TRJ Issue #31

Candy Apple Comeback
Big John Mazmanian’s ’41 Willys barreled into drag racing history thanks to John’s fearless driving, superior performance, and the utterly gorgeous fit and finish of the candy red Gasser itself. Ken McIntyre was bitten by the Gasser bug watching Mazmanian race in ’64. Our story takes a close look at his immaculate re-creation, photographed in our studio, and at Big John’s history before and during the Gasser Wars.

A Tale of Two Mercurys
Pennsylvania hot rodder Bill Layman was so inspired by the low-slung, Barris-chopped ’54 Merc built for Ronnie Dragoo in the ’50s that he built one for himself. His turquoise and ivory lead sled has been chopped, nosed, decked, and lowered, and it’s powered by a 6×2-fed ’54 Cadillac 331.

Customs on the Green
In 2006, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance welcomed a field of eight restored early customs onto the green. Metalwork by masters like Harry Westergard, Herb Reneau, Valley Custom, and Barris Kustom were all featured. Pat Ganahl and Ken Gross provide insight and opinion on the impressive showing.

Baremetal Mock-Up
Our baremetal studio feature captures the in-progress ’29 Model A highboy roadster being built by TRJ’s own Geoff Miles. The roadster combines a host of readily available modern components, like a Brookville body, American Stamping rails, four-speed top loader transmission and Rodsville V8 quickchange, in a traditional early Cadillac-powered hot rod.

Von Dutch on a Sunday Afternoon
Kenneth “Von Dutch” Howard is one of the most elusive characters in hot rodding. In 1970, freelance photographer Richard Koch spent four weekends with him, watching him work, listening to his stories, and capturing it all on film. Our 14-page feature showcases those images and provides an unprecedented look into the mysterious genius of Von Dutch.

Incomparable Coupes
Jorge Zaragoza is a collector of all things rod and custom, and his latest are a pair of ‘30s Ford three-windows that couldn’t be more different. His heavily raked, wildly flamed, blown Hemi-powered ’33 is the epitome of over-the-top hot rod style. At the other end of the spectrum is his chopped, lowered, and skirted ’36. It was made famous by its original owner, Jack Calori, builder Herb Reneau and its appearance on the November ’49 cover of Hot Rod Magazine.

Running for Records, Rolling Tape
We followed along as Bonneville went Hollywood at the 2006 World Finals. California Street Rods was there with a Speed Channel crew in tow as they made a run for the C/Gas Competition Coupe record with their 825hp ’34 Chevy coupe. At the same time, crews were on hand filming The World’s Fastest Indian, a full-length feature film about New Zealand land speed motorcycle racer Bert Munro.

Edelbrock
Both Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Vic Edelbrock Jr. were pioneers in the speed equipment aftermarket world. We feature a selection of excerpts and images from Tom Madigan’s award-winning book chronicling Edelbrock’s history, Edelbrock: Made in the U.S.A.

History in the Making
Johnnie Walker’s Deuce five-window looks like it could have rolled right out of the early-’60s. It’s got a gennie Ford body with a healthy chop, a dual-quad ’54 Chrysler Hemi, and a perfect stance thanks to the rubber rake and combination of magnesium Halibrand and cast aluminum kidney bean wheels.

Parts is Parts: Brakes
On any hot rod–and especially fenderless ones–the brakes almost are as important to the car’s appearance as they are to its function. We explore the many possibilities in reproduction vintage and vintage-style drum and disc brakes available from a variety of manufacturers.

The Subtle Touch
Al Goe’s ’56 Nomad, built by the talented father-son team of Art and Mike Chrisman, has an outwardly subtle (albeit meticulously detailed) appearance. Deep black paint complements subtle modifications and extensive custom brightwork, like a handcrafted stainless grille and smoothed bumpers. But under the stock, un-cut hood is a 6-71-blown smallblock Chevy with dual Edelbrock carburetors.