Thanks, I can see how it might have taken you a while to figure that out. I'm going to have to read its few more times but I'll give it a try. One of the good things about the HAMB is that we can post directly from the desktop. Once I ge my picks back here from Picassa it's easy.
Back to the subject of the thread, I received these pictures from Bernie Couch back in 2011 when he gave me a CD of them. Bernie raced his '32 roadster at El Mirage from 1947 to 1950 and is a virtual living legend. Bernie is 94 and still has his roadster and although he has had some health challenges he is still hanging in there. I have talked to him about them and his experiences racing his '32 roadster in addition to his Navy service all across the Pacific in WWII on a light carrier. Bernie has been featured in Rod & Custom in 2012 www.hotrod.com/articles/1203rc-the-bernies-couch-story/ and was interviewed by Ryan in 2015 for the Jalopy Journal #3 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=27619. Here's some of his pics of the over 300 that I have. The first one is of Bernie waiting to make a run in old 404B.
Thanks @vintagehotrods for the latest additions to a most awesome thread with the connections to it all. Must be great to meet the bricks and mortar of the eras we aspire too...
@vintagehotrods outstanding photos, amazing. I was about to ask if there was any pics of this car and boom! Anymore as 15A or 1A?
Wow! Great pictures. The above is my favorite version of the S/G roadster. Thanks. I don't think I've seen that one before.
I just checked and I have over 300 pics so I'll post everything I've got. I would like to see him again and talk to him some more while I can. There aren't many left like Bernie aand he is still fired up about it all. If I look at these pics long enough, especially the ones with the cars all lined up and ready to run, I feel like I'm right there with them! These are pics of Bernie when he took the roadster all the way to northern California and over to Nevada and back to LA just to break in his new motor for the lakes. Hardcore Hot Rodder!
Unbelievable stuff @vintagehotrods again Thank You...and give Bernie a extended Thank You and handshake on behalf of us we really appreciate the sharing of his past. Holy Hotrod Grail & Inspiration Batman.
@vintagehotrods...Some of the fellows that are looking for pics of their relatives Hotrod Racers may in fact see them in these pics you are gracing us with. @paintslinger805 comes to mind. Maybe his pops knows Bernie...There was one more fellow fairly recently and he had a car # as well. I believe I posted this thread link to him and well this place never disappoints due to the spreading of the Gospel of all things Hotrod/Custom
There are great. I just keep going back through them. What a treasure! This car belongs to a friend here, It ran at Bonneville in '49 and has the timing tag on the dash. I don't know exactly what it looked like then but it's close. I wonder if that is it behind #109?
Here is a pic of Bernie with his roadster at the 50th LA Roadster Show where we (the Mid-West Deuce Club) gave Bernie the "Best Deuce" award for the show. For today here are some pics in LIVING COLOR!
More in COLOR! This is the first engine in Bernie's old 404B roadster. Check out the ignition, Bernie told me he had it built by Charlie "Kong" Jackson, when he was still working out of his garage.
@Six Ball You made my day posting that, I have wondered if that car still existed and I finally have an answer. That car was built postwar by Marvin Webb good write up here ---> https://www.hotrodhotline.com/“webb...-dennis-webb-story-august-4-2007#.WeFQn617Gis
Cool, I didn't know much about it. That could explain all the molded body parts. Ralph calls it "The Webb Special". He know some of the history not sure how much. He's had it for several years. I don't know how complete it was when he got it. I'll find out more. It's only about 6 miles from here. There is something about it that lets you know you are in the presence of something real. Do you know who drove it in '49 at Bonneville? I think the speed was in the 120s.
If your buddy hasn't talked to him yet Marvin's son Dennis Web lives in Anaheim and has pictures of the car when his dad had it. He is a true gentleman and a master craftsman and a pleasure to talk to.
Great, I'll talk to him soon and find out how much he knows and if he has been in contact with the family.
This thread is alive again! So glad to see, this is my absolute favourite thread on here and I come back to it often for inspiration. Thanks for sharing all the great pics vintagehotrods. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I met Bernie Couch in a Mexican restaurant while visiting California, he approached me because I was wearing a shirt with a hotrod on it. Unbelievable the stories he was telling me, I didn't know who he was, but we talked about his roadster and dry lakes racing, I thanked him for his service and he thanked me for mine super cool legend. I won't ever forget my short time with him, it's so great to see his personal photos, thank you.
I'll get some more. Had no idea this was such an important car and builder. Ralph is very proud of it but he doesn't get in your face about what it is. The first time I saw it was at a car show at east 15 years ago. It wasn't entered in the show. It was parked outside. I noticed the timing tag and looked the whole thing over. I didn't see it again for several years. I think Ralph has had it the whole time. You have caused me to do some online searches about Marvin Webb and the car. There is quite a bit out there. Thanks!
Dennis Webb is the truest talent in metal fab that one will ever meet. His grandfathers grove is the last vestiges of 40’s living in Anaheim. 35 + yrs ago cruising in So Cal was going into extinction ( the kind seen in AG, not sitting holed up in a parking lot) , but there was one that was happening in Anaheim at Angelo’s Drive-In. This Cruise went right past Marvin/Dennis’ Anaheim Shop I had no idea.... I read about Marvin, but didn’t know about Dennis till years later when he rebuilt 1955 Calvin Rice driven rail the “J.E.Riley Special” We spoke as a result of this car being Cyclone equipped with a 3x2 intake and the QC that has a unique rear cover (I have the other 2). This man is humble, kind friendly and above all a genuinely talented genius!!!! He lives blocks away from a close family member, so every time I drive past, I look to the left to make sure some developers didn’t grab his place turn it into a Walgreens or the like. That place should be landmarked and some young gun should get in there and learn from that man as we’ll lose that talent someday. This man shapes by hand. He makes many things happen. IMHO there are a few pioneer metal shaping greats, one being Whitey Clayton and the others being Marvin-Dennis Webb.
You might know this already, Jimmy B, but the Giovanine roadster has driven under own power: https://instagram.com/p/BaUcF45HrSn/ Suggested to me via Instagram.
Here's the rest of Bernie's color pics. This is the second engine Bernie was building for his roadster. Lots of good pics of Bernie and his pals Pics from an unknown airfield drag strip somewhere Unknown midget race track pics That's all for the color pics!
Dayuum!!!...Priceless stuff...I wonder if the Older Veteran Hotrodders are amoungst these fresh editions to the board of coolness... Continued gratitude to Bernie, Vintage, Cyclone. Rocker, Woodie, Jimmy, Hemi and all you others for sharing this stuff too cool.
The Jalopy Journal
