Folks Of Interest Photo Memories of Jim Stevens (Jimmy)

Godspeed Jim,
Chris, I met your dad through an associate that I worked with in San Gabriel at a Buick dealership. His name is John Whalin. His buddy “Bill Rhode”was a fellow racer who ran A 27 Glass T Full Fendered Roadster that was originally owned by his brother in law by the name of Smithfield The car was known as “Greer & Smithfield”when they raced it. It had a Dodge engine in it, Bill’s mentor was your father and when he bought the T-Roadster he equipped it with a Boss 302 & 4 Speed Top Loader and competed in similar classes as your dad. When your dad moved on to a Maverick, so did Bill. A high school buddy “Tim Martin” of mine bought the Maverick in Race Trim from Bill in like 1985/86? Picked it up in Montebello.
That Boss 302 went into a 65 GT-350.
lost track of it then as he moved on to a gig at R.H. Loud Ford - Pasadena. .
John continued to speak highly of your dad in a friendly/hero type of way.
In the mid 80’s I’m at a El Mirage SCTA meet, what car do I see in line, but a black 29 RPU with “Grant & Piston Ring - Service - Alhambra. Paul Gretch’s place on Garfield Ave in Alhambra.
I met him again that day, I was especially impressed as he was running a Kong Equipped Flatty, perhaps later on, a set of Baron high comp heads?
Anyway It was now “Pappas & Stevens Racing” which I continued to see even @ Muroc a couple of times. Also recall seeing the 29 RPU in an exhibit for the GNRS of I believe Cover Cars several years ago. I seem to recall that your Dad lived in Leona Valley? Wasn’t sure if he relocated again as I see you’re from North County SD.
Your dad was a retired Firefighter correct?
I dug chatting with him, I doubt that he recalled who I was every time I’d see him, but it was great talking to him just the same.
He will always be remembered as one helluva man.
CK.

 

Yes correct, Kevin. Dad worked in his Leona Valley shop behind the house as seen in some of these shots.
Never ceased building record setting motors.
Thanks for your thoughts and comm, truly appreciated.

 

(QUOTE Marty Strode]That's 1 of 5, Pete Jackson injectors for a Boss 302, I have been told.[/QUOTE]

One of 3 as Pete told me, and I have that one!
Sorry to hear of your dad's passing. I always thought I might try to build my rpu like your dad's with his old injector and other parts I have.

 

Condolences to You and Yours...

 

I use this very picture as inspiration of 'how it should be built', it just has 'it'. I love this car. So sorry for your loss, your father achieved more than most.

 

^^What he said. What they all said. Everything is so right on his RPU. Even cooler it's a Ford with Ford power. Brand new Boss 302 with injection how cool is that.

 

One of 3 as Pete told me, and I have that one!
Sorry to hear of your dad's passing. I always thought I might try to build my rpu like your dad's with his old injector and other parts I have.[/QUOTE]
I stand corrected!

 

Chris,
Was this picture taken at Eagle Field a few years ago ? If so, who owns the RPU now, and is that Jim's old engine in it ? Thanks for this thread !

 

Hey Marty, I was going to put this lineage on here....
The Roadster Pickup was brought out of storage to run at Bonneville using Dads street rod flathead (34 Ford truck we used to run parts he tricked out when he stopped racing).
1990 ish
He actually set the record for a few hours.
Then they got serious and put the glass body and the evolution continued.
So.. They are the same car technically.

Then the steel body and accessories were used to reproduce the drag car tribute by
Dave McCain on a model A frame. The motor is just show, a windsor.

 

Than

Thanks.

 

A guy named Tom Scardina owns it. Pebble Beach. The Eagle Field drags honored dad, we went, 2019.
We couldn't get it to run at all

 

Early days

 

another of my heroes gone
RIP

 

Chris, What is the magazine that article is in? Most of the pictures show uncut stacks on the injector, this is the first I have seen the cut ones. I have those and always wonder if that was done by your father or after he sold it. Thank you for all the pictures!

 

Chris,
So is the RPU again all in one piece as I see it in the last image with your dad @ Eagle Field & that must’ve been the version I saw several years ago displayed in a building in a hall @ The GNRS?
I’m glad that your dad kept those pieces for so long, it’s an Iconic RPU and should be displayed with its and your dad’s achievements at the NHRA & The Petersen.
Would love to read more about it. It’s definitely something that inspired me as a Hot Rod Student.

 

Hey....It was Popular Hot Rodding. The text has a lot of BS. Jimmy never ran a motor he didn't build himself.
Paul Grichar was dad's buddy and Grant Piston and Ring Service basically let dad use his shop and get parts wholesale. Grich was a very famous boat racer, engine builder.
I have the whole article scanned.

 

Hey Kevin, The current Roadster Pick-up features all original body pieces, wheels, interior. The rest was built by a flathead racer named Dave McCain. First seen at the 50th Winternationals next to Hugh Tuckers'.
Dave later sold it.

 

Thank you Chris for that article! Seeing it brings back a lot I remember about that engine I had! It had the SuperRods and JE pistons, same drilled holes in the bearings. Short block seems the same, but the heads did not have the titanium valves or the Ford roller insert rockers, but did have winonia guides. But when it lost a rod that was the end of most of it. I saved what I could but that was a long time ago!

 

BTW, We sold dad's Boss blocks, heads and a crank a few months back. They are going to Bonneville. Campbell & Fenn C/AIR...American Iron Roadster.

 

Great looking roadster!

 

It is good that his hand massaged Boss pieces live on at Bonneville where he loved to be.

 

Thanks Chris, for those tech articles, as an old Boss 302 racer myself, they really hit home !