This one caused a lot of head...
This one caused a lot of head scratching, some suggesting it was a modified Chevy coupe body, or the back half of a sedan, but it's actually a virtually stock Austin Bantam body. And yes, the wheel arches did go into the doors as stock!
The Hot Rod Reunion was one of the events I used to travel to from England to attend, along with the old West Coast Customs Paso Robles event, before I made the big move across the globe. It has remained one of my must-do events ever since. While I'm not a die-hard drag racing fan, there's something about the mix of vintage race cars and nostalgic hot rods that appeals to me, and this event offers so much to see and do, both on and off-and away from-the track that it's an action-packed weekend.
It's easy to see why it's become the premier gathering of vintage drag racers and their cars-quite apart from the fact that it also hosts the finals of the NHRA Heritage Drag Racing Series-and 2009 saw the 18th staging of the Reunion at Famoso Raceway, just north of Bakersfield, California. Whether you wanted to spend all weekend in the bleachers watching the racing, park up in the tree-lined Grove or at the end of the track, tour the pits watching the teams prep their cars, or browse the swap meet or vendor booths, you couldn't fail to have a good time. Then there's the evening entertainment, with race cars firing up on nitro in the hot rod-filled parking lot of the Doubletree hotel on Friday night, and the insane cacklefest on the track Saturday night, making for long days and sore feet!
With two fours on a tunnel-rammed...
With two fours on a tunnel-rammed 454, backed by a four-speed, this '57 Ford gasser looked like a lot of fun.
Lil' Stan was built by Stan...
Lil' Stan was built by Stan Moss during World War II in Gilroy, CA, using a brand-new '41 Flathead V-8. With a heavy engine setback and stubby grille-come hood, using what appears to be sections of commercial '32 grille, the roadster has a semi-circle track appearance. Oregon's Charlie Hascall unearthed the old hot rod.
It took a little detective...
It took a little detective work to figure out, but we believe this is a '38 convertible with a modified '39 or '40 hood, which gives the car its sectioned appearance, as well as '40 front fenders with DeLuxe headlights. Note the rear fenders have also been rounded off at their leading edge where they'd normally flow into running boards.
With its Hemi more than filling...
With its Hemi more than filling the stretched engine compartment, this heavily channeled coupe-turned-roadster Model A caught our eye. The giveaway? Those longer doors, the missing swage line around the rear of the cockpit, but mainly the windshield post mounts. Nice job, though!
The combination of a channeled...
The combination of a channeled body and high-rise Eddie Meyer intake put the top of the carbs way above the cowl on this neat A coupe. We appreciated the little details, such as the matching drilled framehorns and coil mount bracket.