Always thought of it as a little awkward and quirky. But, at the time it was built the blueprints were still being drawn. Lotsa experimentation then. I find it hard to improve style wise on how a 32 rolled off the assembly line.
As guys (going out on a limb here, but believe most reading this are guys), we rarely refer to a romantic description of anything. Yet, the reference here about the past..as it was/as it now is perceived/what is lost present day, is exactly what this is about. There are people who will clone/replicate famous cars of the past, or outlay hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase one, strictly to have an icon of our hobby's past history. I'm not one of those, I have zero desire to own someone elses creation..admittedly I at times will take ideas from them and utilize them in a part of my build. As said, we are not restorers..we are present day Hot Rodders/Customizers, that stay true to a style of an era of Hotrodding that has stood the test of time, where other car types completely follow the latest trends which come and go. Hot Rodding, customizing is a personal expression laid out for all to see..trends be damned. Be true to thyself thing. Oh, and the car in mention, doesn't work for me..regardless of who built it, or when.
I can count the 'icons' that I'd like to own on the fingers of one hand and get change... Not to say there isn't cars that I like, but they're not my vision.
" So many, think that they are in love, when really its just lust " " Kilgore Trout ", Kurt Vonnegut's chauffeur .
I completely agree Ryan. Most of the original hot rods were not perfect and didn’t fit the mold of how we now want to interpret a proper example. For example, many used the spring in front of the axle design. Nowadays, we wouldn’t consider anything but the spring above the axle setup. That’s one of the first things that get changed. “Looks quirky. They meant to do it this other way”
https://silodrome.com/documentary-max-balchowsky-story/ ...A fairly extensive documentary on a man who no doubt appreciated what Jimmy had had done with this 32 Ford, the topic of discussion...it's quite wide in its scope but does include some history on the Roadster doing its purposed racing being pushed hard to compete with the varied competition and giving a good run for the money... ...enjoy...
It ended up being driven and RACED........road raced !! Us old folks built cars to drive and primarily race......not to be a part of any lifestyle or "trend".........period. For that reason alone......I love the car
By the mid 1950s it was owned by A D Logan in Tulsa. He bought the roadster, a Buick powered Doretti and the Chuck Porter truck (and an in the crate El Dorado engine) on a trip to Calif. The truck was sold in Tulsa, the roadster to Kansas and I don't remember what he told me about the Doretti's new home. Logan had moved on the Maserattis for his car hobby.
Hypothetical situation…unless I absolutely KNEW that cars history, if I found just the body of that thing somewhere, I would not hesitate to put a new floor and subrails in it and fix the quarter panels. If I did know the history, I would flip it for big money to an over-restorer and buy a better original body. Both because I would not have the financial capability to properly and fully restore (recreate?) it, but also because it is ugly as sin.
I recently posted in another thread that Axel Izardi had a killer garage find hot rod. Submitted for your approval.
all hot rods ain’t perfect. Some are perfect in their imperfection some are perfect versions of an imperfect non stereotypical vision while others are imperfect versions of the perfect stereotypical vision. some hit the nail on the head of both. I don’t like ketchup but love tomato sauce. I’d drive it
[QUOTE ‘Also, as soon as we start to act like restorers… panties in a bunch… I’m out.[/QUOTE] Been reading around this place lately? I'm guessing your bags are packed.
I think my metronome sped up a bit. I see little hearts and flowers floating around, but then I see a flicked cigarette and work boot on a tire too. The Everlasting Gob Stopper. Trying to word up this shit we all like, and you really can't. It ain't the cars OR the people because one doesn't exist without the other. Maybe we're really just a facet in the crystal of society. As human molecules we gather it the spot with the hot rods, some that twinkle and some that are best filling in the edges. No need to examine why cleaner and better happened 75 years later. Too many logical reasons, not worth more words. I personally have found a lot of good molecules made of cars, or people, or atoms made of rad rare parts. I like this facet better than a lot of others but do we really ever need to zero in on why? The 2 Lane topic has me thinking of movie scenes a bit more. Yeah, I got one for this too. Bogart and Bacall, "You know how to whistle Steve..." and he does. The look on his face, the whistle, and the look after. No words...
Well, it's definitely different and it does have an interesting history. The rest of the car is okay but, as soon as I look at the front end of that thing with the headlights where they are and the strange looking grille, I visualize a big red tongue hanging out from under the nerf bar. Kinda like Roger Rabbit's car or Lightning McQueen. Sorry, I can't help it.
Yes, you need to take time to meet Tom. He is a very interesting man. His wife too. I have read more than a few articles about him. Was glad I got to meet him. Ask him about Iggy. I would love to tour his mini museum. His miniature version of the Golden Sahara is pretty cool too.
LOL, yeah I went back and read my post. It even made me a little nauseous. I’ll still side with people over cars though.
I like when we philosophize. I like hot rods and customs. Every single one of 'em. For some, I would give my left nut for... with no anesthetic. Some, I wouldn't own for free. Some awe me. Some excite me. Some make me laugh. Some make me shake my head. But they all make me smile. Lots of different kinds of... People Locales Histories Traditions Methods Abilities Materials Budgets Dreams Lots of different kinds of hot rods and customs. "Quirky" women can also sometimes draw a man's attention better than a "perfect" specimen might.
In my cynical mind I keep thinking back to thoughts I had had for years about cars like this and others that get kudos,write ups and pages of ink from back in the day through today. Location location location. Not a fan of this car and some of the others that have been deified over the years. They and their builders get written up time after time until they reach a status that somehow defines a era. Joe Blow builds the ultimate roadster...the most beautiful creation ever in 19... pick a year before 1954. He lives in Kansas or South Dakota or Montana...dare I say Texas...somewhere away from the hub of the hot rodding and more importantly the press. The car is most likely never going to be in a west or east coast hot rod mag. It's not going to be at any major show. Joe as a builder isn't into salt racing or drags as it's too far to those events and Joe doesn't need the ego boost to seek the limelight. The big car shows were far far away and mostly in the winter.The car won't be at those. He enjoyed building it and driving around. Might have even gotten to be a local legend for a few years. Location location location That perfect roadster got sold or wrecked or maybe even put away and was forgotten. Cars like the Summers car and others of it's ilk have received press since they were new due to location. Over the years the impression that the best most perfect beautiful vehicles were built on the west coast becomes the mantra or the lore. The rest of the country was filled with bumpkins with zero imagination or talent. Location location location A car with a guitar shaped grille and other design elements that are dubious continue to this day to create internet mind orgasms to some because they are designated as historic or iconic due to being constantly thrown in the publics face by magazines or in todays world a blog or forum. Joe Blows most perfect roadster gets no ink. It was never seen out of his area. It was never talked about in a magazine. Joe was never part of the 'in crowd' because there was no crowd in the hinterlands. Just some ramblings here. Posting from Minnesota. Far away from the men,the myths,the legends. Your opinions may vary and I'll bet they will. Location location location
Early hotrodding in the 50s was alot of trying new things, trying to top the next guy... Some of that stuff didn't work, some of it stuck around. Alot of ingenuity here and craftsmanship... I can respect it for what it is... Cool is cool...
So the roadster was last seen in Kansas. How come you Kansasians aren’t beating down every barn door by now?
I can agree with your position on this car. It is interesting. I will take exception to the lawn chair thing tho. Having a place to drop your ass at a car show when your 70 years old with arthritic joints doesn't mean you appreciate the cars any less. It just means you recognize the limitations time and age have imposed on you.
I'm a History Nerd, I enjoy the cars and most of the people involved, it's been my hobby and interest all my life, born into it, now 74 and still playing with cars. I appreciate the HAMB for it's keeping the History alive, Thank You Ryan and crew.
I was doing good until this "My closest friends are hot rodders, but to me it has always been all about the cars and not so much the people. I will go to my grave repeating that". I'm just the opposite, I've met the people through them having cars, but in the end I'll take friendship over any car. Losing 5 or more friends every year lately will do that to a person. On another note the roadster is killer as it was.
Lots of faces in vintage cars, rockets, jets part of the ambience...I guess I look at Hotrods and Customs as a form of Art...Jimmy was open to both...truly quite a visionary...and a very mechanically inclined man... We must not forget this car is a hybrid and has purpose built details like the rear wheelwells he built this when suspension was still evolving...maybe as a mechanical man he wanted a cycle fendered car and liked pushing it through the winding roads and the body scrub led to the mods...Customs were for cruising with the Missus...and he did that in style too... That all said if you don't like what you see that's all that really matters...I'd love to have it in my garage...
The Jalopy Journal
