TRJ Issue #33

The Family Sedan
Second generation hot rodder Dan Olsen built his ’37 Ford Tudor slantback in the finest tradition of early-’60s show rods. The largely stock body is coated in gold pearl, flamed from stem to stern, and slammed over chrome reverse steel wheels and wide whites. It’s powered by a stout smallblock Ford with a host of finned aluminum dress-up items, nestled in front of a heavily pinstriped white firewall.

Kolorized Kustoms
Ever wonder what all those black and white photos of long-gone historic cars would look like in color? We turned to graphic artist and custom historian Rik Hoving to colorize a series of photos of famous customs, including Sam Barris’ ’40 Merc, Jesse Lopez’s ’41 Ford, Louie Bettancourt’s ’49 Merc, and Vince Ulloa’s ’51 Chevy, among others.

Salt Shaker
In 1957, Bay Area hot rodders and Ramblers club members Howard Leever, Fred Esser, and Don Ruter set out to build the best performing and best-looking land speed racer they could. The result was the fuel injected Olds-powered track nose ’29 roadster immortalized in the March ’58 Hot Rod Magazine with a four-page feature and detailed Pete Millar cutaway drawing. Wisconsin hot rodder Richard Munz had the old Bonneville racer restored by Jim Busby and his crew, and we photographed it in our studio.

The Fred Carrillo Story
Decades before Fred Carrillo’s engineering expertise had a profound impact on everything from Indy racing to aerospace technology, he was just a 10-year-old kid watching the earliest time trials on Southern California’s dry lakes. Immediately following WWII, he took to the lakes himself, racing a variety of technologically advanced machines. Our feature tells his story, and that of the aerodynamic Model T lakester that was recently restored by Maryland hot rodder Frank Morawski.

One Wicked Wedge
Dan Webb has built a reputation on his hand-fabricated re-creations of famous land speed racers. But when it came time to build a hot rod for his daughter Ashley, he took a slightly different approach. The design is based on the Modifieds that raced across the dry lakes in the ’40s, but with a decidedly modern twist. Craig Naff bodywork (including the German silver track nose) and a Ford Racing 2.3-liter twin-cam four-cylinder complete the package.

Gone but Not Forgotten
Virginia hot rodder Dickie Flippen built and raced his dramatic, Chrisman coupe-inspired ’32 Chevy five-window in the mid-’60s. With a rear-mounted blown 392 Hemi, it was a serious contender in the Fuel Altered ranks. And then it disappeared. This is the story of the coupe’s evolution, and the man behind it all.

The Dragmasters
The Dragmaster team of Dode Martin and Jim Nelson has a storied history in the drag racing world. We explore their racing exploits through historic images and firsthand accounts, and we take a closer look at the re-created twin-engined Chevy-powered supercharged “Two Thing” dragster.

The Gasser
Wally Arnold’s ’38 Chevy Tudor sedan never saw any action during the Gasser Wars of the ’60s, but it certainly looks the part with a nose-up stance, polished Halibrand Sprints and pie-crust Mickey Thompson slicks. Backing up that Gasser attitude is a Hilborn-injected 327 Chevy hooked to a M-22 Muncie four-speed.

Aggravated Again
Al Bergler’s “More Aggravation AA/Comp Coupe debuted in 1964, claiming the very first coveted Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama and a class win at the NHRA Nationals. Though the original is long gone, Al has faithfully recreated the blown, injected Hemi-powered beast. We take a look at the new car, and at Al’s history racing and crafting beautiful racecar bodies during drag racing’s heyday.

The Originators: The Brucker Collection Auction
Gearhead magazine founder Mike LaVella penned our story about the momentous auction of Jim and Dan Brucker’s “lowbrow art” collection. Their collection, amassed while they owned and operated the MovieWorld: Cars of the Stars museum, included work from masters like Ed Roth, Von Dutch, Robert Williams, and Dave Mann.

Parts is Parts: Beehive Oil Filters
Filcoolater “beehive” oil filters were some of the coolest accessories you could have on a hot rod in the ’40s or ’50s–in more ways than one. Their finned aluminum construction helped cool and clean engine oil and looked great doing it. We examine the modern version of this popular traditional accessory, which is produced by Patrick’s Antique Cars and Trucks and available through Speedway Motors.

No Bare Bones
We typically feature baremetal hot rods and customs in our studio while they’re still under construction. In the case of Scott Van Steenwyk’s chopped ’33 Ford Tudor, we captured it as a running, driving, ground-pounding hot rod before its impeccable metalwork was covered in paint.

Twice Fine
We compare two beautifully finished customs in Steve Frediani’s ’51 Ford convertible and Terry Hegman’s chopped ’51 Merc. We featured both previously in baremetal. Hegman’s Mercury is a meticulously finished chopped Merc built in classic mid-’50s style, while Frediani’s shoebox represents the modern era of customs, mixing traditional techniques with contemporary components.