Table of contents for January - February 2024 in Rodding USA

In 2018, Alan Johnson, proprietor of Johnson's Hot Rod Shop, devised an idea to build a car to test the multitude of in-house built parts. This would be an excellent indicator of how the parts functioned and whether any modifications might be necessary. Every car that rolls out of the Gadsden, Alabama facility is a rolling work of art that can be driven. The car that made the most sense would be a Brookville Roadsters 1932 Ford Roadster Pickup. The hot rod would be driven to rod events across the country. Alan had recently purchased Hollywood Spring & Axle, which had been rescued by Jack Chisenhall. Marvin Edwards began building springs in Arizona for the Miller Indy-style race cars and opened Hollywood Spring & Axle in 1920. In 1939, Marvin…

Nostalgia Street Rods in Las Vegas is the place to be on the Saturday after the SEMA Show for Goldstrom's Classic Car Show. Sherri and Art Goldstrom host the annual event with all entry fees, raffle ticket and t-shirt sales and auction proceeds donated to Speedway Children's Charities in Las Vegas. Great weather on November 4 led to an excellent turnout of both car entrants and spectators. If you're in town for the SEMA Show in 2024, it's worth your time to stop by and check out the cars along with the Nostalgia Street Rods stunning cars in their onsite museum. THE 2024 EVENT IS PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER 9. FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.NOSTALGIASTREETRODS.COM…

Mike (Miner) and I had been friends for about 30 years and attended all the various car activities and shows together in our 1932 Fords. Mike called me one day and told me he was going to have Barry (Lobeck's V8 Shop) build him a ‘32. Mike had known Barry for some time and had been a parts customer for years. Mike never had kids and had made a purchase of some land next door to Dad's house to keep it from being built on and recently had sold it. So, we made the call to Lobeck's. Barry wanted to build him an American Speed 33, but Mike would not hear of it. It had to be a 32 Ford highboy roadster. The build was started with a Brookville body…

Harold Sullivan has always been a great Mopar fan and collector of low-production Hemi and 440 muscle cars. After decades of mining rare car gold of the Mopar variety, he eventually got the hot rod bug. He acted on those impulses a few years ago and built his first, an all-steel, black 1934 Plymouth full-fendered coupe with a 392 Hemi. That was followed by a flaming red 1936 Plymouth coupe with a 340 stoker topped with a dazzling display of eight 2-barrel Stromberg carbs. His third hot rod is this stunning 1932 Coupe. But to be transparent, he borrowed many basic style ques from a die-cast 1932 Ford. He then altered particular stylings to suit his tastes and preference for modern, reliable drivability, plus power enhancements while maintaining an old-school…

“Epiphany” may be too pretentious, “founding,” perhaps too affected; that said, back about 2009, a bunch of senior Hot Rodders discovered their shared passion for burning fossil fuel, “B.S.,” and beer. Several of the initial group came together on California's Central Coast on a magazine-sponsored tour to the Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, CA. The guys were mutually amused by accents, colloquiums, and quirks of manner native to both Yanks and Canucks. They immediately became good friends, no one taking themselves too seriously and a genuine interest in each other's journey through life and their Hot Rodding experiences. In 2010, several Yanks from the original group journeyed from SoCal to the Northwest Deuce Days event in Victoria, BC, where Canadian friends were tracked down, more compadres discovered, and our mutual…

Thinking back to my childhood of how my interest in hot-rodding began was probably nurtured by my parents. My mother from Montana met my dad from Pennsylvania at Victorville Army Airfield, Victorville, CA, during World War II. They always reminisced about the “Gallopin Goose” and watched time trials at the El Mirage Dry Lake or Muroc Lakebed. They had a black 1932 Ford Roadster named the “Gallopin Goose.” During those days, it was common for someone with artistic talents to pen names on the side of airplanes. Dad had the “Gallopin Goose” painted on their Roadster's dashboard and later on their 1936 Ford Roadster, which was their favorite. When I was eight years old, I recall my dad watching the CJA (California Jalopy Association) races on T.V. These were primarily…

Perhaps the most challenging decision in building a hot rod is choosing a color for the final paint. When you are married or have a significant other helping to make the decision, this subject can lead to interesting discussions. However, even when the decision is yours alone to make, it can be a difficult decision. Sure, you say that you know that you want red. Okay, which red? Candy apple, fire engine, oxblood, maroon, or burgundy? This is not intended to sway you toward any one color but to provide you with some food for thought so that you can make an informed decision. A decision that you can be happy with for hopefully a long time. There is no denying that paint and paint-related materials themselves are expensive. Painting…

Jack Wallis has built hot rods all his life but admittedly didn't turn every bolt on this car. However, he designed it and made a bunch of unique parts. His business manufactures stained glass and custom doors, so he is accustomed to doing precision work. His love for hot rods is in the building and creating. Jack built his first hot rod when he was eleven years old when he found an old 1930 Model A coupe body with the top cut off. He also found a 1930 Chevy frame and put the two together. His house had a drive-in basement, so his dad kept the car chained to a floor support to keep young Jack from driving it. Fast forward several years, Jack had built and owned several different…

rodding event SEMA 2023 was well attended by both vendors and spectators, but the atmosphere is going away from hot rodding as we know it and at a very rapid pace. Companies gear their products to the market, which has shifted to trucks, import & muscle cars, and electric vehicles. It's not that hot rods/street rods are going away, but SEMA exhibitors must follow their customers’ desires. Las Vegas was even more congested than usual as Formula One built a race track for their event through the streets, including the Las Vegas Strip. Fortunately, the race didn't occur until a few weeks after the show. For information on the 2024 event, visit: www.SEMAShow.com…

Editor's Note: Joe Abbin owns Roadrunner Engineering, and Motorhead Mart in Albuquerque, NM. He has also authored three books on Ford Flatheads. For more information, visit: www.RoadrunnerEngineering.com Most people have noted the recent resurgence of Flathead Ford-powered vehicles at car shows and auto events nationwide. Most of this resurgence results from a rediscovery of the timeless good looks and sound of the classic Flathead Ford. However, even diehard Flathead Ford fans concede that the Flathead is obsolete as a performance engine by today's standards. But is it? What about a street-driven 1934 Ford Tudor sedan with a 276 cubic inch Flathead that accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds? Compare this with 3.8 seconds for a Dodge Viper or 4.1 seconds for a 2006 Z06 Corvette. THE BEGINNING In 1991, I…

The “Last of the Season” Show for Goodguys occurred November 17-19, 2023, at Westworld of Scottsdale. The 26th Annual event was a bit different from previous years in that it rained on Saturday morning for a couple of hours. Fortunately, by late morning, the skies were clear, the air warmed, and the rods and customs filled the grounds. This show features the usual GG events, including a huge swap meet, indoor and outdoor vendors, autocross, and several thousand custom cars and trucks. One feature you will only find at this event is the TOP 12 cars and trucks of the year in one spot. This is a highlight for participants and spectators. These 12 are some of the most spectacular automobiles in the country. . FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GOODGUYS…