1957 First Hawaiian Motorama • Honolulu, Hawaii
How would you like to pack up your hot rod and head to the tropics? We’d say that’s a no-brainer offer that we wouldn’t refuse. Well that’s exactly what the staffers from Rod & Custom and Hot Rod did back in 1957. Once plans for the first Hawaiian Motorama were solidified to take place at the Honolulu Armory, arrangements were made to bring four cars from the mainland. Included for the trip across the Pacific were the Glass Slipper dragster and the R&C Dream Truck. Spence Murray brought his magazine project truck so readers could see what they had been following in the pages of R&C up close and in person. Man, that sure was a cool idea Spence!
There was quite a variety of vehicles on display, including tin lizzies, hot rods, custom cars, race cars, and even some deep sea diving equipment! Hawaii appears to have had its own unique build style with notable features like taillight choices, channeling, unique full-fender molding, and bobbing. We’re not sure if it was lack of available parts on the islands or just one local guy being inspired by the next to build really low hot rods. At any rate, a trip to a tropical paradise involving hot rods and custom cars is just our cup of tea, or coffee.
Kenneth Sie’s pink lacquer,...
Kenneth Sie’s pink lacquer, Flathead-powered Deuce roadster wears Olds spinner caps, molded in ’49-50 Ford taillights, and chromed framehorn covers. Below right: Haruo Morishige’s ’32 Ford roadster was built on Oahu during the ’50s and appeared in the Oct. ’59 issue of Hot Rod magazine. It was found hibernating in a garage not far from Diamond Head, where it had been sitting for over 40 years. The new owner, Stanley Kong, is reportedly restoring it in California to its exact former glory. Behind the Morishige roadster is the Model T roadster of H. Harano and A. Ching. Photos by Spence Murray/Petersen Archive.
This sweet, chopped, yellow...
This sweet, chopped, yellow Deuce Vicky was the pride of Joe Lau. Photo by Spence Murray/Petersen Archive.
This white Deuce five-window...
This white Deuce five-window was an Aug. ’60 Hot Rod magazine feature car. Powered by an Ardun-equipped Flathead, it won its class at the Kansas City Nationals in 1956. Originally built by Hawaii Motor Rebuilders it was later campaigned by the Honolulu-based Dowsett Racing Team, whose five-person crew brought it to college with them and raced all around the Northwest in the early ’60s. Photo by Photo by Spence Murray/Petersen Archive.