Red’s Roadster

Spence’s editorial in the opening pages of the July 1957 Rod & Custom warns readers that they’re in for a very Model ‘A’-centric issue. Amidst the bulk of ‘A’ “converting, restoring and modernizing�? information, a nicely finished Deuce roadster nestled itself into the feature well.

Your eyes zap to the numbers — oversized 24s — painted on the doors in circle track style. Big slicks, a raked stance, quickchange, split bones, dropped axle and a filled shell blended to give the ’32 character. For the most part, these elements were fairly standard for a little pages rod. So let’s take a look at what made Red Lund’s roadster stand out.

1) Blistered Hood- When Red decided to replace his second hot Merc flathead, he didn’t hold back. A 354 c.i. Hemi was wrangled from a ’56 Chrysler and dropped between the rails without a problem. With a Potvin cam, Weiand intake a handful of Strombergs, the mill produced plenty power but required some massaging of the sheetmetal to run a full hood. Blisters crafted. Louvers punched. Job well done.

2) Chromed Dash- For a rod built primarily for go instead of show, Red felt the extra pounds were a sacrifice worth making. Eight Steward-Warner gauges surround a  hand fuel pump used to prime the big Chrysler.  Who knows, maybe Red wanted to check his vanity in his dashboard-turned-mirror as he blasted down the 1320 at 120 mph.

3) Low-profile Roll Bar- At first glance, Red’s competition machine looks like it’s running a center steering setup (It’s not.) The minimalistic, ultra unsafe bar keeps the machine’s sleek lines intact. I can’t say it’d do the same for Red if things ever got squirrely at the top end…

According to the issue, Red took home Street Roadster class honors in the Midwest and on the Left Coast. Although Red’s roadster isn’t an ‘A,’ it provides an excellent glimpse into the days where Deuce-bodied competition machines were heavy hitters on the ‘strip.

-Joey Ukrop

Photos from R&C, July 1957…Click to enlarge.