We are lucky to be able to study the roots of traditional hot rodding (and customs)
with the help of a couple key books -
Birth of Hot Rodding
Amazon.com: Birth of Hot Rodding (9780760313039): Robert Genat: Books
All the Don Montgomery books
Amazon.com: Don Montgomery: Books
Muroc - when the hot rods ran
Amazon.com: Hot Rods On Muroc Dry Lake 1938 (9780910390309): William Carroll: Books
I have spent countless hours pouring over the pics.
Looking at all the little innovations that make a real hot rod.
We are really lucky that someone actually was dragging a camera around back then.
However a hot rodder friend up in Santa Cruz, (Dave) recently found the mother lode.
His "uncle" Tommy Lorbeer brought up an actual 8mm video camera to shoot
at the Harper Dry Lakes in 1940!
Thanks to Dave and his son Conner,
they digitized it and posted it on youtube yesterday.
Prepare to be blown away!
with the help of a couple key books -
Birth of Hot Rodding
Amazon.com: Birth of Hot Rodding (9780760313039): Robert Genat: Books
All the Don Montgomery books
Amazon.com: Don Montgomery: Books
Muroc - when the hot rods ran
Amazon.com: Hot Rods On Muroc Dry Lake 1938 (9780910390309): William Carroll: Books
I have spent countless hours pouring over the pics.
Looking at all the little innovations that make a real hot rod.
We are really lucky that someone actually was dragging a camera around back then.
 |
| harper dry lakes ripped screenshot |
However a hot rodder friend up in Santa Cruz, (Dave) recently found the mother lode.
His "uncle" Tommy Lorbeer brought up an actual 8mm video camera to shoot
at the Harper Dry Lakes in 1940!
 |
| brand new 1940 ford at speed ripped screen shot |
Thanks to Dave and his son Conner,
they digitized it and posted it on youtube yesterday.
Prepare to be blown away!
Some amazing stuff going on in this video.
So rare to see these machines and people actually moving.
 |
| Rufi Streamliner ripped screenshot |
This section blows me away.
The video is shot moving alongsite the Bob Rufi Streamliner!
Incredible.
 |
| bob rufi streamliner ripped screenshot |
I love it!
 |
| wrecked 1940 ford coupe |
I also really dig this car.
This was probably brand new or close to it,
and it's already wrecked, okay damaged.
I'll bet this ended up as one of the first chopped or customized 40 coupes.
(okay obviously there's a customized '39 in the video,
so let's say it's one of the first!)
To me this gives the reasoning behind some of the early customs,
especially the one's with later model grills and the like.
Just like wrecked vw bugs turned into Baja Bugs.
 |
| almost taildragger 1940 ford coupe ripped screenshot |
As you can see I've torn this video apart.
There are more "iconic" cars,
but I'll usually gravitate towards the real hot rods.
So cool.
 |
| 1928 or 1929 ford roadster ripped screenshot |
Okay the next car I build definitely a roadster...
 |
| 3 guys in a ford roadster ripped screenshot |
This shot brings back memories of a fun time for me.
Me, Luke "pigpen" Brown and Holly drove up to San Jose for a show in 2 cars,
but only one car made it back.
(thanks Neal for storing the 40!)
The three of us piled in
and drove the 29 "red dot II" roadster - 100's of miles back home!
Good times.
########################################################
We're lucky Dave's hot rodding roots reach so deep.
Please check out his website,
quality stuff coming out of the Seabright shop.
Seabright Hot Rods
he and his associates deserve all the credit for the video!
TP
you've got the roadster itch again? maybe it's just your recent trip down bondo lane.
ReplyDeleteThat video is nutty. The range of super rough and super nice is pretty wide, but cool to see.
This thing is going to be posted everywhere.
I swear at 3.01 sitting shot gun is that anita something or other in the stripped shirt from on of the first hotrod mags.
See ya round new years quey.