Thread: If you like traditional, early '40s rods.......

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...........at the dry lakes then you should enjoy this. My buddy Randy came into possession of some great photos taken by a rodder in 1940 at Harper Dry Lake. Even though the pics are B&W it looks to me like almost all the cars, though covered with lake bed dust, are painted. Hmmmmm, where are all the rusty, channeled to the ground "authentic" rods?

Harper Dry Lake Land Speed Racing 1940 album | Cruzzin with the "Lugnut " | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

Wow, Bob, what a trip. Our Dads were sure young back then, and the cars look just like they did when I first became aware of such things. And, I think I recognized that hill in the background in one of the shots; I worked in Barstow in '68 - '69, and we did a bit of work in Harper Dry Lake a few times. It was almost entirely alfalfa fields then.

thanks Uncle Bob for the history lesson and yes,I didn't see any rat rods at all. One thing was the safety standards of those days,eg not too many proper crash helmets or roll cages. I like the photo of the car on it's side,looks as if they were having trouble with something underneath and decided that it would be easier to fix by rolling the car onto it's side.

[QUOTE=Bob Parmenter;429933
Hmmmmm, where are all the rusty, channeled to the ground "authentic" rods?

Those were back East. We couldn't afford paint and fancy stuff like you richies on the West Coast.

(Somebody has been hanging around a certain traditional forum a little too much, Me thinks. )


Don

[QUOTE=Itoldyouso;429968]

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Hmmmmm, where are all the rusty, channeled to the ground "authentic" rods?

Those were back East. We couldn't afford paint and fancy stuff like you richies on the West Coast.

(Somebody has been hanging around a certain traditional forum a little too much, Me thinks. )

Don

God blesses those who deserve it...................

Originally Posted by Rrumbler

Wow, Bob, what a trip. Our Dads were sure young back then, and the cars look just like they did when I first became aware of such things. And, I think I recognized that hill in the background in one of the shots; I worked in Barstow in '68 - '69, and we did a bit of work in Harper Dry Lake a few times. It was almost entirely alfalfa fields then.

Rrum......Randy hits most of the events down there, takes tons of pictures (knock around his Fotki site if you wish, there are many, many albums posted). You'll find him at the Cars & Coffee deal most Saturday mornings down on Eastern.

[QUOTE=Itoldyouso;429968][QUOTE=Bob Parmenter;429933
Hmmmmm, where are all the rusty, channeled to the ground "authentic" rods?

Those were back East. We couldn't afford paint and fancy stuff like you richies on the West Coast.
Don[/QUOTE]


That's why most of us guys in the Midwest didn't pay any attention to what was happening on the East coast.

Uncle Bob,
Thanks for the link. I would love to have been there but I was two years yet to be born.

Jack

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

thanks Uncle Bob for the history lesson and yes,I didn't see any rat rods at all. One thing was the safety standards of those days,eg not too many proper crash helmets or roll cages. I like the photo of the car on it's side,looks as if they were having trouble with something underneath and decided that it would be easier to fix by rolling the car onto it's side.

I was thinkin' the same thing. I can hear the conversation now.....
"What's that you say Cooter, you need to change the clutch? Yeah, well lets just tip 'er over on 'er side so we can get to it easier."

Great pics, some very sweet cars. The 'roadster' with enclosed cockpit (2 pics of it) i believe is being restored and is down in Florida; i wonder where that Miller is nowadays. Didn't Chrisman have one in the early days? Not the same one is it? Be nice to have a few of those Riley heads that were in abundance there.