It was Christmas morning, 1958, in Bakersfield, California, and Chuck Call was dressed up nice for the holiday-and for having his picture taken with his '51 Ford Vicky custom.
The shoebox had recently been acquired from his friend Bob Brackett, and customized with a 4-inch chop by Shorty from Oildale. Shorty retained the factory tilts on the front, rear, and side glass by adding 8 inches of metal across the top and 1 1/2 inches down each side. The doors and trunk were electric, the sheetmetal was shaved (including the rear quarter bulges), and the hood was punched with 102 louvers. The '56 Chevy grille was peaked and frenched into a '53 Ford grille molding. The headlights were frenched and hooded, and '55 Chrysler towers replaced the Ford taillights. DeSoto side trim and Chrysler hubcaps were the finishing touches. The interior was done in copper and white leatherette, and Chuck remembers that the stock '55 Chevy small-block and trans could get "Second gear rubber."
Chuck, who now lives in Nauvoo, Illinois, sold the car in 1970, "because my '68 Barracuda 340 was so much faster." He is interesting in hearing from anybody who knows what became of his old custom shoebox. Anybody seen it?
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.
McCulloch's First Fueler ResurrectedDrag racing legend Ed "Ace" McCulloch has some great friends. At the beginning of Ed's bout with cancer a couple of years ago, a group of longtime friends, led by Jack Coonrod, decided to find and restore the famous Northwind dragster. The Kent Fuller-built AA/Top Fuel car, powered by a Jim Albrich 392 Chrysler, and visually distinguished by its gold metalflake body, is the car that started Ed's career with the Albrich-McCulloch-Krieger team. In the 40-plus years since, Ace has succeeded in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and more recently as a crew chief.
After a search of anthropological proportions, Coonrod and the crew found the Northwind dragster in a garage in Vancouver, British Columbia, and brought it back to the U.S. early last year for a complete rebuild, using virtually all of its original '60s-era parts. The now-completed Northwind dragster was displayed and fired up at the NHRA Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals in Kent, Washington, near where Ed got his start in the sport. It will also be displayed at the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, October 12-14, where Ed will be the Grand Marshal.
Brings Back MemoriesIn the early '70s, this young lady's enthusiasm for R&C was boldly expressed, and her "Welcome Back Rod & Custom" and "Street Is Neat" hot-pants'd posterior (inset photo) showed up in our pages on numerous occasions over the years.
The guys at Classic Trucks magazine shot this photo in the swap meet area at the 2007 Goodguys Del Mar Nationals, where our favorite fan was still using those famous shorts to display her R&C pride, a little more modestly but every bit as proudly. And look-she's in the magazine one more time!