It's a game we tend to play from time to time with our hot rod buddies over a cold beer out in the garage. Call it hot rod trivia. You know how it goes. Who was the guy that owned that red chopped ?32 coupe with the blown Chevy from Indiana? ... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
I really enjoyed reading that... so much to learn... These seemed like great times when people got together and just had "fun with cars"
Nice article Jay, Thanks. I attended in 75 as a spectator, then I was off to the Navy. I didnt know any hot roddrs back then. I was mostly into bikes. But many of my friends still have the cars they had when they went to the 1st event.
Hi Jay-- the very first run I ever took my 41 Chevy to was the mini nats in Rockville. It was a very exciting time for me as an 18 year old. Of course we all went to Timonium for those years; in fact the club I was in at the time, Vintage Tin of Md. ran the rod repair shop there. I used to tow a friend's welder up there with the 41. He even painted the welder the same yellow to match my car!! Fast forward to the 30th reunion up in York. I was there with my 41. Still had the same yellow paint from 1973 on it. We all signed the banner that you mentioned. There was a raffle for the banner after all had signed it and I won. I promised at that time to bring it to the next reunion and re-raffle it. Boy how time flies Al
great read! I just posted a few pics of md cars here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3342999#post3342999 the willy's is Jim Rhea's from WOW in 69 at the DC armory. I have some more just need to dig them out and scan them!
Awesome... Would love to see any follow up photos you guys might have out there... Interesting period of history that we don't often touch on.
My uncle took me to see my first real live street rods at some of those shows in the mid-70s. Street is neat!!
Great story, great shots. My dad started taking me to car shows about 1973. Having fun with cars... that's why we have the HAMB Drags, Jalopy Showdown, Cinematic etc. etc. today. In 35 years people will be writing stories like this about what we're doing today... ...except the captions will be more like, "Here's Curious Rash getting dry-humped by Monkey"
Cool to hear (local to me) history. Lots of those guys are still active with hot rods. And Jay, Jeff C. looks exactly the same today. I think he still wears that exact same hat too!
We have been to every NSRA Nats East since 1975 (except 2006 we drove our '32 Roadster from CT. to Pomona, CA. LA Roadster Show)...Made some good friends in York. Have all the buttons, beer steins, and t-shirts for all of them. Street IS Neat!!!!
The guy riding the tricycle with the pom pom hat is a tax lawyer...he does his own body work...in lead.
There is more history on this forum than most realize. Riich Venza was an integral part of this story and is on this forum on a regular basis. Many of the old guys here have lived it all.
Great stuff!!! The pics are great! I was at Timonium around 79...but was too young to remember too much. At 15 I got to really experiance Nats East at York. My father dropped me off on friday with his Dodge pick up a tent and enough money to get food. I camped with the Weekend Wariors....what a lesson that was at 15. Needles to say I've been there every year since. I do miss those early years. Nats East has changed a lot!! The up side is there is one show still doing rod jousting....the Western MD Rod Round Up. Hell they were still giving out free beer til just a couple of years ago...yes free beer! Clark
Good story Jay. I was there in Timonium in 74 and so was my 40, but it wasn't mine yet! I did have my 55 Chevy and it was like our very own American Graffiti cruising up and down York Rd in Timonium with all the rods. I was glad to see the return of hot rodding in any form,even if they were callng it street rodding. Granted, there were many resto rods and the like but it was a step in the right direction as muscle cars were starting to get smogged to death and I always liked hot rods better! Here's a shot of my 40 back in the 70's. It was about as homely as a mud fence, but it was all mine! I will have to dig out my old photo's and do some scanning !!
I was just a clueless little 9 year old chump growing up on the lower eastern shore of MD back in '74. Missed all that fun, never knew anything about it. Wished I had now. Still, thanks for the story and the history. Sounds like it was some fun and wild times.
Great history from a friend who was old enough to have been involved, and still young enough to remember all the juicy details. It rattled this Old Farts memory. For you younger guys, you need to understand we were in the business of changing the public's perception of what hot rodding was. We were consciously taking the steps to move the hobby out of the era of its street racing, unsafe cars, rust & primer past and moving it into the automotive mainstream. Remember, a Street Rod is just a Hot Rod with a few creature comforts added to civilize the experience. This shouldn't be an age thing as we were doing it in our 30's.
Did I hear someone mention Timonium? I have a few pix laying around. But I hope none of them show me in those hokey-ass white pants!
Hey Jeff, welcome to the insanity. Here on the HAMB is where I waste away the hours at work on 3rd shift!! Here's a picture at one of my garage parties at the old garage from a few years ago. No white pants, same old nasty hat, but no white pants !! Looks like you were deep in thought over whether or not to eat that slice of pizza..............
Guys, I appreciate all the great feedback. Does anyone know the owner or whereabouts on the chopped '40 coupe? Thanks again. I hope many more will post photos from early Timonium. Jay
Here's the only shot I have loaded to my PC right now. It's a shot of Rod Saboury's 32 3 window @ Timonium nats east. It was probably one of the first "pro street" street rods built. Like it or not, it ushered in about 10 years worth of clones..........
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