Interpretation

The only thing these hot rods have in common is that they all started life as Model A Fords.

Strip Shot #6

Harry Luzader's 1932 Ford
about to reach for the sky.

Down But Not Out

Bill Henderson's 1940 Willys had a lot more nose down attitude than most of its contemporaries. Running a supercharged, fuel burning 392 Chrysler built by Chet Herbert, Henderson's Willys ran as a full bodied fuel car and not a gasser. The wild paint job was the work of none other than Larry Watson.

Just Add Paint

Larry Watson redefined the custom car when he loaded up the spray gun to paint his then new 1958 Ford Thunderbird. Intricate paint schemes became the new hammer and torch as custom cars gleamed under the latest metalflakes, candies and pearls.

A Little Off The Top

1966 saw things at Lincoln-Mercury starting to get a little funny. The Plastigage Corporation was enlisted to produce four fiberglass Comet bodies for each of their match race drivers. From the outside, they had the appearance of stock bodied Comets, except Jack Chrisman's GT-1. Jack hacked the roof straight of his car and turned it into a wild roadster. This roofless wonder was a very strong performer, running over 180 mph in the quarter, until parachute failure destroyed the plastic projectile. After running out of strip and stopping power, the GT-1 crashed, burning to the ground.

Salt Snap

Via: The H.A.M.B

Givin' You The Willys

An excuse to post more vintage
shots of Willys gassers.

Heaven And Hell

Heaven was just as hot as hell on the quartermile.

Elegance Redefined

I don't often post contemporary stuff, but in this instance I must make an exception. Built for owner Paul Hoffman, metal master Rudy Rodriguez has created an absolutely stunning 1940 Mercury. Read the whole story on
The H.A.M.B or visit Rudy's website : fullertonfabrications.com

Jet Jockeys

Odds on that the poster is better
than the movie.
But I have been wrong before.......

Via: wrongsideoftheart

Mighty Mouse

Sush Matsubara and Joe Mondello combined forces to build one of the greatest

Fuel Altereds. With Sush behind the wheel and Joe handling the horsepower,
this little Fiat became the first Altered to break 200 mph in the quarter.

It's A Gas

General Motors series of gas-turbine powered concepts culminated with the ultramodern Firebird III of 1958. What a shame today's highways aren't choked with these four-wheeled spaceships,
instead of nondescript Asian sedans.

Barris Kustom Goodies

Barris had it all going on in '63.

Up, Up And Away

More often than not, Dick Landy had his Dodge pointed toward the stratosphere.

Via: The H.A.M.B

Kandy Man

Big John Mazmanian.

Via: The H.A.M.B

Numero Uno

A much slimmer Cobra - before packing on the cubes.

Via: oldcarmanualproject

Mr Speed

I bet most of these kits saw out their twilight years in the model car mortuary, on top of the wardrobe.

Where There's Smoke

Magnesium, methanol and metalflake -
a volatile combination.

Safety First

Are these being made in China now ?

Grocery Getter

The only thing missing from the space age 1956 Plymouth Plainsman was a load of Herman Miller furniture in the the back.

Via: carstyling.ru

Streamlining The Stingray

Bill Mitchell's masterpiece takes shape in clay.

Via: corvetteblogger.com

Trunk Call

The Jetsonesque interior of the 1960 Chrysler Imperial had it all.

Smoothsville #2

Al Glickman sunk a hole in one when the Ayala Brothers worked their metal magic
on his 1951 Mercury.

Via: rickhovingkustoms.com

From The Glovebox

Via: oldcarbrochures.com

Ski Safari

1964 Wide-Track Pontiac Safari.

The ideal choice for those icy backroads.

Via: leifpeng

Off Beat

Pontiac stalwart Dick Jesse's GTO based flopper was a peculiar amalgam of funny car and dragster. More akin to competition coupe than funny car, Mr Unswitchable was a curious addition to the emerging funny car circus. Perched atop his severely chopped GTO, Jesse resembled a lunatic tank commander high on the scent of methanol, ready to blast his way to victory. Powered by 421 cubic inches of supercharged Pontiac power, Mr Unswitchable is a reminder of a time when innovation tore up the quarter mile. Sadly, funny cars have become generic showponies, indistinguishable other than their hideous advertising.

Strip Shot #5

As Cold War tension escalated, Plymouth launched their own weapon.

Via: samson-power.com

Smoothsville

Jerry Quesnel 1949 Mercury.

The key to building a custom this refined is knowing what not to do.

Via: The H.A.M.B

Metamorphosis

You would be hard-pressed to describe the original Willys Model 77 as anything other than practical, however in the hands of horsepower crazed drag racers this homely little coupe took on an attitude all its own. What may have been best remembered as an austere depression-era relic, hustled its way down the quarter mile and into history as one of the gasser war's finest.

Via: The H.A.M.B

Lock Slot & Barrel

Via: drasticplastics

Can Am Moderne

Via: bridgehamptonraceway.com

Bulls Eye

Lamborghini's Muira debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966 and immediately hit the bulls eye. Marcello Gandini's tour de force is still electrifying four decades
after it was unveiled.

Artist's Impression #2

Car Life Magazine
July 1965

Via: mustangtek.com

FoMoGo

For those lucky enough to witness the spectacle, weekends during the 1960's at Southern California's drag strips were horsepower heaven. Mazooma1 from the H.A.M.B was one of the fortunate few and thankfully, for those who missed it, he was armed with his trusty camera. The Holman & Moody prepared A/FX Mustang of Paul Norris caught Mazooma's keen eye in 1965.

Via: The H.A.M.B

Tyre Kicker

Zora Arkus-Duntov checking
what all the fuss is about.

What If ?

Wayne Kady's 1963 Cadillac Concept was a million miles from the staid production models, possibly due to a lack of parking space. Regardless, it did foreshadow the direction Buick would take with the Riviera later that decade.

Via: weareprivate

Typ 917

Pit Stop #39

Indianapolis 500 Qualifying 1963.

Jim Clark's Lotus-Ford Type 29 qualified in fifth position with an average speed of 149.750 mph. On race day Clark drove to second place behind winner Parnelli Jones.

Via: bobjenningsworldo'racing.com

Gloves On, Top Down

These two shifty characters are definitely up to no good. The dark glasses and passenger nervously eyeballing for an unmarked tail are dead giveaways.

Tabletop Exotica

Once upon a time kids actually built stuff.
All you needed was a little patience, paint and glue, then hey presto Nino Vaccarella's
Le Mans winner right there on the kitchen table !

Via: homeracingworld.com

Jumpin' With Papa

Papa George Lightfoot - Jump The Boogie.
A dirty slice of downhome 1950's blues and a perennial favorite of The Magnetic Brain .