LA Roadster Show and Swap Meet - Topless Treats

How about this three-window '36 already chopped and dropped with a small-block Chevy installed? On a WEEDETR chassis, with the hard work done, there was even an R&C cover taped to the door for inspiration!

The Roadster Show always turns up goodies you rarely see at other swap meets. How about a pair of Halibrand V-8 quick-changes? One was an early Culver City-manufactured item. The one on the right was complete with gears and axles for $2,100.

We spent a good few minutes drooling over this old '28 on '32 'rails. It definitely had some racing history, it featured a Model A front axle on an unsplit wishbone and a round tube front crossmember. The top of the roadster body had been modified for a tonneau and rollbar, but otherwise it was in remarkable shape.

Luis Loyola's A roadster has been around for a few years, but we never tire of seeing that blown '63 Studebaker Hawk motor. A blown Hawk was unusual, as these engines were usually found in Avanti models. Owning his own interior shop meant tackling that new top posed no problems for Luis.

Looking like it drove straight out of a Don Montgomery book, this '30/31 A wore splash aprons but no fenders, as removing fenders is easy, but you have to lift the body to lose the aprons, so many rode around like this back in the day. It was period perfect down to the seat upholstery, gauges, and Eddie Meyer speed equipment.

Can you work out what Ron Williams' custom started out as? The Tucson-based convertible is actually a '36 Ford, despite the later front sheetmetal, and appears to have once been a two-door humpback sedan.

Roadster Show swap meet prices may be traditionally a little on the high side, but complete cars and rolling projects didn't seem to be selling this year. Five grand didn't seem unreasonable for a '36 five window coupe, however.

Peter and Jan Wendorf brought their '32 out from Arizona, and while brown may be subdued, there's nothing subtle about a two-fours-fed Hemi poking out where the hood sides once fitted. Check that cool exhaust too!

As befits a collector of vintage race cars, Tom Malloy runs some cool and rare parts on his '32. Knock-off Halibrands? Oh sure, but check out the Halibrand finned magnesium "lobster" brake calipers, straight from Indy and sprint cars in the Sixties. Malloy's interest in old race cars would explain that quartet of downdraft carbs too!

I could have spent much longer admiring the modifications on this Valley Custom-esque '40 Ford. It's an ex-sedan-note the radiused wheel openings, rolled rocker panels and lower fenders, sectioned body, and perfectly fitted hardtop. Can't wait to see this one come together.

Ted Jones' resto-style '32 roadster looks like it just needs a set of wires and bias-plies to pass off as a stocker, except Henry's panel fit was never this good!

Make of it what you will, this A coupe had 'em gawping all weekend. Probably not what your mind conjures up when a twin blown Hemi-powered A coupe is mentioned. It was different, with a swing-away steering column and a hand brake in place of a foot brake pedal, and must have been a packaging nightmare. We'd love to know where those front wheel centers came from.

"The Original Wheelstander" is how Bill "Maverick" Golden's Little Red Wagon is billed, though I'd rather have seen it on its original rolling stock. It was displayed to attract interest in the Icons of Speed and Style auction at the Petersen Museum in September, where it will be offered without reserve. You've still got time to cash in that 401k.

Roy Brizio and his crew always bring out a large group of cars, many of which are fresh. One of our personal favorites was Jorge Zaragoza's just-finished '32 Vicky highboy with a blown Ardun.

A B400 might not be a roadster, with its fixed windshield posts, but Ed and Linda Woody's stunning example made it into the show, and we're glad it did! An Offy-headed Flatty powers the Hemet-based drop-top.

This little chopped 'n' channeled Model A coupe caught my eye, thanks to its wide-five wheels and brakes, 1/8-inch overbored Flathead and cool stance. It was for sale too, but I was in the market to sell an A coupe that weekend, not buy one!

After competing in the AMBR competition earlier this year, Boston-based Kim Vranas' '27 tub has been on display in the Petersen Museum. Husband Chuck drew the short straw (!) and flew out to drive it to the Roadster Show. Now back in the museum, it'll head home to the East coast soon.

With three carbs on a small-block Ford and a heavily channeled body, Jeff Thielman's aptly named Ship Shape Model A is based in San Pedro, near the LA harbor, and was painted by Starlite Rod & Kustom in neighboring Torrance.

Mike Smith took a few days away from his shop, California Hot Rods, to bring out this '25 roadster that looks like it was transported right out of the late-Sixties.

Back in the early days of the L.A. Roadster show, brass-era T-buckets were more of the norm and wild ones like the T Kup built by Dan Woods were the top of the game. The Indy racing Weber-fed Gurney-Westlake 289 is the centerpiece of this retro ride brought out by current owner Brent Unger.

From its Divco wheels in back to the 4-71 huffed small-block under the hood, and rolling on skinny Firestones, Jamie Johnson's '32 five-window hit a nerve. With the price of good Deuce bodies these days, and this one's absence of filler, we thought the $70K asking price didn't seem terribly bad, even with our empty pockets.

This '26/27 T roadster was powered by a Flathead with Offenhauser heads and a 2x2 Weiand intake. A peek inside revealed a Russetta timing tag from May 18, 1947 secured to the dash for a run at El Mirage with a speed of 108.30 mph.

Steve Legens of Legens Hot Rod Shop wanted to prove that this '36 roadster does more than just look good and decided to drive it out from his shop in Martin, Tennessee, to attend his first L.A. Roadster show.

With a big 'n' little combination we don't see enough of these days, this Deuce roadster featured a Ron Mangus interior, Rod Bods body, and Dick Rodwell windshield and top. It also had its headlights way down on the spreader bar.

Despite the fact it's a cabriolet and not a coupe, and the flames are totally different, Bob Casper's '33-34 Corral participant is reminiscent of the California Kid. Must be the Halibrands.

We're not sure if Wayne Shantz and his '36 cabriolet made their way down to the show from their home town of Abbotsford, British Columbia, cruising or transporting but hopefully Wayne was behind the wheel enjoying the trip.