Innehållsförteckning för Issue 31 från Rodding USA

The 54th annual LA Roadster Show & returns Saturday as a show Friday The LA Roadster Show, one of America’s premier events for pre-1936 hot rod and roadster enthusiasts, is returning to the Fairplex in Pomona for its 54th annual event. The show, which had been put on by the LA Roadsters - one of Southern California’s most dedicated and historic car clubs - since 1960, is the largest gathering of pre-1936 roadsters in the world with over 600 to be on display this Father’s Day weekend, June 15-16, 2018. With the event now being on Friday and Saturday and leaving Father’s Day Sunday a day for families to spend time together. The LA Roadster Show is an incredibly special event with a decidedly more “period-correct” feel than other contemporary…

Over 500 vehicles filled the eight buildings at the Pomona, California Fairplex during the Grand National Roadster Show which was held January 26-28, 2018. The perfect January weather also led to another 500-plus vehicles attending the Saturday drive-in show. Fifteen roadsters competed for the prestigious America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award. The judges had a tough task of narrowing those fifteen incredible cars down to one. When the dust settled on Sunday evening it was Dave Martin’s stunning blue car which took home the big trophy along with a check for $10,000.00. The 2019 event is scheduled for January 25-27. Contact www.RodShows.com  for more information. The 2019 event is scheduled for January 25-27. Contact www.RodShows.com  for more information.…

When you grow up in your dad’s machine shop after school and attend hot rod events on the weekend, you are bound to pick up some hot rod knowledge. Vince Baker took advantage of both of these situations. He has done lots of metalwork for hot rodders in and around the St. Louis area. He has also been a student of the hobby by listening to and learning from others who make building hot rods their livelihood. Now that Baker is retired from working a full time job, he has more time to enjoy his passion, by working on this longtime personal project. Most everything on this roadster pickup has been fabricated by the owner. Whether it began as a sheet of 0.080 inch or ¼-inch aluminum sheet, or two-inch…

West World in Scottsdale, AZ hosted the most incredible 9-day car show in the world featuring over 1700 vehicles which all rolled across the auction block with nearly 100% finding new homes. Ten vehicles brought in $6.21 million for non-profit organizations including a 2017 Ford GT which sold for $2.55 million (benefiting The Autism Society of North Carolina) and a 2018 Corvette that net $1,400,000 to benefit The George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Military Service Initiative. President Bush also became the first former U.S. president to join the Barrett-Jackson crew on the auction block while the Corvette was being sold. The desirable assortment of vehicles that crossed the block sold for a combined total of $106.7 million while over 1,100 pieces of automobilia sold for $3.7 million. For information on…

Ann Griffin was in Junior high school when her dad bought this ’57 Buick Super. In ’58 when it came time for her and her date Ron Sowerby to go to the Junior Prom, her dad was the chauffeur in his new Buick. This was their first car date, but not the last. In 1960, Ann learned to drive with the Buick, and got her license with this car. Ann tells of her many adventures in the Buick, including bringing 17 girls home from a football game. Her dad, of course, didn’t hear about that one until many years later. Ann and Ron went their separate ways after that, but were reunited again at their 30-year high school reunion, in 1993. They were married in 1994. Ann still had the…

There were 2 cars my dad and I always talked about while I was growing up, the iconic ‘32 Ford 3-window coupe and the ‘32 Ford roadster. Our normal conversations would turn into what parts he liked and envisioned and of course I had my own opinions as well. One day and after many conversations and car shows, I decided if I could choose a car to build, it would have to be the 3-window. I researched every bit and piece of the car, the engine, chassis and body, etc, along with all the costs associated, and if I took my time and spaced out the build, I would be able to afford to do this project. So it began... In 2014, my dad and I went to the L.A.…

BENEFITING KT’S KIDS One look at this stunning hot rod stroller and you can picture pushing your child or grandchild around at the local car show. You will have the opportunity to win this one-of-a-kind cruiser and at the same time support KT’s Kids and the students in Creight School District in Phoenix, Arizona. The fiberglass ’32 roadster was custom built by Charly’s Garage in Mesa, AZ thanks to the many participating companies which have so generously provided parts, labor and monetary support to bring the little blue hot rod to reality. The frame was fabricated from 1-inch square tubing while the floor, firewall and dash were all hand formed and then glazed into the fiberglass body. Hot Shoe Hot Rods custom built the I-beam/hairpin front suspension while Wheelsmith custom…

Ir eceived a phone call about two years ago from one of our subscribers and he mentioned he has a Deuce roadster which was flathead powered. I asked him a few questions about the car and I did a double take when he said he was the fourth owner and had purchased it in 1940. Yes, 1940 and he has owned it ever since. I mentioned I’d like to shoot some photos of it and he said any time would be good for him. Unfortunately I was busy with magazine deadlines and over time misplaced his phone number. Then in November, 2017 I got a call from a man in Fullerton, CA and he said his name was Bernie Couch and he wanted to renew his sub. He mentioned he…

This gorgeous 1934 Ford Victoria is proudly owned by Frank and Andrea Brown of Los Lunas, New Mexico. They purchased the car in 2016 in California. Frank had known the previous owner of the car, Ken Parkhurst of North Hills, Ca. for many years and had always marveled at the car’s classic look and innovative construction. Mr Parkhurst was a well-known graphic designer whose work has been featured at numerous galleries and museums worldwide, and knew exactly what he wanted when he designed the Vicky. The car was built to his specifications in the late 1990s by Ken Lotz of Southern California. Mr Parkhurst drove and enjoyed the Vicky for several years, amassing over 40,000 miles on the odometer. The car also garnered a roomful of special awards, including an…

NOSTALGIC CHAMP QUICK CHANGE WINTERS nostalgic Championship Tapered Steel Tube & Bell Quick Change Rear comes built to your specs. This assembly includes a 10” ground ring & pinion, heat treated lower shaft, Winters Track Differential, axle seals, and your choice of a 10-spline straight cut quick change gear set. Specifically for big horsepower cars, this assembly uses stock appearing flanged 31-spline axles which will accommodate after-market disc or drum brakes. Legendary styling and cutting edge technology has never been better! Telephone: 717-764-9844 www.wintersperformance.com CUSTOM BODY SIDE MOLDINGS CUSTOM built exterior moldings are available from McMillan Rod & Custom. Adding a custom touch to your ride with the addition of these moldings can be the difference between a nice car and a show stopper. Built from their polished stainless “Low…

The Airstream Globetrotter is the product of an international collaboration with Astheimer Limited, a renowned UK-based design studio. The interior of this new offering presents a modern, refined look which celebrates minimalism with supple curves and symmetry. The Globetrotter’s interior features a layer of contemporary sophistication with premium finishes and fixtures, including aluminum walls, panoramic windows, a curved headboard and cabinets, wrap-around upholstery, recessed speakers and backlighting throughout. The 27ft Globetrotter is priced at $99,900 MSRP. ABOUT AIRSTREAM Airstream, manufacturer of the iconic “silver bullet” travel trailer, is the longest-tenured recreational vehicle manufacturer in North America. Following founder Wally Byam’s credo, “Let’s not make changes, let’s only make improvements,” Airstream has remained a timeless classic. Byam’s vision for Airstream trailers was to use these design-and-quality-driven products to allow people to…

What could possibly be the side effects of a dad giving his twelve-year-old son a 1957 Chevy pickup truck? Bill Donaldson of Chandler, Arizona can answer the question since he was the lucky recipient of his dad’s work truck many years ago. This kind gesture led to Bill spending all of his time and money on this truck from age 12-17. He then went off to college at Arizona State University in 1981 and unfortunately while he was off at school the partially finished truck was stolen from his dad’s garage and never found. The stolen truck wasn’t going to stop Bill who had been seriously infected by the terrible disorder called “Custom Truck Fever.” Fast forward to the ‘90s and despite being on an extremely limited budget he managed…

Old cars have a lot of things in common even if they are different makes. The gas tank is one of them. That commonality stops there though. Most tanks aren’t interchangeable from make to make or even model to model. Mounting points, filler locations, filler sizes and shapes, fuel pickups, sending units, fuel lines sizes, dimensions, bends, you name it, can be so very different that finding a good used tank which fits is a total challenge. Old original tanks usually suffer from rust and dents. Some old cars have tanks mounted externally and integral to the body or act as a “reveal.” This exposes them to potential body damage in the event there is an accident. If you’re restoring an old car or street rodding one, you’re going to…

THE CAR After fifty-plus years of building cars were go anywhere capable with comfort and reliability, it is time for a simple car. This is the transformation of a stock 1929 Model A Ford, rumble seat coupe. Starting with an older restoration, the plan is to end up with an “almost” stock appearing, safe, roadworthy, and built at home car. Safe and homebuilt are the two operative words. This is the type of project which is undertaken by a “slightly” older street rodder who longs for the “good old days”, enjoys a challenge, and has more time than money. With a few exceptions things will be built not bought, so long as things can be done safely. Why so much emphasis on safety. The goal is to take the grandchildren…

Jess Roman is the youngest of three brothers and all of them are cars guys. While his older brothers were into low riders and muscle cars, not Jess, it was the hot rod which was his choice. Around the age of 19 or 20, he acquired his first car, actually a truck; a 1956 Ford pickup to be exact. He drove that ‘56 pickup with pride. Pin stripping was cool back then like it is now, but who better than Ed Roth to do the stripping on the dashboard. As time went by a high school buddy had a Harley Davidson chopper which he wanted to get rid of so Jess and his buddy talked it over and a trade was made. Jess was now running around Orange County, California…