Art & Inspiration Traditional images that need no explanation.

That guy has a toboggan up there, I have one just like that in the attic above the garage.
The local Forest Preserve District shut down our slides years ago, I guess they got sweaty hands and shitty pants about lawsuits. Our slides were steep and you hit about 30 mph on the ride down, it was big fun. It operated with gates that were controlled by guys in a booth above you and there were four or five lanes. Once everyone was seated on the toboggan they let the gate down and away you went. The hard part was climbing the 125 steps back to the top of the hill.

 

That's an interesting section job on this coupe.

 

A few have been done like that and many might miss it if the pinstriping didn't help bring attention to it.

 

I was told 3 were done this way. I've seen 2. The 3rd one was supposedly lost in a fire many years ago. That's the story I was told in the late 70's when I saw the first one, a Maroon traditional car. The second one is now a yellow blown street rod in the Santa Rosa CA. area. Or maybe it was Petaluma CA. Maybe this one in the picture is the one that was lost in the fire. If I remember right, it was either a garage fire, or an engine fire.

 

I think I may have seen one at Pleasanton, I want to say it was maroon, went to GG many times so can't say for sure, also been to NSRA in Bakersfield and CHRR..........it's all a blur.

 

According to my May '53 issue of HOP UP the traditional car was built by Bill Crowell from San Francisco C.A. in '51-'52.

 

This is pre OSHA.

 

I remember seeing one of those coupes when I lived in San Francisco in the mid-fifties.

 

Wasn't comfortable using his Harbor Freight jack stands...

 

Jacks didn't fail back in the day like they do now. This was pretty common. A lot of guys didn't have the spare cash on hand to by the jack, and the jack stands. (this guy did though) Bumper jacks were common too, especially on the later cars that came from the factory with them. When things were made back in the day, they were made to work, and to last. If something did fail, you fixed it. Not like the crap you buy today.

 

It was ironic commentary on preferring the danger of 'no stands' to the greater danger of using Harbor Freight stands, which have been recalled several times in the past few years for being steaming piles. Also, there were plenty of freebies to slide under the car to make it safe to work under-- blocks of wood, spare tire and wheel, etc. Even in the 'good old days' there was room for working safely. Because many didn't, the lawyers and legislators showed up, and now we have stickers on the tops of ladders that tell not to use it as a step.