Hop Up Magazine - June 2002

Contents
Drip Pan Antique Nats Mort's Shorts
Contact Us Magazine Info Previous Issues Cool T-Shirts

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THE NEW ONE - YUP - WE DONE IT AGAIN

Oh, yeah. We want you to be the first - the first in your neighborhood - to see and read................ veritas 2002.

It's the annual report on traditional hot rod and custom innovation (not invention); it's the gut, the vibe, the style showcased by our people nation and world wide.

The cover is innovative yet again - a Weesner illustration - and - if you are da kine hot rod daddy; if you are cool-livin' and unfettered with fraud-rod doin's; if you want to see what the other Truehearts in the culture are up to.............send the scratch, Man...................you prob'ly still got a job........

Oh, the humanity! We (and MBI) have reprinted the first 12 issues of Hop Up. Yeah, like Hot Rod Mag did. But this is "HOP UP" For a lousy $24.95 you will have the original tome, the basis of comparison, the marked-in-time, dead-nuts best review of what was (is) meaningful in the day. And it won't cost $10-20 per mag like it is on e Bay or at swap meets.

Not since Montgomery's books came out has there been anything more vital to your library. It's where truth originated. Not exactly the 'Tablets of Stone' but pretty fairly well important to the coolest, realist, most-happening Daddies out there on the pike..........

******Note that American Auto Mags handles worldwide orders (Europe, Oz, etc.) and Canadian Orders should go directly to Motorbooks.

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THE FIRST 12 ISSUES

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VOLUME II STILL AVAILABLE

JUNE COVER SHOT

'Hollywood' Warden shot the picture and says the deuce is 'on the second lap'. These cars steer from the right, and thus, if the course was an oval, they were probably running clockwise: Stand on it and turn.........right!

HERE WE ARE AGAIN, AFTER ALL

We said we'd take a month or two off the web page .....and here we are again. It must be the money. But if we're thinkin' at all, this crap doesn't take that much more time to type it. July may be a different story, though, since we'll be makin' our beat on the two lane a whole bunch in June. Got a head start in May and we'll mention that later.

PASO

We agree with folks on the net that it was very good. There's a vibe at Paso that just works.

Rob, in from Napa, was a neighbor of ours in Cayucas Rent-a-Crib. Look for Sombreros on it next time you see it, but Lordy, it sure couldn't need anything else.

This nice commercial car has been at Moon the last few times we delivered Hop Up reorders to them. It's reminiscent of one we did in the 70's, but the Kelseys add something. Windshield too. It was 'se vende' at Paso, so you might call Chico at Moon to get the dope on it.

"If you got a little Mama and you wanna keep her neat... ....keep your little Mama off my street. Same thing will happen like it did before... ....she'll come-a Knock!Knock!Knockin' at my door.."


SWANKS 'BOX' IS TASTY


WEBERS SURE DRAMATIZE THAT 'LINER


R P/U FROM MOONEYES IS FOR SALE

TURN AROUND WITH A HIP-CHECK

We needed to deliver some books up north, and the hot rod had just been serviced before a run up to the Dry Lake, so we changed the air filter and headed for the Ranch.

Did make a phone call first, and damn if there weren't a couple other heaps there when we pulled in.

After the usual formalities: tire kickin', shade, lies, likker, cigars, red meat and more lies, we turned in. Got up the next morning later than we shoulda and the three cars putted over the Pacheco Pass to 101, then turned right.

Familiar grind. You drive along appreciating the other guys' cars, pass one somewhere along the way for a change of venue, appreciate your own, appreciate the landscape, appreciate the generosity of those at home who think you might just deserve this once in a while (you shoulda seen the card one guy's wife left him in his bag: it'd melt ya), and did we mention the landscape? Whoa.

At the car deal there was, it looked like, 400 cars, all pretty traditional, including some high-buck traditional. Nothing wrong with that, ya know? There's still soul in high-buck traditional cars. Real impressive stuff, done in a place where you feel good for the apparent success of the proprietor.

We, of course, headed south, groovin' to the vibes of a cool runnin' short stroke small block Chevy, enjoying the saunter of the tight chassis, and good asphalt (that ain't rectum trouble) interpreted through bias ply tires and buggy springs. We rolled in to SLO, still kinda early, checked in, went down the street for a burger. When we came out there were these three mugs crawlin' all over our hot rod (We could tell they were just appreciating it) and they commence to tell us they know the car from Hop Up.


ROADSTER HAS COJONES


TRADITIONAL DOESN'T MEAN JUST 40'S STYLE

They must be readers number 12, 13, 14.....the only ones we hadn't met. Turns out they are HAMB regulars, Harlan, Gamble and Wiley. Damn cool guys whose acquaintance we'll renew at Paso. Next time we'll take them up on the invite to the shop; when we see the work these Dudes are doing (pics on the HAMB) and consider Shine, Rogue, Aaron, Killer and a whole lot more of them, we know that the heirs-apparent to this hobby are happening. They will not occur in great numbers, and the whole real culture will remain underground, but when the rest of us are gone, these are the guys who will have kept it alive, innovating, and perpetuating tradition. Maybe they'll buy some iron from our estate. Our kin will prob'ly discount it, cuz we're such good Pals, now, huh?!

The next day was perfect: 300 miles, sporty roads including the 154 cutoff, ending on the interstate in town where the grooved road makes the coupe do that Bias-Rumba we talk about, and where obviously diverted highway taxes haven't found there way in to the road repair budget. I thought (somebody's gonna get called a liar) that gallons-bought produced pro-rata repair funds, thus, directly proportional repairs for worn out highways? That's what ya get for thinkin'.

Anywho, a 1000 mile turnaround for a 90 minute soiree is just about right. 300 one day, 400 the next, then 300 again. Then work. Yeah. One reason we get to do this foolishness is because we got a job.

Look 'em up. Rat 'em out and tell their kin to prove their allegiance by doing the same.

Don't plagiarize. And don't exploit private conversations by 'quoting' people, even anonymously.

HOTRODARAMA

Eddie. One wheel runnin' off the road. Gotta love a guy who carries his own lady mannequin with him on road trips. Dresses her up appropriately for the occasion. Loves to boogie. Loves hot rods. Grew up with them, his Ol' Man bein' pretty tipped-over his own self.

Well, Eddie is putting on the HOTRODARAMA right after Speedweek in the Great Pacific Northwest and the information is here: www.rodnkustom.com/hotrodarama

Pull that up, and plan your caravan. From So Cal, Squeak Bell has an entourage leaving from Bako or someplace. Contact him at (661) 871-5494......