There’s no doubt that today’s hot rodding scene is overflowing with talent. Builders from around the globe are constructing rods and customs with an artistic eye and painstaking attention to detail. Much of this can be credited to the abundance of technology and resources at their disposal, but also from the luxury of learning from [...]
So I started the week off with an article on the Moonglow – a ’54 Chevrolet. Jay then bumped me on Tuesday with a feature on a relatively obscure but super sanitary ’55 Chevrolet. As such, the ball is now in my court and I’ve decided to volley with what is my favorite ’56 Chevrolet [...]
Ryan’s post on Duane Steck’s Moonglow caused me to ponder about how many 1953 and 1954 Chevrolets seemed to receive ‘custom love’ over the more ‘popular’ ’55 model. Why is that? Was the first year Tri-Five Chevy considered to be more ‘GO’ (with it’s new 265 V-8) than ‘SHOW’? Whatever the reason may have been, [...]
Historically, I see traditional customs in three fairly distinct boxes of build styles – the early full customs of the 1940′s (think Westergard), the subtle customs of the early to mid 1950′s (think late Sam Barris), and the outlandish customs that were built primarily from 1958 onward (think Barris Customs, Roth, etc…). Now, I’m not [...]
Thank you for indulging me with another look at Indy cars and drivers of influence. This time we’ll look at my favorite open wheel racers from after the war. You’ll notice how many beautiful and unique cars were built year after year from 1947 through the late 50s, much like early hot rods and customs [...]
The Hyder’s Garage 1934 Ford fuel coupe looks like it will pummel you. Although some may argue about what verb best characterizes the aggressive antics of this hard-charging machine, nearly everything about this healthily hammered coupe resonates with hot rodders both on and off the strip. This heavy altered flew in the face of convention, [...]
There’s been quite a bit of a relationship between the Indianapolis 500 and the early days of hot rodding. Many of the drivers started out on the dry lakes or circle tracks before moving up to the brickyard, and many of the slick racing bits on the race cars eventually trickled down to hot rods [...]
In 1946, the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Leo Durocher, was asked by a reporter why he couldn’t be as accommodating to the press and the fans as Mel Ott and the rest of the New York Baseball Giants were. Leo looked back in disgust and said, “Look over there. Do you know a nicer [...]
I’m on the road today headed back to Austin, but found a lost jewel of sorts – a 1932 Indy 500 Newsreel. And it’s May, right? I couldn’t resist… The greatest spectacle in Racing. Check it out:
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:
The story of Tom Cobbs, his legacy, and his hot rod roadster. Read: Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.
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.
Comparing and contrasting three very different cars with three very different purposes in life. Read It >>
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.
Gary is one of my heroes and after interviewing him, I got to check off an item from my dream list. Read It >>