Hot Rods Let's have our own 84th anniversary event for the 40 ford...

That car makes me all weak in the knees, perfect early 60s show rod vibe.

 

Me too. That was for sale for quite a while but way out of my range.

 

Saw this at the swap meet in Springfield MO

 

I love thws color same as the purple and the blue ones like it

 

That guy lives across the street from @gbrown, here in Springfield. Super neat garage find that he has been working on. I preferred the stance when it had a dropped axle under it, but that wasn't the look the current owner wanted for it. He also has a super cool 36 phaeton, too.

 

That was one kool ragtop. I drooled all over it. My wife liked it too.

 

Wheels of Time at Macungie. ^ Al, I didn't see your Coupe, did I miss it?

 

It was in the same area near the black coupe. I can't make the rest of the weekend.

 

From the Frog Follies this past weekend.

 

I too have had my 1940 Tudor since 1965. I finished the latest version in 2018.

 

Lee Pratt's coupe is literally the gold standard.... err, uh the gold deluxe... haha..

 

Its one of my favorite coupes

 

I received my new Rodders Journal today. It has a very good article on Favorite 40's. Plus much more.

 

I got mine too. Looks like a great issue.

 

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Hello,

We have lived in So Cal since 1946. We have seen progress develop all over the whole area over time. One of the most interesting things is the transition of an island that required a floating pontoon bridge in a major highway leading from one city to the next. From downtown Long Beach to Terminal Island, the 1944 pontoon bridge was the Eastern side of the major channel that had to stay open for autos and truck traffic. If a boat, large or small needed a through pass in the channel, the draw bridge was opened, stopping East-West traffic.

The pontoon bridge was a major draw for all of us teenagers, as our hot rod sedans were so close to the water when crossing. But, a lot of lowered cars could not make the crossing due to the sharp angles of the road access across the pontoons to the other side. One could go down the slope, but the bottom angle going over the pontoon portion was too steep for clearance.

Then, in 1968, the so called “temporary” pontoon bridge was replaced by a huge suspension bridge that made any bridges in So Cal miniscule in comparison. Now the big freighters could have access to the inner harbor docks.

Jnaki

This tall bridge did its duty until the advancement of the modern day freighter containers got larger and taller, necessitating more clearance. So, the latest tall cable stayed, suspension bridge was created and opened in 2020. Now, even the tallest freighter ships with the largest stacked cargo containers could safely motor into the inner harbor areas.

The October 2020 grand opening of the latest large cable stayed bridge in So Cal was a hot rod event. It replaced the large Gerald Desmond bridge from 1968 and prior to that, the 1944 famous Pontoon Bridge which was one of the main attractions of families out for a Sunday cruise or for the teens, some place to impress the “dates” on cruise nights.

The local So Cal hot rods were a part of the grand opening festivities crossing the bridge for the first time on opening day, despite the ongoing pandemic rulings.

NOTE:

As of August 2022, the tallest replacement cable stayed suspension bridge will be called:
"The Long Beach International Gateway Bridge.

“The massive new bridge connecting Terminal Island and Downtown Long Beach at the city’s port complex was officially named the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge today after receiving approval from both the state Assembly and Senate..”

“Since our new bridge officially opened in 2020, it has been a bright new landmark for our city—welcoming visitors from close to home and around the world”

“The approval of its official name as the “Long Beach International Gateway Bridge” perfectly fits all that it represents, and we are excited to have it serve our community and our great port for generations to come.”

“The original bridge was 155 feet above the water, but its replacement is 205 feet high.” Plenty of clearance at any high tide…

Gee, since the name is a tongue twister in conversation, I guess we will call it the new Long Beach bridge.