Origins of Speed – a Historical Look Back

 

1948 Hot Rod Show display with Jack Andrews, Charlie Nordon and Ed Iskenderian…Pic Courtesy of Ed Iskenderian.  Click to Enlarge.

I know hot rods and customs is what brings us car guys and gals together but, its the people that make this hobby what it is.  Everyone has their own story.  My passion for the automobile started with my dad and uncle.  They have hot rodded off and on since they were teenagers.  It was their hobby, their passion.  It’s what kept them out of trouble when their dad passed away at the age of 15 and 12.  My dad has tons of stories of his ‘64 Mercury Comet Cyclone on the streets of Azusa, Calif and the original Irwindale Dragstrip.  My uncle has stories of tearing up GMR (Glendora Mountain Road) in his Nova and Datsun 510.  Most of my close friends are there because of our common interestes in cars.  My brother and I and my cousin have our own stories of cars (and motorcycles) that we have customized that we can share with our kids.  It’s the Hecht pasttime.

 

Gardena Speedway, September 15, 1946 photo courtesy of Don Johansen.  Click to Enlarge!

A recurring theme throughout the early days of speed equipment manufacturing was the dirt track racing with chopped and stripped down roadsters.  This is where you advertised your parts.  Win at the races and sell parts, it was the only formula before the days of engine dynos.

The automobile itself has only been around for the everyday person since the early 1900’s.  That’s really not that long in the grand scheme of things.  But time moves on and documenting and remembering our rodding roots is very important.  So, where are the origins of speed?  When did hot rodding and customizing your car really start?  The heart of that industry has got to be Southern California in the late 1930’s and 40’s.  Soon, hotrodders found the dry lake beds of California and the Salt Flats of Bonneville, Utah where they could let the flatheads stretch their legs…

In this post, the hot rod history lesson comes from one of the coolest automotive books of all time!  Motorbooks has done it again with the introduction of “Merchants of Speed”, authored by Paul D. Smith.  This is a fact based book, a history book if you will.  Photos are from the actual “Merchants” themselves in some cases.  Families and close friends have also proven to be a wealth of information, photos and documentation.

Ed “Isky” Iskenderian with his famous roadster purchased from a friend in 1938 for $25.  Photo courtesy of Ed Iskenderian.  Click to Enlarge.

Above is Ed Iskenderian in his military uniform posing with his 1924 T bucket.  Born in 1921, “he was about 12 years old (in 1933 or so) when he began to notice a type of car that was completely different than the run-of-the-mill vehicles that inhabited the roadways.  These street rods were mainly Model T’s void of all unnecessary parts and propelled with hopped-up four-cylinders.  Ed and his buddies found out they could see more of these cars up at Muroc Dry Lake.”

Like many of the time, Ed served in WWII and doing so, gained many mechanical skills that would serve them well later.  When he returned from the war, Ed wanted to get his roadster back on the road.  That obviously turned into “how can I make it faster”.  His first hot rod part was this 4 carb intake manifold for his flathead you see below.  Ed eventually became the first President of the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association in 1963.

 

Isky’s first hot rod part, a 4 carb manifold for his flathead V8.  Courtesy of Ed Iskenderian.  Click to Enlarge.

To find out about the “Isky Cams” part of the Iskenderian history you need to pick up this book.

 

Vic Edelbrock Sr. in 1958 with his X-1 6 carb mani on a Chevy 283cid.  Photo coutesy of Edelbrock Corporation.

Edelbrock…just let that name ring in your ears for a second.  Probably THE most successful speed equipment manufacturer to date.  In 1938 Vic Sr. bought his dual-purpose machine, a 1932 V8 powered roadster which became his family hauler/dry lakes racer.  Vic was involved in every type of racing, oval track, midget racing, dry lakes/Bonneville, event boat racing.  There’s so much more, but I don’t have the room here.  Seriously, just buy the book!

 

Edelbrock, a family tradition of hot rodding.  Photo courtesy of Edelbrock Corporation.

In all, “Merchants of Speed” book includes the history of 22 Speed Equipment shops.  You’ll see others like Navarro, Ansen Automotive, Howard Cams, Braje, and more!  This book is insanely cool!  Being into more modern late model Japanese cars, I really appreciated this book.  Paul Smith did an amazing job of finding out the details of these shops and the speed parts that made them successful.  The old photos are great.  This book will be an important part of future hot rodders remembering their origins.  That’s just my humble opinion.

 

In all seriousness, this book is and will be one of my cherished possessions in life.  Sounds lame, but I’m serious when I say that this book will be very important in continuing the memories of the very first hot rodders.

Take a look at these photos and the history attached and think about your car story.  We want to hear yours.  Please share them with us, we’d love to share them with MyRideisMe.com readers.

Thank you Motorbooks and Paul D. Smith and an even bigger thank you to you Merchants of Speed.  I will have an increased sense of respect at Bonneville this year.

Picture coutesy of Paul D. Smith, author

Hechtspeed

SEMA Spokesmodel/Booth Babe – The Oldest Marketing

This year’s SEMA show was just that, a SHOW. There is something on display for every auto enthusiast.

Like everyone, I have only a certain amount of time to get around and fulfill a basket of wants and like most, I started out with a predetermined list of vendors to see. Shortly thereafter, the list is tossed in the nearest trash bin. Here’s where your alter ego takes over, leading you with reckless abandonment to wander aimlessly.

SEMA this year had 1700 vendors spread over five buildings and the parking lots surrounding them. It starts to hit me, what will separate one booth from the hundreds of others? What will stop me in my tracks and taking the time to actually see what is being offered… The SPOKESMODEL is born!

A vision of beauty that draws me in, like a carnie at the local county fair (just without the small hands and cabbage smell). She offers up a smile and gleefully signs a poster with her graceful image on it. Feeling empowered, I ask, “May I take your photograph?” She gladly answers, “Yes!” and it’s on.

SPOKESMODELS come in all sizes and attire determined by each vendor’s tastes and audiance. I can equate this to automotive world by saying, “How many 1957 Chevy Belair’s can one person look at?”

For the SPOKESMODELS, never are two so alike that I wouldn’t give them a good look and pass by. The wheels, front end, backend, grille, overall comfort, turn the key and listen to her purr!

By the end of the week it’s occurred to me that everything holds beauty. It is my love of photography that brought me here and, in my own little way, brings forth a cross section of the flavor that is SEMA.

Enjoy!
Alan57
www.alan57.com

Diesel Rat Rod: Blowin’ Smoke

Photos by Swanee

SEMA 2009 proved to be an extreme mix of automotive genius and variety.  Rat rods are becoming part of that creative pool. Rat rods, in general, are built solely from old parts and pieces that are deliberately left raw and natural.  Additional trinkets are added, leaving their patina to show.  The surge of this style of building is gaining support by a recent article by Car and Driver Magazine.  Check it out: Car and Driver Top 10 Favorites from SEMA

Case in point, is this “Diesel Rod”, a 1928 Dodge 4 door body, rusted and abused beyond restoration, was chopped and channeled onto a hand built frame.  Stepping way out of the box and into the next field, a retired 1998 Dodge pickup donates its motor, a Cummins 12 valve mechanical diesel engine.  The diesel motor produces plenty of horsepower and torque plus gets 20+ MPG.

The diesel rod is the imagination of Steve Darnell, owner of a fabrication shop aptly named, WELDERUP. www.welderup.com

Steve has been around cars all his life. Finding old cars is his reason for living, even better when he can drive the beauty home!  Steve’s daily driver is a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, left in its original condition.

Steve and his crew build rolling works of art.  This diesel rod has so many features that every time you see it, the more it pops.  The trim around the body is a bandsaw blade, a chainsaw blade surrounds the cowl. Brass screen mesh, from a gold mine, has been recycled into interior door panels. The dash is sheet metal from an old piece of farm equipment.  The rear bumper is two pistons from an excavator engine and the steering support is a connecting rod from the same piece of machinery.

This entire project, as well as others, is based on the recycling of old parts. Sheetmetal, handles, gears, chains and endless other parts come from salvaging in the backfields of the farm and ranch community.

Steve jumps at any chance to cruise the streets and enjoys all the attention he gets riding in this rat. Burnouts at every stoplight baby!   Fire from the propane injection and smoke bellowing out from the single exhaust pipe.

No trailer queen here, the diesel rod was built to be driven and enjoyed by everyone.

The diesel rod has been featured in a variety of magazines; Diesel World, Diesel Tech, Diesel Power, and Hot Rod. This rod brings the diesel heads together. Rebel Rodz teased the rat rod community and overseas e-magazines like, El Diablo (Spain) by featuring this rat and Mattblackrat (England) http://www.mattblackrat.com/ found the diesel rod to be an interesting ride.

(This is a picture of the hand crank starter. About half a turn is all you’ll need, believe it or not, to fire this thing up. I watched him do it and couldn’t believe how easy it was.)

What is next?  ENJOY IT!  Welderup is based in Montana but, the crew isn’t scared to drive all over the U.S…  Be on the lookout as the “show” rolls into town!

Alan57

http://www.alan57.com/

Only at SEMA: iPhone Air Suspension Controller

You need to watch this video to believe it!  There is now an iPod app that can control any electronic piece of your car, including turning the car engine on/off, lights, door locks and yes, even your hydraulics or air ride suspension.  That’s right low car junkies, you can show off your air suspension at the local car show with your iPod.  Amazing!

This story’s from a site called mp3Car.com. Mp3car.com’s Forum is the largest car computing community online, hosting well over 100,000 members worldwide, comprising leading mobile technologists, hardware engineers, software developers, car audiophiles, automotive installers and vendors. The community drives mobile computing innovation by allowing for collaboration on major technical challenges and product development. This ain’t your daddy’s 8-track!

To learn more about mp3Car.com, go to the site and read the history: http://www.mp3car.com/history

What’s next?

Six Ways to Malfuntion at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge

We’ve never figured out why, but for some odd reason humans are always transfixed at the tragedies of others. Its why car accidents cause so much traffic havoc – we all have to stop and look as we drive by (grrrrr)! Racing is no different. When something goes wrong on the racetrack we all wanna have a look.

So for your viewing pleasure, I thought I’d just highlight all malfunctions that went on during Optima’s Ultimate Street Car Invitational 2009. For starters, there was Hot Rod Magazine’s Factory Five built 1933 Ford Coupe, which I’ve already covered in: Hot Rod Magazine 33 Hot Rod Coupe goes down!.

Next there were some problems with Hot Rod Jim’s 1957 Chevy Pickup. It sounded like the tires were just a little too big for their own good. A problem that would’ve gone on with many-a-car on the SEMA showroom floor.

Then we had an exciting show when this 1965 GTO built by Barry White of Wrecks to Riches fame blew a radiator hose of all things. It might not have been so cool – but it happened just as the big heavy GTO was heaving itself around the autocrosses’ 360 circle and resulted in a mess of steam and fluid dumped onto the race course.

After that we had the mysterious control arm breakage on the 0-60-0 acceleration/braking course for this 1972 Charger. A suspicious occurrence for this event no doubt.

At the same event, and we can’t exactly call this a malfunction (the car was all right.) But for some reason it just couldn’t handle doing 0-60-0 in the allotted space this run, running it right off the course!

Last, but definitely not least, was the even more mysterious occurrence for K&N Filter sponsored Nissan Infinity G35. After a full day of racing, on it’s 2nd to last curve around the Road Course we see something fly and a cloud of dust. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No, it was all 3 control arms snapping and the rear differential blowing out!

All this excitement in one day and nobody got hurt! For plenty o’ pictures of all 51 of the competing cars in the Ultimate Street Car Challenge, check out the MyRideisMe Event photos and for more on this exciting event click on over to some other stories!

2009 Optima Street Car Invitational

Whoever came up with the idea to put on an event that would demonstrate the performance capabilities of the cars being showcased at SEMA was a genius! And that’s exactly what the Optima Invitational is all about. Happening the day after SEMA ends, it gives people a chance to put their “money where their mouth is” so to speak. 2009 was just the second year for this event, and the fellows at FM3 made sure that it was pulled off without a hitch.

This year there were 38 vehicles competing for the Ultimate Street Car title along with 14 other cars under the “exhibition only” category, making for 51 beautiful cars out at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch on race day. What goes into an Ultimate Street Car you ask? You might say it needs to be well rounded. At this invitational race they competed in 4 catagories: Road Course, Autocross, Acceleration/Braking, and Styling.

Having driven the course the day before, I had an extra appreciation for what these cars and drivers were doing. Not surprising to many, Bruce Cambern’s 1966 Cobra took the cake in three of the four catagories. On the Ride Tech Autocross it got time of the day (by at least a second I believe) of 39.546 seconds. In the Baer Brakes Speed Stop it did 6.7 seconds.

Everyone was quite surprised however when they tallied all the scores to designate the winner of “Ultimate Street Car.” It wasn’t the 1966 Cobra but last year’s defending champion “Bad Penny.” This announcement surprised most at the awards ceremony since the Cobra had done so well. When I’d talked to Bad Penny’s driver, David Pozzi (who also does work building the car), earlier in the day he said he was disappointed with the performance of Bad Penny and was expecting better results. In races like this though, it’s consistent performance and split seconds that separate a winner from a loser…so Bad Penny, congratulations!

Bad Penny winning wasn’t the only surprise of the day, a few cars went down throughout the day in some very interesting ways. For details (come on, we all know crashes are the most exciting thing!), check out my article on that. And roll on over to the MyRideisMe gallery page to see pictures of all the cars in action, including some really cool Hot Rods such as a 1927 Tucci Roadster, 1933 Factory Five Ford Coupe,  Hollywood Hot Rod’s Model T Roadster Pickup, and even a 1957 Malibu Wagon!

1 Painless Way to a Roadster Pickup

At SEMA, it’s easy to find a great car, they’re in almost every booth!  But like the 70 Chevelle with a Duramax diesel motor, it’s a the different and sometimes unique builds that really get my attention.  That’s what I found in this “Painless” Roadster Pickup.

This style of roadster pickup, also called a “Truckster” was penned by well known hot rod artist Thom Taylor back in August of 2007 for Rod and Custom Magazine. The concept  is simple, but you’re gonna get to know a sawzall and grinder real, REAL well to get it done. You take 50-70’s pickup, then chop up the cab and the bed until proportions of a hot rod. Easy for Thom to say!

I saw a Thom Taylor sketch in the pickup bed of this truck, so I’m sure he had a hand in the proportions, color and stance that make this truck one of my favorites from SEMA.

So what is it? It started as a 1978 Ford Pickup. Recognize it?  From there, the cab was narrowed 16 inches, then the top and A-pillars were chopped off and the remaining cab shortened 8 inches. The reassembled jigsaw puzzle and newly created “roadster” body was then channeled over the frame. The rest of the body includes a 1938 Dodge grille and believe it or not an MGB windshield with 4 inches cut off each side.

Up front you’ll find a mix of wholly (or is it Holy?) traditional 1952 Merc flathead topped by a pair of Stromberg 97 Carb-like fuel injection bodies complete with, of course, Painless Performance Products wiring. Clean, simple and brand new! The owner and Executive VP of Painless, Dennis Overholser, told me they barely had time to tune it before SEMA.

The tough stance is courtesy of 18 and 20 inch Dayton wire wheels. Straying from the traditional on the wheels like they did is a nice compliment to the fuel injection and adds to the, “What is that?” stares at the show. I guess those folks don’t read Rod and Custom?

On the inside, you immediately notice the perfectly weathered dark brown leather that’s straight from the actual “King Ranch” in Texas. Everyone’s heard of King Ranch from the Ford pickup option package, but this is more than just a name.  So now will rodders be on the look out for patina’d paint and leather? Interior is custom work by Eddie’s Rod Shop. The gauge is a one-off from Classic Instruments that features the name from 2007: “Truckster”

Finally, the shift knob is an old friend from Mad Magazine, Alfred E. Newman. Hand made by Bob Boudreaux, I believe it’s one of a kind.  Bob also gets credit for the PPG “Hot Wheels Orange” paint. (Click on any picture to see it full size)

SEMA brings out just about everyone in the car world, and if you’re Chairman of SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) then you probably know most people, like Dennis Overholser of Painless. Follow closely because another Dennis,  Dennis Gage from the show “My Classic Car” dropped by and I snapped a picture of the Dennis pair test fitting the Truckster.

So there you have it, 1 Painless way to make your own roadster pickup. Will we see more?

Special thanks to Optima Batteries for the trip to SEMA.

Bummer! 33 Ford Coupe Goes Down at Optima Invitational Race

One of the first things I saw Saturday morning as I arrived at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch was this Factory Five built, black 1933 Ford Coupe. I was worried it would be all about Camaro’s and other muscle cars during the Optima Invitational Ultimate Street Car Challenge – but seeing this smooth coupe roll across the pit assured me I’d have someone to cheer for this race day.

I can’t tell ya all about the long list of goodies it had – but let me assure you it was long. And being built by Factory Five means its some serious business. After the few laps around the Road Course that all of the cars took, Lucky #13 was just the second car for its chance to prove its stuff in this segment of the race.

To the dismay of everyone watching, as it began its second lap of the track, pulling past the first curve we saw a big cloud of dust. What we’re all asking now is what came first, the break or the accident? I guess Lucky #13 was not so lucky, it’s front suspension snapped right in half. (edit 11/30/09 – Check below. Hot Rod’s editor Rob Kinnan’s setting the record straight)

We were all disappointed to see this baby sponsored by Hot Rod Magazine get put on the sidelines…but here’s hoping it’ll be back next year!

2009 SEMA Show Stopper- Ring Brothers’ 64 Fairlane

1964 Fairlanes will always be one of my favorites. At one time, Pops owned a Blue one, Mom’s was white and mine was my high school driver called, “The Highway Bitch”. Red, white and blue, we loved our 64’s. Pops still has his and is done up Pro-street with a small block Ford and big-fatties in the back.  The C6 went south so it’s been sitting for a while, but here’s a pic so you know what a “regular” 1964 Fairlane looks like.

The not-so-casual viewer will notice this is a 2 door post model just like the factory race cars Ford built known as the “Thunderbolt”.  I’ve seen Pops work his butt off on this car and we’ve had alot of fun times in it.

Not to be outdone by the factory Thunderbolts, allow me to introduce, “Afterburner”

If you’ve seen any of the Ring Brothers’ builds, you know they set the standard and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Goodguys named Ring Brother’s cars “Street Machine of the Year” for and unprecedented 2 years in a row. First with their “Reactor” 1967 Mustang and then with the 1969 Camaro known as “Razor”. Don’t kid yourself that these cars aren’t drivers either.  Proof’s in the video embedded at the end of this story.

Their website, Ring Brother Homepage, says, “We sustain above industry standards in quality throughout all of our work.” Add humble to their list of qualifications because it’s tough to find a car that’s more custom and more detailed from top to bottom than a Ring Brothers car.

I’d like to answer the questions  you’re probably asking yourself as well: “Why this car?” Then I’d like to ask the owners, “What about this car is, My Ride is Me?” That’ll have to wait. Until then, check out these detail photos and the video interview from our friends at Street Legal TV. (Click on any picture to see it full size)

Those are real carbon bumpers, front and back, made custom for this car. It’s amazing how old and new are blended together as an original looking grille is used up front and the original taillights are retained.

Details. The one thing that describes a Ring Brothers car more than anything is the details. Look closely at Pop’s Fairlane and you’ll see what the original C-pillar trim looks like. This one off “Afterburner” piece is no doubt custom, just like the hood pin pieces.

Continuing the carbon theme, the only side trim remaining is the Ring Brothers’ take on an original Fairlane piece. It sets off the body shape well and gives it that high-tech look from any angle.  Then the hood is beautiful and functional. The video explains how the radiator heat is sent out through the hood vents instead of into the engine compartment. Look carefully and you’ll see the other common trait with the original Thunderbolt: 427 cubic inch power, but this time, it’s not Henry, its Jack (Roush).

Here’s a video with a little more info:

Then, as promised, here’s the Ring Brothers “Reactor” 1967 Mustang Video. Yea, their cars get driven and hard!

So what is this car? A hot rod? A street rod or street machine? I guess. Is it pro-touring or some other kind of race-car-like creation. Yea, it’s that too.

Special thanks to Optima Batteries for the trip to SEMA.

Let us know what you think with a comment below.

2009 SEMA Trend-Mega Torque Diesel Hot Rods

Cruising what I call the main hall of the SEMA show, it’s fantastic to see the great rides that make SEMA, the parts show, become SEMA the car show. Featuring the best built cars and timeless classics, it’s a mix of some of the best rides in the country. I stayed close to “Hot Rod Alley” to find the booths of manufacturers I used and wanted to check out. Seeing the Mustangs and Camaros that are no doubt classic SEMA favorites was cool and will be featured here, but I’ve always like something different.

Big power and stupid amounts of torque aren’t different to the folks at Duramax performance discussion forum TheDieselPlace.com, but what about in a 1970 Chevelle? This is one of two cars I spotted at SEMA running a diesel and starting a new trend in hot rodding?

Instead of choosing from from several small block Chevy’s you’ve already seen or even throwing cubic inches or the tech of LSX in, Mike Racke of Fullerton, CA stayed with the General, but in the form of a 403 cu. inch LLY Duramax.  This beast runs a mostly stock block with aftermarket turbos and heads to make an unbelievable 950 hp and 1,700 lb-ft of torque.  Just so you know diesel hot rodders as dedicated to tire shredding performance as their gasoline counterparts, there’s more performance to come when they add the nitrous system!

Finding a diesel under the hood makes this Chevelle worth stopping for in a SEMA hall littered with great rides, but the engine’s only part of a total package that makes you glad you noticed the “SS Duramax Diesel” badges discreetly revealing why this ultra clean street rod is in the PPE (Pacific Performance Engineering) booth at SEMA. The overall construction is top notch, as you’d expect from the incredible detail and plumbing under the hood. (Click on the pic to see it full size)

While not parked inside the show, I found another example of classic meets diesel power in this 1965 four door Caddy parked near unsuspecting tuner cars and lowered pickups.  The flat black paint might make you think “rat rod” but this was a clean ride.  Add contrasting red metallic paint on the roof with wide white walls and original style Cadillac hubcaps and this smoothed out more-door is already a great cruiser. With the power and, gulp, fuel economy of a Cummins diesel, now you’re talking about a truly unusual, but sweet long distance highway mofo.

I found a video on Youtube that shows this car in better light. Owned by Jason Livingston  and dubbed the “Poor Boy Cadillac” the 12 valve Cummins motor runs a slew of ATS parts including the intake (unfortunately requiring a big hole in the hood) and giant turbo.  The video shows the gnarly black smoke pouring out of the 4 inch or so exhaust exiting out of the passenger side fender. Check it out:

So is diesel plus hot rod the new thing? Or is it simply the continuation of hot rodders putting something that don’t belong into their rides simply to be different and go fast? Either way, I dig it.

Special thanks to Optima Batteries for the trip to SEMA.

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