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There were plenty of hot rods, customs, and tail-draggers laid out across the fairground, bringing plenty of magic for everyone attending the Jalopy Jam Up to check out firsthand.t’s been a longtime coming. Finally, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the 7th Annual Jalopy Jam Up in Canada is back. Back in 2014 a trio of like-minded hot rodders gathered their collective thoughts to lay down plans for creating a unique traditional hot-rodding experience with a dynamic fusion of all the right elements. Fresh from the inventive minds of Jeff Norwell, Brandon Roberts, and Jay Tyrrell, the initial ideas for the Jalopy Jam Up evolved to spotlight pre-’64 traditionally styled hot rods and customs built to reflect eras from the ’40s-60s.
Initially, the ghoulish twist was that it took place in the sleepy town of Durham, Ontario, within the rustic confines of Frontier Ghost Town. Flanked by small rustic structures creating the town, it was the perfect destination for a two-day event spotlighting vintage hop-ups, kustom kulture, high-octane sets of rockabilly music, and an old-timey swap meet. The inaugural year brought with it plenty of windswept rain that would have created havoc at any other venue, but at the Jam Up, the muddy roads acted as a right-of-passage for the hard-core traditionalists who all claimed the event as their own.
Josh Fernley’s ’39 Ford coupe stopped everyone in their tracks with its wicked stance, vibrant blue metallic gloss, and dual-quad fed 409ci V-8. Watch for a full feature on this gem in an upcoming issue of Modern Rodding.
Nick and Gilli Harrison’s ’32 Ford phantom phaeton was sitting on Deuce ’rails with chrome split bones and featured Flathead V-8 power, chopped windshield, dove gray gloss, and commercial-style headlights.
Bare metal hot rods are downright cool, and Tom Bedo’s freshly completed Ford Model A coupe nailed the look with a factory roofline, three-deuce urged Chevy small-block, blackwalls on steelies, Guide headlights, and spartan interior.
With plenty of prewar gusto on tap, this Model A sports coupe was like looking into a time machine thanks to a combination of a hot four-banger with a custom intake, early Ford wire wheels with Firestone/Coker blackwalls, Guide-style headlights, and mechanical brakes.
Wearing a heavy black patina complemented by weathered chrome and trim, this ’49 Chevy DeLuxe coupe was slammed to the ground, giving it plenty of well-deserved attitude.
One of the most historical Deuces of the weekend belonging to Rob and Marilyn Morrison was straight out of the little books with its massaged 245ci Flathead V-8, 7-inch channel, molded rear fenders, custom rear roll pan with nerf bar, all complemented by ’54 Buick Titan Red vibe.
There were plenty of well-known kustoms on the grounds, including (the late) Mel Watson’s ’57 Buick laying down plenty of style alongside Fred Botcher’s decadent ’57 Cadillac.
This ’36 Ford tail-dragger owned by Hamilton Heuvel left us breathless with its hammered stance accented by a perfectly balanced 3-1/2-inch chop, mile-deep black gloss, pleated running boards, skirts, and Pontiac caps.
T-buckets are a blast to drive with this vibrant yellow flaked build packing all the right bits, including a highly polished small-block Chevy, chopped windshield, Rocket Racing Strike-model wheels, and white diamond-tuft interior.
The minibike drags were a blast, drawing huge crowds to watch many of the daring racers take on their competition, including Tom Bedo (right) and Alan “Reggie” Fiddler (left) caught while awaiting a call to the starting line.
Brandon Bateman’s ’32 Ford coupe was a standout, showcasing a spot-on 4-3/4-inch chop and a vintage small-block Chevy dressed to impress with a Man-A-Fre four-deuce intake complemented by Weiand valve covers and Fenton headers.
Wearing decades of well-earned patina, Craig Ziegler’s survivor ’32 Ford coupe has a killer rake thanks to a heavy channel accented by an un-chopped top and gritty 283ci Chevy V-8 to make plenty of thunder.
Coated in sage green, Bob Tindale’s ’47 Ford features a nicely lowered lid, ’47 Pontiac grille, frenched headlights, and door handles along with the right stance and classic Studebaker caps.
This ’56 Olds Holiday 88 owned by Joe Siclari personified its mild custom roots by being nosed and decked with shaved door handles, ’41 Lincoln door buttons, lowered stance, and original Olds Fiesta Caps.
Chris Matthon’s Model A roadster, originally built in the ’50s, was another great example of a postwar hot rod brought back to life. It showcases a heavily channeled and molded body, chopped Deuce grille, and a 401ci Buick Nailhead topped by a Weiand Drag Star intake with six deuces.
Stunning customs like this metallic maroon ’49 Chevy belonging to Jay Handsor raised the bar with its graduated 3-inch front to 4-inch rear chop, Corvette grille teeth, ’52 Ford skirts, and ’56 Chevy taillights.
It doesn’t get any more traditional than Rob Purcell’s ’32 Ford pickup, built with respect to the past, complete with a 3-inch chop, exquisite tuxedo black gloss, ’57 DeSoto Hemi V-8, and a squadron of Holley 94-series carbs perched atop a Gear Drive six-deuce intake.
Tri-Five Chevys are cool especially when set up like this ’55 rolling on Radir wheels with wide whites, complemented by a classic aqua and white paint combination.
Peter Bourikas rolled in from Massachusetts with his ’34 Ford coupe on Rocket Racing Solid wheels capped with Firestone/Coker rubber for plenty of bite when the 4-71 huffed and injected Chevy small-block pushes power to the Winters Performance quick-change rear.
Chopped ’n’ channeled hard and dipped in a vat of light blue gloss, Arlindo Madruga’s Model A packs a punch thanks to a hopped-up Flathead topped with Offenhauser finned aluminum heads.
Jason Mank’s ’52 Chevy has the look, starting with a flawless chop by Binbrook Speed & Custom as well as being nosed and decked, treated to frenched headlights, added grille teeth, and a bagged suspension to rub the ’rails in the weeds.
Modified into a mild custom by the original owner in 1955, Jamie Hamilton of JWH Kustoms now carries the torch for this immaculate Thunderbird. Its subtle modifications include frenched headlights, shaved emblems, custom front bumper, and 368ci Lincoln Y-block power.VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 29 • 2023