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The L.A. Roadster Show - Happy Fathers' Weekend - Expanded For WebAll Over The 44th Annual L.A. Roadster Show From the November, 2008 issue of Rod & Custom By Kev Elliott Photography by Tim Bernsau
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Father's Day for a lot of guys starts with a bedside serving of charcoal toast or runny eggs, followed by a day in the hammock or a picnic at the park. For hot rodders in Southern California, and a few from everywhere else, the entire weekend is dedicated to Southern California's premier springtime car show, the L.A. Roadster Show. The L.A. Roadsters Car Club has hosted this event for 44 years. Last year was the club's golden anniversary, and the members pulled out all the stops for the event in honor of the occasion. This year, the stops stayed out. Way out. In order to get your ride through the gate, it must be a '36-or-earlier open car-roadster or cabriolet-and it must be "finished," which by Roadsters Club rules means glossy paint. If your hot rod doesn't fit the criteria, all is not lost. Pre-'75 vehicles, topless or topped, shiny or suede, are welcome on the other side of the fence in what has come to be called "preferred parking," and which has become as much a part of the Roadster Show as the "inside" show. We've known people to drive or haul their cars halfway across the country to be part of the "outside" action. Of course, a lot of people never get past the swap meet area, which seems to stretch farther every year. If you make it through there with cash left in your pocket, the inside vendor area provides many more chances to spend it. Most of the West Coast's best-known builders, and aftermarket companies from all over the U.S., make the trip to Los Angeles in June. R&C was there, as always. Tim starts us out with his photo report from the inside, and keep reading for Kev's highlights from outside the fence. Talk about the evolution of... Talk about the evolution of a hot rod! Mike Smith from NorCal built this as a pickup for a customer-you may remember it painted army green with a star on the door-then rebuilt it with this coupe body after a wreck, keeping the old paint but chopping the roof. Mike then bought it, changed the wheels and tires and frontend, and added the blown motor.
Outside The FenceAs usual, the preferred parking area at the show was jammed with everything that either wasn't a roadster or was but didn't wear gloss paint. Combine this with the swap meet area that had been enlarged this year, but interestingly saw a number of empty spots (could gas prices have kept some away? We know it's making vendors think twice about attending shows), and many people never even make it through the gates into the actual show itself, or at least not until the second day.
The swap meet is my personal favorite section of the Roadster Show, with cars and parts coming out of the woodwork for the event. It's a clich, but where else would you find some of this stuff for sale-like a complete Ardun motor, rare speed equipment, or even some of the projects on offer. The prices are traditionally a little greater here, and some a lot greater, but there are still deals to be had if you haggle and know what you're looking for. Here's what caught my eye.  Legendary hot rod builder...  Legendary hot rod builder Dick Smith built this '32, and Bob Dyar owned the car since the early 1970s. He redid the paint and interior a few years back but maintained the Sharp head Flattie and mag wheels. Bob passed away three years ago, and the roadster is now owned by his grandson, Troy Hyde, who continues to drive it and show it.  Jim Jard's brand-new '31 features...  Jim Jard's brand-new '31 features all kinds of old-time elements. The Flathead's Thickstun aluminum covers (a marine application) match the intake and air cleaner. Wico magnetos run modern electronics inside and cloth wire covers on the outside. Other goodies include Reed friction shocks, Guide headlamps, and '39 rims and caps.  This survivor '32 was hot-rodded...  This survivor '32 was hot-rodded 60 years ago. The track nose came in 1959. Greg McComas bought the nose on eBay a few years ago, and eventually found the rest of the car. He just finished restoring it to the exact lavender condition it was in when it appeared in Hot Rod in 1961. Look for a feature in R&C soon.  Lee Stauffacher spotted this...  Lee Stauffacher spotted this '24 Dodge phaeton 40 years ago at this event and has owned it ever since. A 400ci Ford, C6 trans, and Currie 9-inch make up the drivetrain. The body, frame, and springs are original pieces. Look closely and you can see the early swing-away steering wheel for easy ins and outs.  This was the 34th L.A. Roadster...  This was the 34th L.A. Roadster Show for Bob Neal's Fad T, built from a Cal Automotive 'glass body. Bob has had the car since 1965. The paint was shot in 1971. A Rochester fuel-injected 283 with camel-hump heads powers the T, which rolls on Ansen Sprint rims.  When Gary Moore brought his...  When Gary Moore brought his Olds-powered T roadster pickup to Pomona, he brought along Don Conley (in the cowboy hat), the kid who originally built the '27 in 1959. Don hadn't ridden in it since selling it in 1964. While in L.A., Gary and Don visited SO-CAL Speed Shop and drew some attention at the L.A. Roadster Show, Don's first big car show ever.  Eighty-three-year-old Ted...  Eighty-three-year-old Ted Burwick started hot rodding on the dry lakes in the 1930s, and built this '29 on Deuce 'rails back when he was only 81, using a Brookville body and a "full house" (bored and stroked) '49 Flathead. The roadster runs an automatic; the third pedal is a decoy, welded to the brake assembly. Ted did all the work, except paint and upholstery.  The inspiration for this '30...  The inspiration for this '30 rpu comes from Ak Miller's famous Panamericana T from the 1950s. Hollywood Hot Rods is building the T for Ron Lee, who will be racing it in the La Carrera Panamericana rally in Mexico later this year. The Flathead features an Ardun overhead conversion and a S.Co.T. supercharger.  All the on-the-nose traditional...  All the on-the-nose traditional touches, plus an out-of-the-ordinary Chevy 409 Turbo Fire engine under the hood, and some pebblegrain upholstery, drew our attention to this clean Deuce highboy, owned by Ray Thompson.  According to owner Chad VanderFeer,...  According to owner Chad VanderFeer, his '36 Ford custom was built "in the true George Barris, Dean Jeffries tradition," with a LaSalle grille, '36 DeSoto bumpers, E&J headlights, and '36-38 Plymouth taillights. The engine is a '53 Merc Flathead with Offy heads, and a Caddy air cleaner.  Now this is our kind of used-car...  Now this is our kind of used-car lot! That red 'n' gold 'striped '40 coupe was one of five cars sponsored by Dragmaster in 1957, this one dubbed Gasmaster. Originally powered by a Howard chaindriven 6/71 blown small-block Chevy, it now houses an injected small-block.  If it was an Ardun you were...  If it was an Ardun you were after, check out the parts list for this 'un: Velasco crank, Carillo rods, and Vertex magneto, plus it came with those crazy headers and that serious-looking injection setup.  Need a set of Stewart Warner...  Need a set of Stewart Warner gauges or a tachometer for that period project? There were plenty to choose from, all in varying conditions.  We've a soft spot for Anglia...  We've a soft spot for Anglia gassers, especially ones shaping up as nasty as this one! Nice to see a set of disc brakes behind those 17-inch spindle mounts, and in case you're more used to seeing these cars with a three-hole grille, this version is the English domestic item.  Somewhat amazingly, these...  Somewhat amazingly, these weren't the only two sets of Willys front sheetmetal we spied in the swap meet. If you were building a gasser-is there any other kind of Willys?-that white hood was already equipped with a scoop.  Mike Fritzinger restored Payola,...  Mike Fritzinger restored Payola, the '61 Arizona state championship-winning Super Modified that ran in the somewhat outlaw class with few rules. Raced from 1960 to 1965, the 86-inch wheelbase T-bodied racer is powered by a blown and injected small-block.  This Model A panel delivery...  This Model A panel delivery was complete, minus the running boards, and already on 16-inch wires and decent rubber. With a hitch already fitted, you could almost convince yourself it was ready to start hauling again.  Amocat Speed Emporium in Washington...  Amocat Speed Emporium in Washington put together this very authentic early '40s-style A-V8 roadster, using original '28 and '29 sheetmetal with a '32 grille, a mix of Model A and '32 chassis and suspension parts-an A frame with '32 crossmember, pedal assembly, and front suspension-and a '37 Flathead with a Winfield cam, '34 aluminum heads, and dual Strombergs on a Weiand high-rise.  We saw a whole bunch of admirers...  We saw a whole bunch of admirers around this '37 Packard every time we came back to it, but no sign of the owner, so we can't tell you any more than what you can see-which is a great chopped body dropped over wide white radials. We're hoping that primer isn't the final finish, as this one deserves gloss paint.  How about this for a cool...  How about this for a cool deal that sold somewhere in the region of $7,000? A great early A roadster body-OK, it needed a new gas tank!-on a '32 frame with all the right period parts. Ron Peters snagged the project and plans to fit a '48 Flathead and complete it in a late-'40s/early '50s style.  Here's another great project,...  Here's another great project, and one I'd love to have taken home were it not for the three projects I already have. Those '36 three-windows are already hard to find, and this one not only came with very good sheetmetal but was already chopped!  It wears '39 head and taillights,...  It wears '39 head and taillights, but it's a '40, with a 396 big-block and Muncie four-speed making a change from the usual 350 combo! Air Ride ShockWaves and four-link get the rear down, though the Mustang II IFS uses coils so that's ride height at the front. With such a low-key exterior, the red 'flake dash and velour interior come as somewhat of a surprise.  With "Stinker Cut Rate Gas"...  With "Stinker Cut Rate Gas" on the doors, this Olds Rocket-motored highboy '32 pickup was running the right tires and brakes for the era it represented, drilled backing plates 'n' all. The motor, trans, and rearend were all from a '54 Olds.
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