(Editor’s Note: This article is part 3 of a 4 part series. Part 1, 2, 3, & 4.) It’s 1951 and Bob Roddick sits in his driveway with his pops by his side. The two work a torch and heat the flathead block that lay victim to an accident Bob had a year prior. Amazingly, [...]
The Bob Roddick Story: Part 3
The Early Jet Cars
It all started in the late 1950′s as US Air Force and Navy jet engines hit the surplus market. Guys like Art Arfons, Walt Arfons, and Craig Breedlove jumped at the opportunity to put the power of the jet to the ground. Early efforts were shaky at best, but their was no denying the potential.
Violence At 1000 Frames Per Second
We talked about the violence of drag racing just a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday, a reader (Thanks Matt!) sent over this video as an exclamation point of sorts. It’s a must see… Enjoy! Edit: I keep getting scooped by HAMBers. This thread rules.
Speed from 1904 to 1964
Oh the irony… I’m in defensive driving school today. Enjoy the video above and try not smile too wide while you think about my misery.
I Got A Sweet Tooth
Maybe it’s the incredible color we were witnesses to yesterday, but this morning I found myself thumbing through what I consider to be one of the best custom car books ever published – Custom Cars of the 1950′s by Andy Southard. I usually fall for the lean and subtle customs of the earlier eras, but [...]
The Bob Roddick Story: Part 2
(Editor’s Note: This article is part 2 of a 4 part series. Part 1, 2, 3, & 4.) When we last left you in Part 1 of this series, it was late in the year of 1950. Bob Roddick had wrecked his ’32 roadster, was in the process of rebuilding it, and was spending his [...]
Home Build… Again…
Now this is cool… One year and one day ago, I wrote a post about a guy that found an old hot rod. It was a quaint little story about a guy, his car, his garage, and his thoughts. The guy was just doing it exactly how it should be done. Well, yesterday I got [...]
The Jalopy Journal Car Coat
I’ve always dug vintage car coats and have wanted to do my own for a long time. I just never pulled the trigger because I couldn’t source the right guy to make them the right way. And then I finally ran into Albie Powers at American Rebel Jacket… If you’ve read the latest Rodder’s Journal, [...]
Street Driven Streamliner
I think I first saw the “Norman Timbs Buick Special” in an Almquist catalog, but recently stumbled across a feature in the October, 1949 issue of MotorTrend Magazine. The aluminum bodied custom was built over a period of three years and at a cost of over $10,000 – certainly not chump change in the late [...]
Through the years we’ve had some pretty amazing articles pop up here on The Jalopy Journal. The following is just a few of them:
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Tom Cobbs
The story of Tom Cobbs, his legacy, and his hot rod roadster. Read: Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.
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The Bob Roddick Story
The story of a set of lost photos that literally take us all back into time. Read: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4.
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The Ferrari Shoot
Comparing and contrasting three very different cars with three very different purposes in life. Read It >>
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Inspiration
This post is actually a continuation of two other posts that were written in 2006 (Part 1 & 2). The stuff you guys came up with is breathtaking.
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Gary Howard
Gary is one of my heroes and after interviewing him, I got to check off an item from my dream list. Read It >>