Don Getz from New Albany, Indiana, sent us an e-mail with this old photo of his '32 Chevy coupe. "It started at my father's steel fabrication shop in 1952, upon my graduation from Salem High School in northeast Ohio. Dad was responsible for creating and installing the convex steel top, which he handformed from flat stock." Don chopped the top 4 inches, sectioned the frame, and dropped the front beam axle 2 1/2 inches. The cycle fenders were created from flat sheet stock under his dad's "ever-cautious eye." The exhaust header was built from a '36 Ford torque tube. "The only other Ford part was the '32 radiator shell, as I was-and still am-a Chevy guy." The drivetrain was a 302 "Jimmy" mill connected to a '39 Chevy box, "which never could handle all that torque at the Akron Dragstrip," according to Don.
"Dad also shot the purple paint, a custom mix by our local Dietzler store. I finished the rod in May of 1954 and traded it, even up, that summer for a restored '41 Lincoln Continental coupe, which I drove to Ohio State University that fall. I've always wondered whatever happened with the '32; I never saw it after the trade, although I heard the new owner dropped a full-race Flattie in the car. Now that's unusual-a Chevy with Ford power!"
Mail your vintage photos of you and your hot rod, along with a brief story to: Tim Bernsau, Rod & Custom, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870, or e-mail them (3x5 inches at 300 dpi) to timothy.bernsau@primedia.com. We are unable to return any submitted material.
Automatic Transition-B&M Buys HurstIn 1953, Bob Spar and Mort Schuman started B&M Automotive Products in Van Nuys, California. Within a few years, they were modifying GM Hydra-Matic transmissions for the new sport of drag racing. In Warminster, Pennsylvania, George Hurst teamed up with Bill Campbell in 1958 to make high-performance shifters. By the 1960s, B&M Hydro Stick transmissions and Hurst shifters had both become iconic performance products and an essential requirement for any self-respecting enthusiast of speed. So it seemed somehow inevitable that these two companies would someday merge, which they did earlier this year, when B&M acquired the Hurst Shifter Division from Mr. Gasket.
Chairman Nate Shelton promised that "B&M is in a perfect position to take good care of the Hurst brand and its legacy," and that the transition would be smooth and seamless.
NSRA Welcomes Later CarsWe were happily surprised when the National Street Rod Association changed the vehicle-year eligibility at the Milwaukee Nationals and the Richmond Nationals from '48 and earlier to 30 years and older. The decision proved to be a success for the NSRA, and they have extended that policy to three additional shows. The Northeast Nationals in Burlington, Vermont, the Golden State Nationals in Sacramento, California, and the Southeast Nationals in Tampa, Florida, are now open to '77-and-earlier vehicles. All other NSRA events maintain the 1948 cut-off. For a calendar of 2007 events, visit www.nsra-usa.com.