Connecting the Dots

There’s nothing quite like pairing an era correct car with a period perfect backdrop. That’s not a new concept here at The Jalopy Journal, but seeing the right car in the right setting can really bring a scene to life. Just the other day, I was chatting with my friend Patrick Rocket about this very topic.

“I love the pictures where you can see the neighborhood in the background,” he told me, “because I feel like you get to know the car better and the type of life it lived.” I couldn’t agree more. Throughout our conversation, he sent over nine vintage photos that he had saved. All of them showcased hot rods, customs and houses of another place and time. Although eight of the images were black and white, the single color photo really caught my eye. That’s the one we’re going to focus on here today.

The photo in question (above) has been floating around the web for quite a while. It was the subject of a Hemmings article earlier in the year and, beyond that, nobody has been able to dig up any information on the car or owner. What we saw is what we knew. The car is a heavily channeled ’28/’29 Model A coupe with overhead V8 power likely built by the young man standing beside it. Judging by the context clues, I would wager the picture was from about 1964.

Yet, the more I looked at it, the more familiar the coupe seemed. “Wait a second,” I thought. “I know that car.” After a quick search through my archives, I found it. Just like that, I was able to connect the dots.

So here we have “The Stud.” It’s powered by a 3×2-fed Cadillac and features the rarely seen accessory colloquially known as toboggan on roof. Other highlights include red suspension, unsplit wishbones and a ’30 Model A radiator shell. The iron cross, Playboy Bunny and white panel pinstriping drive home the ’60s look. Can you imagine seeing this car out prowling the streets? I would flip!

After the success of our last photo hunt, I’m jonesing for more. Have anything to add to the tale of this old hot rod? Let’s hear it.

—Joey Ukrop