Issue #51

The subscriber cover of issue #51 features George Poteet's 1934 Ford pickup built by The Hot Rod Garage in Denton, Maryland. George Poteet is a self-professed "car nut" and we believe it! He has owned many hot rods, muscle cars, and racecars over the years. HRG owner Ray Bartlett originally owned the truck, with plans for it to become his shop truck before selling it to George. With a few requirements including a 327 smallblock, a heater/defroster, and no radio or air conditioning, George sent the truck back to The Hot Rod Garage for the build, asking Ray to build it as if it were his own.

The "Moody Blue" is shown on the newsstand cover of issue #51 in its current state, after sitting for almost 40 years since it was parked in 1972. Tom Hutchinson and Steve Hope worked as partners on the '34 Ford three-window as teenagers in the mid-to-late 60s. They later went on to race it at El Mirage, Bonneville and Lion's Drag Strip with the help of Tom's dad, Tom Sr. The duo are currently thinking of getting the coupe street ready, and Steve has the flathead ready to run.

It is in true TRJ fashion to research the mystery surrounding a long-lost hot rod, and in many cases the mystery is solved. However, as you will see in TRJ #51 there is still a huge cloud of mystery surrounding the Wes Collins '34 roadster pictured above, as well as its owner. Pat Ganahl first saw a picture of the customized roadster when he interviewed George Du Vall for an article in the August 1990 issue of Rod & Custom since it boasts one of his namesake windshields. Pat frustratingly exhausts every avenue trying to uncover the full story behind this unique roadster, and he's written about his efforts in detail in TRJ #51.

Several months before the first issue of Hot Rod magazine was published, Look magazine, a popular general interest publication, featured a four-page article on two young hot rodders and their '32 Ford roadster titled, "Hot-Rod Racing in California." Ken Crawford and Jerry Stroner were the young men in that article. Their roadster was chosen for the article at the recommendation of Wally Parks, President of the Road Runners car club at the time. Ken and Jerry built the roadster in 1946, ran it in 1947, but by 1948 their partnership had ended and they sold the roadster. It went through several owners before ending up with Chuck Longley. Chuck and his son, Mike, began the restoration in '08. This issue details their experience as well as the rich history of this car that, in some ways, introduced hot-rodding to mainstream America in 1947.

We recently ran the first part of Jim Cooper's photography portfolio of drag racing's golden age in TRJ #50. Part II of the Cooper portfolio is featured in TRJ #51. These images capture the excitement of the track and include some of the biggest cars/drivers in drag racing history such as Tommy Ivo and the Barnstormer, Roland Leong and the Hawaiian, and "Jeep" Hampshire and the Red Stamp Special.

Bill Cromling bought his '40 Ford Deluxe Opera Coupe in 1972 in Dayton, Ohio. From then until about 2002, other hot rod and muscle car projects kept his focus from the '40. When he was ready he turned to Doug Jerger to help bring his many ideas for the coupe to life including a drastic change to the coupe's profile. Bill's ideal '40 Ford included replacing the front sheet metal with '39 accoutrements including the hood, grille, headlights, and side trim. All of these design elements are described in detail in TRJ #51.

We recently photographed Joe Santiago's '54 Chevy Bel Air while in Pomona, California. Joe bought the Chevy in 1989 and did most of the engine and driveline installation, suspension modifications, and wiring himself in his garage. Bob Cota did the chop and the custom bodywork. Perhaps most striking is the paint, a three-stage tangerine and gold pearl combination by the late Art Fullington. All of the work that went in to this memorable custom is described in-depth in TRJ #51.

Marcia Campbell is one of customizing's earliest photographers. Her work was seen in early issues of Hop Up, Motor Trend, Rod & Custom as well as the Dan Post custom books from the late 40s through mid 50s. In TRJ #51 we show some of her most well known photos along with never-before-published shots. Her story is one of passion for cars and photography, and we have it in detail in this issue.

These stories and much more can be expected in TRJ #51.