Hot Rods Late 60's early 70's traditional rods

Any of you HAMB er's go to the 1970-75 street rod nationals? Anybody familiar with the cars in the Early Times car club in the late 60's? Looking for any stories or photos about traditional cars of the era. Need to be hamb friendly.

I recently aquired this photo dated July 1971. I was glad to add it to my photo collection. My photo collection consists mainly of hot rodding and racing in the 1940's. I myself was a teenager during the 70's. I missed all of the street rodding days other than what I saw in Rod Action and in Street Rodder.

I do not have a large photo collection and most of the photos I have I have shared with the HAMB. Any more traditional cars from say the late 60's to 1973. Also would love to hear stories about those who knew these cars or owners back in the day. The first rod magazine I bought was the October '74 issue of Street Rodder and I always like the traditional styled cars from the beginning. I think there is a universal aesthetic about this style of cars.

 

Gary Kessler was the owner of this car. Gary was from St. Louis and I believe this roadster was on the cover of a magazine and was a big hit at the 2nd Street Rod Nationals. Anybody know anymore about this car or about Gary? Please post other rods from this era. I really like the traditional cars of this era.

 

This car is still in the St. louis area. Don Ward has it now, saw it a couple of years ago.

 

He sold it shortly after the Nats to someone else in the St Louis area who still has it and hasn't made any significant changes. Gary Keesler built another similar roadster recently that's covered in a recent Rodders Journal article.

 

I actually like the tribute car a bit better because of the headlight placement. Lots of cars from that era had goofy headlights. Either too small, too high, etc. But lots of other good things to love about that timeframe - like the skinny magnesium Americans!

 

Oh baby!
The original is an iconic car and the new one is a beauty too.

 

My 5w was built in the mid 60's by Don Coleman I'm the third owner since Don sold it. Very little has changed in 50 years. It was in primer for a few years then Black a couple years then Maroon. 58 283, 39 trans, 34 rear. I have no plans to change anything.

 

Dwain Rogers from Texas at the street rod nationals in 1973. He still has the car. Pat Ganahl did a story on Dwain in Lost Hot Rods. Not sure if it was Lost Hot Rods 1 or 2.

 

I have to agree with this.

 

Dwain Rogers Roadster at the Deuce Reunion a few years back. 2007

 

Gary Kessler. The tiny accessory headlights and the tires and wheels say 1971.

 

j3harleys - Thanks for posting the pictures of your interesting 60's built coupe. Please share more pictures of it if you have them.

 

Early Times car club? Love this photo.

 

Wasn't that picture on the cover of Hot Rod or some other magazine?

Also the T on the right side with white pipes I love that one. Is also a cover car that has been redone?

Sent from my Z971 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I think it was taken for Rod and Custom. It sure looks like white headers were where it was at. Hopefully someone will have more information from that era.

 

More pics and stories.

 

Dwain Rogers dashboard for you Stewart Warner fans.

 

Jake Jacobs and Bud Bryan with the Jake's Bill Niekamp roadster.

 

For a good look at Bud Bryan's 29 AV8 check out this link.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/bud-bryant-roadster.842737/

 

Bud Bryan. Look how straight that body is in black lacquer.

 

The Highland Plating Special
owner Ron Weeks

 

Jake Jacobs

 

Early Times cars were covered pretty heavily in Rod & Custom in the late '60's. I think Jake might have been in the club or pals with them. The ET-style was a huge influence on me.

 

Another (I think) Early Times club picture:

 

I remember this shot from back in the day, cool then, still a neat photo.

 

Not sure if this is the kind of thing you are looking for . . . A few years ago I acquired this roadster from an older gentleman named Dennis Ball, who had owned it since 1962. He traces the car's ownership back to a guy named Bob Oliver, who ran it at Harper Dry Lakes on July 6, 1947 as a member of the Detonators CC out of Riverside. Bob Oliver also ran at El Mirage on Nov. 3, 1946 when he was a member of the Mal-functions in San Bernardino. The car has a dash plate that matches the program info from the date in July at Harpers.

The roadster in its current form no longer resembles the car that ran on the lakes. The previous owner told me that he painted the car its current black lacquer in 1975, and states that it was "a dull, faded pink color" before the repaint. A striper named Rody Kushnereit did the candy flames. Also they swapped the Merc flathead for a 355 Chevy (.30 over), rebuilt the frame, swapped the tranny, rear, etc -- basically gave it a total 1970's rod rebuild. While it pains me that the lakes history has largely been scrubbed, I also like the 40 year patina it currently carries. This summer I swapped the wheels/tires to make it feel more true to the late 60's/early 70's.

One other detail Mr. Ball mentioned is that the roadster originally had a hood with "big wide louvers" that he never liked, and that he traded hoods with another roadster he raced at the A Gas Nationals one year. In addition to the dry lakes racing in the 1940's, I believe this car did its share of drag racing in and around the Denver area in the 70's. The car also came with a trunk full of large trophies from car shows of that era.

 

I don't know if Cotton Werksmans' little T scooter would be considered "traditional" because it was so ahead of its time but then or now it would be anything but homogenous.
I've posted this before, for those unfamiliar with this car it's worth the effort to enlarge this article for easier reading and viewing the detail on this car.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cotton-werksmans-t-roadster.874730/

 

By the way, the current Rodder's Journal has a feature about the Early Times club, and numerous photos of the club members' cars.

 

Wow!! This is a really nice car with a great history. Thanks for sharing it. Hard to believe that 1947 was 70 years ago. You wonder what happened to all the lakes racers but in your case you know.

 

This was from a combined Early Times/LA Roadsters run as Scritchfields phaeton is in the pic.