German Street Rod Association Car Show

Car Show Pictures from Germany:

I’ve got the latest scoop from our German Hot Rod informant, Pascal.  The German Street Rod Association (GSRA) is the only German club for street rod owners, which is now up to 300 members and was founded in 1993.  They have a website gsra.de you can check out, but its all in German.  Now, on to the sharp photos by Pascal and the rad hot rods from Germany.

It’s cool how 20′s and 30′s traditional hot rods can transcend time in any part of the world, as we’ve seen from Tano’s ’26 T Roadster with Olds V8 power to these rods in Germany.

One of the traditional type rods that can be found worldwide is the Speed Shop truck.  I wonder if hot rodders from the 40′s and 50′s knew that their work trucks would be turned into street rods?  It makes sense though, I mean, you can hop up the big V8′s they came with, you can slam them, put some chrome reverse wheels on ‘em with baby moon caps and white walls, add the name of your speed shop and logo on the door and boom, you’re set with a very useful and fun hot rod.

Another style of hot rod building, the rat rod, seems to be one of the natural progressions in the rodding car culture.  This one looks right at home on the ground with some black steelies, white walls, weather paint and chopped top.  Good lookin’!

This is a slick lookin’ deuce roadster.  It’s got what looks like a GNRS quality paintjob and rad set of yellow wires.  That spaghetti header coming out of the louverless hood is the first thing that caught my eye though.  Is that 5 or 6 tubes?  Hard to tell isn’t it?  Either way, its gotta be a ridiculous motor setup.

I love this group shot, very nice photo Pascal!  This shot shows off Fords late 20′s, early 30′s hot rod Monopoly doesn’t it?  Let’s see, we’ve got a pickup, a roadster, a 33/34 5 window, sedan and a 32 deuce coupe a la American Graffiti… classic!

This photo here I think is my favorite.  Awesome group shot of about 34 (if I counted correctly) hot rods, probably the finest you’ll see in all of Europe.  Gotta give it to the German rodders, these cars look amazing, all of them top notch!

Thank you again Pascal for sharing your photography with us at MyRideisMe.com.  I can’t wait to see what you share next.

If you want more of these German Street Rod Association rides, check out Pascal’s photobucket link below for more.

www.vipallica.deviantart.com

Family fun at a local car show…real 60′s Gasser included

Cruise Night: Utah Cruisin Car Show

Taking the wife and kids to a local car show is one of my highlights of the summer.  We like to check out the Burger Stop Cruise In that happens the last Wednesday of each month in the summer time.  It’s a small show by most standards, probably about 50-75 cars from the local area.  It’s cool because its not all Mustangs and Camaros, there is a little bit of everything.  Variety is the spice of life is it not?

I’ve seen this orange/red Model A coupe at this show before.  It also sports tons of Bonneville Salt Flats decals, so I know it gets run hard at the Flats.  Last year he came to the show with the Salt still stuck to the car.

Here’s the Model A coupe next to a pickup brother, both in a more traditional flavor.  Love the white walls and steelies with the white firewall.  Good lookin’!

While the kids were waiting in line for some Clown-made circus balloons, I found a light blue convertible GTO looking showroom stock with some Cragars.  Dig the chrome everywhere.

I spotted this street rod roadster.  The trailer next to it said “Zipper Hot Rods” or something like that.  Sounded sort of familiar.  I dug this car.  It had a cool track nose flip up hood, chromed up late model LS small block chevy motor and vintage WWII style windscreen.  What do you guys think?

One of the coolest rides was this ’65 Mopar Gasser with an injected Hemi.  Very clean ride, with Moon tank protruding out of the grille and all.

Close up of the tall stacks atop this sharp lookin’ Hemi.  According to the book on the radiator, it makes 600+ horsepower.  Wow!  I wish I could have heard it fire up, but the kiddies were ready to roll out.

So, look above, this picture shows the signature of a Butch Leal, “The California Flash”. Anyone heard of this guy?  There were 2 pictures in the guys book from way back in the 60′s, looks like it was the same car.  Very cool to see this car on the road cruising to the local car shows.  I’m sure my Uncle Ricky has some stories from the “Pit” dragstrip about the “Flash”.  Comment below Ricky!

What are your local car shows like?  Do you see some good variety?  Let us know, email me at moc.emsiedirymnull@deepsthceh and we can showcase some coverage of your local car shows.

Hechtspeed

Burke Bros. Bonneville “Bucket List” Studebaker Avanti

I’m going to put this out there up front… I will not be able to do this story justice.  But, its such a great story and a cool car that you are going to get it and you are going to like it.  Ok, I got that out, now on to the man and the machine.

The man is cancer survivor and current cancer fighter Dan Sallia.  The machine is the historic Burke Bros. Bonneville record holding 1962 Studebaker Avanti.  I originally found Dan’s story on landracing.com in a build thread he started there.  That led me to his more detailed build thread on RacingStudebakers.com where I spent about 4 hours reading through the posts during 2 separate nights, checking out the pictures and soaking in one of the coolest car-guy stories I’ve ever heard.  I knew I had to share it the MyRideisMe.com readers.

Here’s Dan working in the engine bay of the Stude.  Now THAT is a setback motor!

Dan has been racing against Cancer for about 4 years and has had 3 tumors.  Recently another tumor was discovered, so Dan is working with his doctors (one doctor is actually a land speed racer!) and treatment options.  The future is unclear.  Dan has a “Bucket List” (like the movie) with 4 items on the list.  #4 is simply the dream to drive a Studebaker at the Bonneville Salt Flats.  The first opportunity was a ’53 Coupe, but that fell through.  Then a fellow Stude enthusiast contacted Dan.  He said that he had just purchased “an old Bonneville car” from eBay.  This guy offered to loan Dan the car to fulfill his Bucket List Dream #4.  After doing some research on the Avanti, it was the World Famous #90 Bill Burke car.  Yes, the same Bill Burke who ran the first Belly Tank Lakester in land speed racing.  Wow!

Dan says, “The car set a number of records, 15 that I have been able to verify so far. One is still on the books, 239.208 in C/CBFALT in 1979.”

This is how the car was received by Dan.  Upon quick glance, it appears to be decent, and it is, BUT…ya, there’s a but.  The car saw the Bonneville Salt Flats for 36 years (1963 – 1997, as documented by the Bonneville decals).  That will and did take its toll on the Studebaker frame metal, suspension joints, steering, brakes, you name it, the SALT finds it way into everything.  Dan had a lot of work ahead of him to get the car race ready and SCTA inspection ready to go 200MPH.

After getting the car, Dan mentions, “I couldn’t help but be in awe of the car.  I have seen many articles over the course of my life that were written about this car and it’s accomplishments.  So you have to know that I am both honored and consider it a priviledge to be offered the chance to restore this car to it’s true purpose and glory.  This car deserves to be reunited with the salt.”

Let’s talk about the Studebaker Avanti and its Salt History and Destiny for a sec’.  Bill Burke bought the car while working for Hot Rod Magazine in 1962.  It was delivered to Grantell Enterprises and came with a 229 cu in Paxton blown engine in the car and a 304 cu in engine in a crate.  The car was born to break records at Bonneville, literally, as the President of Studebaker assigned the car for this specific purpose, Land Speed Racing.

Here is an old picture of the #90 Bill Burke Avanti at Bonneville.

It’s first run in August 1963 netted the E/Gas Supercharged Coupe class record at 147.36 MPH.  In August 1966, with a 427 Ford engine, the Stude broke the B/Gas Coupe record going 175.699 MPH.  By 1968, Bill bumped the same record up to 182.867 MPH.  1972 saw a switch to a Hemi and set the C/Fuel Coupe record at 221.812 MPH (Red Hat!!!).  In August of 1979 the “Avanti that could” set the C/Classic Blown Fuel Altered record at 239.208 MPH, a record which still stands today, some 31 years later!  Whoa!  That is SOME history!  In all, 6 different people got into the 200MPH Club.  The car has actually gone as fast as 252 MPH one way.  That is a blazing Studebaker, no doubt!

Back to Dan the man… After getting the Avanti home, it was inspected and looked over at Eddies Custom Cars.  A plan was then developed to make the dream come alive.  Dan asked for help, support and donations from fellow Studebaker racers and owners.  The response has been spectacular.  It’s far from over though, there are still many parts and money needed.  I’ll put the current list at the end of the story.

The Engine… let me pass along some Studebaker engine knowledge your way.  The engine seen above in all its RED and CHROME glory is a 1963 304ci Avanti engine.  Avanti engines came in 5 flavors (R1-R5).  R2, R3 and R5′s came factory supercharged.  This red beaut’ is an R5 clone.  It appears that only 3 known R5′s were built by Grantell to race at Bonneville.  A mechanical fuel injected R5 engine powered another ’63 Avanti to a 196 MPH record in 1963.  Holy Salt!  Dyno testing of this beasty showed 575 HP in 1963.  Dan’s borrowed engine is a modern version of the R5, but it has ported heads and a bigger cam.   Dan’s plan is to use this engine at El Mirage in May to get his 125, 150 and maybe 175 MPH licenses.  Remember, El Mirage is a much shorter course than B’ville.

Dig this Vintage styled lettering Dan had painted on the door.

Dan is being very careful not to alter the original design of the car and the intents of the builders.  He has huge respect for the history this car has.  Dan said, “I have followed this car through three decades and just to be offered the use of the car was very overwhelming and still is.”

Dig this “Bonneville rake”.  Here is the unmistakable side profile of a Studebaker Avanti.  It certainly is unique and has a fairly flat and low hood.  That’s the best way to describe it.  It also has a pretty short rear overhang.  I think Studebaker was ahead of its time with this design.  It looks more like early 70′s sports coupe doesn’t it?

If Dan’s story alone wasn’t enough, check this post about his crew chief Jim.  “I met with Jim Moore my crew chief. He is doing a lot better and is back in fighting mode. He is out of the wheelchair and today he walked 1.4 miles unaided. How’s that for forty days of work. He is meeting with the doctors and has contacted my favorite cancer fighting place, my second home, The City of Hope to get a second opinion. I took him some things that will help him learn about this amazing treatment center. I also took him a bottle of my cancer fighting suppliment. He is really determined to beat this and he plans to go to Utah in August. This made my day.” Can’t wait to meet you Dan and Jim and your crew at B’ville.

The first time I saw an Avanti was at Bonneville.  This face “only a mother could love” (or “real” hot rodders) is … sorry, I have no words.  It’s funky and I like it.  I wonder if those “front wings” that protrude ahead of the headlights act as stabilizers?  It sort of looks like a Hammerhead shark now that I think about it.  Mean! 
Nice fresh gray paint over the refinished underpinnings of the Avanti.

Removed the rear drums and found the entire brake system is rusted up. Will need new wheel cylinders and adjusters. Not even Rusty could free them up. Although if I tried them tomorrow they might be free. I had to remove one of them to make the car able to be pushed, so I will check that one this weekend.

The bottom of the frame will need to be replaced on both sides at the bend (drop) point behind the axle. Nothing major and also some work will need to be done on the right hog trough front and back. Strange thing, the frame is worse on the drivers side and the hog trough is worse on the passenger side. Go figure. Here are a few pictures from today’s adventure.”

Dan and the Avanti frequent local car shows in the San Luis Obispo area to show off the car, talk cars and take donations.  They thought of a great idea to let friends and car nuts donate some cash to be able get their name on the hood.  The Avanti usually ends up being the talk of the shows too.

As evidence of the great support Dan has received, within one day of posting his “Needs List”, Dan had these things crossed off the list:  Parachute, Battery, Shifter, Air/Fuel ratio meter

The Avanti for Dan has been its own type of therapy.  Dan has been able to keep busy working on the car, tracking down parts, and talking with people.  This has allowed him to distract himself from the cancer at least a little bit.

At one of the recent events, Dan got to “drive” the Avanti on the street.  haha  Well, sort of…check out this picture below.

Looks like he’s getting away from the pushers.  Go Dan!!!

I had to post this picture of Dan’s wife Kathy.  Grease Girl will love this one.  Kathy is doing some fiberglass hood repair here.  It has got to be amazing to have a supportive wife like Kathy behind Dan while battling cancer and trying to finish this big of a project.

I can’t wait to here how the license runs go at El Mirage in a couple weeks.  Come August (100 Days until Speedweek 2010), Dan’s Avanti will be the first car I track down.

Thank you for the inspiring story and project Dan and Kathy.  I’ll be glued to your build thread at RacingStudebakers.com to follow your progress.

Please see the current Needs List below.  Hopefully you can find a way to support Dan, whether its giving $$$, loaning parts or your prayers, Dan and Kathy will gratefully receive anything you can give.

See you on the Salt Dan!

Hechtspeed

See the Update Story.  Dan made it to El Mirage Dry Lake for some speed runs.

“Hot Rod Ramblings”: The “Calera Kids” and the “Pit”

It’s been too long since I’ve posted a “Hot Rod Ramblings” feature.  For this post, I’m gonna go Nostalgia Drag and Funny Cars on you guys.  But, these “hot rod ramblings” come from my Uncle, “RickyRod” Hechtspeed.  These are my Uncle’s memories of the “Pit” from the late 60′s.  The “Pit” was the nickname for the first Irwindale Dragstrip.

A quick background… the “Calera Kids” were my dad (Rodger ”Calera Ave burnout king” and Ford/Merc’ lover and his little bro, the ”Chevy Puke” (as my dad would call him) and their buddies Rick Patterson, Scott Henry, John DeGraff (sporto), Lalo Gabriel, Rob Shultz, Pat Murphy and a few kids not directly in the “hood” Scott Taylor and Steve Presley were drag fans.  They lived on Calera Avenue in Azusa, California, the next city over from Irwindale.

Anyway, these ramblings are taken from some emails from my Uncle.  They mean a lot to me, because it is a piece of the Hechtspeed history.  I thought you guys would really dig ‘em too, so here goes, let the Ramblings begin!

“It is possible that the four kids shrouded by the supercharger are the “Calera Kids”.  That was one of our favorite spots.  What do you think Rodger, could that be us?”

Okay, one last Comet.  This guy we all liked.  Sooo, it is not a Vomit Comit. Dee was a great racer who let us “Kids” help unload the car, wax the body, clean the tires and what not.  A few of us even got to climb in and sit in the beast.  He didn’t win much, but I remember one night he kicked butt and took names (must have upped the nitro % and prayed to the Piston Rod and Crank Gods because it held together).  The car was a “hand-me-down” from Pete Gates but Dee made it his own with an awesome Red, White and Blue pearl paint job. Dee Keaton with the Keaton’s Komet !  He campained a Cougar “Keaton’s Kougar” in 68 and then faded away, but not in our memories.  He was a cool dude as compared to guys like “Big John” Masmanian who would yell at us for even going near his car.  A game we played when bored was to see who could put a finger print on the “Big’s” Cuda. Notice the aluminum body dents in the fender, identifying this car as one of the original FoMoCo sponsored Comets (fiberglass does not bend).

“The MAN !  “Fast Eddie”, this car was unbeatable in 1967.  If he showed up at any East Coast vs. West Coast funny car meet, then us Chevy lovers could pack up and just go home!  I remember the rubber marks this car would lay down on the track. Check out this smokin’ tire wheelie!”

“Third picture is Irwindale.  Your dad and I where most likely in the stands watchin Charlie do one of his trademark “open door” burnouts.  Cleared the smoke out of the car, and he would look out the side of the door to line up on the rubber he just laid down!”

“Okay, so the story goes in drag racing history that an east coast funny car named the “Chi-Town Hustler” started the super smokey burn-out with his 69 Dodge Charger.  Well, your dad and I could tell you that’s bull crap !  Our very own Al Vanderwoulde in his “Flying Dutchman” would lay down some very awesome rubber witness this photo.  That was 1967, two years before the Chi Town Hustler.  This Dart funny was later sold and ran as the Quarter Bender and was a regular at the pit for about three seasons.”

“Okay.  This one is for you bro.  I remember this crash !  We where there, right at the starting line on the pit side.  The car pulled hard right, Big John cranked the wheel left, then over corrected back right and went straight into the guardrail.  The car had a huge steering wheel with a “broody knob” like a trucker would use, and he was really crankin’ on that thing.  This car never could go straight, he would hit the throttle only for seconds at a time, never made a full pass.  Looking back I wonder if the driver was just so frustrated with the car he just went for it, because on this pass he did not let up!”

“This one is for Ben.  Plexigless was ragin’, this is the very first funny car I saw coming through the admission gates, I saw this car with it’s metal flake ruby red paint, red plastic windows and gold leaf lettering pulling another 150 – 160 mph pass.  It was then I knew the “PIT” was IT ! Those where the days my friend…”

“Here is another of Rodger’s famous ford cammers.  This is the Max Curtis 66 long nose mustang.  The cammers where getting the job done at the “Pit” in 66-67 until the Ed Pink and Donavan aluminum head hemis started showing up.  There were a few strong Big Block Chevys to come along but the next few days we will see the Ford’s that ruled (for a time).”

“This is the car that exploded a motor and hurt the GAS pretty badly.  Like Rodger said the cammers didn’t do so good on blowers.  Notice the air duct to push the cars nose down at speed from the front grill area up through the hood.  That is the kind of innovation you could count on from Gas.”

Pictures were found on the Speed City Resin website, a site dedicated to making Vintage Drag Racing Models and Parts.

Anybody remember the “Pit” in the late 60′s?  If so, let us know in a comment below.  Maybe one of the old “Calera Kids” is reading this?  Maybe you heard my dad’s ’64 Comet Cyclone with 4.56 gears, open headers and high revving 289ci cruising the streets of San Gabriel Valley or the drag runs on the 210 freeway?

Hechtspeed

Throttle, The Original Hot Rod Magazine

Throttle Magazine was the first known “hot rod” magazine, before it was even known as hot rodding.  Throttle was almost 100% focused on southern California Lakes and Midget racing.  It was only printed for 1 year, 1941, and included 12 issues.  The bombing of Pearl Harbor turned the USA upside down and hot rodding all but dried up for 3-4 years along with the magazine.  Throttle never came back after WWII ended.  ”Hot Rod Magazine” picked things back up in January 1948 with their first issue. 

Here’s a quick look at Throttle through a Reprint book I purchased at The Rodders Journal website.

Thom Taylor (check out Thom’s website ThomTaylorDesigns.com), hot rod artist, was the person who spearheaded the effort to put together a quality reprint of all 12 issues.  No small task considering relatively few copies were printed and the fact that they are almost 70 years old.  That’s Old School cool!

Here’s a glimpse from the Introduction by Thom Taylor of just what kind of effort was involved in this project:

“Jack Peters, who created Throttle and was its editor and publisher, was an enigma.  Finding out what happened to him was difficult but also fun.  Talking with Bill Burke (built the first belly tank lakester), Wally Parks (NHRA Museum in Pomona is named after him), Phil Remington and Louis Senter–even though their recollections were not real good, was a joy.  There aren’t many left that experienced racing at Muroc and El Mirage before WWII, but fortunately there are many documented memories compiled by researchers and hot rod historians that will live forever.”

Here is the January 1941 cover page, the Inaugural Edition, priced at $.10. 

Right off the bat, you get a sense of the hot rodders and speed freaks who were “chopping” up their Model T’s and A’s were already in defense-mode.  It’s obvious there were political and public threats on the hobby from the get-go.  Check this quote from the very first page.

“This racing will go on and on and on, and our elders might as well resign themselves to that condition.  If it is not taken care of in the open, with sponsoring associations attempting to work with state, city and county police officers at all times, it will be done on public streets and highways with a toll of disaster and tradegy for exceeding that little which has already marred its record.”

Basically, he’s saying, we’re gonna race no matter what, so we might as well do this the right way!

Here’s a report from Wally Parks, Secretary of the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) from the August issue.  Top speed for the event was 128.93 MPH by the Spaulding Bros. who it says ran a V-8 Modified in the Unlimited Class. 

This page from the November-December First Anniversary (and last) edition is great because it shows you some of the speed parts advertisements.  How about a Thickstun or Burns Foundry 2 carb intake manifolds for your flathead V8?  Or the Balch Garage towing service…it says “Have a Wreck Mister…?”  ha ha I love it!   Vic Edelbrock is named SCTA Champion for 1941.  You may have heard of that guy before, right?

This page also shows you that the “roundy round” racing was just as popular as lakes racing with talk of a 500 mile race, you may have heard of it? …  the Indianapolis 500, will continue as planned, even though the world is at war.

Throttle is a real piece of history, its not a book written today about yesterday, it is actually straight from the beginning of hot rod time.  When you read each issue, it takes you back to 1941 and sucks you into the culture and dilemnas of the day.  It gives you an idea of what life was like for a “speed bug” (that’s what hot rodders were called).  I read the slang and the nicknames for cars, speed parts, the people and car clubs and I just can’t help but smile, knowing the same passion exists today for the “hopped up” cars that roam the planet.

Some things just don’t change.  Check out page 23 above from the February issue.  Peters warns “WARNING!…To all those interested in keeping amateur auto racing from being stopped completely…if even one club member is caught taking part in such foolishness…Do Your Part…Don’t Race on Highways or Streets”

Do yourself a favor and add this book to our collection.  It’s probably my favorite book in my small, but growing collection so far.  You can get it from The Rodders Journal web store. 

So, if Jack Peters were still alive, he might ask “What are you doing to continue the rich hot rodding and customizing tradition alive?”  Let us know in a comment below.

Hechtspeed

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