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MAGAZINE

July '99

WHAT'S HAPPENING

"HOP UP 2000" TO SHIP IN SEPTEMBER

HOP UP 2000 is an annual. It will bring us up to date on the rods, the customs and the rodders and customizers that are doin' the deal today. Guys who like hinges, drum brakes, hubcaps, simplicity .But not just that. There's no hard, fast rule that says you have to employ all the nostalgic tricks to be a HOP UP GUY. It's our theme, but reality dictates that sometimes we can't do it all for the sake of a concept. Anywho, if the focus is a narrow one, Hop Up continues to embrace a broad bunch of friends whose wheels run off the road once in a while. So we hope HU2000 has something for everyone.

Look for contributions from Al Drake, Charlie Cruz, Thom Taylor, Steve Hendrickson, Jon Gobetti, Dave Simard, Doug Anderson, Mike Henson, Dain Gingerelli, Ron Thums, J. Neal East, Tony Huntimer, Peter Vincent, Chopstix, and the regular Hop Up staff.

The Annual is 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 and looks like the Trend "Hot Rod" Annuals of the fifties. It will be followed by "Hop Up 2001- the Golden Anniversary" so there is reason to believe the series will be a collectable one.

Available by mail for $7.95 including shipping and handling (US) (Add $1 for overseas) Sales tax in Cali is covered.

The books will be available September 1, so don't send any money now. September is soon enough.

PASO

Although Paso '99 will be covered thoroughly in "Hop Up 2000", that late date may coincide with coverage from the real magazines, so we offer these teasers in our continuing 'scoop the big boys' series.

STREET SCENE IN OLD TIMEY TOWN SQUARE

SOMEBODY'S SHOEBOX GOT SMASHED

THE BIG-DOG MAG GUYS WERE ALL OVER THIS STOVEBOLT

PAINT, WHEELS, TIRES, STANCE, ALL SAY EARLY 60'S TO US

BELLFLOWER CRUISE NIGHT

The Sultans have a cool weekend in June. They thrash their asses off putting on this blocked-off boulevard cruise night, sleep it off, dust 'em off and go to the Early Times Picnic and have a coupla beers to celebrate the success that is guaranteed by the premise of their event. Ya see, Bellflower was part of a big circle of cruising that included Hody's on the traffic circle, Harveys Broiler in Downey, and Whittier Boulevard to the North. You could make the big loop about once (if ya had to be home by midnight, like me) and, doin' the arithmetic, you had better odds of meeting chicks, winning races, and being seen.

FAIR WEATHER, GOOD CROWD, GREAT HOSTS

But this was 1999, on Bellflower. Hop Up was there. Incognito. They didn't even know they were bein' watched. We were able to slip in and - although the BOSS guy directing cars in from the line was a little authoritative - spend some time hangin' on a street corner with some Hop Up Guys who had set their dial on "FUN". The Sultans themselves have the most right-on customs in the crowd, and there is the obligatory Camaro, or pickup or hot rod that would have been there on a cruise night a hundred years ago, anyway. Again,"Cruise Night" would be better phrased "Park Night". Like we said, the Sultans are the hep ones and we'd like to be a bug on the windshield at one of their club events.

STOVEBOLTS DON'T GOTTA BE LOWRIDERS

Although there were several examples of the art form - both in cars AND humans - primer and Tattoos and Hairdos were conspicuous by their absence. They were apparently replaced by a number of those weird little dolls that people put against their bumpers these days. Don't ever do that. No! We mean it. Don't ever stinkin' do that or know anybody who'd do that. Really................and we thought purple lights were bad.

In spite of that hoot, it was a mellow, decadent way to spend a Saturday evening. Thanks to the Sultans of Long Beach.

COOL CADDY HAD A COOLER COOLER IN THE TRUNK

SIDEBURN CIRCUS

August 21. Be there, Boys, Support yer kin.

[Ad for Side Burn]

BOOK REPORT

"Cool Cars Square Roll Bars" by Arnie and Bernie Shuman

It's about time. Students of Hop Up Culture have known that there were rod efforts in New England in the late forties, but the rare Hot Rod article on one of their cars or an entry at Bonneville simply made us think, "Boy, those cats sure had to come a long way...."

The Shumans have chronicled their own history and revealed that - although they credit wartime and postwar exposure to Cali-rods - they had it goin' on. There was an Eastern 'look' that may not have set nation-wide trends, but demonstrated individualism and the ever-clever talent of a hot rodder to pick the bones of what was available, give it his own interpretation.......and make it GOW! They were into performance like kids were everywhere and suffered the cliche disadvantages of 1) shorter seasons, 2) no dry lakes, 3) distance from performance product manufactures and blah, blah, blah . But these dudes weren't cryin'. THEY HAD FUN!

COOL CARS? SEE PROOF INSIDE

Regional rivalries are a drag. If the people we see in this book were a mile or two slower, or had some Not-California-Approved styling trend, we're impressed. Our money says these cats had as much or more fun than our sun-bathed celebrities, did it with fewer resources, and thus were equally or more accomplished. People aren't defective because of where they live; those with decided and vociferous opinions on the subject are anal for reasons (short-comings?) known only to themselves. Shuman's well written pages are filled with people, cars and anecdotes from a time that ran distant from but parallel to that in the West. It was not the wrong coast.

Unlike several books on racing that we've read over the years, whose content was great, and photos enlightening, but were grammatically crappy, this one is written, spelled and edited professionally. It is fully 1/2 photos and 1/2 text. Perfectamentebien, Dudes. If you have a library of any consequence of all, this hardbound, 8 1/2" x 11", 192 page tome has got to be in it.

$33.90
Hammershop Press, Inc.
64 Cannon Forge Dr.
Foxboro, Massachusetts 02035

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