Pat Ganahl Interview- Part 1

Pat Ganahl is the greatest hot rod/custom writer ever. Too much you say? Ha! From his work at Rod and Custom(still that magazines best era), to the Rodders Journal, Pat tells all. And he does it exactly how it should be. This is Part 1 of the interview so stay tuned for more!

1. What is the greatest invention/product in the hot rodding world?

The hot rod itself. It is the quintessence of do-it-yourself American invention. I don't think there's any argument there. If I had to pick one product, I think it would be the Roots-style supercharger. That hot rodders could take these off GMC 2-stroke diesels and do with them what they have done is phenomenal. And the fact that Detroit/Europe is finally realizing that these types of blowers are simpler and work better than turbos is something hot rodders could have told them several decades ago.

2. Should a hot rod be built or bought?

Yes. As I just mentioned, hot rodding is built on doing it yourself. But if a hot rod is bought, someone still has to build it, and hopefully that person knows what he/she is doing and likes it...and gets paid. To me, a more important criterion is whether the buyer/owner of a hot rod is
involved in the pastime and its culture/history. Bruce Meyer doesn't turn wrenches on his rods or race cars, but he is very much involved in hot rodding--supremely. But some of his car-collecting buddies that he tells "You need a hot rod in your collection," don't and shouldn't,
because they don't know what they are or appreciate them. Bottom line, the more people who buy hot rods, the better, because that allows builders to build them. But I don't care much for "Rolex Rodders."

3. What is your greatest achievement while you were with Rod and Custom Magazine?

Getting it going again and making it a good rod and custom magazine. I can't take credit for bringing it back in '88. When I begged them to do it before that, they said no. I don't really know who finally said yes. But when I heard it was coming back, I had to beg them to let me do it. They finally did; just me. My wife, Anna gets a lot of credit for helping to get it back on its feet. Any of you who came by the R&C booth at the Nats or other events know her. She was the one selling subs and T-shirts, while I was out covering the event and photographing cars. She did this as a volunteer. She also did an entire P.R. campaign for the relaunch of the mag, and got articles about it in several big newspapers and so on. Even as a bi-monthly, in less than a year we got the circulation within 10% of Street Rodder's. If we hadn't, Petersen would have killed it again. I'm pretty proud of the whole R&C package between '88 and '93.

4. Are VW's hot rods?

I've always thought of VWs as VWs; and by that I mean, specifically, Bugs. I've always liked them--they're very intriguing, mechanically, and they're easy to work on, plus they're cheap (which is probably really why I like them so much). When my '48 Chevy broke for the umpteenth time when I was in grad school, I bought a used '62 bug and drove it 14,000 miles across the US that summer to see America for the first time. Later, I bought a '60 bug for $100 and tried to do "hot rod" stuff to it: louvers, nerf bars, rake, pipes, chrome wheels, big-n-littles,
dechroming, etc. I even put '39 Ford taillights on it. But I never thought of it as a hot rod, per se. Surprisingly, my son, Bill, is just finishing a very similar small-window bug for himself as a daily driver, like mine was for 15 years.

5. Name the greatest hot rod and greatest custom, in your opinion and tell why.

That's impossible. I couldn't even begin to tell you my favorites. I have said in print that the Hirohata Merc is the most famous custom. The American Graffiti coupe is likely the most famous rod. But that obviously doesn't make it the best, or greatest. I have tons of favorites, past and present. One question I thought would make a good article for Hot Rod mag is who is the greatest hot rodder of all time(so far)? I settled on Micky Thompson, because he excelled (very creatively) in so many different arenas. Frieburger agreed. But the fun would be selecting the next 10 or 20.

6. You were a stay at home dad for awhile. What was that like and did you get any grief from other anyone? That is, since you're a man you should be out working in the real world not diapering babies.

I don't think men or women should be categorized like that. Anna and I are both "career" people, but we have traded off working full time. When I was home with Billy I was freelancing to several magazines and writing books. Anna was starting her first job. Now I am at home freelancing once again. Changing diapers doesn't have much to do with it. Unfortunately, neither does making much money.

7. Your one of the few writers/editors who actually 'walked the walk'. You championed nostalgia drags and ran an altered. You preached buying and driving a '50's car and you did that too. Why do you think that is?

That's a big question I could write a book answering. I got into hot rodding as a kid in the '50s: modifying my bicycles, building models, reading the mags, and working on older friends' cars. During that time, the guys writing the mags--Wally, Medley, Ray Brock, Spence, Francisco, Bill Burke, Rickman and so on--did the stuff they wrote about. But hot rodding was my hobby. When I decided to make writing my career, I had no idea I'd end up writing about hot rods. I've never bought a new car, and see no reason to do so. It's much more fun to drive something that
you've built. And, actually, working at the mags has allowed me to do things, such as running an Altered and a Top Fuel dragster (with my hero, Gene Adams), that I probably would never have been able to do if I were working at some other job.

8. Would you ever run a nitro car again?


I was totally in the right place at the right time as far as the nostalgia drags stuff went. Today's "nostalgia drags" are semi-pro. I can't begin to afford to play in that field. I've got the Iacono 12-port dragster, which I was hoping to drive, myself, at the nostalgia digs('cause it'll go slow enough for me to drive). But now I don't see where I can even run it, for exhibition. We'll see what happens. Cackle fest is not my thing, though.

9. What is your impression of rat rods? And do you think that term is accurate?

My car was about six colors of paint and primer all through high school. That wasn't cool. I painted it and even upholstered it (bit by bit) as I could afford it. The only reason to run a car in primer, then, was because it was not finished. So the idea of building a "finished" car in suede is foreign to me. But I love the whole rat rod thing. I've never cared for the name, but I can’t really think of a better one. "Beaters" is the only one that seems appropriate. I love the look of the rods and customs--like Roth shirts come to life. But things like iffy tack welds, no floors/firewalls, loose batteries and gas tanks, and so on don't cut it, especially knowing how these cars are inevitably going to be driven(as all hot rods are, right?). My personal impulse is to polish a car that's patina'd; fix it up. And I've got no time for faux patina. As Baskerville (and my wife) would say: "No mo faux."

10. Are the auction shows on TV good or bad for the hobby?

Watching auctions on TV is worse than watching golf. It ranks right there with watching paint dry. I don't go to auctions. I also don't do EBay for much the same reason, I guess. I'd rather go to the swap meet or run an ad in Recycler and hand the part to someone who pays the asking price. As far as some of these auction prices being paid, it's very indicative of a large problem in our country now: a small number of people have way too much money. That's not good. That they spend it on cars--let alone hot rods--is hard for me to comprehend. I kind of ignore it. It doesn't seem to really affect the type of hot rodding I do.

I think the bike and rod-building shows have had more impact, in the large sense. An awful lot of people seem to watch those things (I don't). It sure makes a ton of people aware of rodding, and must make some want to get involved in it, who wouldn't know what it was otherwise. None of us knew what a Pandora's Box the first Jesse James show was going to be. The high point, just recently, I think, was Chip Foose getting on the Leno show. It was a big boost for hot rodding, and for Hot Rod magazine, surely (with Jay holding up the issue with Chip's car on the cover). Chip has been an excellent emissary for our hobby/sport/business. It will be very interesting to see where it goes from here.

When Is A Jeep Not A Jeep?

How far can you modify/change a Jeep before it ceases to be a Jeep? This question comes to mind every time I pick up a magazine or browse the web. Jeep people(Jeepers?) are a die-hard, loyal bunch. They believe that the Jeep, in it’s many forms, is the #1 off-road vehicle in the world. All other makes are fighting for a distant second. We’ve all read the bumper sticker, It’s a Jeep thing you wouldn’t understand. They’ll tell you that a stock Jeep can run all over a Ford, Chevy, etc. And when you add big tires and a locker it becomes unstoppable. But every truck, even a Jeep, has it’s weaknesses. So you upgrade your axleshafts, install some body armor and head back to the dirt. The rocks get bigger and your stock axles are starting to break so much that you spend more time on the side of the trail than you do on it. What do you do?

This is a common problem to every 4x4 owner who likes to wheel. So when is a Jeep not a Jeep? Look at these specs and you tell me.

1998 Jeep TJ
39" Boggers/ 15x12 beadlocks
Dana 60 front axle, Detroit locker, 4.56 gears
14-Bolt rear, Detroit locker, 4.56 gears
homemade four-link, coilover suspension
350 fuel-injected small-block Chevy/turbo 350 trans
Atlas transfercase
Fully caged, tube rear frame, stretched wheelbase, bobbed body

Now I would kill to own a truck with specs like that. It’s big, beefy and probably very capable. But what happened to the Jeep? Sure the front half of the frame is still sorta factory. Same goes for the body. But with the exception of the four-link, coilover suspension you just put a Jeep body on full-size one-ton Chevy truck running gear! Can you call this a Jeep because that’s what it says on the title? Shouldn’t it be called a Cheep? Or a Jeevy?

I see more and more of this type of Jeep in the magazines and on the trails. Mainly because it works. Not everybody needs this much truck or can even afford this much truck. A mild lift and some lockers will do wonders on even the most basic of rigs. But my when I hear people repeat the mantra, only in a Jeep I have to wonder. Is it really a Jeep? Or are they just fooling themselves?

Randy Curran

Jeep Junkie- Spring 2007

The Spring 2007 issue of Jeep Junkie is the second since the overhaul of FSJ(Full-size Jeep Magazine). It’s still done with a sense of humor and geared toward the average Jeeper who doesn’t have millions of dollars to spend.

The cover Jeep is a Grand Cherokee that started off as a 2wd grocery getter and has turned into a very capable trail only tube ZJ. Waggy front axle, 8.8 rear axle, Aussie/ARB lockers and 37" Iroks round out a cool crawler. "Big J" is one killer J-20. How can’t it be with 39" Boggers(on the 8th day God created the bogger), spooled Dana 60 and a ‘67 body. My favorite this month is the "No-buck XJ", not because it’s the greatest Cherokee or because it has all the latest parts. Nope this is a truck anybody can build. It’s simple but effective. Oh yeah, it’s also MY TRUCK! It’s looks a little different now but I still love it.

Project Bargain Beater gets brake upgrades and steering upgrades this month. The Cheap Distributor swap covers everything you wanted to know about AMC ignitions. Want to know how to install a digital dash? It’s covered. XJ fender flares on a FSJ? Read and find out how.

A couple of runs are covered, the 2007 Snowball Fun Run in New Jersey(no snow, doesn’t that suck) and a NAXJA run on the Rubicon.

www.jeepjunkie.com

Hot Rod- June 2007

There was a time when you could buy a Deuce coupe for $50. Then it went to $500. Then $5000 and so on. Eventually you had to pay stupid prices for any kind of Deuce. It didn’t matter if it was held together with rust, you still had to pay big bucks. The industry noticed and soon came the fiberglass body. Cheaper, no rust to fix and you didn’t have to pay ‘real Deuce’ prices. Then the purists screamed, ‘if it ain’t steel, it ain’t real’. So came the steel Deuce body to the market.

The same thing is happening to the musclecar market. Have you priced an old Camaro, Mustang or Cuda? Pay up sucka, at least if you want a nice example. Well, the industry noticed again and here came the repops. The June issue of Hot Rod has all the information on all the ‘new’ Camaros, Mustangs and Cudas, as well as the ‘57 Chevies. At first all you could get were convertibles but now you can have coupes/sedans as well. Sure they’re expensive but like the Deuce repos, there is no rust and every panel is straight. The musclecar will live on forever.

If ‘real’ steel is more to your liking then head over to the Bomb Factory. They have more cool cars and parts then one garage should have. Some of their Deuces are just amazing. A beautiful feature car this month is a Bobby Alloway built ‘67 Mustang owned by George Lange. Detailed underneath as well on top, this Mustang is cool as any rod you’ve ever seen. Alloway builds some amazing hot rods and this Mustang carries all the same great craftsmanship.

Tech articles this month cover sub-frames for your ‘67-‘69 Camaro, everything you wanted to know about air conditioning and a crate Hemi in a 1970 Duster. Also, a sorta tech feature is 10 great engines. Pretty neat stuff covering Grumpy’s small block, Garlits’ fuel Hemi, RMS pro stock big-block, Eddie Hill’s 4-second record setter and so on. Pretty cool stuff.

www.hotrod.com

Crawl- May/June 2007

Crawl is here, bow down! The newest issue of Crawl steps up again and delivers the goods. It’s got everything you could ever need in a four-wheel/off-road magazine. Great tech, detailed feature trucks(buggies!) and outstanding event coverage.

This month has some of the finest buggies/trucks in the nation. My personal favorite is Donald Hadden’s S-10 creation. Deuce and half’s, 44's, coilovers and streetrod quality paint add to up to one amazing truck. Graeme Tydeman of 4lockedfilms.com budget buggy is loaded with interesting details. Hummer wheels(dig the naked lady beadlock rings), flipped front 60, 4.3 Chevy, axle mounted winch finishes off one bad ass 6 Shoota. Darin Allison of Badlands Machine Shop fabbed up a cool four seat buggy. Darin went with twin 60's, Krawlers and all the other fun stuff that any self-respecting rig should have. You know I never wanted a buggy but this magazine is really starting to change my mind. You bastards!

Have an 8.8 rear axle under your rig? Then the article on Superior Axle’s "Super 88" kit should be of interest. It takes care of all the shortcomings of the 8.8, no more c-clips and better axles! Crawl welcomes Extreme 4x4's Ian Johnson(probably the best 4x4 show on tv) and his first article is on welding and its top notch. Its well photographed and easy to understand.

There is great coverage on W.E. Rocks all girl event, a trail ride with the Florida Flatlanders, the Big Meat run in Disney, OK, the 2007 Chile Challenge and quite a few others. They all sh

Four Wheel and Off-Road- June 2007

Tech
Suspension Special!
*Lifting a ‘05-‘07 Dodge, ‘03-now Toyota 4Runner, ‘07 Chevy, 4" long arm TJ, pre-runner style F150, ‘78-;79 F150/Bronco. Also a look at leveling kits.
*Killer new beadlocks

Features
*Propane powered ‘87 Chevy fullsize. Everyone needs Unimog axles
*The 5-day interview. Welcome Ali Mansour!
*Built To Grind truck(buggy?)club. There some very cool tube bending going on here.

www.fourwheelandoffroad.com

Car Craft- June 2007

Feature cars
*Bright yellow ‘72 El Camino, all home-built.
*1993 10-second LT1 Camaro. Way too clean!
*’71 Roadrunner. People should build more of this style.
*A simple and clean nine-second ‘71 Nova.

Tech
*V-8 power combos with prices! I want a 500ci Caddy. Torque baby!
*8.8 Ford rear-end details
*Rebuild your door panels. Or do what I do, just leave ‘em off.
*Fix your brakes. Gotta love the blown Buick.

And what issue would be complete without a Krass and Bernie cartoon.

www.carcraft.com

Rodder’s Digest- June 2007

Feature cars
*Hemi powered Deuce roadster. Fuel-injected 392, ET Fueler wheels(I want them!), semi traditional.
* 1932 Ford Sedan. Nice car but this feature proves once again why black cars aren’t seen much in magazine spreads. I can’t see it!
*’29 Model A Roadster. Bright yellow, Halibrands, tri-carbed small block Chevy. Just enough bumps to keep it real.
*1948 Chopped Chevy Truck. Chopped, dropped shop truck

Event Coverage
*NSRA Southeast Nationals
*Creepers Fun Run
*Penske Hot Rod Picnic
*Goodguys Southeastern Nationals

Tech
*Fabbing new fender braces
*Electrical relays with nice diagrams
*Spray-on insulation

And the great 15 Things segment, What if Nascar formed Nasrod? Damn funny and probably true. I do miss Lance though.

www.roddersdigest.com

Off-road Enthusiast- May 2007/Premier Issue

Yea, another off-road magazine! Off-road Enthusiast(ORE) is brand spanking new and from the looks of the debut issue, good things are to come. ORE will cover everything off-road. Want mud? You got it. Want rocks? You got it! Want sand? You got it! Want quads, trucks, buggies, sandrails, dirt bikes? You got it! If it’s in the dirt, ORE will cover it.

The first issue has a nice balance of vehicle features and tech. The feature vehicles include a sick ‘92 Bronco pre-runner type. Massive suspension travel and maximum air is where it’s at. A bright yellow LS1 equipped sandrail is next up. Made by HRT Motorsports, this rail looks like way too much fun. The only bad thing about the feature trucks/rails is that there isn’t enough description. The biggest example of this is the fullsize Chevy truck rockcrawler. You find out he can drive but nothing about the truck itself.

One of the tech articles is about a 1970 Ford 3/4 ton that get a major overhaul. Lift up the body and swap an Excursion frame underneath! And top it off with one amazing custom suspension and you have the makings of a damn fine mini-monster. Want to have more fun with your quad? Install some nitrous! ORE covers some exhaust work, lifting a Super Duty with coil-overs, diesel cylinder heads and how a Sway-A-Way shock goes together.

The single funniest thing about the first issue of ORE is the coverage of Project Outdoor Access FJ. It’s not the truck that’s funny, it’s the words "Part 2" and "in our last issue." Now if you’ve been paying attention so far, you should have noticed in the title "PREMIER ISSUE!" As in Vol. 1, Number 1! Come on we know it’s a mistake but it’s still really funny.

www.apg-media.com

Rod and Custom- June 2007

Every rod builder has, at one time or another, tried to paint their car. Some come out pristine, some not so much. The June 2007 Rod and Custom covers some paint topics that aren’t normally covered.

The Spade Brothers show how to flake out a ‘32 Ford. From basecoat to clear, everything is covered. And it turns out very nice. They can come over and spray my sedan when I’m ready! There is an article on the pros and cons of flattened paint. Suede is very popular and this feature shows you how to get a finish that will last through the rigors of driving.

On the cover you get a glance of ASTROSLED. Wowzy is this cool(did I just say wowzy?). Dave Shuten created this Roth-inspired masterpiece. I mean, come on, he flaked the transmission. Radir mags, blown hemi(I love the exhaust) and cool paint make this thee showcar of the 21st Century. Also featured is a ‘28 Ford sedan delivery built by Terry and Margie Booth. Sure they cut up a extremely rare car and hot rodded it, who cares. Screw the restorers!

There is coverage of the 2007 Grand National Roadster show. All the top cars are pictured including, James Hetfield’s ‘53 Buick, "Lost" star Matthew Fox’s in-progress chopped Merc, John D’Agostino’s ‘57 Olds and a slew of others. A small portion covers the 75 Top Deuces(Fred Steele’s roadster is a personal favorite) and the Suede Palace which has a pic of my buddies Aaron Von Minden’s ‘30 Model A Coupe(you rock!). Oh yeah they show the Americas Most Beautiful Roadster winner. Forgettable.

Also there is an article on the new book "The Art Of Von Dutch". Looks like a must read.

www.rodandcustommagazine.com

Four Wheeler- May 2007

If your building a truck, be it for towing or the trail, it’s nice to have a pair of tough axles under your rig. The May 2007 Four Wheeler’s shows you how to do just that. It’s an axle and gears month!

Apparently you’re nothing unless your rolling on a Dana 60 and a 14-bolt. I’d love to find the forest where these things grow because everyone has them. Or so they say. Anyway, there is a nice feature on Randy’s Ring and Pinion’s new axles, 35-spline lockout hubs and gears.

Will freezing your gears help them last longer? Read all about it on an article on Cryogenic gear treatment. There is also a buyer’s guide on gears and lockers.

The Four Wheeler guys take their Mega Titan project over the Rubicon. Looks like it held up quite well but when do I get my 46" Claws? All the new and pretty trucks are shown the 2007 North American International Auto Show and there is a quick look at the new 2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV. At $90,000+ it ain’t cheap but you get what you pay for, if you can afford it!

There is a way too short article on Robby Gordon’s Dakar test. How much fun can one person have?

www.fourwheeler.com

Circle Track- June 2007

Circle Track magazine has always been the ‘techier’ of the major stock car racing magazines and the June 2007 issue is no exception. There is articles on dirt and asphalt, so there is something for everyone.

Get Your Game On covers the top 15 tips to keep your motor running in top fashion. As stated above there are two features on planning for the upcoming season. If you like it dirty or like to keep it clean on the asphalt there are tips to help you keep your program heading in the right direction.

Belt Up shows you how easy it is to switch to a timing belt from your ordinary chain and there is a look at the new Chevy R07 cylinder head and how to analyze your weight distribution to get you around the track faster.

Also, there is a nice article on the late great Benny Parsons.

www.circletrack.com

Stock Car Racing- May 2007

Ever wanted to work for a big time Nascar team? No? Did you know that some pit crew members make upwards of $2000 a week? OK, now you do? Thought so. Read the May 2007 issue and find out how you too can make the big bucks in the big leagues.

Sometimes in racing, your season is going along smoothly and suddenly your finishes start to decline and your crew starts grumble. What do you do? The article ‘Finding Your Groove’ will help you sort out all those little gremilns.

The time-honored method of stringing your car is covered in detail and is an article that should be read by every wannabe crew chief. A couple of pages are dedicated to keeping your power up with everything you wanted to know about generators. Also talked about are shocks and headers.

There is a neat little article about Bobby Labonte buying Earl Pearson Jr.’s late model dirt team. How cool is that!

www.stockcarracing.com

The Horse- Backstreet Choppers #67/April 2007

You can always count on The Horse for kick-ass choppers, a sense of humor and hot girls. Issue #67/April 2007 does not disappoint.

This month starts off with a piece about making your own seat pans. Everyone has an ass and riding is easier sitting down. And you need a nice seat to top it off so head on over to Duane Ballard Custom Leather. This man does work that will make you cry and there are some beautiful examples pictured. I was floored by the Boardtracker 67 seat and I really want the Rat Fink seat(s) on my next bike.

The bike features are grade-A as usual. Chopper Dave’s Knucklehead is sight for sore eyes. It’s clean and simple. Chopper Dave won’t let you down. Mikko’s rigid Knucklehead is rough and ready. Mikko won’t have to clean the chrome. Cause there isn’t any! Me likey lot! Steven A. Smith’s cover bike is ok but the girl makes up for it. Who needs a sidecar when you can use an oil drum! Sweeden’s Peter Forsberg(not the hockey player) added one to his flattie and now can take his friends wherever he goes. There is even a vintage feature on a former ISCA National winner.

Event coverage includes the 3rd Annual Tribute to Indian Larry and Phil Peterson’s Annual Poker run. The girl on the first page of coverage scares me.

www.horsebackstreetchoppers.com

Speedway Illustrated- April 2007

The Car of Tomorrow is coming! Love it or hate it, it will be here soon. The first race is in Bristol and everyone is wondering what will happen. The April 2007 issue has a cover story on the COT detailing all the inner and outer workings of this controversial machine. It has a wing(how blingy), bigger driver compartment for safety, a standard body shape(nothings Ford, GM, Mopar or Toyota, not that there was before!) and computer chips on the frame for easier tech inspection. As long as the racing is good, no one is going to care what the car is.

There is a nice piece on the late, great Benny Parsons. I’m pretty sure he was the nicest guy in Nascar. He was also one of the best announcers in the sport or any sport for that matter. He didn’t need any catch phrases(are you listening DW?) to make him interesting. He spoke from the heart and knew of what he spoke. He will be missed.

There are some nice tech articles on the latest in firesuits, cordless impact guns, threadlock and freshening your fuel systems. All are written in a nice easy to read format. Also there are a couple of stories on small tracks and also the best columnist in stock car racing, Joyce Standridge. I’ve been reading her work for years and it’s always great.

www.speedwayillustrated.com

The Hot Rod World of Robt. Williams by Robt. Williams w/Mike LaVella

Robert Williams’s artwork is a lot like his career. If you just glance at the surface, you’ll see something colorful and interesting. But if you look closer, you’ll see so many details and nuances that weren’t readily apparent. Quite a few people just think of Robert Williams as a hot rod artist. What they don’t know is that he’s also a real hot rodder. The Hot Rod World of Robt. Williams is a look at his hot rod art and his actual hot rods.

All of his great artwork is represented here such as The Pachuco Cross, The Last Ride of the Flying Purple People Eater, Death On the Boards, Devil With a Hammer and Hell With a Torch, Snuff Fink and so many more. There is so much going on in a Williams painting that it takes you days to see it all.

Robert’s cars are covered in detail through pictures and stories. There is his controversial ‘32 Ford Roadster, Prickly Heat, his ‘32 Coupe and his wife Suzanne’s killer ‘34 Sedan. There are some great seldom seen pictures and history of each car.

Robert tells tales of Von Dutch, Big Daddy Ed Roth and other great hot rodders. They are a must read. There are sidebars by Verne Hammond, Keith Weesner, Aaron Kahan and a forward by Pete Chapouris.

This is a great, well written book. Get off your butt and buy this!

www.motorbooks.com

Crawl- March/April 2007

Spurred on by the major publications and tv coverage, rockcrawling has been growing and growing. So it’s safe to say, that someone would start a magazine dedicated solely to hardcore rockcrawling. Crawl magazine claims it to be ‘the most hardcore off-road magazine in the world’. I don’t know if that’s true but it is damn cool.

The March/April 2007 issue has a nice balance of wheelin’ in the rocks and wheelin’ on the trails. Not everybody has access to rocks, so it’s nice to see some love for Midwestern off-roading. There is coverage of the Toys For Tots run at the Badlands ORV Park in Attica, IN. You get to help out kids and wheel?!?! What more do you want? And you can’t beat snow wheelin’ in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. You never know what’s lurking under a few inches of fresh powder.

Of course you can’t forget the rocks where all the crawling started. There is an article on the All-Pro Jambo at the Hammers in Johnson Valley, CA. It looked like an axle breaking good time. I really don’t dig ‘competition’ rock crawling. I can appreciate the trucks(buggies?) and it looks like fun but watching someone crawl sometimes is like watching paint dry. This issue has coverage of W.E. ROCK’s 2007 Put Up or Shut Up event in Arizona. Buggies, buggies, buggies.

There is a really good article on U-joint tech, some nice truck/buggy features and an amazingly complex, detailed, wonderfully articulated article on hanging balls from your bumper.

Crawl has a nice blend of all the different facets of off-roading. And the nice thing is they don’t take things too seriously. We are just playing in the dirt.

www.crawlmag.com

J. Tingler Interview

Hot Rod art at it's finest brought to you by J. Tingler. Monsters, fiends and lowlifes brought to you by J. Tingler. God he's good.


What the hell kind of name is Tingler?

It's my real name dammit. Seriously, I ain't joking. I think its German or something. I think in the "old world" it was spelled Dingler. I'm glad it got "Americanized" to Tingler. I might have been made fun of otherwise.

When were you bitten by the hot rod bug?

When I was a kid. I thought everyone should have hot rods. I never could understand why my folks wouldn't customize and hot rod their cars. I still sort of can't understand that.

Was school cool? Art school that is.

Art school messed me up. I went through most of it waiting for them to teach me something. It was one long drawn out critique that pretty much went nowhere. In case you can't tell, I have a real bad attitude about fine art in the University system. I feel it's just a system that churns out more art professors. I mean, I got to the end and literally one professor of mine said, "congratulations, you're now unemployed". It's kind of expected that you will become an adjunct professor and start kissing butt so you can teach. You bust you're rear as a student to become an adjunct professor so you can bust your rear to get tenure and be a real professor so you can bust your rear to produce students who will become adjunct professors etc etc. It's kind of an incestuous sort of system with professors making professors and nobody living outside the university system. When I realized that, I sort of lost it and burned out. I mean up to the point where I graduated I was a star pupil. I excelled even. I made all sorts of cool kinetic sculptures and was always making the grade. I was a sculpture student, by the way. I have an MFA and a BFA in sculpture. I was heavily into metal sculpture back then. I'd build stuff that would move. By the end all my stuff was getting real "Roth" like. I was making stuff like kitchen stoves that had big chomping teeth and big arms holding forks and stuff. Think of a Roth monster mixed with an actual real life kitchen stove. That was the stuff I was into.

Anyhow, I lost my train of thought for a second. ha ha.

I burned out after graduation and totally turned into a bum. I didn't apply for any teaching jobs or anything. I kind of let down all my old professors I think.

I started my own business. I figured that would be a good way to break the cycle and actually live life instead of living the "university life". I bought the Fairlane and holed up here in Tennessee and started airbrushing T-shirts at car shows. I figured I'd do it like my heroes Roth and all the other car culture greats.

Why did you move to Tennessee?

My wife got a job here while I was finishing up my degree in college. We moved here because of that. It was actually a blessing as I absolutely love Tennessee. I'm from the country and I get kind of nervous if I'm not around hills and mountains and stuff. Tennessee has a nice car scene going on. I'm about 1 ½ hours from Pigeon Forge. That's where Dollywood is incase you didn't know. They always have some big giant car gathering going on down there.
Tell me about your Fairlane and how it relates to your art.

Well, I got the Fairlane when I was losing my mind at the end of art school. I knew back then that I was going to dive into this hot rod world and the Fairlane kind of just showed up around that time. I bought it for $800 and drove it like I stole it. Like my career, it's an ever changing, ever evolving entity. I plan on keeping it for a long time. So far I've owned it for something like 7 or 8 years. In the last couple of years it has started to take on the form of one of the cars in my monster paintings. All those old monster shirts always had the car looking like some street freak gasser thing. The Fairlane is slowly becoming that. It doesn't really affect my art other than taking all my money.

What does Roth mean to you?

Unfortunately I never met him, so he's kind of this mythical legendary presence. The monsters spoke to me as a kid and of course they're still with me. I'm in awe of Roth's energy. You can tell he was just this outgoing, larger than life kinda guy. I'd like to be that way. I'm not though. I'm kind of a mix between R. Crumb and Rowdy Roddy Piper.

Is the airbrush your weapon of choice?

I got my first airbrush in high school and tucked it away when I went to college. I was into monster art and skate board art back in high school and when I went to college, that stuff was looked down upon. I've always used a lot of different tools though. Airbrushing is just a part of my arsenal. I draw, paint and sculpt. My art isn't really attached to a certain technique or medium. Everything I do is a symptom of a warped personality. Seriously, to keep me from breaking stuff when I was a kid, my ma made me set down and draw. So, the airbrush, yeah, it's a way to make T-shirts man! That's about it for me. I really love the thought of a nomadic t-shirt artist wandering from place to place slinging paint. I did that for a little while and it was fun for sure but it kinda went nowhere. I mean, I started seeing myself 30 years from now still painting shirts at a carnival. That kinda freaked me out a little, so I moved away from that. I've got my airbrushes set up in my studio right now and I use them all the time. I used them today actually. I've got a steady stream of monster shirts coming out of my studio. I think I'll be into that for a long time to come. It's just a part of me.

Why can't you just draw landscapes and puppies like everyone else?

I do man! Actually I've done quite a few 8" X 10" paintings of things like pigs and roosters and fish. They always look like their on dope though. I don't know, everything that comes out of me has this kind of weird aggression. I try too. I try real hard to make things that are smiling. I'm going to try even harder in the future. I've been smiling more since my daughter was born. That kid is a ball of smiles and happiness. I'm appreciating the little fuzzy things more. KITTIES RULE!

When you start a new piece what is your goal?

I sort of explore with every new piece. I've never really been a big fan of sketching first or anything. I always just start in and let things happen. Like with a monster painting I never know what it's going to look like until I'm finished. I'm really getting a kick out of painting these little tiki and monster paintings right now. I'll do a couple at a time. Like I'll have 4 or 5 going on at once and I'll just keep adding a details and stuff to each one as I go along. I would say that my goal is to make something that looks cool. You'd be surprised by how much art LOOKS boring. I try and not do that.

Besides hot rods, what else are you inspired by?

Lots of things inspire me.
Hot rods inspire me because of what they mean. I feel that hot rods are really a wonderful expression of humanity. They are how cars are supposed to be. These throw away econo cars that we are supposed to scrap every 3 years are not what life is about. I mean, I dig hot rods for their power and flash and all that jazz, but what really gets me about them is the fact that without the human touch they would not exist. I like things that are personalized and I don't mean things that have a few stickers on them. I mean personalized like grandad's tools are personalized from years of use. Years of being touched by human hands. True hot rods are one of a kind. Worn in a bit. They been around. Like my '63. It's got crap for history, but its got almost a decade of history with me. That car is taking on a soul. It's really nice to be able to go into the garage and touch the fender or the door. It's only a car or a piece of machinery until a person puts a soul into it. I'm not so inspired by restorations or smoothy mobiles and stuff like that. Stuff that is powered by money and greed kinda turn me off. Even "period correct" cars don't do a lot for me unless they are loved. Think about Burt Munro's bike. That's the type of thing that turns me on.
I also dig well made knives. I'm into them for the same reasons. It's all about tradition and history and these items that are just well made. A nice knife will age in a really cool way.
To analyze it I'd have to say that I'm really drawn to security and longevity. I like things that last and things that can be passed down from generation to generation. I absolutely hate stuff that is made to be thrown away.
I dig iron skillets. They last forever. I hate those non stick coated skillets. Yes, my iron skillet inspires me.




Do you consider yourself lowbrow?

Yeah I guess. I'm not too sure about how the whole "lowbrow" thing is playing out in the art world. If you define lowbrow as art appealing to "regular" people, then yes, my art is all about that. My art is about cartoons and monsters and violence and mania and all sorts of funky stuff. I like art that is fun to look at. It's about as simple as that. Like I'd rather look at skate deck art than abstract stuff. I've always been that way. However, I absolutely love pop art and it is certainly considered fine art or highbrow art. Andy Warhol rules. There is a lot of fine art that is fun to look at. So am I "lowbrow"? I guess, but I don't lose sleep over wondering about it.

Are you lost in the 50's? Or do you believe what Robert Williams said that the only good thing about the 50's was that the cars were cheap.

Seriously, I dig right now. I don't dress like a 50's greaser or anything. I don't even think it was a better time. I think the mid 60's were probably better, but I wouldn't know. I was born in the 70's after the world had already ended.

Do you consider yourself successful? And if not what does success mean to you?

I'm not as successful as I want to be. Mostly I measure success on how good my art is. I'm way far away from making my best piece. I just simply haven't gotten there yet. Success is always out of reach. It's like speed. You can never go fast enough.
What does the HAMB mean to you?

I found the HAMB when I started getting serious about learning how to build a car. The HAMB has taught me so much. I guess it's my home on the net. The HAMB opened up the hot rod world for me. I didn't know anyone on the inside until I signed up on the HAMB. That's a fact. I was a "car guy" before that, but I hadn't actually gotten on the inside of the hot rod world.

Worst thing you ever saw done to a car?

I saw some old cars get crushed. That's about the worst thing I can think of. Once it's crushed, it's gone.

Where is Tingler headed?

Tingler is headed toward making more art. I want to make more art and sell a bunch of it so I can get super rich and buy some gold bracelets and stuff.

www.tinglerart.com

Hot Rod Showcase

Hot Rod Showcase is a brand new, limited run(3000) publication that covers traditional style hot rods. The first issue is a standout. Beautiful photography is the big calling card of Hot Rod Showcase. It’s a joy to the eyes. It lets you experience the cars, not just look at them.

Now, you can take as many good photos as you’d like but if the subject material isn’t up to snuff it really doesn’t matter. Luckily the cars are top notch. The cover car, a ‘32 Ford roadster is just stunning. From the unique top treatment to the superb, race-inspired interior, this ‘32 is just gorgeous. Continuing in this fine line-up is a serious ‘32 Ford Truck. Nothing on this car was left alone when it came to the pinstripers brush, all wonderfully done. 1927 T’s are cool and they’re even better when you load them with 470" aluminum big-block Chevy. There’s a nice Model A Sedan Delivery because anything you top off with Halibrands usually comes out cool.

I really liked this magazine/book. Comparable to The Rodder’s Journal with an English bent. And that is a compliment.

www.hotrodshowcase.co.uk

Hot Rod- May 2007

Glory Days! No not the Springsteen song, it’s the cover story of Hot Rod’s May 2007 issue. It doesn’t seem that long ago that big horsepower was 250. Now you can’t even get a mention unless your engine is putting out over 450 and that’s a beautiful thing. Chevy, Ford and Mopar all have something up their sleeve. The Viper is rated at 600hp, while the Shelby Mustang is over 500hp and the Camaro(I don’t care what people say it’s damn ugly and looks nothing like a first generation Camaro) could have anything the Vette has under the hood.

Of course if you like your sheetmetal more vintage, give a call to Unique Performance. They can build you a Mustang with just about any engine combo you’d care for or a Foose big-block Camaro and coming soon an early ‘70's Challenger. But bring a big checkbook because we’re talking $120,000+ for any of the above. Mr. Norms back with a Hemi powered Dart with some seriously out of place(read ugly) wheels. They kill an otherwise damn cool car. There is a beautiful ‘66 Chevelle that’s as nice as anything around. There is an article on how to swap a modern lump(for our English friends) into a some classic tin.

But don’t be afraid Hot Rod hasn’t forgotten the hot rods. Ray Dunham’s ‘36 Ford coupe struts it’s stuff with chopped top, air bags and a blown flathead. It’ gets your attention in all the right ways.

And there is a nice editorial from David Freiburger about Dandy Dick Landy. We’ll miss him.

www.hotrod.com

Four Wheel and Off-Road- May 2007

You might think by reading the major 4x4 magazines that the world was covered in rock. The vast majority of coverage has something to do with rock. You might believe that if you didn’t crawl you weren’t actually ‘wheelin’. Well I’m here to tell you that the earth is indeed covered by something equally as fun. Mud.

The May ‘07 issue of Four Wheel and Off-Road magazine has a huge mud tire test. Brands ranging from Mickey Thompson to Pro Comp to Pit Bull are tested(no TSL?). There is a lot of good information to be found here, like, how the tires work in the mud might be the main focus but you also find out how they work in the rocks(duh! just kidding) and on the street, since not everyone trailers their vehicles.

There is a nice two page spread on an S-10 Blazer on steroids. Rockwells, Iroks and monster styling make this something I would be proud to have in my garage, if it would fit. An article on swapping your automatic for a manual, a continued look back at the history of Four Wheel and Off-Road, a story about soft-tops for your Blazer, a wheelin’ adventure across Costa Rica in a one-ton Super Duty and a photo spread on our boys in the armed forces getting some serious vehicles stuck.

I really think more mud is in order. Please?

www.4wheeloffroad.com

Gearhead #15

Some magazines seem to be put out to please the advertisers and to make money. Gearhead is not one of those magazines. Having been around for thirteen years, Gearhead has carved out its own unique niche in the hot rod magazine genre.

Issue #15's main feature is coverage of the Choppers Burbank car club’s trip to Japan. How cool is it to get your cars shipped to Japan for a car show? And to top it off you get to go with the king of cool himself Billy F. Gibbons! Verne Hammond tells the tales of being able to cruise through the city streets of Yokohama and the kick ass car show that followed. I am envious.

There is a very cool story on pinstriping legend Mr. J. Man has he done some cool cars in his lifetime. An interview with Pero Deluca of Mad Fabricators Society, the Soichiro Honda story(where did they find the photos of the Jackson Five on mini-bikes?) and to top it off, a way too small story on Sylvain Sylvain of the greatest band ever, the New York Dolls.

Gearhead just keeps getting better. The cd reviews are top notch, the articles are always good and the layout is easy on the eyes. Yes Mike, I GET IT.

www.gearheadmagazine.com

Street Chopper- March 2007

With the chopper craze of the early 00's came a slew of new builders. Most sucked but somebody had to cover every Tom, Dick and Harry that used the word chopper in it’s business name. So came quite a few new magazines, tv shows(God help us) and the like. But one magazine came along that had been there before, Street Chopper.

The March/2007 issue has a beautiful tribute shovel built in honor of the late Johnny Chop. Clean lines, rigid frame and simple paint would make Johnny proud. The most unique article is on the Underground World of Rat Bikes. Love ‘em or hate ‘em their numbers grow everyday. Kind of like a disease but better. The rat bike is an untamed beast. Utilitarian in nature, the rat bike stands out from a crowd with it’s total disregard for being hip. Crappy paint, rusty wheels, duct tape as a structural member, the rat bike apologizes to no one. The article by Mark Masker is entertaining but I’m not quite sure if he appreciates the rat bike or loathes it. He give different examples from the plain rough to the quite odd. Again I’m just sure if he loves them or hates them. I guess in the end it doesn’t matter to the rat biker because he doesn’t care.

There is some coverage of the new line of bikes from Big Bear. Can you call it a chopper if it’s bought from a company? I don’t know. There is a feature on Sean Kinney(of Alice In Chains) Sportster rigid. What was once dull went od green and came out all the better. It’s nice to see a ‘rock star’ shy away from the OCC-style crap.

www.streetchopperweb.com

Four Wheel and Off-Road Readers’ Rigs- Spring 2007

It goes to reason that if you read a certain type of magazine, be it car, bike, or otherwise you just might have one sitting in your driveway or garage. But since you’re not an automotive bigwig, racer, builder, etc. your probably not going to get in a magazine.

Well Four Wheel and Off-Road, like most magazines, have a readers rides section every month that features a small number of cool trucks. Of course they get way more submissions than they can possibly run so they decided to put out a magazine strictly featuring readers’ rides. And they named it Readers Rigs(they must have put a lot of thought into that).

The Spring 2007 debut is a nice start. You get a wide variety of rigs from mostly the western states(they say so in the Trail Mix section). All the big companies are well represented from Jeep to Chevy to Ford to Dodge and so on. The small tech sheet(too small!) gives details on what their running and why. I’d love more detail but space is limited. I also like that they give coverage of everything from trail trucks to show trucks to work trucks. Some are cool, some are boring but there is defiantly something for everybody.

www.4wheeloffroad.com

Traditional Rod and Kulture- Issue #9

Traditional Rod and Kulture just keeps getting better. Somehow they always seem to feature the cool cars that some of the bigger magazines overlook. It’s a good combination of traditional rods, beautiful customs and the occasional tech piece.

Issue #9 starts off with coverage of the 2007 San Francisco Rod, Custom and Motorcycle show. With some of the cars/bikes shown it looked like a can’t miss show. Next up is one of the finest traditional Deuces you will see anywhere. Jack Carroll’s five window coupe is masterfully done. Whitewalls, two-carbed flattie and finely executed chop add up to one killer hot rod. Oz Welch’s chopped Merc shows that taste and custom still can coexist. The Radir Wheels Party looked like a great time, even on a Wednesday. Straight axles and mags galore! Two front engine dragsters, a ‘55 Chevy gasser and another damn nice Deuce coupe round out Issue #9.

Traditional Rod and Kulture is a magazine that is gaining momentum. Oh yeah and the pin-ups are extremely hot. Really.

www.rodandkulture.com

The Rodder’s Journal #32

The 1932 Ford body style was built for only one year yet has touched the hearts of hot rodders around the globe. The Rodder’s Journal Issue #32(duh!) is dedicated to the Deuce. If it’s a ‘32 Ford hot rod, it’s probably covered in these pages.

All the greats are covered, Tom McMullen’s flamed roadster, Pete Henderson’s highboy horse racer, the Berardini Brothers 404, the Doyle Gammell coupe, the Tom Prufer coupe, the Dick Scritchfield roadster and many more.

And everything old is new again, with the introduction of the Brookville all a steel three-window coupe. Its faithful down to the last stamping. Now you don’t have to search the barns and garages of America to get your Deuce lust fulfilled. And you can top off that engine in your new Deuce coupe with the reproduction Stromberg. And these don’t leak!

There is a neat article on the Rolling Bones crew road trip to Bonneville. These guys have redefined the hot rod coupe. A nice nailhead powered Buick roadster! All Buicks all the time. A classic ‘60's influenced ‘58 Imapala., the car that doesn’t need much work to look like a full-on custom.

Twice the pages and twice fun.

www.roddersjournal.com

The Rodder’s Journal #34

Not to sound redundant but The Rodder’s Journal is the best hot rod/custom magazine going. To call it a magazine is a bit of a disservice. As the name implies, it is a journal. But it is so much more. And lately you’re getting more bang your buck. TRJ has been $12.95 since it began now each issue keeps getting bigger and the price is staying the same. Issue #34 is a robust 200 glossy pages. You say Street Rodder is bigger, trust me, apples and tuna fish.

This issue begins with Robert House’s ‘50 Chevy Fleetline. Holy crap. This car is what I see when I close my eyes. There is not a single thing wrong with this car. This is what a custom car is suppose to be, enhancing what is already there, not overpowering them. When GM made the ‘50 Chevy Fleetline they must have had Astro Supremes in mind. It’s a match made in heaven. Combine that with the perfect stance and you have one of the most unbelievable Chevies ever.

As with any TRJ you get great writing. With names such as Thom Taylor, Ken Gross and the legendary Pat Ganahl you get only the best. Thom tells us about the landmark Kessler roadster. Ken writes about the Williams brothers hemi powered Model A lakes car and Pat covered the previously mentioned ‘50 Chevy.

You also get amazing photo articles like Joe Lingrey’s dry lakes pictures and a really nice piece on Steve Reyes drag racing archives. You get historical footage that just cannot be outdone.

The Rodder’s Journal is simply the best.

www.roddersjournal.com

Bangin’ Gears and Bustin’ Heads- Roger Jetter

Everyone loves a hot rod story. Whether it’s about the big street race or picking up a cute girl, it’s always a fun read. Hot rod tales bring us back to a so-called simpler time. You were young, no house payment, no kids, just you and your car. It didn’t matter where you lived. We all had the same experiences.

Roger Jetter grew up in Iowa. Not the first state that one would think of when it comes to hot rods and customs but cars are cars no matter where you live. And so are car guys, Roger being one of them. Bangin’ Gears and Bustin’ Heads are stories from his youth. From driving Dad’s car to getting his first Studebaker, to ‘rat-racing’ and getting speeding tickets, Roger gives you all the sordid details.

There are some great stories included in this book, some real, some a tad unbelievable. But a good story is supposed to be entertaining so I’ll let a little embellishment slide. It took me awhile to get into this book. The book is laid out with the chapter first then ‘Episode Thots’ after. I didn’t spell that incorrectly, I’ll get to that in a minute. I guess the ‘Episode Thots’ is just a summary of the chapter. I’m not really sure why you need a summary of a chapter you just read. Also on more than one occasion the author mentions someone in ‘Thots’ that has the same name as someone in the chapter but isn’t the same person. It’s really confusing.

Now I’ll get to the spelling. The author is trying to write like he speaks. Examples are thought-thot, night-nite, coupe-coop, etc. This works when you are trying to represent a certain slang or accent but using it all through the book is quite distracting. I mean what accent is he trying to do? He’s from Iowa!

The stories, while good, tend to be redundant. The scenes describing ‘rat-racing’ all blend together and the author also jumps around the timeline quite a lot. One minute he has one car, the next he’s talking about a car he had previously and then the next he goes back again. It makes it very hard to follow.

This is an interesting book that I did actually like. But it needs to be cleaned up. More variation on the story subjects and please stop the creative spelling.

www.rajetter.com

The Rodder’s Journal #35

Ahh, the Rodder’s Journal. When you get a new issue in your hands it’s like the moment you held your first born. You were teary eyed, excited and full of anticipation. Or maybe it’s like Christmas morning and you see all the packages under the tree. You can’t wait to tear into the biggest one. Or maybe it’s like your first sexual experience... ok I won’t go there.

But The Rodder’s Journal is such a quality publication you can’t help but dive right in. And issue #35 is no exception. The Rodder’s Journal is always written with an absolute love for hot rods and customs. And there is never a simple numbers article. You know the kind , ‘Bill put in a 350/350, 9", Mustang II, blah, blah, blah’. They are mini-stories that are actually worth reading. And the photos are first rate. You get rare black and whites, beautiful color shots and the in-studio pictures are breathtaking.

Issue #35 has some eye-catching hot rods. Roger Berstrom’s ‘32 Ford Roadster is fantastic. I mean come on, Ardun-head, Halibrands, perfect body and it was built in Sweeden! A cool piece on Japanese rodders, Eric Clapton’s latest build, a ‘32 Ford Vick and coverage of Cacklefest from Bakersfield and Bowling Green. Some nice pics of Barney Navarro’s ‘27 Roadster. I love that car! And it all ends with one stunning, hand formed ‘41 Willys. Jaw dropping doesn’t even cover it. I think I actually licked the pictures. Did I say that out loud?

www.roddersjournal.com

Dice Issue #12 Jan/Feb 2007

I opened up the mail and lo and behold some Weesner art stared at me from the cover of Issue #12 of Dice. Now that’s the way to start off a magazine! Issue #12 is a bit thicker and that can only be a good thing.

More choppers, more choppers and more choppers. As if God reached down and touched the editors. Well something touched them. I’m not sure what. Bill Mize’s Pan is beautiful. I really don’t know where Dice keeps finding these bikes but they need to tell me! Greg Coddington’s flattie, metal flaked vision of a dirt track bobber is something that should be put in my garage. Now.

There are some cool vintage skateboarding pics, part two of the Dice Style bible(denim cutoffs) and again more choppers. You can never have enough choppers. Hell there is a picture of Slade inside the front cover! Cum on feel the noize.

www.dicemagazine.com

Dice Issue #11 Autumn 2006

I thought I knew what cool was. I was wrong. Dice is cool and all else sucks. Dice is a ‘pocket’ size mag that covers mostly choppers. Real choppers, no OCC crap. No live to ride, leather chap wearing weekend warriors. This is the real deal.

Tim O’Keefe’s rigid is stunningly beautiful. A flaked and scalloped wonder of the world. What some may call a dream bike. It’s in my dreams at least. Nick Svennson’s bad-ass Pan is another bike that is haunting my slumbers. Flake and lace paint, a knobby front tire and springer front end makes up one fine motorcicle.

Dice lets the builder tell the story. And the reviews section is top notch but I really don’t want Dr. Glory in my doctor’s office. Top it off with a hysterical look at facial hair and you’ve got a great mag.

www.dicemagazine.com

CK Deluxe- April 2001/Issue #21

CK Deluxe is the sister magazine to Ol’ Skool Rodz. Oddly enough they seem to cover the same subject material, cool cars, the occasional motorcycle and hot pin-ups. Which to say isn’t a bad thing, but do we need two magazines covering the same thing?

This issue has event coverage of the 7th annual Rat Fink party, the Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, CA and the Ducktail Run in Gas City, IN. There were some good comments on the flamethrower contest at the Ducktail Run but not enough pictures! Come on, who just talks about flamethrowers but doesn’t show any pyro?!?!?!?!?

Issue #21 has some nice rides too. Jim Ireland’s ‘33 Plymouth Coupe went to Bonneville and almost conquered. The story seemed a bit brief and glossed over details on a very neat ride. A real nice Model A sedan that went to Bonneville and did conquer. Who doesn’t love a homemade tunnel-rammed 500" Caddy!

And then there is the prerequisite Bo Huff car. Now don’t get me wrong, Bo has built some very cool cars(the Merc in this issue is no different) and seems to be a really nice guy but CK Deluxe and Ol’ Skool Rodz apparently has a Bo quota for every issue! Seriously does Bo have some scandalous pictures of some of the staff? He’s everywhere!!!

But in the end the only big gripe I have with Issue #21 is the newsprint section is very dark. Which makes it hard to read and loses some details with the images. Probably a printing error but it was worth noting.

www.ckdeluxemag.com

Diggers, Funnies, Gassers and Altereds- Drag Racing’s Golden Age by Bob McClurg

If it’s not in this book, it’s probably not worth talking about. Seriously, this book is the treasure trove of drag racing. Great photos, great captions and more history than you can shake a stick at. Who’s in this? Stone, Woods and Cook, Ohio George, Grumpy Jenkins, Sox and Martin, Gene Snow, Big Daddy Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, Shirley Muldowney, Wild Willie Borsch, Arnie Beswick, Jungle Jim, Jack Chrisman and . . .

What’s in this? Stockers, gassers, altereds, dragsters(FED and RED), funnies, roadsters and pro stocks. All the history, all the beauty is in this book. It explains what happened, who did it and why. You need this book. You will not be complete without this book. As I said before, if it’s not in this book, it’s not worth talking about.

www.cartechbooks.com

Quarter Mile Chaos- Images of Drag Racing Mayhem by Steve Reyes

Some people love racing for the competition. Some for the speed. Some for the sounds. But there is a hell of a lot of people who go for the crashes. Hell who doesn’t love some good carnage. I know I do! Drag racing has its share of fender benders. Stockers clipping the wall and the occasional Pro Stock flipping on the top end. But when in the earlier days of drag racing you had stock blocks, small hard slicks and copious amounts of NITRO, you had a recipe for mayhem.

Steve Reyes has taken some of the best photos in drag racing history so it goes to reason that he’s also taken some of the coolest crash pictures. Quarter Mile Chaos compiles some of his best photos in one glorious book.

From funny cars blowing their bodies off to altereds crashing into the Christmas tree this book covers it all. Dragsters are well represented with both front engine and rear and yes they both blow up in spectacular fashion. The devastation nitromethane can do to an engine block, chassis, body, or the pocketbook is fantastical. Steve gets it in all its gory detail. Close-ups and action shots alike are vividly reproduced here, some in color but the majority are in black and white.

Damn fine book to look at and go 'glad it wasn't me'.

www.cartechbooks.com

Car Craft May 2007

Vintage Musclecars and factory racers is what the cover says and it delivers. Copo Camaros, hemi Chargers, AWB Merc’s are all included in coverage of The Forge Invitational Musclecar Show in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Seriously if the AWB Mercury doesn’t get you going, check your pulse.

Of course as in every issue of Car Craft there are loads of good tech(550hp Gen III 6.0L, New Victor heads for your 440 Chrysler and even an article on how to mold your own engine badges), the strange, a 500 Cad motor in a ‘66 Buick Skylark, the cool, a bad-ass ‘69 Valiant and the usual, a 10-second big-block Chevelle. This Guy’s Garage segment features the friendly confines of Holman-Moody. Whoever has a ‘66 Mk II, a ‘64 T-bolt road-race car and a rebodied Ferrari are my new best friends.

And since every issue has a Krass and Bernie cartoon, it’s always good issue.

www.carcraft.com

Church- Cars Not Culture Issues #1 and #2

Once in a while a ‘zine comes along that moves you. A ‘zine that is more than what you see. This is one of those magazines. Actually to call it a magazine would be slightly wrong. This is actually a ‘photozine’. A couple of words a page, one ad and a whole lot of soul.

Created by Coby Gewertz, Church is a brand that transcends words. The images contained herein are absolutely stunning. Photos that put you into a moment instead of showing it to you. Marc Gewertz is the man responsible for the pictures. His penchant for getting just the right angle, just the right time of day is amazing. You can feel the metalflake, smell the nitro and taste the patina. There is a close-up of an aged whitewall that should be a print in everyone’s garage. These photos make you want to reach out and rub the flaking paint.

Get one of these photozines in a hurry since they are limited editions of 3000. Please welcome a new lord in automotive beauty. It’s name is Church.

www.carsnotculture.com

Jeep Junkie Magazine Issue #22

Full-size Jeeps never got much love from the larger 4x4 media. I don’t know why. They were big, solid and easy to work on. So a little magazine called FSJ came about. It covered all things FSJ(full-size jeep). But alas the market wasn’t big enough and FSJ became Jeep Junkie. Now they cover 63-83 Wagoneers, 84-92 Grand Wagoneers, 74-83 Cherokees, 63-87 J-Series Trucks, M-Series Military Trucks, and 47-65 Willy's Wagons, XJ Cherokees, ZJ Grand Cherokees, along with newer "big" jeeps. The good news is that the style of the magazine hasn’t changed much. It’s still done with a nod towards fun. The idea of sometimes you have to make the part not just buy it. And real world feature trucks.

Issue #22 is the first in the transition. Again it’s a nice issue that seems done from the heart not for the advertiser. Project J4X is one mans quest to build a 4-door, short box, 1-ton AMC. The article is well written and fun to read. A couple of XJ/ZJ features and Part 5 of a LT-1 engine swap into a FS Waggy. Throw in some nice tech answers, readers rides and some trail fun and you have a magazine that is growing up.

www.jeepjunkie.com

Jeep Cherokee XJ High Performance Builder's Guide 1984-2001 by Eric Zappe

Having a lifted ‘91Cherokee myself I was very interested in this book. It covers everything you wanted to know about your XJ(Cherokee to the layman) from lift, axles, tires to protection. The author has a nice tone and explains things very well. Since he has an XJ himself, he writes from experience.

The book starts with a basic look at the XJ platform and moves through mods that most people want to do to their ride. Starting with lifts, Eric guides you through the ins and outs of each height, from 2" up to 6"+. What tire will fit, what steering mods you’ll need, etc.

Next up are brakes, axles, lockers, transfer-cases, engines, body and protection. Everything is represented with very nice photography. Action shots and detail shots are all crisply rendered.

Throughout the book there are short feature segments on some very cool XJ’s. Some basic, some extreme. It gives you a good idea of what your XJ could look like with various lifts and tires and what set-ups work.

The author does one thing very well. He doesn’t force you to believe everything says is law. He gives suggestions and reasons why he did it and then he lets the reader decide for if it’s right for them. If you have a Cherokee and are into ‘real’ four-wheeling, that is, mud, rocks and body damage then this book is for you. A definite thumbs up.

www.cartechbooks.com

Ryan Cochran Interview- by Randy Curran

Ryan Cochran. The man, the myth, the legend. A simple man with a simple mission. To spread the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums worldwide. The Lord of the Boards. King of the HAMB. The original. Ryan Cochran.


1. Why Hot Rod and Customs?

It's a creative release more than anything else I guess. I love pretty
much all cars, but traditional rods and customs make the most out of my
sense of form and function. The really early stuff is just so simple,
subtle, industrial... and in away, sinister... And those qualities are
the things that I find the most interesting.

2. Tell me about your first hot rod memory.

Easy. Sitting on the console of my dad's seriously hot rodded (twin
turbo) Corvette. I was around three or four at the time and I'd put both
hands around the chrome ball shifter. My dad would yell, "shift!" and I
would grab a gear as hard as I could. Tardel says I'm still a hard
shifter... I guess I really am.

3. What made you start the Jalopy Journal?

I had just gotten back from Europe and was in the middle of ending my
racing career. I wanted to build something that felt as natural and as
raw as a race car. I started reading Dean Batchelor books and one thing
just lead to another. I fell in love with those old cars in that book
and had to build one. Only thing was, I didn't know the first thing
about them. At the time, I lived in Oklahoma and there just wasn't much
of a traditional scene there. I'd go to the NSRA nats in Oklahoma City
and leave disappointed. I started The Jalopy Journal as an avenue to
learn more than anything else. It was an outreach.

4. When and why did the HAMB come along?

The H.A.M.B. started in 1996. A bunch of guys started bugging me about
adding a message board to The Jalopy Journal. I didn't like the idea and
didn't really buy into forums. Eventually, I relented and put up a link
to the "Hokey Ass Message Board" that everyone kept calling for. I still
can't stand the name... but hey, it stuck.

5. When did you realize that the HAMB was growing?

I don't know that I've come to that realization yet. I honestly see The
Jalopy Journal and the H.A.M.B. as the very beginning stages of
something that is going to be... more... There are so many things that
the internet in combination with a healthy community can accomplish and
I don't think we have even begun to capitalize off of much of it. Point
being, we are still a small (but thriving) community. In time and given
the resources, we are going to do some pretty amazing things.

6. Why traditional? Why not billet?

I like looking at some contemporary cars and I think there are some
great ideas to use as inspiration there, but I've always tended to tip
my hat towards history. I just think there is so much more to a car if
it can be tied to the past... My biggest passion is for late 40's/early
50's hot rods and customs. You can look at one that's done right and
feel the soul that comes from it. Sounds hippy, I know... But these cars
just do it for me. A traditional hot rod or custom is a car, a history
lesson, a mechanical study, and so much more. They are art.

7. What do you drive?



I have a '38 Ford coupe that I built while in college and recently, my
best pal Keith Tardel presented me with my dream car - a very
traditional '30 coupe on deuce rails.

8. What is the best thing about the HAMB?

I think I'm most proud of the dynamic. Literally, you get in what you
put out... And I see so many people put so much into the community and
get just as much back. I love that. One thing I've learned in the past
11 or so years is that most folks are just really good people with good
intentions.

9. What is the worst thing about the HAMB?

Being public. I'm not an outgoing person... I'm shy... reserved... And
because of the H.A.M.B., my name gets out there quite a bit. Sometimes
I'm not very comfortable with that.

10. Rat Rod. Go.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=297
It's really a definition thing, right? To me, a rat rod is a car that is
thrown together with parts in hand. It's cheap, fun, and done quickly.
On the other hand, a traditional car takes more time, dedication, and
sacrifice to build. They are detailed and thoughtful... You can almost
see the pain the builder endured to get it done.

I have no problem at all with rat rods. It's just not a genre I'm all
that interested in.

11. What drives you as a person, what makes you get up in the morning?

Easy... My wife and little girl. Just about everything I do, I do for
them. As any H.A.M.B. Drags attendant will tell you, Marcie is the best
hot rod wife in the world. And Presley? Cooler than any hot rod in the
world. She's so rad...

12. How much time do you spend working with the HAMB?

Some weeks I can get by with 30 or so hours, but other weeks get pretty gnarly... I'd guess I am averaging 50 hours a week right now on top of
my daily job. Running the joint would be absolutely impossible without
all the guys that donate their time to help moderate. I don't think most
folks realize how much these guys do. Just the classified section alone
is enough work for three or four guys to do full-time.

13. If you could have world peace or the coolest hot rod which would it be?

It's sick that I had to actually think about this one for a while...
World Peace.

14. What do you think of the reality-tv hot rod show?

(http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=51)
I don't watch them enough to really have an educated response here. I
think it's made a lot of folks a ton of money... and good for them, but
at the same time it has been kind of embarrassing to watch as folks try
their hardest to cash in after the initial wave. I can't blame them, but
I also can't bare to watch sometimes.

15. When did the Jockey Journal come along?

Two years ago... Jason Kidd runs that site and I just kind of support
him and pay the bills. That site has been tough for me as I don't know
the folks or the genre as well, but we are starting to figure it out a
little better. It's a lot like The Jalopy Journal was 6 or 7 years ago.

16. How did the HAMB drags come about? And what is it's future?

One of our members (Sam) had the idea and I just took it and ran. I
think the first year we were expecting maybe 30 cars and 80 showed up. I
think we had close to 200 cars at our last one. It's been crazy... So
much fun though. In my estimation, the H.A.M.B. Drags is really the last
place a guy can go to see a close representation of how the early drags
really were. It's heads up, run-what-ya-brung, good old fashion
racing... A bunch of pals trying to go fast... It's really hard to
explain to someone that hasn't attended. It's not like any other drag
race in the country.

We are working really hard to get more drag race events in... I'm hoping
to have an east and west coast HAMB drags in 2008, to support the HAMB
Drag Nationals in Missouri (August 25).

17. The biggest misconception about Ryan Cochran?

I think people tend to give me more credit than I deserve. The Jalopy
Journal/H.A.M.B. was really built by the great folks that put so much
time and energy into meaningful content through the years. There would
be no site if it wasn't for those people. I just put some code together
man... There are just so many people that have done so much for this
thing, that I can't even begin to make a list.

18. Why should I be a member of the HAMB Alliance?

The Alliance came about after years of consulting with some of the media
industry's smartest and most well liked folks. The late Steve
Hendrickson really made the final pull... One of the last things he told
me before he past was that it was better to regret what you did do
rather than what you didn't. Five or six days after he left, I launched
the Alliance.

The idea was to find a revenue source for The Jalopy Journal/H.A.M.B.
that didn't compromise our content or our mission. I wanted to find a
way to do what I love for a living while giving people more than their
money's worth. Value is pretty hard to come by in this day and age and I
wasn't about to sell something that didn't return it in bulk.

The Alliance is mostly a way for our community to pool together their
power and use it to get great deals from vendors who REALLY support our
cause. I haven't quit my day job yet, but I am really proud of how well
it has worked out for everyone...

19. Here Lies Ryan Cochran___________________? You finish.

A Sooner born. A Sooner bred. And when he died, he was a Sooner dead.

www.jalopyjournal.com