Yep. Use to be a saying I’ve seen printed many times... ‘Four for Gow, 8 for plow’ Hahahahaha, I’m not sure what the hell it even means but Gow’s, Supe Jobs, cut downs from what I’ve read and been told were bangers. Even Isky’s famous roadster pictured in this thread, started out with a hot banger.
That’s a beautiful V8 roadster pictured above though. I think that pic came from Don Montgomery’s first book? In one of those books, maybe Don’s first one, he included the entry list’s from some of the early pre war lake’s meets. Even though the V8 had been out for a handful of years, the majority of entries were still running bangers. Shoot, look what Rufi did with his Chev banger in the era of the V8. I’m always am impressed at the effort it took just to get to the lakes back then..
Forgot all about this roadster, saw it in another old thread that popped up today. A guy near me, Rob Miller, owned it maybe 20 years ago and I was able to go to his house with a mutual friend and see it. It’s a famous car, just can’t remember the details.
Yes. At least to me, as Flyin-T mentioned, it has to be a four cylinder. More than that is the era though, you can usually tell the difference between a car built in the 30's/40's car and a 50's / 60's car. I don't know how well I'll do, but I am shooting for pre-war, mid 30's with mine. Of Course this is all my opinion.
It may be purely arbitrary, but I've always referred to 21-stud V-8/'35 wire-wheel cars as hot irons--seems an apt term for the immediate predecessors to the postwar hot rods which usually have 24-stud engines and '40 Ford steel wheels. When I say gow, I use it to refer to the tall-and-skinny, banger-powered cars that bridge the gap between speedsters and cars like Isky's. If Robert Stack's comment to Pete Peterson is any indicator, though, the term gow held sway right through 1946.
That's The Art Gerrick Car, which was first built before the war and then rebuilt after and featured in Hot Rod. Like the Hi Halfhill car, it has its roots in the gow era, but was updated to the point that it's not a perfect reference for those of us trying to nail the prewar era.
From another decent thread on gows. Worth noting that Ernie Triplett died in the late winter of 1934.
That car is awesome! I can't believe how much Gabby's last T looked like this one. I took several B&W pictures in his front yard that even remind me of these pics. WOW, it's perfect.
Just watched a little interview with Isky talking about hanging out with John Athan in junior high and some other friends showing up in an underslung T, a real gow job. When asked to explain gow, he said ... "Gow job, it means go, it means ...kinda like... go job, light weight, fast."
When AHRF originally posted this shot, I swear it was dated circa 1942, but now what Jim Miller wrote says: There was a William Statler, Sr., in the air-racing scene who has since passed. He worked at Lockheed starting in the '40s, so he'd be of the right age. I e-mailed the family about four years ago and never received a response and their website is no longer active.
My friend Don Bell of Sun Valley Ca had a T just like this one, engine mods and all, Nash 3 speed transmission in the driveshaft it went 90 mph plus over the grapevine a really fast "T" He also built "T" engines for people in the L.A. "T" club. He also explained how the kids romanced during the "T" period of hot rodding, "Just lay them out on the front fender and have them hold on to the headlight bar. Don Bell and Bob Berry started the original "Throttlers of Hollywood car club. Great original Hot Rodders who are missed! JW
I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would love to see photos of this--with or without fender-mounted passengers.
Early 1930s, my grandma's sister and her future husband Mac (who came out West with his close friend Spade Cooley) were on a double date with some friends. It was my great aunt and Mac's turn to be up front and drive while the other couple got busy in the back seat of a Model A tudor. Mac hit a bump in the road a little too fast and it caused the guy in the back to accidentally bite off his date's nipple. 50 some years later Mac told me that this caused quite the scandal among all families involved. maybe they should have tried the front fender.
It may take a few weeks but I will have a 23-25 roadster body in the garage. That with other stuff I have acquired with the proceeds from selling off my brass t speedster parts. This project will begin taking shape very soon. With guitar guy and big cheese there will be three 23-25 t gow jobs about a 45 min radius from each other! Also hopefully in a few weeks big cheese and myself will be picking up an engine for his project! Pretty exciting times these days!
The Jalopy Journal
