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San Diego rodders, ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by JimSibley, Oct 12, 2014.

  1. JimSibley
    Joined: Jan 21, 2004
    Posts: 3,854

    JimSibley
    Member

    Do you Remember this a roadster. It was a yellow 28-9 ford with a blown hemi I think. It said vortex on the side and was the baddest car around when I was younger. I would really like a pic of it if anyone remembers the car. Thanks


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  2. Rattle Trap
    Joined: May 11, 2012
    Posts: 358

    Rattle Trap
    Member

    I have lived here all my 51 years. Doesn't ring a bell. What part of town? I can ask around.
     
  3. @JimSibley -

    Was it Don Kleine's '31 Roadster with a blown ’56 354ci Chrysler Hemi?

    vortex-hemi-roadster.jpg
    image by Bill Dutting


    NOTE: From April 1976 through January 2002, Donald Kleine was the CEO/Owner of VORTEX ENGINEERING headquartered in Santee, California (in eastern San Diego county) ... In January 2002, Don started VORTEX RECYCLING in New Castle, Pennslyvania.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2014
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  4. Don's roadster appeared on the cover of the December 1984 issue of HOT ROD Magazine:

    hrdp-1984-december-cover.jpg
    1931-ford-model-a.jpg
     

  5. Don's roadster was part of the "HOT ROD Magazine Homecoming 65th Anniversary Show" held at the Pomona Fairplex on March 23-24, 2013:

    VORTEX Roadster @ HRM 65th Anniversary Show.jpg
     
  6. Rattle Trap
    Joined: May 11, 2012
    Posts: 358

    Rattle Trap
    Member

    Wow! I deal with Vortex from time to time. Never knew the owner was a Rodder.
     
  7. Greasemachine
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 153

    Greasemachine
    Member
    from San Diego

    I think the car is in east county San Diego, El Cajon. I bought another car of the guy and looked at the Hemi. Nice guy.
     
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  8. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,671

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    I remember Don and his 31 well. He drove/raced the car everywhere including to work daily.
    I don't have the copy handy, but when Don bought the car, it was discovered the Roadster had been on a magazine cover. Believe it was Popular Hotrodding around 1971. IIRC, it was maroon in color.
    The car got a ton of ink including a poster of his car being pulled over by a Lambo CHP car.
     
  9. JimSibley
    Joined: Jan 21, 2004
    Posts: 3,854

    JimSibley
    Member

    That's it. Always remembered it as a 29, I was wrong.


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  10. BobF
    Joined: Dec 30, 2004
    Posts: 232

    BobF
    Member
    from Poway, CA

    Got to be Don's 31 roadster, he is also affectionately known as "quicksand" with that daily driver he was sometimes "in over his head" :)

    Here's a poor photo of the a fore mentioned poster hanging in our hall way


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    IMG_1569.JPG
     
  11. I "Believe" Don's retired now. He's definitely back in San Diego and still has the roadster. I see him at the weekly El Cajon car cruise regularly. I'll try to snap a pic of the car next time I see it (cruise season ends on Oct. 31st, hope I see him before then). He's a really nice guy, when I started.bringing my T out, he came up an introduced himself, said if I ever needed any blown early Hemi help to give him a call.

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  12. junk yard kid
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 2,717

    junk yard kid
    Member

    He drives by my house all the time. I can hear him coming from pretty far off.
     
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  13. pitman
    Joined: May 14, 2006
    Posts: 5,148

    pitman

    Warning...or a ticket? Nothing like a CHP fashion show! :)
     
  14. View attachment 2737175 [/QUOTE]
    Ummmm.......Bob, check the reflection in the bottom of the poster, I "think" the headless horseman is hanging out in your hall! ;)

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  15. Here's a better copy of the poster:

    Poster.jpg
     
  16. junk yard kid
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 2,717

    junk yard kid
    Member

    My dads buddy owned that Lamborghini, it was all just stick on stuff, I believe, with the light bar just sitting on top.
     
  17. JimSibley
    Joined: Jan 21, 2004
    Posts: 3,854

    JimSibley
    Member

    That car is just plain fast. I had a 66 mustang with a roller 5.0 in it and a 3 speed when I was 22 yrs young. The roadster pulled up to me at a stop light. We agreed to run just to see how hard he would
    Kill
    Me. That thing launched so hard I felt like I was going backwards. Funniest race I ever lost.


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  18. I didn't realize you were from around here, Jim. I have one of those stories too, but from Texas. I agreed to a race with a pretty, heavy local hitter in a T Bucket. Knew I was out classed, but did it anyway. Missed 2nd gear because I was too mesmerized by his front tire hanging right out side my window! I still don't know how he got that thing to hook up, but he did. Only thing I ever got out of him was he was launching in 2nd gear (it was a 3 spd. manual car). Anyway, back to Ron's car.....



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  19. ucfmcdonald
    Joined: Oct 13, 2014
    Posts: 3

    ucfmcdonald

    I bought another car of the guy and looked at the Hemi. [​IMG]
     

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