Just avoid car shows like the plague... and drive the shit out of your cars. That's what I do. So much so, that I blew up the flathead in my Model-A last week. My heart feels pretty solid though!
After what most of those guys in those pictures had gone through they had a lot to process. I'm sure burning up the dry lakes went a long way in their recovery in a way that sitting around wouldn't have. I just finished reading Unbroken, the story of Louis Zamperini a WWII vet and POW. Highly recommend it.
Think of that time...........you couldn't just call up Summit and order a blower. Guys were still developing the pieces to make them work in our applications!?
Bob also built this radical 41 Ford custom. Affectionately known as "The Bathtub". It was powered by a flathead built in Navarro's shop. Mick
It's weird to me that I have been researching the cars of the 1940's and 50's for almost 30 years now and yet, I have never seen this car in my life. It never stops.
The Trammel roadster is one of my all time favorites. What a great example of a purpose built car! Totally killer. Sadly, I'm coming to the same conclusion about car shows. I went to a local "cruise night". Almost immediately a guy runs over to my car saying I should done this and that, etc. Everything he mentioned was all standard street rod stuff. I finally had enough and said, "I didn't even consider anything you mentioned. This is just an old hot rod and not a street rod, man." The guy looked at me like I had four heads.
Blew a head gasket on a solo drive in the country. It was 110 outside and I wasn’t driving nicely… we are gonna tear it down and see what’s what, but I don’t think it’s hurt too badly.
Cool post. come visit Kansas City, plenty of lawn chair free hot rodding going on. I’ll say what I tell everyone, want more hot rodding events with driving and fun? Start one yourself! I know a good half dozen hot rodders that hold something once a year and it’s a blast. Currently planing the “down shift 500” I found an hour long route of curvy twisted, up hill knotted roads around my home and we’ll take a drive and find some food at the end. Just that easy! Actually talked about having someone else host it next time with fun to drive roads near them. you’d be surprised how much fun even three cars can have together
You know what? Probably the best car event I ever went to was that first Speed and Power meet with Rocky and Scotty. Just laid back cruisin and sight seeing!
It was good cuz there was no money involved and no expectations from anyone other than just a drive. As a host, you had to do some work but it was ALL fun work. Events are hard man. Take the HAMB Drags... It is SOOO much work. Hours and hours and hours... and stressful as hell. Initially it was about building something. Once that was done, it made money... and that made all of the work worth it... As time went on, it got more and more expensive to do and didn't make as much money... But I didn't care so much, because it was the only time I could see and hang out with all those pals I made. Then, I cancel because of a pandemic and I get death threats. Suddenly, the fun is gone and it's just not worth it... I'd rather hang out with my kids, go to Hawaii, get a surgery out of the way, etc... I'm not done with the Drags and will do more, but man - have I started to realize how much work all that really is... Point being, the key to a good "event" is about avoiding financial transactions at all costs and setting the burden of expectations on the attendees themselves. Basically, a non-event event.
I like the Shows...particularly when it relates to the content here...and there's Hambers to meet... ...oh!!!...and it's great to toss in an hour or two or five of cruising before you attend...then you cover both bases... I did 500 miles recently to attend a Show...so I got my fill...and frankly I'm getting Old......but I'd do it again next year...and can't wait... ...now lets see the Thread is awesome and a look at the evolution of Go Fast at one of Hotrod/Customs golden eras...with many names that we revere here in both their approach to Hotrod and the mechanical sense to push boundaries never visited...that was a pretty notable speed in the Ole T Roadster...that would have delivered a wow factor without a doubt...
To be fair there just aren't to many places that you can just hop on a track and step on it...so walking around and looking for palatable content is pretty much all that is offered...but again its nice to have events guidelined to weed out a great deal of the standard cruise night fare... I still bump into the odd Hotrod or Custom that makes the exercise worth it...again getting a good cruise in prior to the events buffers the somewhat stagnate event...and yeah you have to be patient with those that don't understand...I generally don't get to much instruction on what I should do next...most are to busy admiring stuff...I generally just state it as it is...revisiting 1963...almost literally...
Being a spectator/showgoer I can tell you at the Jam-Up I attended there are as you say Hotrod/Custom folk putting in huge to make it happen...I hope they can meter their positions to get some festivity in... I will extend a thank you to those that do go out of their way to do it...I noticed, had a great time and appreciate the effort...
I recall seeing some or all of these photos in one of my earliest car magazines, along with a picture of the "bathtub" making a speed run at the lakes. The magazine would have been a "little pages" issue of HOP UP or one of the earliest Trend 75c books.
I drove my roadster in the last three Pasadena Roadster Club road events. What a great event and cruising through Angeles National Forest with all the roadsters was like stepping back in time. I don't enjoy the drive in shows and don't carry a lawn chair. I go for the swap area and to see old friends.
@Ryan hit that pretty on the head. I can’t even fathom the work that goes into the drags. Even a regularly scheduled “cruise in” ends up being a real time and money commitment that I don’t think many people realize. non event events are the way to go for sure
None of the roadsters in the last three pictures are Navarro's; #240 is Trammel's car. Barney is at the wheel in the first picture, but he's not in the other two at all.
The Jalopy Journal
