History L.A. Hot Rods at the beginning

Back in the late 1930's my Dad (Don Nairn) and my Uncle (Jim Nairn) were among a small group of teenagers who developed a keen interest in cars and their potential. They didn't have much money. No one did in those days. But they did have imagination and creativity and so they began to build. As they did they created cars that became known as Hot Rods. They built them from the ground up with parts they found in junk yards or built from scratch and learned along the way how to make their Rod the best and fastest around. My Dad and Uncle and now legendary friends, Ed Iskenderian, Stu Hilborn, John Athans, Jack Engel, Phil Remington, Dick Teague and others began their lifelong quest for speed and performance that continues to this day.

Those early garage builds took the group to the streets to race and the start of famous L.A. car clubs, then to the Dry Lakes where hundreds of rodders and speedsters would gather to run their machines and share future dreams. Then Dad and Uncle Jim hooked up with Stu Hilborn at Indy in the late 1940's and early 1950's as part of the Keck racing team's pit crew for 2 time Indy winner, Bill Vukovich. Dad and Uncle Jim spent their careers making patterns or maching parts for Hilborn or Isky or the Trayco racing engine shop in Culver City, CA. Nairn Machine Shop and then Speedway Pattern were right in the middle of the action along Jefferson Blvd in Culver City know, back in the day, as Thunder Alley.

I came across a series of photo's among my Dad's things that tell some of the story of early Hot Rods better than I can relate it. I hope you enjoy the look at the past and welcome any comments or shared stories any of you may have from those days or since.

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Those are wicked awesome pics!

 

great personal History , Thanks for Posting ......

 

NICE - Thanks for sharing, bot the photos and the story.

 

Great pictures . Thank you for taking the time to share them.

 

Wow! Thanks for sharing those, made my Monday morning.

 

Kool - Thanks

 

That panoramic picture with all the hotrodders and cars needs to be made into a poster. GREAT pictures, thanks for posting.

 

Cool pics bro

 

Incredible pictures! Thanks for sharing, more to come??

 

Cool pic's.This pic looks like it might be taken at Lake Arrowhead?Thanks for posting.

 

Man,what a fantastic group of photos, this one is unbelievably cool.

Thank you so much for sharing your family's long and storied history with us. HRP

 

Too cool, I look forward to posts like this.

 

That's Ed Iskenderian, isn't it? Certainly looks like an early iteration of his car before the grille shell.

 

Very cool. I agree that gathering photo is amazing. I love seeing this stuff!

 

Great pics! Thanks.

 

thanks for sharing, great story and pics...

 

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

WOW.. thank you for sharing!!!

 

And WOW! Thanks for sharing. Those guys were about the age of my dad. You made my morning...
Like 117harv said - need to make this one into a poster!
OK, where do I send the $$?

 

Thanks a million for the great pics! A look at the cool, before it was traditional.

 

Holy smoke, amazing pictures, thanks for sharing them !!!

 

Thanks for posting... This is great!

 

Outstanding pictures showing us the way it was. Most of those Hot Rods have nice paint and look to be finished. Kind of makes the rat rod and unfinished look rather boring!

 

Thanks for sharing!! Those pictures are like magic!

-Charlie

 

Man that was neat! Thanks for the pics, and story to go with them.....

 

Thanks for photos of some famous early cars. Photo #6 The Pommer/Halfill great T roadster--at last I get to see car with headlights mounted low (Frank Kurtis work) before being raised by Ray Bowles.

 

Ok you guys talked me into it. I can get 16x20 posters made for about $16-17 bucks. If anyone is interested I can order you one and ship it to you for about $20.00 (?) which should cover the mailing costs. Just let me know. It really is a great depiction of the scene at the Dry Lake. I think this photo was taken at El Mirage dry lake, but it might have been at Muroc before WWII?

 

PM'd you. i'm in....i must have one.

 

Great pics!