TRJ Issue #85

‎A different Direction
Mark Skipper is no newcomer to the pages of TRJ. Back in issue #59 we featured the 1951 Ford Victoria “Miss Vicky” he built for his wife, Kelly. This time Mark has set his hammers, dollies and torches in motion to tackle a tribute to the long-lost Wes Collins ’34 Ford custom roadster. From building his own DuVall windshield from scratch to identifying and recreating each-and-every detail of the originals eclectic interior, it’s a study in automotive archaeology. We captured the ’34 in all its baremetal glory outside of the Skipper’s beautifully restored Fresno, California, mid-century modern home.

All in the Family
You can’t mention the nostalgia drag racing scene of the 1980s without mentioning the ground-shaking 1940 Ford Tudor of Jerry Moreland. Capable of 148mph passes and nine-second ETs, it was a legend the moment it blasted down the track. It has been resurrected by the Southern California father-and-son team of Scott and Gary Lorenzini. We’ve got the full story including interviews with the late Bob Bauder’s son, Danny, master fabricator, Tom Vogele, as well as Jerry Moreland himself, who reflects on just what it was like to wrestle it down the track.

A Grand Life
As the longtime fans of the Larry Watson-influenced mild custom style of the ’60s, we couldn’t be more excited to bring you the beautifully customized ’62 Pontiac of Masa Tsutsui from Okazaki, Japan. We first caught a glimpse of Masa’s mild custom Grand Prix when it took home Best of Show at the 2019 Mooneyes Hot Rod Custom Show. With its subtle but extensive metalwork and stunning, elaborate paint, it epitomizes the “less is more” aesthetic.

Drag’n Wag’n
Pratt has put his stamp on yet another jaw-dropping assemblage of early Ford parts to create a Deuce show rod for the ages. Starting with derelict ’32 five-window body he rescued from the crusher, he set out to recreate a hot rod that captured the excitement of the AMT model kits he built as a youth. The heavily chopped, channeled, flamed and Olds-powered coupe has all the hallmarks of a genuine show-and-go build from the mid-’50s. We shot the car against the scenic backdrop of downtown Des Moines, Iowa.

Detroit Dreams
To put it plainly, Bob Larivee Sr. is Detroit hot rodding. A pioneer in the custom car show world, Larivee has done it all. He built and raced hot rods, promoted and toured with some of the wildest hot rods in history; and along the way became close with the talented, bizarre and crazy characters that populated the rodding world. Bob’s latest book, Hot Rod Dreams takes a more personal look into his life. Our excerpt focuses on Bob’s longtime friendship with Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. It’s packed with some amazing recollections as well as images of Larivee, Roth, and some of Big Daddy’s most memorable creations.

Blue Flame Chevy
Russ Toms has been a fan of early Chevy hot rods since he first encountered bowtie guru Steve Centracchio’s pair of ’31s featured back in TRJ #65. So, when he embarked on a hot rod ’31 Chevy roadster project of his own, it was only natural that he involved Centracchio in the process. Powered by a healthy and handsomely detailed, McGurk-equipped 261 inline six, the chopped, full-fendered roadster is all Chevy. It was assembled from the remains of several cast-off Chevy bodies by noted restorer, the late Ralph McEowen and then finished into a tasteful hot rod.

Favorite Forties
One of the most respected automotive historians, Greg Sharp, joined us this issue to assemble a collection of some of his favorite 1940 Fords. With his encyclopedic knowledge and vast archive of historic images, Greg shares his thoughts on some of the most historic hot rod and custom Forties. From well-known icons like Bob McCoy’s flamed Tudor, the Ralph Jilek custom convert, Earle Bruce’s chopped coupe, the Jack Calori pickup and Tom Medley’s coupe, to lesser-known efforts like Dick Miner’s Hemi-powered coupe and Martin Woody’s chopped and sectioned convert, Greg reminds us of just how good a ’40 Ford can look. A must-read for any Forty-Ford aficionado.

A Motor City Story
This issue’s installment of TRJ Garages we showcase an in-progress Deuce Tudor being built in a ’20s-era Chevrolet dealership just outside of Detroit. The Tudor was the last hot rod built by the late Bob “Little Axle” Stewart, son of famed San Diego hot rodder Ed “Axle” Stewart. It features a host of period details, from the tri-power Olds to the chopped, original Henry Ford body, and a stance that captures the early California hot rod style. It’s now owned by Stewart’s friend Mark Ricketts, a fireman from the Detroit area, who took the car from a roller to a finished hot rod with a great deal of help from his pal, retired GM exec Al Butlin.