LA to Phoenix, Tucson and El Paso

After the swap....we managed to get everything in and hit the road for Phoenix...couldn't believe how many wind farms have sprung up since I last drove this way in 2004.

First stop, So Cal Phoenix...nice people to deal with, and they had 3 spinner coupes for sale..this was my pick!

At Tucson, we called by The Old Ford Speedshop, and recognised Charlie Durans old 3 window dirt track car, amongst plenty of other projects.

Another of these "only in America" photos...we did see another with 4 trucks mounted behind....and the number of three ups...i.e. pickup truck, towing a caravan, with a boat behind that...how the hell do they back up??

We contacted "Hot Rods Old Vail" before we left OZ, and they said to come by and look at the facility. $12 million spent so far, multiple bars up and down, dance floors, lunchtime eatery,  nightclub,  car show deal with 400 car park spaces, and the back half has a glass wall where you can watch cars being built/dynoed/painted etc. Just south of Tucson Arizona..Call in for a burger!

Some of the Hemi Chrysler motors I bought in El Paso, and had shipped to my container in Grapevine, Texas.

Friend Michael who was our tour guide around El Paso took us to see this nice 40 coupe...shoulda bought it!!

The LA show

The LA Roadster club invited us to join them at the Sat Night B B Q....this club has always welcomed us "aussies", so thanks to all of you at www.LARoadsters.com for making the weekend so enjoyable! Special thanks to Joe, Dave and John for helping us .

The Brisbane Boys.....we all did our bit to help the US economy.....we managed to get lots of parts and a few cars away from US soil and back to Oz...amazing how many foreigners were at this one weekend event.

Deuce parts anyone? There was plenty available, but bargains were hard to find.

Roadsters is what it is all about, but add in the no fenders, hairpins, steelies, no roof.....not many rodders "get" the look, and like Terry says, "There's only so many So Cal catalogs to go around!"

OK, three to choose from....which would be your pick?  

 The swap meet was big as usual, but it was so hot, you had to find some shade. As usual, the decision to maybe buy or not caught me out...if you think it's worth buying, get it, as most desirable parts were gone even on the setup day on the Friday. I still managed to put in about 4 hours of swap Friday, at least 6 hours Sat, and about 2 on Sunday. In between, I did the roadster show and the vendors displays, and I missed completely the cackle cars and the non roadster section., can't believe I didn't get to see everything in the three days. As usual, lots of vendors look after aussies, so thanks to So Cal Speed Shop for all your help, they helped make things "happen" for us.

Lots of nice cars, way too many for me to put on this blog, so check out more at www.deuceslimited.com, www.pewsplace.com, www.hotrodhotline.com,

June 2012..before we went to LA Roadster Show

First few days in LA, we went around the shops trying to beat the rush of people expected ..managed to see Scandanavian Street Rods, Circle City, Poor Boys, C W Moss, Reids Rod Parts, Waldens, Kennedy Bros, So Cal, Hanks, Hugos, Aldans,Team C. etc.

Met good friend, Daul Grau at the So Cal open day, this guy does more miles in hot rods than anyone I have ever met...check his trips on his blog at www.thedeuceguy.blogspot.com

Love to turn up at the T.A.C. with this and ask for rego...funny how this sort of thing is accepted over there..police don't take a second look, but.....would you drive it??

At Waldens, we were shown around by Griff...he brought out one of his deuces on the open day...how cool is this 3 window!

 The chassis work at all the shops is amazing, and lots of new ideas being used. This shot from Scandinavian shows the type of work he prefers...traditional styling!

Kennedy Brothers had this vintage flattie powered dragster in their collection, along with way too many cars and parts to show in this blog..super nice guys, just round the next corner from So Cal.

Saw this completely riveted frame at Waldens, It was being made for a European customer, and the workmanship was incredible....can you imagine the time that went into this, rather than a weld here and there?

We went to the drags at Irwindale and saw this restored old circle track car in the pits. Our hot rod heritage comes from racing...dirt track..drags..dry lakes..so nice to see something like this preserved.

My USA trip June-July 2012

Haven't had much time to blog, so here is a little sampler to start with of the trip les Winter and I recently did........................Found this old 30 sedan on day 2 in Texas/Fort Worth,,so it's now on the way to Aus for me to sell .....want it?? Hope it's all here in time for the Nostalgias in August!

This little coupe is a ripper, I bought this because it was sold as a rust free, non dented driving 29 Ford Coupe....there are some damaged areas on the roof, but basically, it is really good, so much so that I'd like to keep it...just as it is.  Will take it to Nostalgia drags maybe.......In front is some of the goodies I managed to get, including 4 sets 36 radius rods, buick drums, 3 hemi Chrysler engines, lots of intakes and valve covers, pulleys, way too much to list here.

Me...having a "magnesium moment" !!

My fovourite all time hot rod, had to pose for a photo

Then....got to see the genuine one in El Paso, Texas...we were fortunate enough to get the rare invite into the George Zaragoza collection, so thanks to those who arranged this for Les and I. Will post more in the coming days and weeks, over 600 photos to go thru for you'all!!

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The roadster is now back off the frame so I can tackle the extra bits needed on the frame to suit Qlds TAC rules...(don't get me started!)

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The new mount for the booster had to be 6mm plate..(wtf?), ....and to allow me to "C" the frame, have to use 10mm x 50mm x 450mm over the top....rules is rules, but I reckon it is "over the top"......what happened to good ol fishplates....and in the USA....don't bother using any of this!!

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Anyway...there's the flat I have to form for the C, and the So-Cal spring and hangers and Pete & Jakes ladder bars, and 31 spline 56" wide roundback 9" all fits nicely, but I had to notch the Vintique fuel tank to clear spring mount.

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I bought a scattershield for the Toploader, and this will enable me to use a hydraulic clutch on the LHS, as the bellhousing I had with RH fork was getting a bit tight on the other side. I have also purchased a Jeep T 176 shifter assembly to go on the toploader, will make it a lot easier than having to fit a factory or Hurst style shifter

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The frame as it came from the US will not fit our rego rules, so two upper tubes going forward from the ladder bar x member will be fitted, as well as an extra lower one under the ladder bar x member, then two on either side coming back from there to the rear, following the angle of the ladder bars...somehow I also have to get mufflers and pipes thru as well, might just use those internal spiral baffles you can slip up a 2 1/2" tube...will see what's avail on my trip to USA next week....

May 12th.."Ethels bottomless esky" coffee morning

Saturday morning coffee run at Les Winters shop, really good rollup, will do this more often! It was the day before Mothers Day, so special significance from some of our rodders remembering Ethel Winter. None of us went hungry at a rod run when she opened the bottomless esky...

Les has the new drab olive on the coupes frame, and long time rodder Dave Winter seen explaining to Tom Fulton that these old cars really are cool with Flatheads in them!..well, I think that's what they said..David was probably explaining how much room his Hemi will take up in his new Deuce sedan.

Lots of new cars, and new faces, so hot rods are here to stay.

Recently registered is this Ex New Zealand roadster...good to see it back on the road, it's been in the same family for years, but glad its now back on the road..hope to see it again at our 32 run in September.

Les still has the "ol 55" sitting in the back of the workshop..but 2500hp thrills have taken a back seat to hot rods again, and the main project is to have the Model A sedan delivery back on the road for the 3013 nationals on the Gold Coast

What a view..this has the word "HOT ROD" written all over it!

Some shots from our Tassie/Vic/SA trip

Incorrect order, but this is another of the abstract art works in Hobart.

Our home for 5 weeks..9800 km., $2950 worth of fuel...taken in front of Arturo and Annettes house in Launceston...they have a view to die for, don't they!

Still plenty of water covering the farms out west

Weird sinkhole made into a garden in a park in Mt Gambier

Can't do the Great Ocean Road without a photo of the 12...um 11..no 10 Apostles...the others fell down!

Good little museum in Penguin on the n.e. of Tassie...has the equal oldest running unrestored Ford in the world!

In Hobart, you have to go to M.O.N.A. This "new age" museum is filled with weird stuff, erotica, rarities, and just raw talent items.....but this life like intestine machine that does a poo at 2.30 every day is something else!!