TRJ Issue #84

The Kookie Kar
Norm Grabowski created a whole new genre of hot rods when he unveiled the “Kookie Kar” back in the mid – ’50s. Its iconic status was ensured by its appearance on the hit TV show 77 Sunset Strip as well as the cover of the April 1957 issue of Car Craft. Much of its componentry including the Cadillac powerplant were left over from the roadster’s earlier iteration as the “Lightnin’ Bug”, but Neil Emory’s ’56 Dodge Royal Blue paint accented by Dean Jefferies’s flames gave the old roadster a new lease on life. We photographed the restored roadster at current owner, Ross Meyers’ 3 Dog Garage in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. Arguably, this is the car that kicked off the modern T-bucket movement.

High School Hot Rod
How many kids in the 21st century can count something on the order of a custom ’54 Ford F-100 as their high school hot rod? Well, Dylan Hummel of Mentone, California, can, and we feature it here in TRJ. Not only are Dylan and his dad, Jake, members of the famed Bean Bandits car club. Dylan has been working on his Ford Cleveland-powered pickup since he was 12 years old and in fact, it was built outdoors on a concrete slab that had three-foot-high walls, but no roof!

Finding Paradise
Our artist profile highlights the work of Eddy Y. Eddy was born in Japan, spent quite a bit of time in California designing clothing for the likes of Ocean Pacific and Hobie Surfboards, but has spent most of his life in Hawaii. It is the Hawaiian Islands that he calls home and his attachment to the place in both a literal geographic as well as a spiritual sense is seen prominently in his work. Where surf culture and hot rod culture collide is where Eddy lives.

Fired Up
When the hot-rodding world first got a look at Barry Lobeck’s work in the December ’74 issue of Hot Rod, I doubt that very many of us had any idea of what would come from this innovative and prolific hot rodder from Ohio. I know for a fact that Barry had no idea what the future would bring. He was just twenty-three years old when Gray Baskerville and Tom Medley photographed his ’40 Ford coupe and he was convinced that this was his one and only chance to be in Hot Rod Magazine. The Forty would go on to be a classic and Barry did indeed appear again in HRM. Now more than a half-century later the coupe is much more than a memory. It is a living breathing hot rod under the care of North Carolina resident, Jared Wike. It’s hard to believe the coupe was painted and upholstered back in the early – ’70s.

Vernon McKean: The Texas Trimmer
Vernon McKean has been doing upholstery work since the late ’40s in Austin, Texas. He honed his craft while stationed at Ladd Air Force Base just outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, during the Korean Conflict. He returned to Austin and developed a regional reputation before getting his first bit of national notoriety in 1958 when his upholstery work in the “Tweety Bird” ’32 roadster appeared in Hot Rod Magazine. In the ensuing decades he became known for his over-stuffed rolls and deeply pleated inserts that gave his upholstery a three-dimensional effect. We’ve got twenty-plus pages of Vernon’s roll- ‘n’-pleats.

The Long Haul
After more than 50 years, Bob Panella brought back the most famous truck in his fleet. The Panella Brothers’ ’41 Willys pickup stormed the quarter mile in the low tens at more than 130mph during the Gasser Wars of the 1960s. Using the blown smallblock Chevy purchased from “Big John” Mazmanian’s ’61 Corvette, the Panella Brothers’ Willys was fiercely competitive in B/Gas Supercharged. Fifty years later, Bob had Bill Ganahl and the crew at South City Rod & Custom restore the pickup to its former candy-red glory.

Show Me More
We delve into Missouri hot-rodding history with a look at the life and times of Bob Rothenberg. We first chronicled Bob’s ’32 Ford three-window back in TRJ #16. Here we show a bit more of that now iconic coupe and show just what Bob and his friends from the Show Me state have been up to in the ensuing fifty-plus years. He’s added a couple of remarkable Willys and another ’32 Ford to the collection.

Shop Tour: Mercury Charlie’s
Vernon McKean isn’t the only old sole plying the hot rod trade in and around Austin, Texas. We visited Mercury Charlie’s and take a closer look at the custom frames that he, in conjunction with Steve Wieditz of Street Rod Engineering, are producing for the ’49-’51 Mercs.

Parts is Parts: Black Magic
We take a look at the history, lore and technology behind Marvel Mystery Oil. The Marvel Oil Company has now been in business for more than 100 years and you’ll usually find a can of the stuff on a shelf of most old-time hot rodder’s garages. The classic logo and graphics can’t be beat either.