TRJ Issue #29

Dressed to Kill
In a follow-up to our baremetal feature in TRJ #28, we revisit Royce Glader’s wild, Hemi-powered ’29 Ford roadster pickup. Built by Eric Peratt and his crew at Pinkee’s Hot Rod Shop, the low-slung hauler illustrates how far the trend toward hot rods with almost cartoonish proportions can be taken when finished to the nth degree. Handmade components abound, and the result is truly a work of art.

Wild Times in the Republic of Texas
The 4th Annual Lonestar Round Up drew hundreds of cars from all over Texas and beyond. We decided we’d do a slightly different take on the event, shooting in black and white and then working with Rik Hoving and Paul Tedrick to colorize the images for a more vintage feel. From chopped coupes and roadsters to ground-scraping customs and nose-high street Gassers, the cars looked like they could have rolled right out of an early-’60s outdoor car show.

Barris Lost and Found
Two of the most iconic cars associated with the famed Barris Kustom were finally brought out of hiding when we photographed the Ala Kart and the Sam Barris Merc in our studio. Each defined their era, with the Merc representing the early radical customs of the ’50s and the Ala Kart embodying the wild show rod scene that took hold toward the end of the decade. We photographed them both prior to being restored, and our feature also includes historic images and a Darrell Mayabb cutaway drawing of the Ala Kart.

A Rare Treat
Bob Bojorquez’s rare ’39 Ford DeLuxe convertible sedan is stunning in its simplicity. It received the full “Fat Jack” Robinson treatment, with flawless bodywork and black paint, a nicely detailed smallblock Chevy with tuned port injection, and a ground-hugging stance.

A Small Offy that Cast a Long Shadow
Offenhauser DOHC racing engines were quite an engineering feat when they were introduced. Former drag racer and master machinist Ron Bement has created one from scratch in ¼-scale. The engine is fully operational and incredibly detailed–right down to the functional miniature Moon gas pedal.

The Doyle Gammell Coupe
Many consider the Doyle Gammell chopped Deuce three-window to be among the best looking of all chopped full-fendered coupes. There’s no denying it’s a classic profile, from the chopped top and leaned A-pillars to the polished five-spokes and piecrust slicks. The restored coupe is now in the collection of Bruce Meyer, and we’ve got the full story, accompanied by a host of historic images and the twisting tale of its history.

The Mild Ones
James Hetfield, guitarist and singer for the band Metallica, has become known for his collection of radical customs. But one of his earlier efforts was his very mild, very green ’52 Olds built by fellow Beatnik car club member Robert Roling. We feature the slammed cruiser alongside Roling’s own ’50 Chevy custom. While both are mild customs, they’re both nicely restored mechanically and equipped with a host of hidden modern accoutrements for plenty of long-haul cruising.

Hot Rod Retrospective
In honor of our 10th Anniversary, we revisited a handful of our favorite hot rods from the first decade of TRJ. Among them are Tom Prufer’s “Cop Shop Coupe”, owned by Chuck and Marsha Rodgers, Jimmie Shine’s baremetal ’34 Ford pickup, Bill Vinther’s chopped ’34 Ford three-window, Randy Dubb’s ’42 Willys Gasser, and Don Orosco’s restored Dick Flint ’29 Ford roadster.

Parts is Parts: Wheelcovers
We shifted our focus for “Parts is Parts” in issue #29 from hot rod parts to custom accessories. Wheelcovers have always played an important role in defining a custom car, and we take a look at some of the classics that are being introduced, including Dodge Lancers, ’53 Olds flippers, ’59 Dodge “Crab Claws,” and the venerable Cadillac Sombrero, among others.

Supercharge Your Car
Hot rodders have been using superchargers since time immemorial. We take a look at the history of blowers, and specifically that of the Italmeccanica “S.Co.T.” blowers that came on the scene in the 1950s.