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The origin's of the term "hot rod" (or "hotrod") are unclear. A contraction of hot roadster? The temperature of the often-exposed exhaust? No matter. They were built (at first) for speed, often on dry lake beds. The earliest examples were not much more than stripped roadsters. Over time, the engines became hotter, and the look of the car came to take on more importance. In time, the hot rod look was adopted by customizers, who built cars as much or more for show, than for go. The California Kustom Kar Kulture grew up in the postwar year, starting off slow, with de-chromed and cleaned-up every day cars. As time marched on, these too became increasingly complex, and often incorporating engine mods that the rodders could appreciate.

In this puzzle, there are pictured 12 hot road and/or kustom cars, from mild to wild. To score points, you'll need to tell me more than just type of car, or the name given by its builder. You'll also have to give me either the builder's name, the shop it came from, or what kind engine motivates it.

Enjoy!

I know an expert who's gonna eat his hat knowing he misses this.
As for me, being not exactly the specialist you once wrote (but thanks anyway), I'll have to do some serious research, if there are some left when I come back.

No worries, Ray. Look's like you'll have this one to yourself.  8)

#2 Mercury Super Marauder 1964, George Barris.
#6 Alexander Brother's Ford Hot Rod, Olds-powered ,built for Don Vargo
#7 Bill Cushenbery's 56 Ford Custom Marquis

I suspected you would rise to the challenge.

#5 1961 Impala Bubbletop built by Lars Lindberg, powered by a BMW V12.

Ray had better hurry his recovery!   ;)

I'm ready, and willing, and I'm able to rock'n'roll all night, guys.

But I still haven't identified any of those ;D. I was sure there would be other amateurs!

HRAC #9 is the second version of Dave Cunningham's 1940 Ford Sedan known as Lil' Beauty. First and second version were done at Barris Kustom. It was powered by a Chevy 396 cid engine with a Hurst shifter.

HRAC#4 is the 1936 Ford Convertible owned by William Yee. Bertolucci's Body and Paint Shop made a removable top for the car. When William did not want to pay the extra $75 to make it removable, Dick Bertolucci welded the top to the body.

HRAC 11 is Tommy Ivo's Ford T bucket, powered by a (thanks to the help of Max Balchowsky) Buick engine, stretched to 402 cid and fed by a six-pack of Strombergs 97.

HRAC 12 is Roy Delaney's version of the original Dream Truck. He built it himself  using his 1947 Chevrolet 1/2 ton truck, with a whole Plymouth powertrain, V8, transmission, drive shaft and rear end.

I have to bark in: No1 is Bill Neumann's car: "a 1931 Ford body on 1932 rails, chopped and channeled. It was completely finished in 1954 doing all the work myself. Then, in 1957 I took the roadster apart. Added lots of new up-dates, a great paint job by Jack Lentz (owner/builder of the Golden Rod), and a Chevy OHV V8, which I built-up with my signature three carb setup."

Guys - I'll update tomorrow before leaving town.

HRAC #3: Do you know where the picture was taken? California? Florida?
HRAC #8 looks like the body is wood. Am I right?

HRAC #3: Do you know where the picture was taken? California? Florida?


HRAC #8 looks like the body is wood. Am I right? I believe so.

Quote from: Otto Puzzell on November 21, 2009, 05:31:18 AM
HRAC #3: Do you know where the picture was taken? California? Florida?

Thanks. All I have to do is find in what town one can find this cone shaped roof and i'm done  ;D

It looks furiously like the Hotel Del Coronado... San Diego?

Could be.

I'm assuming the picture was taken in Cali because the builder is from there (though not San Diego). It's not a long drive in a cool coupe, though.

Vroooooom pocketa pocketa pocketa

I've spent hours on the remaining ones, with no results....

I'll assemble some clues.

Vroooooom pocketa pocketa pocketa

Quote from: Ray B. on December 24, 2009, 10:32:34 AM
Vroooooom pocketa pocketa pocketa

See above! Santa brung some clues!

Car 3: like Graham Gouldman?
Car 8: Some guy named Howard, Sanders, if not Sinatra?
Car 10:  Buick nailhead engine?

I'll check these at home, and post a reply in the morning.

QuoteCar 3: like Graham Gouldman?

Like Mr. Goldman, the builder/owner's first and last name begin with the same letter. And it's not "G", so no points today.  ;)

QuoteCar 8: Some guy named Howard, Sanders, if not Sinatra?

No, this guy's moniker is similar to one seen here almost every day.

QuoteCar 10:  Buick nailhead engine?

No Buick, but definitely not the engine this car was born with.

Quote from: Otto Puzzell on February 09, 2010, 05:47:33 AM

QuoteCar 8: Some guy named Howard, Sanders, if not Sinatra?

No, this guy's moniker is similar to one seen here almost every day.

Damn if I find anything. You mean a member's login? And by similar, do you mean exactly, or approaching?

Quote from: Otto Puzzell on February 09, 2010, 05:47:33 AM

QuoteCar 3: like Graham Gouldman?

Like Mr. Goldman, the builder/owner's first and last name begin with the same letter. And it's not "G", so no points today.  ;)

Nash, Clarke, Haydock, Sylvester, Elliott, Hicks?

I can make 6 replies, if this is too much against the Erbas rule.

No, none of those names. My previous reply was play on your Graham Gouldman guess, not an attempt to lead you to the names of a band he penned some hits for.

Free-for-all

#3 - powered by gasoline, not kilovolts

#8 - don't you even know me?

#10 - You don't have to solve this all alone. For the builder's initials, ask Leslie Caron

#8: you mean there's another Utz, besides you and Thornton and Utz Snacks? I can't believe it!

Nyuk nyuk nyuk

For making me chuckle, you get another robot for your collection.

(http://www.autopuzzles.com/reds_socked.jpg)

#10: I don't want to appear obsessional, but is it an Olds Rocket engine? Except that they're not at the right angle, the valve covers look like one.

Not an Olds, but from a sister division at GM

I'm getting nowhere with these clues based on names and initials, sorry.
Let's try another way.
#8: is the place El Mirage?
#3: and here is it Iowa as suggested by the license plate?

Quote#8: is the place El Mirage?

Yes, I believe it is. The driver/constructor also ran at Bonneville, and later became well-known (early) drag racer. Not Micky Thompson or Art Afrons

Quote#3: and here is it Iowa as suggested by the license plate?

Go west, young man

#8 is none other than Otto Ryssman's dragster which is credited as being the first to move the motor back for better weight distribution, and thus being the father of the slingshot dragster design. Power came from a 59AB Flathead motor with 3 97's and Evans heads.  This photo is most likely Santa Ana drag strip in the early 1950's, not El Mirage.  Do i get a point???  ;D

I'd say that we have a new hot rod specialist among us.

Quote from: Scott Miller on May 30, 2010, 08:55:47 PM
#8 is none other than Otto Ryssman's dragster which is credited as being the first to move the motor back for better weight distribution, and thus being the father of the slingshot dragster design. Power came from a 59AB Flathead motor with 3 97's and Evans heads.  This photo is most likely Santa Ana drag strip in the early 1950's, not El Mirage.  Do i get a point???  ;D

Yes! You'll be awarded a point when the puzzle is completed. This car was referred to as Ryssman's Rocket.

By the way, welcome to AutoPuzzles!  :)

Thanks for the kind works Ray and Otto.

I never knew that about Ryssman's car. Thanks for the info!

-Scott

Well I never new about Ryssman at all!
It seems that the car was used with or without that wooden hood that had me puzzled.

So does #8 stay open until someone verifys Ryssman's Rocket? I have yet to find anything to verify this name, can you point me in the right direction Otto?

Quote from: Scott Miller on June 01, 2010, 11:02:03 AM
So does #8 stay open until someone verifys Ryssman's Rocket? I have yet to find anything to verify this name, can you point me in the right direction Otto?

I'm sure of the name, and the point is yours, per the puzzle question stated at the beginning of this thread.

Well,let´s see if I can help this one..number #3 is Ken Kveseth´s 1927 Ford model T 5-window Coupe built by him and his dad  ;D

Quote from: João on July 19, 2010, 01:31:59 AM
Well,let´s see if I can help this one..number #3 is Ken Kveseth´s 1927 Ford model T 5-window Coupe built by him and his dad  ;D

Yep

One more to go...

1   Bill Neumann1932 Ford Roadster   pnegyesi
2   Barris Mercury Super Marauder   Paul Jaray
3   Ken Kveseth's '27 Model T 5-Window Coupe   João
4   Dick Bertolucci 36 Ford Cabriolet   Ray B.
5   1961 Chevy Impala "Cheemer" by Lars Lindberg   neilshouse
6   The Alexander Brothers' "69er" 32 Ford   Paul Jaray
7   Bill Cushenbery Marquis 56 Ford   Paul Jaray
8   Otto Ryssman's Rocket   Scott Miller
9   Dave Cunningham's 40 Ford   Ray B.
10   ?
11   Tony Ivo's T-Bucket Hot Rod   Ray B.
12   Roy Delaney's 1947 Chevy   Ray B.

OK let's fire up the KarnUtz Klue-tronic 1500 XL, one more time.

Re: #10 – what are they doing – and where?

(http://www.autopuzzles.com/HRAC10a.jpg)

The both seem quite obvious, but my research based on this has brought nothing yet.

The guy with glasses bears a strong resemblance to Norm Grabowski, but there is only one G that fits.

The G-man is the lad on the right.

G _ _ _   G _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Into that yawning chasm it goes....

Gary Goldman?

Quote from: João on December 22, 2010, 07:13:02 AM
Gary Goldman?

G r _ _   G a _ _ _ _ _

Greg Gallant?

Quote from: João on December 22, 2010, 07:59:51 AM
Greg Gallant?

G r e g   G a _ _ a _ _

Gaffard?

No progress made with that guess.

G r e g   G a _ _ a _ _

Gammage?

G r e g   G a m m a _ _

It's Greg Gammack and his 1923 Model T Roadster fitted with a 1956 Chevrolet V-8 engine.

Quote from: Tom_I on December 22, 2010, 10:36:00 AM
It's Greg Gammack and his 1923 Model T Roadster fitted with a 1956 Chevrolet V-8 engine.

Thank you Tom  ;D

Quote from: Tom_I on December 22, 2010, 10:36:00 AM
It's Greg Gammack and his 1923 Model T Roadster fitted with a 1956 Chevrolet V-8 engine.

Yay! It's finally over!

And the points:

pnegyesi   1
Paul Jaray   3
João    1
Ray B.   4
neilshouse   1
Scott Miller   1
Tom_I   1

I don't know how Otto stumbled upon Greg Gammack and his model T roadster, but he led me to a website which offers a wonderful page of 1950's americana, with quite high definition pictures.
Ames, Iowa, here I come!
http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/sitemap_tribune.htm