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The Rodder's Journal Issue #39
Issue #39 starts off with Part 1 of The Ayala Story. The Ayala Brothers were lesser known than the Barris Brothers, Frank Curtis, or the Carson Top Shop, but they were just as important to setting the trend for custom cars. Pat Ganahl examines Gil and Al's L.A. area shop in a great historical feature.
We revisit "The Ohio Look," which is a healthy rake, traditional styling, and a ground-hugging stance. Ohio residents Larry Henderson and Bill Metz both display the "Ohio Look" on their '32 Fords.
Fifty years ago, camera storeowner Peter Sarber would attend The Oakland Roadster shows, and then sell the pictures he took for $1 at his Oakland store. TRJ has published about 13 of these 60's era photos, including the show-stopping "Uncertain-T."
The car that graces the 'A' cover of issue #39 is Brian Sorensen's copper-colored 1934 Ford. Brian's Ford features a 5-inch chop, wide whites, and enough power from the 454 to smoke the tires all the way down the street, and we have the pictures to prove it.
The 'B' cover features Pete Eastwood and Karpo Murkijanian's Fiat Topolino. The Topolino was the predecessor to the wildly popular Fiat 500, and the original had a 37 cubic inch motor, good for about 53 MPH. Pete and Karpo's, however, is much faster. This is the story of the newly restored Mondello & Matsubara AA/Fuel Altered. The car set records for ET in the Quarter Mile, trap speed, and the first Altered to hit 200 MPH.
Chris Shelton examines the tail end of the Custom car era, by discussing three mild customs. Lowering the car over a nice set of wheels, and throwing on a custom grill is enough to call these cars period correct. With the wild interior and custom style exterior of a factory '58 Impala, not much more than that was needed. TRJ compares a '60 Pontiac, '58 Impala, and '59 Chevy in this article.
This past summer, TRJ publisher Steve Coonan and Street Rodder Editorial Director Brian Brennan traveled from California to the NSRA Nationals in Louisville, KY in Steve's Deuce Roadster. The trip included rain, 113 degree Phoenix heat, plus many stops along the way including Bonneville, Pebble Beach, and numerous shops such as Brookville and Pete & Jake's. Their trip is documented in TRJ Issue #39.
Tom Madigan has recently published a book entitled "Fuel & Guts: The Birth of Top Fuel Drag racing." TRJ Issue #39 has published some excerpts and photos from the book, which is a must-have for any drag racing fan.
Walter Valjacic of San Gabriel, CA has built a subtle '46 Ford Sedan that he and his wife use to cruise comfortably on family trips. The Sedan offers ample space for their luggage, and provides a much more comfortable ride than, say, a channeled Model A. It has a perfect stance, and just enough changes to the exterior chrome to make this rod the definition of "Simple Cool."
As always, there is much more to discover in the latest issue of The Rodder's Journal. We have the artwork of Lance Sorchik, and the cars that inspire him. We also review Powermaster Motorsports Powergen Alternators. These have the classic look, but provide modern reliability.
The TRJ Staff
