The Jalopy Journal

**Ryan** · 08-05-2008, 10:46 AM

When we last left you, Tom Cobbs had just lost the first ever legal drag race to Fran Hernandez. In doing so, he became the first to race a blown flathead Ford and the first to race against a nitro fueled car. Of course, we went on to tell you about ...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

**JeffreyJames** · 08-05-2008, 11:16 AM

Holy Shit!!! This is like the Atlantis of Hot Rodding finds. How lucky does one have to be to study this stuff first hand straight out of the garage of Cobbs. He really was a remarkable man with a story that NEEDS to be shared. Damn it, I am pumped to see that roadster.

SHRUM · 08-05-2008, 11:20 AM

Amazing!

Dreddybear · 08-05-2008, 11:33 AM

Fantastic read.

Rolleiflex · 08-05-2008, 11:41 AM

Unbelievable! Very, very cool stuff!

retro54 · 08-05-2008, 12:00 PM

wow.... There should be a book written on this... and what a story it would be... thanks Ryan!

**Mike B** · 08-05-2008, 12:09 PM

Awesome! So nobody ever got the chance to ask him why he left hotrodding? I guess he probably never left it just by the fact that he kept all his stuff.

**Dean Lowe** · 08-05-2008, 12:18 PM

Great read! I had heard Cobbs name at Bonneville over the years, but didn't know anything about the man. Thanks for doing the digging Ryan. I love this kind of history.

60'shotrod · 08-05-2008, 12:22 PM

Great can't wait to read the next chapter.

**Townsend** · 08-05-2008, 01:16 PM

Wow. What a wonderful piece of written history. This series has been just as good and just as exciting as the Bob Roddick story. I can't wait to see more and can only hope the roadster is as fresh in appearance as those engines. Incredible.

**Bruce Lancaster** · 08-05-2008, 01:23 PM

The "relieved" engine is very interesting for its time...it is the sort of relief advocated at various times by Navarro, Kloth, and Holleran, not a wall-to-wall bulldozing but an enhancement of the existing bowls in the Ford casting...this example seems to slightly break the edge between cylinder and valve area, other examples leave the edge untouched...seems like a more logical response to moving air then the step type.

mtlcutter · 08-05-2008, 01:26 PM

This is such important stuff. I can't wait to hear more. If I found all that stuff i would lock myself in the storage unit for a year and geek-out. I'd come out looking like a mad man.

**Terry** · 08-05-2008, 01:29 PM

I can barely think of the words I want to say. so I'll just state what I said as I read the article through the first time. "Holy Crap!"

Almost as impressive was the fact that, Ryan says in there he gave a call to Xydias! LOL

**Ryan** · 08-05-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry

I can barely think of the words I want to say. so I'll just state what I said as I read the article through the first time. "Holy Crap!"

Almost as impressive was the fact that, Ryan says in there he gave a call to Xydias! LOL

I will save all my "thank yous" for the final post, but I will say that Xydias is one of the nicest most gentle men I've ever talked to. He's just so down to earth and matter of fact. I can't put into words the amount of respect I have for that man... He's an absolute national treasure.

Talking to him makes you realize why the hot rodding world is full of such good people - we've had incredible guys like him to look up to for so long.

Mr 42 · 08-05-2008, 01:33 PM

Thanks

1950ChevySuburban · 08-05-2008, 02:37 PM

This series has me riveted to my screen!

**HEMI32** · 08-05-2008, 03:03 PM

Wow! ... I thought the first installment was one of Ryan's best Blogs ... but the Tom Cobbs story only got better in this second installment ... how ever will Ryan top the first two installments? ... and do we really have to wait another whole week for the third & final installment?

What a great find for Ralph Whitworth ... I wonder what his plans are for all those engines ... they're pieces of great historical value that need to be shared with the masses ... does Ralph have a museum open to the public?

29bowtie · 08-05-2008, 04:11 PM

Great finds! Ryan Cochran, Hot Rod Archaeological Specialist, has a nice ring to it.

50Fraud · 08-06-2008, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemi32

What a great find for Ralph Whitworth ... does Ralph have a museum open to the public?

He does, but it's not open yet:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCC

autobilly · 08-05-2008, 04:32 PM

This Tom Cobbs series is shaping up to be the best TJJ post(s) of the year. Absolutely fantastic!

08-05-2008, 10:46 AM	#1
Ryan Administrator Join Date: Jan 1995 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 13,623	Tom Cobbs: Part 2 When we last left you, Tom Cobbs had just lost the first ever legal drag race to Fran Hernandez. In doing so, he became the first to race a blown flathead Ford and the first to race against a nitro fueled car. Of course, we went on to tell you about ... To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

08-05-2008, 11:16 AM	#2
JeffreyJames Alliance Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: SUGAR CITY Posts: 15,928	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Holy Shit!!! This is like the Atlantis of Hot Rodding finds. How lucky does one have to be to study this stuff first hand straight out of the garage of Cobbs. He really was a remarkable man with a story that NEEDS to be shared. Damn it, I am pumped to see that roadster. __________________ I PLAY WITH TIGERS WWW.SUGARCITYSPEEDSHOP.COM CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM IMAGES

08-05-2008, 11:20 AM	#3
SHRUM Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bartlesville, Oklahoma Posts: 623	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Amazing! __________________ If it ain't STEEL it ain't REAL Turkey's C.C. Oklahoma http://tarslider.blogspot.com/

08-05-2008, 11:33 AM	#4
Dreddybear Old School HAMBer Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: AUSTIN TEXAS Posts: 5,169	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Fantastic read. __________________ HOLLEY 94 INFO MY COUPE BUILD

08-05-2008, 11:41 AM	#5
Rolleiflex Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 545	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Unbelievable! Very, very cool stuff! __________________ Email or PM me for prints www.cullipherphoto.com

08-05-2008, 12:00 PM	#6
retro54 Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: PA Posts: 747	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 wow.... There should be a book written on this... and what a story it would be... thanks Ryan! __________________ Flyers R.C. Rodder's Journals FOR SALE

08-05-2008, 12:09 PM	#7
Mike B Alliance Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Wherever I am Posts: 754	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Awesome! So nobody ever got the chance to ask him why he left hotrodding? I guess he probably never left it just by the fact that he kept all his stuff. __________________ --------------------------------------------------------------------------

08-05-2008, 12:18 PM	#8
Dean Lowe Alliance Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: La Verne, Ca. Posts: 2,975	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Great read! I had heard Cobbs name at Bonneville over the years, but didn't know anything about the man. Thanks for doing the digging Ryan. I love this kind of history. __________________ .....growin' up leads to gowin' old, then to dyin', and dyin', to me, don't sound like all that much fun.........John Mellencamp 1983

08-05-2008, 12:22 PM	#9
60'shotrod Old School HAMBer Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Wales Posts: 2,910	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Great can't wait to read the next chapter. __________________ The closer you are to Caesar, the greater the fear. http://www.vhra.co.uk/VHRA/Home.html

08-05-2008, 01:16 PM	#10
Townsend Alliance Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 55	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Wow. What a wonderful piece of written history. This series has been just as good and just as exciting as the Bob Roddick story. I can't wait to see more and can only hope the roadster is as fresh in appearance as those engines. Incredible.

08-05-2008, 01:23 PM	#11
Bruce Lancaster Alliance Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Madison NJ USA Posts: 18,288	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 The "relieved" engine is very interesting for its time...it is the sort of relief advocated at various times by Navarro, Kloth, and Holleran, not a wall-to-wall bulldozing but an enhancement of the existing bowls in the Ford casting...this example seems to slightly break the edge between cylinder and valve area, other examples leave the edge untouched...seems like a more logical response to moving air then the step type. __________________ Bruce

08-05-2008, 01:26 PM	#12
mtlcutter Grenade Inspector Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 357	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 This is such important stuff. I can't wait to hear more. If I found all that stuff i would lock myself in the storage unit for a year and geek-out. I'd come out looking like a mad man. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Fly Low !! Crash Hard !! Live Fast !!

08-05-2008, 01:29 PM	#13
Terry Alliance Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Odessa, TX, USA Posts: 1,827	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 I can barely think of the words I want to say. so I'll just state what I said as I read the article through the first time. "Holy Crap!" Almost as impressive was the fact that, Ryan says in there he gave a call to Xydias! LOL __________________ The best car saftety device is a rear view mirror with a cop in it.

08-05-2008, 01:33 PM	#15
Mr 42 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,136	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Thanks

08-05-2008, 02:37 PM	#16
1950ChevySuburban Member Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 6,239	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 This series has me riveted to my screen! __________________ *My '29 Sedan build thread can be viewed here:* /showthread.php?t=635145

08-05-2008, 03:03 PM	#17
HEMI32 Alliance Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 3,789	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Wow! ... I thought the first installment was one of Ryan's best Blogs ... but the Tom Cobbs story only got better in this second installment ... how ever will Ryan top the first two installments? ... and do we really have to wait another whole week for the third & final installment? What a great find for Ralph Whitworth ... I wonder what his plans are for all those engines ... they're pieces of great historical value that need to be shared with the masses ... does Ralph have a museum open to the public? __________________

08-05-2008, 04:11 PM	#18
29bowtie Old School HAMBer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maple Ridge,BC,CANADA Posts: 4,469	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 Great finds! Ryan Cochran, Hot Rod Archaeological Specialist, has a nice ring to it. __________________ "Remember Professionals built the Titanic, An Amateur built the Ark."

08-05-2008, 04:32 PM	#20
autobilly Old School HAMBer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tweed, Australia Posts: 2,526	Re: Tom Cobbs: Part 2 This Tom Cobbs series is shaping up to be the best TJJ post(s) of the year. Absolutely fantastic! __________________ RETRO Spec. (tive) -Getting to where you're going by knowing where you've come from.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode