Hobba Garage

chicken coupe cook · Jun 4, 2013

By Jim Cavaunagh

It was 1950 and I lived in Glendale California, fresh out of high school and with my first full time job. I was lucky enough

to be hired by Gladden Products Corporation, maker of small gasoline engines and aircraft hydraulic components for aircraft,

mostly for military use. I was not aware at the time that this company also had another division that manufactured a line of

light weight motorcycles known as the Mustang, housed separately in another facility. My job started as a new grunt

doing mostly clean-up and maintenance projects. After a while, I advance to the engine assembly department, learning all

the sub assembly jobs and eventually taking a position on the assembly line. Starting pay was $1.05 per hour, with no benefits.

My take home pay was $36.76 each week. Half of this amount I had to pay my parents for room, board, laundry, etc.

Even with this meager amount and other odd jobs, I was able save enough and eventually purchase a1941 Mercury,

four door sedan in very good condition.

In my spare time I hung out at a neighborhood garage that was the Mecca for speed and hot rod development projects,

called the Hobba Garage. Over time I learned all about the so called speed secrets and seen them applied successfully to

famous customers. This shop was owned by a rather timid fellow named Carl Fleischmann. What a genius he was!

His nephew, Roland was my connection and ticket to this state of the art, ongoing treasure of information and activities.

I saved enough money to have Carl convert my 41 Merc engine from stock to what was known then as full race.

A maximum bore diameter of 3-3/8 inch over bore and a 3/8 inch stroked crankshaft. Ported, relived,

Winfield SU1A camshaft, Carls special ignition distributor modified for high rpm. Stock appearing cylinder heads,

modified combustion chambers, Stock intake manifold with a carburetor that looked stock but had huge venturis.

My theme was to have the engine look basically stock. I previously had a decent dual exhaust system installed.

Carl recommended that we install Lincoln-Zephyr transmission gears for the best advantage for street/drag racing.

This would allow upward to 90 MPH in second gear. The gear shift would remain on the steering column.

The Merc had a slight rake with larger tires on the rear and just a noticeable stance. With a recent fresh paint job

of Lido green, it looked a little bit innocent when driving to the Bobs Big Boy drive in, almost every night.

Bobs was the place to be to showcase your car and sometimes meet your challenger.

The big day finally came when Carl released the sedan to me. Wow! Just to have Carl do all the engine work

made me feel very proud. The engine had a slight lope at idle and came alive when I stepped on it. I took it to

a long road nearby and put it through the gears. Easy 40 mph in low gear. Second gear was awesome,

80 mph plus. High gear, no telling on this road.

As the weeks went by, I won most street drag races. Roland was usually with me to cheer me on and be another

set of eyes. When I lost, it was usually because I missed my shift into second gear. Speed shifting with a column

shifter was iffy! Sometimes when this happened it would strip the gears and just driving home was a gamble.

Once, while trying to limp home, a broken tooth floating in the oil, caused the gears to split the case.

Getting to and from work sometimes was a problem.

Just cruising at night was my favorite pastime and an occasional drag race was the norm. Then suddenly a

new type of challenge emerged.

The new Oldsmobile Rocket 88 came on the scene. Overhead valve V8, and very fast. This was a whole new

ball game. Winning against the Olds depended on the driver skills and courage. I would guess I won fifty

percent of the time. I hated to loose.

By then I was married and struggling to make ends meet. One night My wife and I was returning home via Glenoaks Blvd.

This stretch of road was divided and very quiet with a tall concrete barrier separating both ways. Stopped at the traffic light,

a Rocket 88 pulls up along side. I could not resist even with my wife on board. The light turn green and off we go!

He gets me out of the hole but as I shift into second gear, I catch up to him, both side by side. My Wife Barbara

is screaming at me to slow down but this was too good not to finish. I shifted into third gear and all of a sudden the

engine races wide open. Oh my God! I dont have any brakes! I have no compression from the engine!

I pull on the hand brake, Nothing! What the hell is going on? Im coasting at 90 mph and I cant stop. Oh now comes

the first cross street and I pray the light turns green; it did. The road is slightly downhill and we are still going very fast

and not slowing. Whew! Made it through the intersection on the green. I look into the side view mirror and find to my

horror that the left rear tire is against the rear fender and smoking. Then I realized I broke the rear axle and the only thing

keeping the wheel on was the fender. Now Im really scarred and dont have any way to slow or stop the Merc.

Up comes the next intersection and again I pray we get another green light. We do almost; we slip through on the yellow.

This though fare has many apartment type buildings with street parking and I was hoping for a section of road that had no

parked cars. After several blocks the parked cars thinned out and I aimed the car towards the curb and as gently as I could,

I let the two right tires scrape the curb eventually slowing us down and I got it stopped. My wife broke out crying!

If I remember correctly, I think she even hit or slapped me. I deserved it and was now busy thinking how to get us home along

with the very broken car. She made me promise, right then and there that I would sell the Merc. Some days later after

I repaired the Merc, we traded in for a 1949 DeSoto, six cylinder engine, fluid drive, four door sedan. Talk about slow!

It was a great family car which we started already but my street racing days were over but not my memories and now,

some 60 odd years later, at age 82, I remember them well as I write this.

Regards to all!

Jimbo

chicken coupe cook · Jun 4, 2013

This old history maybe be boring to you, but when I was in high school, I hung out at this hot rod shop called Hobba Garage...
The owner, Carl Flesieshman was a genius but a poor one,,,Anyway I was there most of the time he was building the
dual supercharged Ford V/8 engine. Before he built the roadster, he had the engine in a 1936 4-door, 3" chopped sedan...
Sometimes in the evenings, he would take his nephew and myself for a ride to the beach area... I can never forget how
fast this car was and the sound of the screaming blowers...What a thrill...He built the roadster after I moved away...
Carl always made everything himself, including equipment...He was one smart self taught German... If interested,
try to zoom in on the engine photos..Note most everything is not "pretty" but functional...Check out the limited
space in the engine compartment...Carl taught me a lot just by watching him...
Those were the "days"!

JImbo

chicken coupe cook · Jun 4, 2013

For more info on Carls roadster, go here:

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Carl_Fleischmann's_1929_Ford

Don

ThompsonSpeed · Jun 4, 2013

Cool story! I often think my generation missed out on alot of good times.

birdman42 · Jun 4, 2013

It is true Old Guys Rule.

Murphy32 · Jun 4, 2013

Great story told well Jimbo...thanks!

Martin_F · Jun 4, 2013

Awesome story, thanks for sharing with us.

fordsum · Jun 4, 2013

Thank You for sharing.... What a great story

KJSR · Jun 4, 2013

Thanks for posting. Awesome story!

fab32 · Jun 4, 2013

I'll bet there have been plenty of times in your life while listening to the latest BS you've just quietly smiled and thought to your self "been there,done that". Thanks for giving us a "real life" dose of traditional hot rodding.

Frank

zoomma · Jun 4, 2013

Great story. Thanks.

Bad Eye Bill · Jun 4, 2013

Great story, felt like I was there.

49CadiClubCoupe · Jun 4, 2013

Great story, thanks for sharing it and I hope I still have the passion that you have at 82

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chicken coupe cook
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from fort worth tx

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from fort worth tx

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Member

from fort worth tx

ThompsonSpeed
Member

from Brockway, PA

birdman42
Member

from Poplar Bluff Mo.

Murphy32
Member

from Minnesota

Martin_F
Member

from Waynesboro, VA

The HEAPS - Old Dominion

Virginia HAMB(ers)

fordsum
Member

from SO CA

KJSR
Member

from Utah

Utah HAMBers

fab32
Member Emeritus

from Bay City, Mi. USA

zoomma
Member

from Weymouth, Ma.

Bad Eye Bill
Member

from NB Canada

49CadiClubCoupe
Member

from In a barn in Australia waiting to be found.

Aussie HAMBers