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Art & Inspiration Pics: 1974 Street Rod Nationals

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Graham Hood, Jan 10, 2017.

  1. Don't have any contact info for Tom and I'm not on Facebook anymore (hacked account so I deleted everything and went dark) but I'll try and speak to him about this thread next time we meet.
     
  2. I remember the Wamalong Campground events, especially the one where Bobby "Streaker" Balko got his nickname after tripping over a camper towbar whilst buck naked.
     
  3. TerrytheK
    Joined: Sep 12, 2004
    Posts: 1,273

    TerrytheK
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I think it's about time for a bump!
     
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  4. BigRRR
    Joined: Sep 5, 2019
    Posts: 68

    BigRRR
    Member

    Although just a kid in the seventies, I have fond memories of the Nationals in Saint Paul in the 70s early 80s. My dad would take me up to the Midway on Saturday nights and watch the cars cruise University and Snelling. Large crowds would gather and slow traffic down sometimes to single lanes. And eventually someone would pour gallons of bleach on the pavement and burnouts would ensue until the excitement got out of hand and the police would be forced to shut it down. It would get pretty crazy, but so exciting as a preteen who dreamed of cars all day. Can still smell the bleach and rubber!!!!
     
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  5. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,223

    Cyclone Kevin
    Alliance Vendor

    So I knew about the “32 Rotary Roadster”, never knew how it came about???? But it seems that the Mazda got another chance in a much more power to weight friendly Hot Rod, built by Buttera and the initial build was covered in the early stages by Rod Action Mag in its Sept 75 edition. I believe that Andy was to finish it, but I don’t know if it ever was completed????? Look at the pix lots of “trick” workmanship. image.jpg
    image.jpg
    image.jpg image.jpg
     
  6. AngleDrive
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,145

    AngleDrive
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Florida

    Brizo, Butera, Dan Woods and others are/were creative genius's when it came to building hot rods. I am always amazed at what they produced even though most of it isn't HAMB friendly.
     
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  7. Neat front axle; looks like an actual Bell axle.

    The sway bar 4 bar caption reminds me of the time the parts guy at Midway Chev couldn't understand why I wanted 16 rear sway bar bushings back when we decided to make a couple front 4 bar set-ups like Pete & Jake did in the magazines.
     
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  8. I'll take 'creative genius' over HAMB friendly any day.
     
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  9. Kevin, I have that mag. From the moment I saw that article it has been an all time favorite. I spent many years building that car for myself in my head. With a FIAT twin cam engine + 5 speed. I got as far as the engine and gearbox.

    It was finished in white. I liked it better in the build stage. Still love it though. Perfect proportions.
     
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  10. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,223

    Cyclone Kevin
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    Do you have pix or a copy of that article when completed ? I m curious to find out what happened down the line. Scratch my ?
    I went ahead and did some research. Sure enough as suspected, this became the “Don Varner T Roadster”. ;).
    So I read all about its continuing existence in its Hot Rod life and it’s quite a storied one…..
    In the mid 70’s Capri V6’s became quite popular, so much so that this important lil T-Ster got one in lieu of its fuel hungry and loud pal the Mazda Rotary-Wankle Power plant.
    When choosing a power plant for PC2’s Father’s Day 27 T Roadster, PC3 chose a similar 2.8L V6 keeping his dads lil T-Ster Ford Powered.
    That’s one of the 1st that I remember seeing. Don Varner opted for the same power plant.
    so take a look T the continued development of this Bitchin T-Project. BB53214E-A270-4B7F-84C5-82FE7C12B40B.jpeg 5C917305-29DD-412B-9C8B-E6BBF0A6F1F1.jpeg 240467E0-C81E-4955-83D5-B778011369B1.jpeg 1E744362-5830-4136-A198-4C30B91F7850.jpeg C4F303AB-15BE-4458-B5A8-87720D0188EA.jpeg A3643F05-8194-4BCF-BCB7-DD4603EDE086.jpeg 143811F5-A219-4DB7-8DFE-D3553E1295E8.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2021
  11. It may take an archaeological dig to find it, but okay. There are pictures of a very young Roy Brizio out at night in it.
     
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  12. Here ya go, they were in my HAMB album all along.:rolleyes:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,223

    Cyclone Kevin
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    Thx, so fricken kool!!!!! I think that I like it like this. it funny how Buttera ended up with it and his daughter drove it after its “Varner” incarnation.
     
  14. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,407

    alchemy
    Member

    I like it better in the simple first incarnation. Only "improvement" they did with the rebuild is the quickchange.
     
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  15. Jay McDonald
    Joined: Apr 6, 2020
    Posts: 117

    Jay McDonald

    Is that body stretched at all? Cockpit area seems long, don't get me wrong though, it looks great, I love it.
     
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  16. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,223

    Cyclone Kevin
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    I don’t think so, but I’m not a T expert…. But a 23 T was a very big influence on me becoming a Hot Rodder.
     
  17. Jay McDonald
    Joined: Apr 6, 2020
    Posts: 117

    Jay McDonald

    I dig that car so much that I ordered a copy of Sept '75 rod action to keep in the dream file
     
    Cyclone Kevin likes this.
  18. I wonder how many of those cars at '74 St Paul are still on the road.

    I know of 2 and Dick Carroll's, if he still has it, makes 3.
     
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  19. TerrytheK
    Joined: Sep 12, 2004
    Posts: 1,273

    TerrytheK
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That's a great question! I'm guessing your avatar is one? And I think I read somewhere (maybe earlier in this thread?) that Sebastian Rubbo's old car is still around under someone else's care?
    I know of some here in Minnesota that are still around. Gene Sonnen still owns his flamed '40 Ford coupe. Salvatore "Sam" Ierino (sp) who I believe has now passed, owned a T-bucket that at one time was one of the few that had been driven to every Street Rod Nats. Pretty sure that car is still around, possibly in the Duluth area. And, my brother in law Darold's deuce 5-window has been through a few owners but as far as I know is now owned by someone a couple hours away from me and is still on the road.
    This would be a really neat topic to explore further. :cool::)
     
    Hamtown Al likes this.
  20. Oh yea, forgot about Sabby's car. I re-wired it after his long time friend Lenny Biondi acquired it after Sabby's passing.

    The other car, besides mine, that I had in mind is Dennis O'Brien's 34 panel truck. It was in grey primer at the '74 Nats but it's now, and has been for decades, green with his O'Brien Truckers logo on the side.

    BTW, Sabby's car and mine are still the same color as they were in '74.
     
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  21. 33Doll
    Joined: Sep 27, 2019
    Posts: 1,374

    33Doll

  22. Rand Man
    Joined: Aug 23, 2004
    Posts: 4,860

    Rand Man
    Member

    I say a lot of the themes from the seventies are coming back.
     
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