Just found tons of 50's wreck and custom pics!!

It's just like being there,
thanks for posting

.

 

love the Arfons pics...............in my old stompin grounds

 

Very cool photos. All hand done hot rods and customs. No CNC machines to be seen. Gotta love it!!!!!

 

Amazing. These pictures are going to make the rounds for sure. Good stuff!

 

Those crash pics remind me of that movie "Death on the Highway" they made me watch in drivers ed. The other pics are just cool.

 

Looks like a later Packard.

Great pics thanks for posting!

 

cool old pics, thanks.

 

Thank you for posting them up and thank Joey and Joe also, I love lookin at old photos like that.

 

Thanks for IDing some of the cars. I'm gonna ask Joe Sr. if he still has his club plaque or jacket. Maye I can get some pics of 'em.

Hoody Mitchell is one of the builders I grew up with and look up to him very highly. I went to high school with his son Shawn. I loved to talk to him about the cars he and Joe Sr. built. He always had some of the fastest best looking rides. He scared the shit out of me as a kid because he was always running his cars hard with me and Shawn in the back. He had a 1974 Corolla with a SBC in it he built in the '80s. We were doing 100+ on a stretch of Old Gravois in Fenton. (A tiny two lane outer road) Hoody was clearly trying to scare us...and It worked! In the 80's I went with him to pick up his newest '39 Stude from the previous owner who had restored it stock to the utmost perfection. Hoody stood there and lied his ass off to the guy saying "Oh I aint gonna hot rod it!!". Well not more than 4 hours later we had the whole thing torn down and he was sticking a BBC in it. He was nuts! I have nothing but respect for these unknown early builders because they used whatever they could to build the coolest cars ever.

Does anyone have any pics of Don Mitchell's "Runaway Roadster"? It was a T turtledeck powered by a mid engine blown Chrysler set in the middle of the body under a tonneau cover. The driver sat under the hood looking through a clear grille shell insert and steering with a wheel bolted right to the steeringbox. This is the only one I have.

 

Wow, thanks for sharing!

 

Same here. This Allison-powered dragster turned in 12.21 et @150 mph at '56 Nationals in KC and was the first member of Hot Rod mag's "150 MPH Club".

Great photos, thanks!

 

Great pics, Thanks for taking the time and effort to track them down and scan them.

Mart.

 

Great pics, Thanks for taking the time and effort to track them down and scan them.

Mart.

 

The "Mitchells Coffin" was last seen by me in the barn at Alton Dragway. John Storey owned the track ,along with the coffin and 'CONFUSION' 34 Rdstr which I now have. John had several people run the car,but not much success. Chain on blower flew off often and the unnarrowed rear end made it squirlley as when one wheel lost traction the car shot off in that direction. He offered to let me run it several times,but I was not smart enough to think to narrow the rear end. Bob Rothenberg, myself and others have tried to find out where it went,but no good leads. The car had a great profile and nice finish,but sliding down under the hood and looking out thru the grille shell would have been scary

 

If your pal has more pics of the show at Herbs Hot Rod Shop, I would love to see them. I have a few but will need help posting. There were several sectioned 36to 39 chopped convertibles there along with hot rods and customs.I was not there,but my sisters boyfriends went without me.I was so disappointed

 

Thanks for sharing..

 

Thank you, these are extremely cool!

 

These photo's are priceless, always appreciate the efforts from this great group to share photo's from the past be it race cars, hot rods, customs, etc.

 

Tell Joe THANK YOU!

 

Way cool photos!
Thanks for posting them up.

 

These are great pictures. Thanks for posting.
Notice how fit and healthy everyone looks in those photos (except for some of the cars, that is)

 

Great pics! its awesome to look back and see how the scene was back then definatly a pleasure to have seen these pics Thank you! and Joe Sr & Joe jr

 

Those pictures could not have been more enjoyable. Such a time capsule.

I don't know exactly what it is, but cars that were built back then just have a certain look that is so hard to recreate today. Maybe the availability of parts back then that are hard to find today? The coupe below is a perfect blueprint for anyone wanting to try to build an old timey rod.

Don

 

I'll see if Joe Sr. has any more pics of that show, I should be going to see him again soon. I would be glad to help you scan and post any old pics you might have. I'll send you a PM with contact info. It would be great to talk to you about old St Louis area built cars.

 

Thanks for the info about "Mitchell's Coffin". When I talked to the Mitchell family they had referred to the car as "Runaway Roadster". I always thought that was it's name. Now I know better. Where was the blower mounted? In front of the block? Did they do that just to keep the height of the engine short? I'll try to track down Hoody and see if he has more pics of it. He is a hard person to find lately. He has had some personal problems lately and quite a few people are concerned about his health.

 

when were you born?? 1955 ford was the first time belts were offered. and I never wore one till air bags scared me into the shoulder belts

 

Wow! Great Photos! Thanks!

 

Thanks for that really nice pics