I’m sure by now you’ve seen the cool images of the ‘War Surplus on Wheels’ exhibit curated by the Lyon Air Museum and Bobby Green. There are some fantastic photos of the WWII military aircraft displayed along side the historic belly tankers inspired by them together in one huge hangar, right next to the Santa Ana/ John Wayne Airport. Cool idea, right? To kick the whole show off, Bobby had an idea to also gather 150 of the most period-perfect hot rods and pre-war customs called ‘Hot Rods on the Tarmac’ just outside the Lyons hangar. All vehicles were hand-picked to fit the theme of this show, and the ‘quality over quantity’ is evident as you watch the videos below. Great cars!
Tag: Jive-Bomber
Ray Keech: First American over 200mph – Jive Bomber @Jalopy Journal
The Brits ruled the Daytona Beach Land Speed records: Seagrave and Campbell went back and forth going faster and faster, but one man broke their streak for a brief time, when board track and Daytona 500 racer Ray Keech went 207.55 mph on the beach April 22nd, 1928. The car he used was unusual, and brutal, to say the least.
The White Triplex was backed by wealthy industrialist J.H. White, and named in his honor. The Triplex moniker came from the triple 1649 c.i. WWI Liberty Aero L-12 (v12) motors displacing a whopping 81 liters combined. One gigantic Liberty motor sat in front of Keech and two more behind him, in a direct drive arrangement. The 36 cylinders combined allegedly produced 1500 horsepower and had the potential to go 220 mph if the feeble chassis and an extremely brave driver could tame it.
The Hot Rod Art of Daniel Marshall – Jive-Bomber @TheJalopyJournal
I should start by saying I don’t know Daniel Marshall personally, and I don’t even know if he’s a serious car guy, but his hot rod art was too interesting not to share here. The “Riders” collection of watercolors (that he very likely painted at the Race of Gentlemen) reminds me of Goro Sasaki’s art featured in the children’s book ‘Me, Dad, & Number 6’. I like the gesture and life to his work, as the original pencil sketch always feels intact and alive, just below the surface somehow.
Interesting Alternatives to the 32 Ford! – Jive-Bomber @TheJalopyJournal
Let’s say you’ve been saving for a few years, and really have your heart set on building an original Henry Ford steel ’32 Coupe or Roadster… Nice choice. But then you hit the classifieds and get some serious sticker shock at what a rotted-out body sitting on some bent rails with a frozen Flattie will cost you. Hmmm. So what cool coupe or open car from the late 20s/ early 30s can you get for about the same money as a Deuce? Leaving aside the more common Chevy or Plymouth alternatives, here’s some very unique offerings from the era that are about the same size as a Ford, wouldn’t be a bad start for a hot rod, and probably wouldn’t break the bank either! Unlike the big luxury cars from Packard, Duesenberg, or Auburn, these were all entry-level cars made in reasonable numbers, and if you look around long enough you might find some bargains out there.
Photographer of the Day: Ralph Crane – Jive Bomber @JalopyJournal
The Jalopy Journal regularly run articles on noted Hot Rod photographers, this one showcases the work of Ralph Crane
Ralph Crane was a German-born photographer for Life magazine for several decades, but only lived in the Los Angeles area for seven years during the 1950s. Read the rest of his story here
Confessions of a Car Brochure Hoarder… – Jive Bomber @JalopyJournal
Model A Sport Coupe- The Poor Man’s Roadster? – Jive Bomber @TheJalopyJournal
Now here’s an article close to my heart as a Sport Coupe owner, poor is a relative term as I definitely can’t afford a Roadster!
Great article on the use of a Sport Coupe body to build a Hot Rod, read on here
Drag Racing Blackbushe Airport UK 1963 – 65 – Jive Bomber @TheJalopyJournal and Bonus Bob Dylan Trivia
Some great footage of drag racing at Blackbushe Airport back in the 60’s, located by Jive Bomber this is of an interest to me as I live quite nearby.
The video footage can be found below
The airport also hosted a huge Bob Dylan concert in 1978. A local DJ who ended up becoming quite well known on the BBC famously stated that he would “eat his hat” if Mr Dylan actually ever performed at the venue. This particular DJ guested at an event prior to the concert where I was providing the music with my mobile disco. We offered him a hat, you can imagine his response!
Ford Long Beach Assembly Plant in the 1930s – Jive Bomber @TheJalopyJournal
Really interesting piece from Jive Bomber at The Jalopy Journal for those of us of the Model A persuasion. Some very high quality pictures from the Long Beach Assembly plant back in the 30’s
You can find the full article here
The fill photo set can be viewed at the Library of Congress
WWII’s Massive Impact on Hot Rodding – Jive-Bomber @TheJalopyjournal
Really interesting take on the effects of WWII on Hot Rodding, some thought that it held things back, others well…. read Jive-Bombers article here