Was going through my boxes of car mags and came across these. My ex-wife picked them up at a garage sale maybe 25 yrs ago. The editorial in the Car Craft mag says this is the first issue with the new title. Also the cover car is from San Antonio (notice the Alamo in the background) built by a gentleman named Harvey Bott. In the article it states that the nose was built from "B-25 components and new sheet stock". There is a club plaque that reads the "HONKERS" mounted on the back of the car. The Rod & Custom mags are Vol. 2 #'s 7 and 8 so I am assuming 1954 was the second year for this mag. Anyway thought you all would like to see some Hotrod history. Enjoy
The first issue of Rod & Custom was May, 1953. November, 1953 was the first issue of "Car Craft". It was formerly "Honk!" magazine, which was published from May, 1953 - October, of '53.
Great old mags! That coupe on the Car Craft cover is seriously fugly! Wonder if it's in a barn somewhere, and if found intact, should it be changed? Maybe some history oughta be revised!
I always thought if Car Craft knew they would be around for 50+ years they would have picked a much better looking car for the cover of their first issue.
Harvey Botts car was in some old drag racing footage from Texas on youtube, but now its been removed dammit!
Its interesting reading the responses of some xenophobic hot-rod/car enthusiasts. The car was constructed as an exercise in (1) thumbing my nose at all the cookie-cutter coupes and roadsters in the early 1950's, (2) as a H.S. student wanting to learn more about welding and spray painting in becoming an artist, (3) using the car, within a H.S. student's financial restraints, as part of my portfolio to study at Art Center School of Los Angeles (now Art Center College of Design, Pasadena) that helped win a scholarship; and, (4) finding the range of provincial attitudes about what was and was not acceptable, photographically (disturbing angles) and functionally ........... until driving to, then racing and driving back to San Antonio from the great Wendover extravaganza.
By the way, the "fugly" coupe from Car Craft mag (formerly known as Honker) may be in a barn awaiting some bucolic transformation. The coupe, as far as I know, was last owned by the late Larry Shinoda of Corvette designing renown, a graduate of Art Center, having restored it and then exhibited it widely in the Midwest, late 1950's. He, too, was an envelope pusher.
How cool is the HAMB that the original builder can get on here and shoot back! I love this place. We should all be so lucky to have our ride on the cover of a magazine.
Did not build any more but did transform a 1958 Studebaker coupe to resemble a Maseratti of the time. Graduate school and taming the loins, while attempting to become a painter/sculptor, took the edge off cars until discovering about a 1962 Morretti, 2/5th the size of a Ferrari Dino of that vintage. That was some car! Following this thread, after so many years of car obsessions, has been great.
Hahahahahahha!!!.......Hey, good captian froghawk and Muttley .......... nothin' like talkin' crap about somebody's car, and not even realizing they're standin' right behind you! Hahahahahahhahahha!!!!!!!!!!! "Oh...well, er....uh, hi Mr. Bott, uh...sir. Uh...didn't see ya there!" -------- GOSH that was funny! -------- And a good night to you, Mr. Bott! - Rick
"How (why) did they really do it?" Sometimes we forget that the builders may be out there... If I read it right ...you wanted to be different. You were limited by personal experience and the resources made available to you. This "fugly car" was a stepping stone to further your education and good enough to make the cover of a magazine. Xenophobic ! Ha ! That would be most of us. Just try using the word "Rat" 'round here !
HARVEY! heres your car... about a 1:38 seconds into the video. By the way I got the Honk your car was on the cover of. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7BAouZFxeM&feature=player_embedded# Heres the thread its from, you might recongnize some of the footage http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397600 Im glad your still around buddy.
CUSTOMCORY: Attempted to answer you, in full, but there was some sort of error in submittal. Many, many thanx for spotting the purple coupe on the video. Unfortunately I did not get to race at Randolph air strips. Only built and ran the coupe 1952 & 53 then off to school & some time with Uncle Sam. Was fun watching these videos. Much advancement in drag racing organization had taken place by the time most of these movies were shot.
Mr. Bott, did you just happen to Google your name and this thread came up, or have you been here before? Pretty amazing that 50+ years after selling the car, you found this within a couple of days of it being discussed!
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