I've told this story a few times here on the HAMB, this car was at my high school in 58/59 it cruised the parking lot and then sat in Mike Bergmans' front yard for several months, just a block down the street from school, the car has had me crazy since I was 13 and I am now 78. Tony Handler bought it in the 60's from a junk yard in Palmdale for $7, it was wrecked by a Sailor who owned it before Tony. I found it stored in a friends front yard but it wasn't for sale. At the first Throttlers Tony brought it and I tried to buy it from him, I tried to buy it from Tony many times and even tried to trade 2 Cords I had for it, still no deal. Well I have had a 39 Ford tub that I finished with the help of Guildner Brothers who I lived with in the mid 80's, I drove that one for 12 years and sold it to Al Mc Kee of Bass lake. I'm working on a second 39 Tub now, It's ready for paint and upholstery. About 5 years ago I had lunch with Ray Vega and gave him Don Montgomery's book, during lunch Ray told me that the Valley Custom 38 was the only Rod or Custom he ever owned. His Mom did the tooling on the seats, she had a shop and restaurant on Olvera st in down town L.A. and made tooled purses, that's how she knew how to tool the car seats. Ray continued in the restaurant business and own's Casa Vega on Ventura blvd. He also had a huge catering business in Las Vegas, it serviced classified air bases in the area, he made a bundle and went into Nevada politics. My current tub and below it the Ray Vega tub. Forgot to mention I worked with Clay Jensen for about 5 years and it took me the longest time to ask him how they built Rays' tub how it was sectioned, Clay said "it was easy we moved the fenders up 5 inches, added 5 to the bottom of the fenders at the running board and sectioned the hood 5 inches. One more afterthought, I got a quote from a modern day leather artist to tool the Ray Vega seat caps, $1200 each that'd be $4800 for all 4 caps. I found some vinyl with the same color and pattern, bought that and will use it in my current tub upholstery.
The Shoebox is now at ride height. still have lots of work to do, just needed to see what the stance is. I like it! As a relatively short guy I am happy to see over the roof.. Can't go much lower!
Fonda Speedway in the 1960's - Photo from Lew Boyd collection Fonda Speedway 2020- Photo Scott Belknap
The Jalopy Journal
