Yesterday's Young GunsIt's been almost a half-century since 1959, when John Muffick and Walter "Pud" Lawyer posed next to this just-finished hot rod in Taylorsville, Illinois. As the trophy in their hands proves, the channeled '30 five-window coupe-built and owned by John's dad, Joe-was a favorite at local shows. In 1961, Joe decided to try his luck in California, and took the Flathead-powered Model A to the Winternationals in Pomona, where it was noticed by a Hot Rod magazine photographer and snapped for the July 1961 issue.
Joe continued to show his hot rod until the mid-'60s. It went into storage until the early '80s, when he began driving it again. In the '90s, he tore it apart for a rebuild, but health problems kept him from working on the car before he died. The disassembled coupe passed between family members, but never budged from the horse pasture where Joe had left it. That was until 2003 when Mel Lawyer bought it, dug it out of the mud, put it back together, and started driving it and displaying it at car shows again. Mel is now restoring the old survivor to its early '60s show car glory. The car remains in Taylorsville, where John Muffick and Mel's father, Pud, posed so proudly in 1959.
Von DutchRoth Art For SaleThe largest private collection of Von Dutch and Ed Roth original art and memorabilia, among other items, will be up for auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on May 13-14, according to RM Auctions. These pieces-and other original artwork by such kustom kulture painters as Robert Williams, Ed Newton, S. Clay Wilson, and David Mann-are part of the Brucker Brothers' Kustom Kulture Collection, which will be on display at the Petersen Museum during the weeks leading up to the big sale. Grab your credit card, get out to L.A., and go home with a kollectible piece of kustom kulture.
By The NumbersDollar amount of retail sales of aftermarket hot rod parts in 1994: $410 million
Dollar amount of retail sales of aftermarket hot rod parts in 2004: $899 million
Percentage of increase: 120
Percentage of Ford and Chevy collector car owners who say they would purchase the same brand for their everyday driver: more than 100
State with the most collector car owners: Michigan
Amount of impact surges in fuel prices have had on how much owners drive their collector cars: none
Homebuilt '33 HonoredGone are the days when you needed a big-buck pro-built street rod to even think about winning an award at a national event. Ken Polesky of LaMesa, California, proved that with his '33 Ford sedan delivery, winner of the Goodguys/ Timberland Pro Homebuilt Heaven Award. The award was created in 2003 to honor owner-built rods, customs, trucks, musclecars, and street machines
Polesky has owned the '33 for three decades, but it sat in the garage neglected while he built a '28 roadster, a '29 phaeton, a '36 five-window coupe, and a '55 Chevy Nomad. The traditionally styled delivery entered the running for Homebuilt Heaven at the 2005 Del Mar Nationals and competed against a year's worth of HH Award finalists. Online voters made the final selection. The award includes a trophy and a $1,000 gift certificate good for merchandise from Timberland.com.
Bringing Kulture To The DragsSave Saturday July 8 for the 7th annual Rat Fink Party and Kustom Kulture Extravaganza at the Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, California. Moldy Marvin's yearly hot rod get-together is open to all pre-'73 rods, customs, musclecars, dragsters, bikes, trikes ... hey, if it's old, cool, and has wheels, they'll let you in.
Activities and attractions include vendors, artists, live bands, and best of all, drag racing at Southern California's famous high desert dragstrip, not to mention the contests: model building, flame throwing, burnouts, and more, plus games for kids. This is an evening show, starting at 3 p.m. and going until way after dark.
Proceeds will go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Antelope Valley. For more information, visit www.ratfinkparty.com.
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.