three-window coupe were retained with only little mods being performed (and a massive lowering from stock). The coupe is stock height and retains all the good stuff like the soft-top, cowl vent, trim and louvers, but looks good with suicide doors, dropped headlights, swan mirrors and removed cowl lights. The car was sent to Stan Rosendale of Fresno, California, for a thorough straightening and then Stan laid down the darkened British Racing Green.
The classic lines of a ‘32 Ford sitting slammed to the ground with a quickie peaking out from underneath is the stuff of street rod dreams. This British Racing Green example belongs to Peggy and Bob Cook out of Fresno, CA.
The look is finished with 15/17-inch Wheelsmith wires in tan that are wrapped in Michelin rubber. The first thing we thought when looking at the pictures of the interior was that looks bitchin’, but wait what happened to the carpets (and I saw them take out the floor mats when shooting the feature)? All that gorgeous Dark Green Ultraleather was cut and stitched into place by the talented hands of Edgar Escoto. The interior is simplicity and comfort at its best with hidden A/C, a banjo wheel, Classic Instruments in an engine turned insert, a tilt wheel and heated seats. The last step before sending Peggy out on the road was for Bob to wire the car with a kit by Enos. The second part of Bob and Peggy Cook’s fun is driving and enjoying their rides. We see the couple all over the state of California hanging out with their friends and fellow club members (Cam Twisters and Jokers). Building and driving is the kind of fun that makes sense to us. We understand the satisfaction of spending an evening or weekend in the garage, but the actual fun comes about when we hit the road in our crazy old cars. Drive on and we’ll see you’all on the road.
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A big car needs a big-block engine like the ‘70 Chevrolet 454 that is ground smooth, painted Champaign and polished to perfection.
Gary and Janice Williams from Granite Bay, California, had a few criteria for their next rod; they wanted a ride that was classy, elegant and not your run of the mill ‘32 Ford or the like. Since their weren’t any Bugattis advertised locally, Gary scooped up a ‘36 Auburn roadster that was for sale and the couple started dreaming of just what they wanted—not that the stock Auburn roadster wasn’t pretty cool on its own. They could see just what lines they needed to keep, which ones to emphasize and which ones to have somebody make.
Dave Putnam stitched the seductive interior in brown Italian leather around tons of South American burl wood, custom seats and Classic Instruments gauges.
Once the Williams knew where they were going with the outside, Gary blew it apart and started on the chassis while he and Greg Wood of Rosewood Street Rods started working out the details of all the sheetmetal. The chassis Gary came up with is part custom frame and part Alston Chassisworks sub frame. The front suspension is a TCI IFS running Wilwood calipers, tubular control arms, AirRide shock/bags and rack and pinion steering. The rear suspension is a four-bar located 9-inch sitting AirRide low. One of the beauties of ‘30s luxury cars is there is plenty of room in the engine compartment and Gary filled that space with a 454ci big-block Chevy. The Chevy runs a Demon carburetor on top of an Edelbrock manifold, a custom exhaust and a 200R4 tranny. Rosewood R&C started with a steel ‘36 Auburn roadster and then handmade the grille shell, hood, decklid, headlights, runningboards, taillights and the trim. The rest of the car was then smoothed off (door handles, vents, hinges, etc.) to match the handmade parts of the body. The result is a modernized version of the original design. Tim’s Hot Rods was then called in to lay down the BASF paint in Cinnamon and Champaign. The overall look was then rounded out with 17/18-inch Billet Specialties wheels wearing low-profile Goodyear rubber.
There is a lot to like on Gary and Janice Williams’ ‘36 Auburn roadster from Granite Bay, CA, but mostly we love the custom coachwork from Auburn and Rosewood Street Rods.
Classy and elegant may start with the sheetmetal, but it’s got to flow right into the interior (especially on a roadster). Not surprisingly, the dash retains its essential shape, but is made out of a Wabbit’s South American burl wood dash and is filled with Classic Instruments gauges. The floating center console holds the AirRide controls and the iPod for tunes. Dave Putnam was called in to stitch the brown Italian leather and inlay the Burl strips into the center console and door panels. The last step was for Tim’s Hot Rods to get everything assembled and slip in the Painless wiring kit. So how did Gary and Janice do in creating a distinctive, classy and elegant ride that hearkens back to the good old days? We think they did an awesome job! Even the judges at the few indoor shows the car has been in were impressed. Of course, none of this really matters; all that really matters is how the Williams feel about their ride. And, we’ve seen them driving along with big smiles on their faces here around California and always are having a great time!.
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The patterns were then transferred to 18- gauge, cold-rolled steel, cut out, trimmed and just like magic, custom hood side panels appeared. You can see the supercharger fits through the opening with exacting precision.
Dave Tucci has now delivered the rod to his good friend, Jerry Noone of Noone Customs in Piedmont, South Carolina, to add the finishing touches. Noone Customs supplied the new Ecotec 2.4 liter engine and five-speed transmission and have been onboard all along to upholster the car.
Walt’s also pre-painted the firewall final body color and with the Ecotec installed into the chassis for the final time, the body was bolted back onto the finished chassis.
After some discussion, Jerry and the crew also offered to do some final body fitment and finish the paintwork. That’s the way it is in the rodding family—exceptional talents pulling together to make magic happen! The next time you see this stunning American Speed 33 it will be on display at the 42nd Annual National Street Rod Association Street Rod Nationals Plus. Nobody knows who it will be, but on August 6 one of you in attendance at the Saturday drawing will have your prayers answered.
The custom Dayton wire wheels and aggressive BFGoodrich treads add further to the “sporty” theme of your Speed 33. Who will you be?
Then it will be time to slip behind the wheel, fire up 300hp of latest technology and head out for a winding two-lane strip of blacktop and experience the exceptional handling of your new rod as you shift your way through all five speeds. Good Luck!
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First a power hammer is used to get the basic shape and then Dave Tucci used a planishing wheel to smooth the surface.
By complementing as much of that basic design into all aspects of the build the final project will appear whole and as though it was built for a purpose.
The wheelwell extensions are then tacked into place to have a nice line to meet up with the rollpan edges.
Don’t get me wrong, rodding is all about doing what you like and think looks good that’s what makes all these projects so fulfilling. But giving some forethought to every aspect of the construction and “standing back 20-feet” to view the progress will ensure you will end up with your dream rod. That’s exactly the process the crew at Tucci Hot Rods in Marcy, New York, are currently applying to the 2011 NSRA Giveaway car.
This photo shows the finished rollpan with the exhaust tips installed. This will be a very clean look for all those who try to catch up to the 300hp Ecotec “Speed 33” as it winds its way through all five gears.
All the basic American Speed Company “Speed 33” components are in place and now the artwork begins by tying everything together into one well-thought-out design statement. Follow along as this month the Tucci crew fabricates some of the main components that in the end will make this rod appear as though a crew of very talented professionals lent their hand to the build. Be sure to make plans to attend the 42nd Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus with your registered rod and on August 6 this car just might be yours. For sure it will be somebody’s in the audience.
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The Ecotec 2.4 liter engine and five-speed transmission from Rocket Autoworks were immediately mocked in place and transmission crossmembers and motor mounts designed. But first, the crew had to cut a hole in the floor for tr
The Tucci Hot Rods crew then mocked up the grille shell and hood for final fitment and positioned the engine and transmission in preparation for
fabricating the engine and transmission mounts. Everything has to be positioned exactly right for the perfect fit to make everything look “factory fresh.”
ansmission clearance and then a custom-fabricated tunnel was created to cover the hole. With the steering installed, along with several other suspension components, the car is well on its way for the Strange Motion crew to arrive for the final bodywork and paint.
Before the engine and transmission could be mocked into place a clearance hole was cut in the firewall and floor.
Judging from the pictures you’ve seen so far and the concept artwork, you can see why thousands of rodders will be in attendance at the drawing to win this car on Saturday, August 6, at the “Greatest Show in the World,” the 42nd Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus. Make plans to be there and enjoy just one aspect of this memorable fourday event in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Tucci received the one- piece hood from Rootlieb.
Over the last month they turned their attention toward mounting the laid-back grille shell and Rootlieb one-piece hood. The laid-back profile created some fitment challenges but the end result really gives the roadster a swoopy look.
The laser is shown here positioned so everything on the front section of the car can be measured off of the precise laser beam. The laser beam was then set up to center the front peak of the hood to the body and chassis.
Next they turned toward the interior and started mounting a myriad of small parts and pieces required to finish the car. The Vintage Air heat/defrost option will make sure the lucky winner stays warm.
The mounting brackets Kugel Komponents provided make mounting the pedal assembly a dream.
You won’t want to miss the “Greatest Show in the World” at the 42nd Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus on August 4-7 in Louisville, Kentucky. Be registered with your car on the fairgrounds, enjoy the show and be sure to attend the Giveaway drawing on Saturday, August 6 2011. This cutting-edge American Speed 33 could be yours to drive home.
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The 9-inch Ford rearend housing, supplied by Lucky 7, was first mocked in place for the perfect rear tire fit to the rear wheelwell bodyline.
The advantage to this approach on a highboy is the location of the front and rear axles, thus the wheels/tires can be shifted around for that “just-right-look.” This becomes a much more complicated task on cars with fenders and stock hoods as the builder is locked into the mounting location of all the sheetmetal—unless extreme measures are taken to modify the dimensions of all the stock body panels.
The end result is one brand new ‘33 Ford roadster that is years ahead of what Henry envisioned 80 years ago. Make your plans now to attend the 42nd NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus on August 4-7, 2011, and you just might be driving this beauty home!
Be sure to check out our captions for the unusual engine combination that is in keeping up with the latest technology available and a new approach to performance and handling. If you are a registered participant at the 2011 NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus and meet all the Giveaway Car criteria, you may just be driving this cutting-edge roadster home.
The crew at Tucci’s then bent up a rear crossmember for the upper coilover mounts and notched two locations for the upper mounts.
On second thought, this roadster-appearing rod should probably be referred to as a cabriolet, since it has roll-up side windows and a folding top that tucks neatly into the trunk space—now that’s the best of both worlds.
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The design process began using a digitizer to plot all the dimensional data from the best original ‘33 Ford roadster body they could find. All the data was used to compare the computer design work to the original for accuracy.
The all-steel ‘33 Ford body supplied by American Speed Company was fitted to the frame rails and body mount points located, the mounting bungs welded in place and then the frame rails were boxed. While the crew at Tucci Hot Rods finalize the frame and chassis construction we thought you would enjoy a more in-depth look at how American Speed Company designed and now builds the Speed33 bodies.
The end result is one brand new ‘33 Ford roadster that is years ahead of what Henry envisioned 80 years ago. Make your plans now to attend the 42nd NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus on August 4-7, 2011, and you just might be driving this beauty home!
Although there are a number of innovations incorporated into this new version of the classic ‘33 Ford body, such as the folding top, roll-up windows and the nocost option for factory modifications allowing the body to be channeled over the frame for highboys, the stock hood, grille shell and fenders fit the new body as well.
The entire body was “built” on the computer with multi dimensional views, inside and out, available to study the accuracy of the data.
These bodies reflect a huge investment in the design, tooling and stamping equipment and the same methods used to manufacture Original Equipment vehicles are utilized. D. Mark Trostle, founder and President of American Speed Company (ASC), and all of the talented staff have definitely raised the bar when it comes to improving one of Henry’s most beautiful designs.
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This is the all-steel ‘33 Ford body supplied by American Speed Company. The Speed33 is equipped with structural components that are tied to high-quality body panel stampings that stay true to the original design, and features a number of firsts in the industry, including the first modern, fully-integrated convertible top in a ‘33; the first full substructure design for maximum body rigidity; the first integrated windshield stanchion and windshield frame; as well as the first body design to compensate for both highboy and full-fendered treatment.
This will be the thirtieth consecutive year the NSRA has made the dream of a lifetime come true for a rodder attending the greatest car show in the world. To build this year’s gorgeous Speed33 roadster Tucci Hot Rods in Marcy, New York, was selected to perform the construction chores.
With the body mounting bungs and boxing plates installed the frame rails were placed back on the frame jig to be positioned and clamped in place.
In 1997, owners Dave and Jill Tucci raised their garage doors and opened their business, Tucci Hot Rods. Today they are one of the leaders in the industry and are known for their creative, innovative and custom designs. Not only is everything custom from chassis to body, they are known for their specialty in sheet metal fabrication. Add in the fact that they design and fabricate custom trophies as well, and you can see why Tucci Hot Rods has become nationally recognized for its state-of-the-art designs, trendsetting abilities and highly sought after vehicles.
The triangulated four-link supplied by Welder Series along with some miscellaneous tabs and gussets to help with the build.
The vehicle that started it all was a ‘39 GMC pickup that quickly became known across the country and made appearances in five national car magazines. Another unbelievable project to roll out of their shop was a ‘55 Chevy Nomad dubbed SickMad. It had some of the crown in the roof removed and a ‘64 Impala windshield/dash/cowl fitted in place. It also sported wedge-cut front fenders and a one-piece lift gate in the rear. And roll this monster does — with a 500ci, dual turbocharged Chevy engine that can crank out 1,600 horsepower! Tucci Hot Rods work has also appeared on several television shows including TNN’s Trucks, ESPN and the ever-popular Monster Garage where Dave
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When Managing Editor Paul Sloup and I were tasked with making the StreetScene Pick at the Golden State Nationals we got together on Saturday afternoon and checked out what the other thought looked good. Once we were done Gary and Nancy cruised by in the ‘35, power parked a little, and I said, “That’s the car I’d really like to pick.” Paul answered, “Really? … I love that car.” The conversation quickly went to: “Did you see the engine? Did you know the car used to be a four door? The taillights are off a what? I like the way he did whatever, and a do you know how he did this or that?” Paul has a NoCal past and he added Gary and Nancy are long time rodders, drive the Hupmobile everywhere and are great people. Well, one thing led to another and we couldn’t stop ourselves from picking Gary and Nancy’s ‘35 Hupmobile out of Carmichael, California.
Gary saw an ad in the local paper for the ‘35 Hupmobile and he thought it would make a great street rod. Once he got the Hup back home he realized the four doors were all hung on the Bpiller (mostly made of wood) and it was shot. He decided to weld in the rear doors and while looking at the car decided to shorten it a bit. He took some snap shots, enlarged ‘em and made a photo cut-up to give him an idea of what to do. He ultimately decided 6 inches of shortening was picture perfect. Then came the hard part… He popped the body off the frame and cut the frame just behind the K-member and, after removing 6 inches, re-attached the rails and boxed the frame. He then welded in a FatMan Mustang II IFS crossmember with tubular control arms from Heidts and Firestone airbags. He slipped in a triby angulated four-bar on air from Air Ride Technologies with Firestone airbags to control the Ford 9-inch differential. Now that the chassis was a roller, he couldn’t put off cutting up the body. He cut the body in half 6 inches behind the Bpiller and got to work on shortening the doors.
He bought a shrinker stretcher and got the thing right where he liked it. He then robbed the top off a ‘50 Studebaker and welded it in. The top killed the car. He had a ‘48 Studebaker project going, so the Hup sat for a while. He then tried using two Rambler American tops, better but not enough crown. So Gary built a ‘78 El Camino and wormed his way into a ‘49 Ford roof (Gary is apparently an expert at finding roofs). The ‘49 roof fit like a glove and Gary was jazzed up on the project again. The door corners were radiused, the nose was molded (fenders, grille and splash apron), the rear fenders were widened and molded, the spare tire cover was molded, custom running boards were fabricated and ‘38 Chrysler taillights were located. A ‘99 LS1 out of a Pontiac was backed up with a 4L60E tranny and then disguised as a ‘54 RedRam Hemi. Gary slipped in a modified ‘47 Mercury dash and filled the interior with Vintage Air, a LeCarra wheel, Dolphin gauges and Kenwood tunes. Dave Putnum was then called in to stitch the white rolled and pleated interior with black piping. When we got to this point in the tech sheet we were surprised Nancy hadn’t been mentioned. She seemed as into the car and things as Gary was during the shoot and every time we saw them cruising around she was there.
Well, turns out the whole last page is dedicated to thanking his wife and this little story about her: When they first got together, their daily driver was a hot rod ‘55 Ford F100. One day while trying to weld on the ‘55, Gary lit the cab on fire and managed to badly burn his right hand (resulting in a bozo the clown style bandage). They drove the truck everyday, so what could they do but have Nancy grab the side cutters and re-wire the burned out cab. They’ve had a happy 35 years of rodding and marriage since that incident. We’ll see you’all on the road.
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He went through a number of stockers over the years, but had always wanted a streetrod. When he found a ’36 Packard 120 hiding in a basement, he knew it would make a perfect rod and that his dad (Lloyd) would love to get involved in rodding the heck out of a ’36 Packard. Thus began another great father/son project. Their plan was to build a smoothed-out and classy resto rod with an emphasis on both the rodpart and the intrinsic luxury feel the Packard name implies. Once the rod was blown apart, the chassis was stripped bare and updated the Corvette way.
A forged-aluminum C4 IFS with coil-overs, massive disc brakes and a nice weight power rack and pinion was installed. The rear suspension of choice also came from a C4 Corvette, but in this case it was narrowed, had coil-overs installed and the finned aluminum brakes were retained. What was left of the stock frame was boxed, reinforced and welded to provide rigidity. Ricky and Lloyd’s friend Riley Kennedy donated the bitchin’ 427 ci big-block Chevrolet motorvator with an Edelbrock intake system, Hedman headers and aTurbo 350 for shifting. The power package turns17-inch Americans wrapped in Goodyear rubber.The flowing Art Deco lines of the Packard were retained, but Ricky and Lloyd also significantly updated the Packard package. The roof was filled,the headlights were updated to three-bar lights, swan neck mirrors were installed and smoothie running boards were fabricated.
They had sometrouble getting parts from restoration suppliers when they found out the car was to be a streetrod, but they just called back later and lied. Rickythen straightened everything out, got the suicide doors running perfectly with bear claws, and laid down the flawless Cortez silver-colored hues. Other than the basic (and we mean basic) dash shape, the interior is almost fully from the minds ofthe Potters and the fine folks at Alexander’s Upholstery. A center console was fabricated to match up with the original dash and filled with power window controls, billet A/C con-trols, a tach and the Lokar shifter. The dash was two-toned in red and silver while being filled with Haneline gauges, a push button start, and set up to hang a LeCarra topped stainless steering column. Alexander’s then took over and covered everything from the headliner to the kick panels in a richred leather. Lloyd then wired the cartogether with an EZ Wiring kit andthey took off down the road (if only it wasthat easy).We obviously think Ricky’s ride is rad, but we think Ricky will agree that the greatest part of the ride is all the time he got to spend with dad building the rod. It makes finishing the car unimportant, but makes the car truly priceless when it’s done. We should all think about getting someone we love involved in roddingand what next project of ours would be perfect for that purpose. Great job Ricky and we’ll beseeing you on the road.
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Right now is the time to request that your name and phone number be included in the next, all new edition of the NSRA Fellow Pages. By just offering to be included, even though you may never be called on, you will be doing your part to again make this one of the greatest parts of being a rodder. Remember...we print and mail the Fellow Pages to the members FREE, but you and other caring rodders like you make it work. NSRA’s part doesn’t mean a thing without each of you doing your part.
Don’t put it off...SIGN UP TODAY!
It’s that time of year...time for you to put your name and phone number in “the pages” so that should a fellow rodder be in your neighborhood and need assistance, he or she will have someone to call and know will come to their aid.
That’s the way the NSRA Fellow Pages work, and that’s why it works so well...it’s rodders helping rodders, and that’s a proven, unbeatable formula.
Support the Fellow Pages
To make a donation to keep the Fellow Pages alive, choose an amount to give below.
Hint: If you want to give a different amount than what is specified, you can choose a denomination above ($1, $5, $10, $25 or $50) and use the “increase” function of our shopping cart service to increase your contribution incrementally.
Fellow Pages: We Need You to Sign Up!
As great as the Fellow Pages concept is, however, it only works because so many of you, the caring NSRA members, make it work. If it wasn’t for all of you that offer to have your names and phone numbers published in the handy carry-along Fellow Pages, this wouldn’t be the outstanding program it has become. So, as we do each year, we are reminding everyone once again that it’s time to send in the information needed to make 2012 another year when rodders everywhere are assured that help is as close as the nearest telephone. For all of you that have been aided through the generosity of your fellow rodders, it’s pay back time, and one of the best ways to express your appreciation for help received is to offer the same to another… to be there for the next person that needs the helping hand of a fellow rodder.
NSRA prints a completely new Fellow Pages each year, and it is mailed free to all of the members. Every edition is totally new, and we do not pick up any names and phone numbers from the previous year. In this way, only those who care to have their name and phone number listed are included, and Fellow Pages users are assured that they are calling on someone that is willing to help and that phone numbers are as current as possible. Even if you have been a regular in the Fellow Pages in the past, to be included in the new, 2012 edition you must fill out the above form and submit it online or print out a form and send it to NSRA Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, by the Friday, February 25th deadline.
Organizations wishing to have their members’ names listed as a group under the name of the club or association will find a convenient form for that use. When using this “group” listing, make sure the names are in alphabetical order and grouped by city to assist in preparing the information for printing, and make sure everything required (name, city and phone number including the Area Code) is included.
The Fellow Pages booklet itself will list only the names and phone numbers of those requesting to be included, but we need the complete address of the person submitting the name(s) for our records, and to assist us in case there is a question. Please be sure to include this information in the spaces provided as it is important and most helpful.
As in the past years, the all new 2012 NSRA Fellow Pages will be more than just a handy reference guide to those that have volunteered their help to a fellow rodder in need. All of the NSRA field force personnel (Directors, State Reps and Safety Inspectors) will be listed, along with a complete outline of the NSRA Vehicle Safety Inspection requirements, making the 2012 Fellow Pages booklet a valuable traveling companion and all around guide...it will again be something to have with you at all times.
The information in this book can be priceless...That’s why our members always get it FREE!
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Like many ‘50s rodders, John had to sell his last hot rod, another ’40 Ford coupe, in 1971 in order to keep up with a growing family. He couldn’t stay away long and built himself a sweet Deuce road- ster, but the roadster just didn’t fill that burning in his belly for the rod he drove in his youth. John and Roma had no choice other than to sell the roadster and go looking for a ’40 Ford coupe. John wanted to build a clone of his rod from the early years he could drive, drive, and drive the wheels off. He wanted to start with a car that was similar to what he found back in the ‘50s. He found an unrestored, but clean, black ‘40 Ford coupe in a collection from Virginia and shipped it to his home in Ridgecrest, California. for sound, a fake alternator, custom wire looms), but he just couldn’t find a pair of Evan’s heads so he went with a pair of home-polished Offys. John had planned on running around in the car stock for six months or so, but the years of non-use changed his plans (the car was well stored and dis- played, but not driven regularly). A rusty fuel system quickly led to doing a full rebuild.
He wanted to build the car like he had in the ‘50s, but still wanted a safe and reliable ride so some modern chassis parts made the grade. The front suspension is a full Chassis Engineering setup with a CE dropped I- beam, CE front transverse leaf, the stock steering, disc brakes, a CE antiroll bar, CE shocks, and CE rear parallel leaf springs hanging a Ford 8-inch. Back in the day, John was known for his crazy flat motors (like a 331ci beast with a monster crank), until he slipped in a small-block Chevy for the first time. John decided to go back to his flatty roots for the ’40. The car’s 59a flatty looked good, so John took her to his local machine shop and got her swinging 260ci with hardened valve seats installed. John topped the engine with home-polished Offy heads, an Evans three-pot intake, a trio of 97s, an alternator in a generator body, a Mallory unilite distrib- utor and a set of Red headers. A T-5 five-speed manual with overdrive was mated to the old Ford block to keep the flatty peppy, but highway friendly. Once John got all the mechanicals right, he filled all the holes in the firewall and slathered the under- side with a nice coat of flat black for the chassis and shiny black for the sheetmetal. The ’40 was delivered with really nice paint on it from the ‘60s but it had some flaws on the upper passenger door so John re- sprayed the door.
The rest is the old paint, which gives the rod the right look. John took off some god-awful bumper tips and re-chromed a few NOVEMBER 2010 33 things, but the rest of the outside is basically stock. Tan is the accent color of choice (the steelies and interior), because back when John was just out of junior high school an auto body shop he worked at gave him a large supply of tan paint. John painted everything (engines, wheels, dashes, etc.) tan to keep the tradition alive. Sadly, no one was giving him the paint this time around. John knew three things before he started on the interior; the original ’40 seat was staying and he was stitching the interior, and the window frames would be chrome. John painted the dash infamous tan (and black), added an old three-gauge pod, and kept the factory steering and cleaned up/replaced the knobs and trim. John also used to run his rod on alcohol (a switchable system), so he faked the old system with a pressure pump in the interior and uses John stitched the tan Ultraleather and tweed interior around the stock seat, interior panels and headliner.
The stock radio in the dash looks good, but tunes come from an ipod compatible unit in the glovebox. The last luxury touch is the factory rubber floor mats. It’s pretty much a given that everybody here digs old cars or we wouldn’t be street rodders. Like many rodders, John is drawn to street rods from a life spent on rodding. Almost every car guy has great memories of their first rod, and we all spent a lot of time dreaming about what it would take to make that rod perfect. Sometimes we get our perfect rod right off the bat, sometimes we wait until we are older and have more cash, but if you’re like John and Roma you get your dream rod back then and now you have a sweet clone. Sounds like street rodder heaven to us.
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Corvette in the Barn is a collec- tion of true, often amazing, stories and essays about car collectors and enthusiasts who have discovered unusual and desirable cars forgotten in all manner of locations from barns to old school junkyards, to farmer’s fields. The book is fourth in Motorbooks best selling “In the Barn” series by Tom Cotter. Cotter gathered all the stories he could find about such “lost” cars in his first 2005 book, “The Cobra in the Barn,” and then fol- lowed it up with “The Hemi in the Barn” and “Vincent in the Barn.” These books became a national phenomenon that resonated with car buffs around the world and this fourth book promises to do the same. The Corvette in the Barn is a 6x9 inch, 256-page hardback or paperback, with 125 color photos throughout.
Title:
The Corvette in the Barn
Available From:
www.motorbooks.com, by
calling 1-800-458-0454 or
visiting any major bookstore.
Price Range:
$26.00 plus S&H
TOLL FREE: 877-712-1027
OR: 209-754-9558
www.bigalscarponents.com
4052 Mt. Ranch Rd. • San Andreas, CA 95249
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Many people who ask are obviously more interested in getting a full feature on their car, and we’ve told thousands about what it takes to get featured in a magazine. We talk about bright colors; the car being something different; quality of the build, or whatever. The truth is what gets a rod a magazine feature depends on a million factors. In the case of Mac and Shelley Bernd we can tell you exactly what sealed the deal on their ’55 Chevy (silver and white doesn’t exactly jump off the page). I looked the car over and talked to Mac.
for a minute or two about the rod. Later, I got to thinking about something he’d said about some part of the car, which led me to come back and ask a few more questions. Soon enough I had a slightly better plan for my next brake job. After I’d repeated this a couple of times on a couple of other parts/mods, I thought maybe we’d all like to get a better look at Mac and Shelley’s Arlington, Texas-based ride. Mac and Shelley have had and built a bevy of unbelievable rides, including a slick red ’57 they drove the wheels off, a 2009 Springfield Pros’ Pick-winning ’32 and their currently driven awesome Nova. They actually fell in love with this ‘55 at a cruise-night in Costa Mesa, California. A deal was hammered out and their Deuce went to California and the ’55 came home to Arlington. As we all do when buying a new/used car, Mac made quite a few little changes to the car to make it more of a driver. Walton Fabrications in Upland, California, built the basic chassis and it features GM 605-based power steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, dropped spindles and a four-link-controlled 9- inch with a 4.11 geared TruTrac differential. A Corvette LS6 was slipped between the rails. The engine has been stroked to 383 ci, the heads are ported and polished, the rotating assemblies are blueprinted and balanced and finally the LS6 spins the dyno to 520 horses and 535 foot-pounds. A 4l65E electronic overdrive tranny tames the powerful engine and 4.11 gears. After Walton Fabrications finished the chassis and mock-up and flipped the front bumper (it looks awesome), Cypress Auto Body in Hawaiian Gardens, California, nosed the hood, decked the rear lid, removed the door handles and smoothed the Nomad rear bumper. Mac loved the color scheme, but the paint was showing its age (Mac is a bit of a perfectionist), so he had Wade’s Rod and Custom out of Wylie, Texas, respray the ride in the same PPG Tarnished Silver and Corvette White. Mac straightened out the original trim and got it polished to perfection. Mac’s last addition to his Double-Nickel Express was the slick Intro V-Rod 18- and 20-inch wheels wrapped in 225/40/18 and 295/40/20 rubber respectively.
Elegance Interiors out of Upland, California, must have done a stunning job right from the gate because the only place Mac didn’t make major changes was in the interior. Elegant stitched twotone grey leather wraps around Lexus power buckets and a custom rear seat and custom door panels add to the appeal. The interior features Vintage Air A/C, Classic Instruments (we’re big fans of their Tri-Five panel), power windows and a Pioneer sound system for CDs and iPod tunes. Fred’s Wiring in Ontario, California, custom fabbed the wiring harness and hooked everything together. Mac was great to deal with. (I had questions, some stupid and others he had no idea what the answer was, but we had a great time BS’ing.) In other words, a nice guy and his wife having a great time in their super bitchin’ car can get you into StreetScene.
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As an added attraction, Marlan mentioned that it looked like the ZZ Top rod, so I caved, and we ended up with a ’34 Ford threewindow coupe. Thirty years ago, way back in the late ‘70s, we let go of a hard earned $2,000 plus and my husband towed it home. From my non-addict eye, it wasn’t quite as “mostly complete” or “primo” as I had envisioned or been told. Then for the next 30 years the car sat in storage because our other rods and life took precedence. Marlan bought a `36 Ford coupe when he was 19 years old in 1964 and restored it in the mid ‘60s. After our marriage in 1967, our family, which included two children, put many thousands of miles on our ‘36 Ford coupe going to rod runs throughout the summers. As a good street rod wife, I took many cold beers out to the garage, picked up his chin that had fallen with each mishap/problem that occurred, bled brakes several times and “looked but did not touch” at many street rods at shows. For 38 years, I have worked beside my husband and with other street rod widows at Quad Cities Vintage Rod car shows that my husband’s car club has sponsored. Marlan is one of only two remaining charter members of the club, which sponsors an annual car show every September in Moline, Illinois. So throughout the years, we had the ’36 Ford coupe roadable, a ’35 Buick sedan that was bought along the way and was under construction, and the ’34 Ford coupe ‘in the oven’ so to speak. Grandchildren arrived and started riding with us.
One day early in the 21st Century, Marlan mentioned he was thinking about selling the ’34 Ford because he already had restored the ’36 Ford coupe three times, had recently completed the ’35 Buick sedan and was not feeling up to another “resto” job. So, in truth, he did not want to spend the sweat equity to restore another rod (not to mention the money to be gained by selling). I replied that, “no, you are not going to sell this rare and primo gem, you are going to build it for your loving, car hugging wife who has followed you, assisted you and supported your hobby for over the last 40 plus years of marriage.” He just stared at me wishing he was hard of hearing. But he knows when he is defeated, so he caved and started restoring “my 34” in 2005. Like Marlan, I have been a car person all my life. My dad, John Walsh, owned a John Deere/Chevrolet dealership in Durand, Illinois, until 1964 when the doors closed. As a child we had many new cars, all Chevys, usually with ragtops. In his later life, when I was in high school/college, Dad got into Corvettes. I think we were the only ones in the town of about 1,000 people that had one. When I met Marlan he also owned a ’65, 365hp, four speed with hard/rag top Corvette which, along with his apprenticeship as a tool and die maker at John Deere, made it an easy choice to pick him as a life mate. Now “my ‘34” Ford coupe is almost completed and I have been consulted on what I wanted in/on it every step of the way. No I haven’t sanded the body (much to Marlan’s chagrin) or done the hard labor on the car.
But, during this several year-long resto period I’ve been in the garage many times a day, looking at progress, holding something, sharing my thoughts, giving support, etc. Marlan is a journeyman tool and die maker by trade (now retired) and is one of the rare breed of street rodders that is able to construct and build all aspects of the car. His craftsman skills create wonder and amaze me on a daily basis. Statistics regarding the `34 include a TCI chassis with an independent front suspension and four-wheel disc brakes. The engine is a 350 Chevy with 700R transmission. I chose the paint colors which are Hot Hues Sinful Cinnamon Red on the body with the flames, firewall and some other touches being Hot Hues Amber Ecstasy yellow. The paint color names match the spicy/racy look of the rod. Some of the more outstanding and unique aspects of the ’34 coupe are a gas tank lid that is flush with the car, hidden hinges on the doors, pinstriped flames and a ribbed car top from a ‘62 Valiant station wagon. It will have a push button start and some trademark wood interior touches as Marlan also doubles as an expert woodworker. Many of our car friends have offered advice and assistance along the way. We appreciate them all. Right now the car is painted and at the upholstery shop which is one of the few aspects of car restoration that Marlan does not do. Marlan plans to have the rod completed in August. I can’t wait until “my ’34” is roadable and I plan on driving it to as many rod shows as possible. Maybe Marlan can follow me in the ’35 Buick or if the mood strikes me he can ride sidesaddle.
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The National Street Rod Association has entered into an agreement with Dave Tucci - Tucci Hot Rods - of Marcy, New York to give away a completed street rod at the 2011 Street Rod Nationals Plus.
Mr. Tucci will furnish the National Street Rod Association with a 1933 American Speed Hi-Boy Roadster that will be presented to a lucky rodder attending the Street Rod Nationals Plus. Mr. Tucci is a longtime supporter of the National Street Rod Association and has participated in many NSRA Events.
2011 will be the thirtieth consecutive year in which the National Street Rod Association will have given away such an outstanding prize.
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The National Street Rod Association has entered into an agreement with Dave Tucci - Tucci Hot Rods - of Marcy, New York to give away a completed street rod at the 2011 Street Rod Nationals Plus.
Mr. Tucci will furnish the National Street Rod Association with a 1933 American Speed Hi-Boy Roadster that will be presented to a lucky rodder attending the Street Rod Nationals Plus. Mr. Tucci is a longtime supporter of the National Street Rod Association and has participated in many NSRA Events.
2011 will be the thirtieth consecutive year in which the National Street Rod Association will have given away such an outstanding prize.
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Then it’s time to hit the road and that’s what happened recently at Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop and Perfection Hot Rod Parts as they finalized this year’s NSRA Giveaway Car and headed for the 36th NSRA Street Rod Nationals South Plus event held in Knoxville, TN, April 30, May1 and 2, 2010.
This was the unveiling for the roadster that is going to make a lifetime memory for some very lucky NSRA member in attendance at this year’s 41st Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday,August 7th, 2010.Follow along as the in-house crew at Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop build foundations for all the various interior panels that were eventually covered in Hydes imported Italian leather. Stay tuned for next month’s full feature and cover photography.
Shane Phillips and Chris add the final touch to the interior by installing the Classic Instruments gauges and wrapping up some final wiring,Hey guys — lets get that Perfection Hot Rod Parts steering wheel installed. We want to go for a ride!
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This will be the 17th time the NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Louisville and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Kentucky Expo Center will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house over 350 manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Kentucky Expo Center and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Kentucky Expo Center and is open to the public August 4, 5, 6, 7, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 42nd Annual Street Rod Nationals Plus in Louisville, Kentucky. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
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As he likes to say, “Life is too short to ride in a closed car!” Now, Chris is a grown man and thanks to the generosity of a good friend, dad and him can now caravan to events in a pair of Deuces. Below you will find the story, as told by John, on how a father and son were able to live a real life dream with a historic roadster. Stories like this only come around once in a lifetime and, if they do, they never happen to you or anyone you know. This is the story of a chance meeting and a gift of a lifetime. Forty Ford Day in Southern California always brings out a unique mix of hot rods, custom cars and eccentric people. The summer of 1996 was no exception. Long-time friend and with baby steps every weekend and holidays. He kept us both focused by a constant reminder that Gene was watching over us and guiding us through the rough spots.
The car started and ran in 2006 and we broke in the cam, but then were beset by an oil leak that had us changing components to attempt to get it resolved. We finally contacted Ed Martin Garage in Riverside, California. They specialize in hot rods and classic cars, plus race a Bonneville roadster. The oil leak had them buffaloed for a time, but eventually discovered we did not allow enough engine breather. Repairing that, we were on the road. The first trip was up and down our street, then a 12-mile round trip to a Sunday brunch. Our first “event” was Fathers Day in 2008. The first overnight was the NSRA Western Nationals in 2009 at Bakersfield, California. A chance posting on the Society of Land Speed Historians in March of 2009, filled in another piece of history on the roadster. A racer named Jack Mickelson raced a flathead Deuce to second place in Class C in 1947. After that Jack had sold the car to Don Francisco, the same Don Francisco that Gene Scott purchased the Deuce from in 1959.
Another strange twist has Jack telling us that Wally Parks of NHRA drove Don over to pick up the car when he sold it in 1948. It is the coolest to have a son that is into hot rods, an understanding and supportive wife, and a friend like Gene Scott whose generosity allowed a father and son to live a real life dream.
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PHOENIX, Ariz., April 27, 2010 – ClassicCars.com, a leading provider of online classified advertising for the collector car industry, announced today that it has been named as the official provider of classified advertising for the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) website. Effective immediately, all NSRA members and other visitors to NSRA’s website are able to search for vehicles and sell their vehicles via a new “Classifieds” link at the top of all pages throughout NSRA’s website (www.nsra-usa.com). The links lead to a co-branded version of ClassicCars.com providing easy access back to NSRA’s website.
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This month we are showing how easy assembly of one of these street rods is — if you plan and pre-fit everything. But in the end, no matter if your project is a simple “driver” or a highend showcar, you can count on one thing. There will be many trips to O’ Reilly’s Auto Parts for thermostats, fan belts, miscellaneous fittings and fluids. There will also be a lot of 3M Products required; all available at O’ Reilly’s. Get to know your counterman and be sure to present him/her a bottle of their favorite beverage during the holidays. If you go to your local parts store and ask for a thermostat for a 350 Chevy and the first thing they do is start clicking away on the computer and asking what model/year car this is for be warned! If you get a blank stare when you tell them it’s for a ’32 Ford then you have the wrong counterman. Good ones can do magic!
This is a project that will celebrate the traditional ‘32 Ford roadster and include some of the latest innovations out of this Alabama shop. We invite you to watch the build at www.johnsonhotrodshop.com or in the pages of StreetScene magazine.
Thanks to These Contributors:
- American Stamping Corp.
- Brookville Roadster
- Coker Tire
- Colling Components
- Currie Enterprises
- Eric Brockmeyer
- Gennie Shifter
- Johnsons Hot Rod Shop
- Pete & Jakes
- Posies
- Rootlieb
- Walker Radiator
- Wheel Vintique
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Things are coming to an end on ‘your’ project. If you attend the 41st Annual
NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus, August 5 to 8, 2010, this car could be yours, if you are lucky enough to hold the winning ticket. This month we are showing how easy assembly of one of these street rods is if you plan and prefit everything. But in the end, no matter if your project is a simple ‘driver’ or a highend showcar, you can count on one thing. There will be many trips to O’ Reilly’s Auto Parts for thermostats, fan belts, miscellaneous fittings and fluids. There will also be a lot of 3M Products required; all available at O’ Reilly’s. Get to know your counterman and be sure to present him/her a bottle of their favorite beverage during the holidays. If you go to your local parts store and ask for a thermostat for a 350 Chevy and the first thing they do is start clicking away on the computer and asking what model/year car this is for be warned! If you get a blank stare when you tell them it’s for a ‘32 Ford then you have the wrong counterman. Good ones can do magic!
This is a project that will celebrate the traditional ‘32 Ford roadster and include some of the latest innovations out of this Alabama shop. We invite you to watch the build at www.johnsonhotrodshop.com or in the pages of StreetScene magazine.
Thanks to These Contributors:
- American Stamping Corp.
- Brookville Roadster
- Coker Tire
- Colling Components
- Currie Enterprises
- Eric Brockmeyer
- Gennie Shifter
- Johnsons Hot Rod Shop
- Pete & Jakes
- Posies
- Rootlieb
- Walker Radiator
- Wheel Vintique
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Heaven only knows how long ago Ray Lund started street rodding. In the early days, Ray had a regular job, raised a family and built some sweet rides in his basement/first floor shop. Then Ray started helping his buddies in their car club (The Roaming Relics) and one thing led to another. Then Ray realized it made more sense to open a little rod shop. Ray did great work in his shop. I personally shot a couple of tech stories at Ray’s back in the day and he did things right. Like many of us who start working in our hobby, Ray burned out a little and the Lund clan (Ray and wife Cori) headed to Pueblo, Colorado, to be closer to family. Ray put rodding aside and focused on grandkids and great grandkids for a while. Then in 2008 he slipped over to the Rocky Mountain Nationals to spend some time with his old friend and our former leader, Joe Mayall. Joe’s enthusiasm for the hobby rubbed off on Ray. Not long after the June 2008 event, Ray decided he needed to pick up a cool four-door and have some fun cruising around in it with his grandkids. He found a clean Model A body and got to work. It took Ray nine months to go from a bare body with decent fenders, a pile of wood, another pile of parts and sheetmetal and access to the checking account from Cori to complete the ’30 A-bone.
The basic Model A chassis was retained, boxed and Ray slipped in a leaf-bounced Superbell I-beam axle controlled by a four-bar setup. The rear suspension of choice was a Ford 8-inch differential bouncing on a de-arched stock spring and held in place by owner-fabricated ladder bars. Stopping powers are provided by Maverick brakes in the rear and F100 front drums. The chassis looks great painted in ’53 Buick Tilton Red and golden hues. Ray slipped an ’88 350ci Chevy with a factory roller cam and Vortec heads between the frame rails. The final piece of the powertrain puzzle was a rock sturdy Turbo 400 automatic transmission. The steel body was in good shape, but the wood was totally rotten. After Ray got the four doors re-wooded, he went to work on the rest of the body and fenders. Ray started by removing the gas tank and hiding the battery under the cowl. The gas tank was moved behind the rear seat and has a hidden filler in the back. The body came sans runningboards so Ray made a set with stainless runners. He then straightened everything up and laid down the Tilton Red and Gold PPG paint. Ray got the whole family involved, having his grandson (Carlos) and great grandson (Cody) doing lots of sanding. Rounding out the look are the Diamondback wide-whites wrapped around red steelies with Ford baby moons. The reason Ray built his ride was for cruising with his (great) grandkids, so the interior had to be comfy and family friendly. With the original gas tank out of the way, Ray fabricated an Auburn-style dash from sheetmetal with a Ray-made stainless inset and Auto Meter gauges.
The front and rear seat frames were made from fiberglass, ala the Joe Mayall ’27 T project (circa ’72-80). Ray then hired Steve Thompson of Complete Auto to stitch the white and maroon vinyl interior. He then finished the interior off by installing a white Juliano’s top insert. The last step was getting power throughout the car with an Affordable Street Rods 20-circuit wiring kit. Ray sent Joe updates all along the way and our fearless leader loved watching Ray’s progress and hearing his excitement grow with every new project on the car. Joe forwarded the e-mails to everyone he knew and bragged about the ride. Joe and Ray had planned to meet at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in 2009, but as you know Joe missed the rest of the rodding season. We spotted Ray’s ride as soon as we saw it and knew it was just the kind of story you’d like to hear—a street rodder re-finds his love of cars, meets up with old friends and inspires a new generation of rodders
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The more complete the initial mock-up, the easier the final assembly will be. Toward the end of this month’s Part 4 installment you will see the craftsmen at Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop and Perfection Hot Rod Parts laying down the final colors on the body and chassis.
Next month the body and frame will come together for the final time and then all the effort applied at that point will be toward the end of this project.
We hope you are enjoying seeing this car going together and will join us at the 41st 2010 NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus for your chance to win this incredible roadster. We’re sure whoever wins it will enjoy the car for years — especially if they get out on the road and see America!
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In our first installment of this year’s NSRA Giveaway Car in the January 2010 issue of StreetScene we kicked our coverage off with a lead photo that looked more like a model car kit than a real-life ’32 Ford roadster. This month we show you the basic steps taken by the craftsmen at Johnson’s Hot Rod Parts who took a pile of sheet metal, supplied by Brookville Roadsters, and turned them into a recognizable automobile.
But unlike a model car kit, no glue was needed for this project! In addition to our long list of sponsors behind this car that one of you lucky NSRA members will be driving home from the 2010 Street Rod Nationals Plus and the effort of the craftsmen at Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop, another company is heavily involved in this year’s buildup.
Perfection Hot Rod Parts is a signature series parts line from Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop and in addition to helping fund the project; their suspension parts,steering wheel and pedals will be used. Be sure to keep an eye out for many new, innovative products coming from Perfection Hot Rod Parts who debuted this year’s Giveaway Car in their booth at last year’s Street Rod Nationals featuring their new billet wishbones.
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Dave Frazier from Abington, Massachusetts, started drag racing in the early ‘60s, but after a government- sponsored trip to Vietnam and a growing family with then new wife, Ida, Dave had to take a break from his automotive obsessions. Dave and Ida worked hard raising their family and putting their kids (David and Brenda) through college. As their last child neared graduation, Dave started preparing his wife and his psyche for the eventual purchase of a rod by telling her that he wanted a ’69 Chevy Camaro for Christmas and/or his birthday. In 1997 his wife picked up a ’69 Camaro and hid it at their son’s house until Dave’s birthday. Surprise! That’s when the fun really began. The Camaro was clean, but still needed 30 years of abuse and neglect fixed. At first, Dave was going to go with a simple build, but as the rotted panels started coming off, “one thing lead to another” as Dave describes it. Dave planned on building a driver and wanted to update the chassis for modern driving. The front sub-frame was welded, smoothed and boxed.
Upper and lower A-arms from Fat Man were fitted to the sub-frame. Disc brakes were hung off the spindles and QA1 coil-overs were slipped into place. The rear suspension is a complete four-bar suspension bouncing a 3.70-geared Ford 9-inch on coil-overs from Art Morrison. The front and rear sub-frames were then attached to a full rollcage. Dave originally fitted the rod with smallblock Chevy power, but every time Dave and Ida went to a show Dave would gravitate to the GMPP booth were he would drool for hours over the new 572 big-block engines. Ida decided to step in and surprise him with a 572ci package for his birthday just before the car went to paint. Dave threw on a Demon carb, Lemon’s headers and backed the power combo up with a 4L80E electronic overdrive tranny from Hughes Transmissions—620 horses the easy way. The body required a bit of work to get it up to snuff, but Dave didn’t stop at stock. All of the exterior chrome was removed (except the grille trim).
The door handles, trunk and firewall were shaved. The hood was replaced with a tall cowl-induction hood with billet aluminum Ring Brothers hinges. A rear spoiler was added with a Watson’s LED third brake light and custom Watson’s LED rear taillights. Tons of tiny details were added or taken care of such as 90 MARCH the tightly fitted and body-colored bumpers; the embossed trunk for the aftertuition graphic; and he added chrome mirrors and slick new stainless wiper assemblies. Peps Rod Shop smoothed everything out and got the lines perfect before they laid down the House of Kolor Torch Red basecoat. Rick Brine laid out the House of Kolor Candy Cobalt Blue flames and Alex Olivera pinstriped the ride. The look is finalized with Weld Wheels’ ProStar mags wrapped in itty-bitty Hoosiers up front and massive 18-inch Hoosiers in the rear. The first thing we noticed about the interior was the nicely integrated rollbar, but man did we miss the boat! The dash from a ’55 Chevy was modified to fit in place of the stocker, smoothed and then filled with Auto Meter gauges. A center console was fabricated by Peps and filled with Auto Meter gauges, a B&M shifter and an armrest. The finishing touch is the ididit column wearing a billet steering wheel. Peps Rod Shop stitched the off-white leather interior around the Nissan Maxima bucket seats that use Simpson five-point harnesses to hold Dave and Ida in place. Ida then wired everything together with a Painless Wiring kit and hit the road. We thought we’d leave you with Dave’s own words about his ride; “Since hitting the road in 2008 we’ve put 11,000 miles on the car (and wrecked the front end once) and enjoyed every minute of it. We’ve met a lot of people and made some great friends. Building a car has been a long journey, one that I would gladly take again. My wife and I look forward to our trips every year. My next project is a ’55 Chevy for my wife.” Sounds like payback is the best medicine.
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Cutting his teeth in California’s hopping postwar hot rod scene, Winfield eventually gravitated to the media of custom cars, becoming one of its preeminent purveyors.
For the first time, Winfield’s career is examined in this volume fully illustrated with photography from Gene’s personal archive. Written by long- time Winfield protégé, David Grant, The Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield is culled from hours of interviews with Winfield and recounts everything from his early days in Modesto and his emersion in California car culture, to his role in forming the Century Toppers car club, his involvement in dry lakes racing, the formation of Winfield’s Custom Shop in 1955 and the impressive string of vehicles that followed. Cars featured include the ‘46 Ford convertible that graced the second issue of Rod & Custom magazine, the ‘50 Solar Scene Mercury and the Ford King T that won the 1963 others. Grant also delves into Winfield’s involvement with AMT, movie and TV vehicles for such projects as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart.
This 9 1⁄2 by 11 hardbound book is 176 pages of custom and rodding history that will be enjoyed by all.
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Street rod fans and car buffs revving up for the 2010 car show season will notice CHROME specialty car insurance from ANPAC, official product of the National Street Rod Association, replacing the familiar logo of Sneed Insurance, formerly Sneed, Robinson & Gerber. Sneed entrusts its vintage car clients to CHROME this year after a 37-year exclusive relationship with the NSRA.
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Not only is the entire family involved with hot rodding, but they seem to have the ability to attract similar minded people as lifelong partners. To top the hereditary anomaly, the family has three generations of hot rodders to prove that it’s not a one-time phenomenon. What’s going on here?
Sharon Roberts was the oldest child when twins Garey and Terry were born in 1940. She’s had a ringside seat to one of the more prolific family hot rod stories in the last half century. Twins are known to share similarities more intensely than the rest of us, and by the time the brothers graduated from high school in 1958, they were both heavily involved in cars. Garey studied auto body at the now defunct Macomber High School in Toledo, Ohio, and Terry put his efforts into the mechanical end of the automobile world. Between the two, they had most aspects of hot rodding covered, and what the school system didn’t teach, experience and busted knuckles did.
It’s difficult to tell exactly when the brother’s work started to influence other rodders, but Garey’s body and paintwork started to get noticed and the result was a slow motion snowball that continues to this day. Terry found a much more lucrative job working for the local newspaper than he ever could have as a mechanic, so his mechanical skills were relegated to hobby status. Gareywent to work as a body and paint specialist at a local GM dealership, but his after-hours custom work steadily gained momentum and acclaim. The allencompassing hot rod influence wasn’t something that could be ignored if you were in close proximity of the Roberts brothers, and sister Sharon was starting to get caught up as well. Cool is contagious!
Despite the amount of time being absorbed by hot rodding, time and nature tend to demand attention in other directions. Marriages and families are the result, and like the rest of us, the Roberts family expanded rapidly. Garey and his wife Alice had two sons, Scott and Kevin, and Sharon and husband Donald Young had daughter, Debbie. Terry married his wife, Georgia, and of all their children, only daughter, Deanna, married a car guy, Jim Jensen.
By the early ‘70s, hot rodding was becoming organized at levels undreamed of a decade earlier. The National Street RodAssociation was off to a grand start, and visionary street rodders across the country caught sight of the potential. Garey Roberts proudly displays NSRA membership card number 801 that’s testament to his dedication and vision. During that same period, the Toledo Area Street Rod Association was born by a group of young men standing in Garey’s front yard in 1971. That organization continues today, not surprisingly, under the direction of one of the family members.
By 1988, the obligations of a position for a dealership and the obligations to custom car enthusiasts become two full-time jobs. That was the position Garey found himself in. The only alternative was to take the hobby to a new level, and Roberts Auto Restorations was born. By that time, the rest of the family had again
expanded. Cousin Debbie had married an established hot rodder named Rick Saam, and they had two children, Kris and Erika.
Rick and Debbie are as heavily involved in hot rodding as the rest of the family. It’s Rick, in fact, that is the present day president of the Toledo Area Street Rods. When the couple was married, the getaway car after the ceremony was Rick’s ‘38 Ford convertible. Their enthusiasm for hot rodding hasn’t waned one bit in the ensuing years, and the summer months will find them cruising in their ‘32 big-block, Chevypowered roadster.
Roberts Restoration was already running strong when Kevin joined the firm and added a new level of enthusiasm. The younger Roberts was married to Kara Kinsey in 1990. Kara’s parents, Dorsey and Joan had also been active rodders for a number of years, so once again, the family expanded within the hot rodding fraternity of the northwest Ohio area. Kevin and Kara have since had two children, Tyler and Ashley.
It’s been five decades since the ever-expanding Roberts clan got a firm foothold in the world of hot rodding, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight. If anything, the widening circle seems to be stronger than ever. Garey and Alice are still actively cruising the highways as are Terry and Georgia, and Don and Sharon. They may take a bit slower pace than they did in their early years, but they spend every bit as much time enjoying their creations as they ever did. Kevin and Kara participate in every rod run within range of their Toledoarea home, and even a few that the senior Roberts don’t make. Kevin’s state-of-the-art ‘32 sedan has been the focus of several publications, and the Deuce roadster that’s in the works promises to be something special as well. Brother Scott works for the State of Ohio in Columbus, but hits every rod run possible with his ‘32 Fordor.
Kris Saam has become as involved with car building and hot rodding as the rest of the very prolific family. Married a few years ago, he and wife Alisha have three children, MaKaylee, Logan, and RyLynn. Kris recently got his 350 Chevy-powered ‘47 Ford coupe rolling and took it to a run in Illinois. We know better than to suggest that the car is finished. It’s a rod, and that never happens.
Tyler Roberts, Kevin’s son, has yet to arrive at driver’s license age, but he is already headlong into a ‘32 Ford Fourdor highboy project. Of course there are several more “enthusiasts” in the family that don’t have active projects in the works, but being around so many motorheads, it would be impossible not to share the enthusiasm. Even the very young ones seem to share the trait. Logan Saam, the youngest male child in the group just won’t let go of the steering wheel of his dad’s ‘47 coupe while he’s in the car.
Without reservation, this has to be one of the most prolific hot rod families of the last half-century. It would be hard to imagine any related group of people that has produced a greater number of award winning cars. The two elder Roberts brothers, Garey and Terry, have had in excess of 30 different hot rods and have won hundreds of awards. With the younger generations following the same path, only history will see the final tally. The Roberts family saga has no end in sight, and they wouldn’t have it any other way! For more updates on the Roberts’ current projects, you can visit them at robertsautorestoration.com.
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Thank you for visiting the Advertising & Commercial Exhibitors room.
Included is information on advertising in the StreetScene Magazine "News monthly" and the NSRA Events Commercial Space Agreement. Please choose from the options below to continue.
For additional information, contact: Bob Reynolds, Director, Advertising and Sales; 775-749-5700, fax: 775-749-5717 or Jon Stroud; Sales Manager; 562-430-7748, fax: 562-430-7746.
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This will be the 21st time the NSRA Southwest Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Oklahoma City and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the State Fair Park will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at State Fair Park and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Southwest Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Southwest Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful State Fair Park and is open to the public April 15, 16, 17, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 28th Annual Southwest Street Rod Nationals Plus in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 25th time the NSRA Western Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Bakersfield and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Kern County Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Kern County Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Western Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Western Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Kern County Fairgrounds and is open to the public April 29, 30, May 1, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 35th Annual Western Street Rod Nationals Plus in Bakersfield, California. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 28th time the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South Plus has been held in Knoxville and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Chilhowee Park & Expo Center will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Chilhowee Park & Expo Center and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals South Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Street Rod Nationals South Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Chilhowee Park & Expo Center and is open to the public May 6, 7, 8, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 37th Annual Street Rod Nationals South Plus in Knoxville, Tennessee. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 17th time the NSRA Mid-America Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Springfield and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Mid-America Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Mid-America Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and is open to the public May 27, 28, 29, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 28th Annual Mid-America Street Rod Nationals Plus in Springfield, Missouri. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 31st time the NSRA Street Rod Nationals East Plus has been held in York and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the York Expo Center will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at York Expo Center and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals East@ is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Street Rod Nationals East Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful York Expo Center and is open to the public June 3, 4, 5, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 38th Annual Street Rod Nationals East Plus in York, Pennsylvania. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 27th time the NSRA Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Pueblo and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Colorado State Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Colorado State Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals@ is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Colorado State Fairgrounds and is open to the public June 24, 25, 26, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 27th Annual Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals Plus in Pueblo, Colorado. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 25th time the NSRA Street Rod Nationals North Plus has been held in Kalamazoo and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals North Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Street Rod Nationals North Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds and is open to the public September 16, 17, 18, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 32nd Annual Street Rod Nationals North Plus in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 18th time the NSRA Northeast Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Burlington and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Champlain Valley Exposition will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together at Champlain Valley Exposition and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Northeast Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Northeast Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Champlain Valley Exposition and is open to the public September 23, 24, 25, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 18th Annual Northeast Street Rod Nationals Plus in Burlington, Vermont. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 10th time the NSRA Golden State Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Sacramento and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Cal Expo Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together at Cal Expo Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Golden State Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Golden State Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Cal Expo Fairgrounds and is open to the public October 7, 8, 9, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 10th Annual Golden State Street Rod Nationals Plus in Sacramento, California. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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This will be the 23rd time the NSRA Southeast Street Rod Nationals Plus has been held in Tampa and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Florida State Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house a large number of manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.
The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engine and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.
Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is truly unique mix of old and new together at Florida State Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. The NSRA Southeast Street Rod Nationals Plus is the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.
The NSRA Southeast Street Rod Nationals Plus is an excellent event for spectators to attend and those who take time to attend will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful, best constructed vintage vehicles ever assembled in one place. One of the special attractions for the spectators is that they can walk right up to the vehicles and check each one out close up as they are not roped-off or otherwise confined. All are in the open and can be examined top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. While the exquisite paint and other features of the car should not be touched, spectators are free to look to their heart’s content.
The big automotive show will be at the beautiful Florida State Fairgrounds and is open to the public October 14, 15, 16, 2011. Make your plans now to attend the 23rd Annual Southeast Street Rod Nationals Plus in Tampa, Florida. It promises to be one of the biggest vintage car shows in the city’s recent history and you can enjoy every exciting part of it.
Those of us at NSRA know you won’t soon forget it.
For additional information contact:
Jim Rowlett – Marketing Director – 617 Julia – Hurst, Texas 76054 – 817/581-9915 – 817/427-1395 (F)
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Hall of Fame Quality: AMSOIL formulates a wide selection of synthetic lubricating oils. Founded in 1972 by a jet fighter squadron commander, Al Amatuzio, AMSOIL continues to be the leader in synthetic lubrication technology. www.amsoil.com
Manufacturing U-Joints for over 90 Years: Founded in 1914, Borgeson began by manufacturing universal joints for lathes and milling machines. Today, Borgeson is the leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket steering and universal joints in the Street Rod, Racing, Specialty Automotive and Pickup Truck markets. www.borgeson.com
Brilliant Specialty Car Protection. You’ve made a BIG INVESTMENT in your specialty car. Now let CHROME® specialty car insurance from ANPAC® help you protect your investment with coverage designed for car buffs by car buffs. www.anpac.com
The world’s largest supplier of tires and wheels for your collector vehicle. When you need tires, be sure to call Coker. www.cokertire.com
Quality… Plain and Simple: When Lokar began operations in 1988, the goals were simply to make a better product than what was available. And now their commitment is to provide the automotive aftermarket enthusiast with the best possible products and service. www.lokar.com
Refinish Systems from PPG are Second-to-None: As the world leader in automotive finishes, PPG has the global resources to offer the latest coating technologies in a full range of systems and products to meet the needs of just about any paint application and environment. www.ppgrefinish.com
Your single source street rod parts provider. With millions of street rod parts for your car or truck hot rod in inventory. We are adding new parts regularly. Check out our huge selection of Hot Rod and Street Rod Parts. www.streetrodhq.com
Surf City Garage Enthusiast Grade products are recognized around the world as the best detailing products anyone can buy. www.surfcitygarage.com
UPS is a global company with one of the most recognized and admired brands in the world. We have become the world’s largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. www.ups.com
The Most Respected Name in Quality Cooling Systems: Specializing in Coolant and Air management packages for the Street Rod and High Performance Automotive field, Walker Radiator Works is recognized as the world leader in cooling system packages. www.walkerradiatorworks.com
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We are proud to introduce you to the 2010 NSRA Giveaway Car that will be awarded to a lucky participant at this year’s National Street Rod Association, 41st Street Rod Nationals Plus. The Eric Brockmeyer Designs’ rendering shows what you can win on Saturday, August 7, 2010, but before that happens there’s a lot of work ahead. Taking on that task for 2010 will be Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop in Gadsden, Alabama. Alan Johnson, proprietor of Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop, appeared on the national scene at the young age of 22 with his debut at the NSRA Nationals in 1993 with a smooth ‘37 Ford Phantom. This project started as a hobby for Alan, but swiftly gave him the confidence to open his own shop building cars for customers.
This is a project that will celebrate the traditional ‘32 Ford roadster and include some of the latest innovations out of this Alabama shop. We invite you to watch the build at www.johnsonhotrodshop.com or in the pages of StreetScene magazine.
Thanks to These Contributors:
- American Stamping Corp.
- Brookville Roadster
- Coker Tire
- Colling Components
- Currie Enterprises
- Eric Brockmeyer
- Gennie Shifter
- Johnsons Hot Rod Shop
- Pete & Jakes
- Posies
- Rootlieb
- Walker Radiator
- Wheel Vintique
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Evolution Auto, custom street rods by award winning builder Rick Gero. Rick has been building quality street rods for over 20 years. Evolution Auto offers complete street rod service including: Bodies, Frames, Parts, & Turn-Key Cars. www.evolution-auto.com
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For over a decade Brookville Roadster, home of all the All Steel 1928-1932 Ford roadster bodies, has been your industry leader in reproduction bodies and frames. Craftsmanship, quality, excellence, and expertise is what the Brookville name represents. www.brookvilleroadster.com
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Quality…Plain and Simple: When Lokar began operations in 1988, the goals were simply to make a better product than what was available. And now their commitment is to provide the automotive aftermarket enthusiast with the best possible products and service. www.lokar.com
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Refinish Systems from PPG are Second-to-None: As the world leader in automotive finishes, PPG has the global resources to offer the latest coating technologies in a full range of systems and products to meet the needs of just about any paint application and environment. www.ppgrefinish.com
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The Most Respected Name in Quality Cooling Systems: Specializing in Coolant and Air management packages for the Street Rod and High Performance Automotive field, Walker Radiator Works is recognized as the world leader in cooling system packages. www.walkerradiatorworks.com
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Manufacturing U-Joints for over 90 Years: Founded in 1914, Borgeson began by manufacturing universal joints for lathes and milling machines. Today, Borgeson is the leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket steering and universal joints in the Street Rod, Racing, Specialty Automotive and Pickup Truck markets. www.borgeson.com
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Full Service for a Loyal Following: Street Rods by Michael is a full service street rod shop. From street rod parts, to frames to turn key cars. We have won a loyal following of customers from coast to coast in our 30 plus years of building street rods. www.srbymichael.com
2012 - Register Early for the 43rd Annual Street Rod Nationals Plus
