Bugsy, The photo with you giving the thumbs up and the look on both the kids faces is priceless... I had fun seeing it run at the hill this year. Way to go guy.....
Bugsy, it was great racing with you AND the kids! Torr-Nado T doesn't just look fast...it IS fast! What a gas!! Cactus, very good hanging out with you two as well...hope to see you and Bugsy again soon. We're still on the road in the roadster slowly heading back to Cali. What a ride!! Johnny
TBone...thanks, MAn! It is an event that needs to be on everyone's list for sure. Beyond FUN!! Jay...I was thinking the same! He does drive already at my sister's place and can even drive a stick at 9 years old! Learned in the '43 GPW! He gets jealous when he here's the stories of me driving to the 8th. grade in my '63 Corvair!! Pete...That's it!!!! The kids came up with that one!! Man...much appreciated!! The three of us are tight and do everything together! I have to say though that they are good kids and are up for anything. They are old car nuts and it makes me happy to know that they will be the next to carry on with this when we are all gone.... THANK YOU!!!! What a great time...it just goes too fast! I'm already thinking about what I'm going to do next to the T and next year's climb!!! THANKS BRO!!! Good to hear from you and it's so cool that you saw the car on the beach!! She's seen a lot of action this past season!!!
Hi to all of you, thought to share with you some photos of the former "Torr-Nado T" of Bugsy, who is now with me (Andreas) in Spain, enjoining European beaches… b.t.w he is called "Clyde" now… and that’s him together with former "Dust Bowl Spl.", who is now called “Bonnie”…
Andreas, Thanks for the updates on my two, old T roadsters! I hated to see them go but knew you guys would take care of them and have a good time with them!
Jason, we have great fun over here... Now all done new, on both… engines, axels front and rear, steering and you name it… amazing… looking forward to next season, 2019. So far we have planned to travel +/- 10.000 km throughout Europe, participating in various events. They even got their own Truck, in order to get around Europe…
What a shame I missed so much of the ongoing saga of this car. I am the one who sold the body to Pete years ago and followed his build and knew he had sold it. I only wish I could fill in more of the original history but everyone that knew is no longer with us. I took the body in partial trade from a friend I had known since the 60's after building a 40 Ford sedan for him in 2005. The body had sat in his shop ever since I met him and he always intended to build it. He told me it was a dirt track car in the east bay area (San Francisco Bay area) of Northern California and had a part of a Chevy headlight bucket to cover the steering where it exited the cowl. It sat on it's nose in the back of my shop for years and I finally put it for sale on the H.A.M.B. in 2011 and it didn't sell until Pete called me in 2014 to see if it was still available. Pete had searched the old ads, contacted me and the rest is history. Old cars that are special to us if only they could talk, what stories could they tell. Glad to see it preserved and bringing joy to other people. John Nissen
wow John, that’s soo nice to hear. Every little bit, helps continuing writing the story. I bought the baby from Jason, who introduced me to Pete, via email. I met Pete first time this year in person, at the Race of Gentlemen in Wildwood. I´m enjoying every minute with the T-Roadster. We have totally restored him by now, just to be ready for about 8 events next year. This year we participated in 5 different races/events in Europe. Just a lot of fun… thank you soo much, filling us in, in your part of his history. Thanks Andreas
John, Thank you for sharing all of that!! I knew Pete had bought it from someone in California, and knew the basic history that he knew of the car, but I didn't know a lot of what you had said! I bought it a s a basic roller from Pete in the winter of 2014 and got it ready to run the Hot Rod Hillclimb in 2015. I really enjoyed it and being a dirt tracker myself, always wondered the history of what this car was. It had a lot of very, unique features and awesome, mods from back in the day. I sure wish that old body could talk! I really enjoyed the time I had it and pained over selling it. As you can see, she's over the pond now but these guys are having a lot of fun with it and her journey continues!! My kids and I even made the 2016 Hill climb calendar with her!! I sure miss that car sometimes but glad she went to a good home!
The T looks great! I’m so glad it’s been getting better and better with each owner,,,,hard to believe that car sat on a mezzanine in Northern California for over 20 years and now it’s in Spain.
Pete.you would be amazed what leaves your shores every year!! Jason, are you working on anything else or having a break? JW
Ima put this vid up of Jason and I in the DBS just because I watched it again the other day and now this thread popped up! (She makes a cameo.)
This thread eluded me but I found it...a Hamb gem it is...what a lot of fun and an incredible journey in connection with the Jalopy past. Great work fellas...every one of you. Thanks to all you other hoodlums who jazzed up the adventure with your crossing paths with these hotrodders...
Cactus! I still love the video of us pasture racing at Jay's (NoSurf)....I miss both of those T's too...but..I guess this type of thing has been happening since the dawn of hot-rodding! They get built, sold, rebuilt, sold again but this is what keeps them going for the generations!! The funny thing is that I wasn't planning on selling either of these T's....I was actually selling a Model A sedan at the time that I had picked up from "Moose", when Andreas first contacted me. Through conversation, the T's that I had came up and he was interested in the Torr-Nado T..and then a couple of days later, contacted me back and said that he had a friend that wanted the Dust Bowl Spl!!! Before I knew it, they both were going to Spain! This hobby is all about friendships, leads, stories, history, contacts and connections. It's crazy sometimes how it works! This story even connects back to 1999, when I first came into contact with Pete! Had it not been for that, I wouldn't have got the Torr-Nado to begin with!! It's nuts! I do plan on building a "Dust Bowl Spl. II" someday...I just need to score another, 27 roadster body!!
ha ha ha yes, so true Jason, that’s how it was... and I´m sooooo happy, having bought both T´s at that time… now I´m somehow honoured and proud being able to continue the story, you all have started to write for the both… I´m sure you will find the right, 27 roadster body… one day…
JW...I've had a couple of projects come and go since selling the T's. BUT...the real reason that I decided to sell both of them was to fund the purchase of a 1930, Tudor from Ray Prue (Onekoolkat1950). I watched his thread on it and fell in love with it! As a lot of you know, Ray does incredible work and this car is SOLID! I've actually had it for a year and a half or so but life has got in the way of any, real progress. I've done some small things to it and we've driven it around town some, but this winter, she'll be getting a 21 stud, flat 8, '39 trans etc...CANT WAIT! I love this sedan and my kiddos grew too big for the three of us to fit in the T's! They have affectionately named her "Black Betty"..and the plan is for us to make our return to the Hill Climb in her in 2019!! I'll start a thread on the progress of her as soon as I get going!!
The Jalopy Journal
