38th Annual Hot Rod Roundup
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Early or Late—Hot Rods Come in All Makes & Years
Wrapping Up:
Lace Painting
Swapping a
Model A Roof
for a Deuce Lid
Continuing:
Part 2

Chopping
a
’32 Top

Beginning:
Making
Custom
Headlights
Wrapping Up:
Lace Painting
Swapping a Model A Roof for a Deuce Lid
Continuing:
Part 2 Chopping a ’32 Top
Beginning:
Making Custom Headlights
In The Shop: Harold’s Hot Rod Shop in Oklahoma
January 2022
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Modern Rodding CONTENTS
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January 2021 Table of Contents article snapshots
Departments
Brian Brennan
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Industry News
New Products
Those Supporting Our Industry
Features
Larry Olson’s ’33 Ford Vicky
By Brian Brennan, Photography by John Jackson
Larry Olson’s ’56 Chevy Nomad
By Brian Brennan, Photography by John Jackson
John Wilson’s ’70 Chevelle
By Brian Brennan, Photography by Grant Cox
Michelle Broussard’s ’54 Chevy 210
By Brian Brennan, Photography by John Jackson
Dale Dinse’s ’50 Ford Convertible
By Joe Greeves, Photography by the Author
Event
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
By Brian Brennan, Photography by the Author and George Keel
Tech
Part 2: Chopping Your ’32 Ford Three-Window Coupe
By Tony Thacker, Photography by the Author
Part 2: Wrapping Up Custom Panel & Lace Painting
By Brian Brennan, Photography by Tim Sutton
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Part 2: Finishing the Swap
By Eric Geisert, Photography by the Author
Part 1: ’40s GM Headlights Provide Mood Lighting for the ’36 Ford
By Gerry Burger, Photography by the Author
Harold’s Hot Rod Shop in Enid, Oklahoma
By John Gilbert, Photography by the Author
Modern Rodding January 2022 cover
Hot Rod Industry Alliance logo: 2021 Recipient of the HRIA Business of the Year Award
On the Cover
Either hot rod would be an amazing car to have in your garage but we found Larry Olson who has managed over time to come up with two great examples. The latest build, and the longest to build, is the ’56 Chevy Nomad resting in the background. In the foreground is a ’33 Ford Vicky that was built to match his ’33 Ford roadster. Now that’s what we call a lucky pair. Photography by John Jackson.
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Modern Rodding ISSN 2692-2371 (print) ISSN 2692-238X (online) Issue 16 is published monthly by In the Garage Media, 370 E. Orangethorpe Avenue, Placentia, CA 92870-6502. Application to mail at Periodicals prices is pending at Placentia, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Modern Rodding, c/o In the Garage Media, 1350 E. Chapman Ave #6550, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550 or email ITGM at subscription@inthegaragemedia.com. Copyright (c) 2021 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA. Printed in the USA. The Modern Rodding trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.
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BRIAN BRENNAN
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Editorial contributions are welcomed but editors recommend that contributors query first. Contribution inquiries should first be emailed to info@inthegaragemedia.com. Do not mail via USPS as we assume no responsibility for loss or damage thereto. IN THE GARAGE MEDIA reserves the right to use material at its discretion, and we reserve the right to edit material to meet our requirements. Upon publication, payment will be made at our current rate, and that said, payment will cover author’s and contributor’s rights of the contribution. Contributors’ act of emailing contribution shall constitute and express warranty that material is original and no infringement on the rights of others.
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Printed in the USA.

The Modern Rodding trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.

Modern Rodding STARTING OVER
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A Year of Firsts

By Brian Brennan
B

y now I’m sure every hot rodder is aware of harnessing the sun’s natural power through the use of solar panels. Solar panels on homes are no longer the sole idea of the Jetsons. Nowadays we see homes, businesses, and schools all over the country showing off their own solar panels capturing this “free” energy from the sun. While nothing is free, the end result is a better way to harness energy.

It’s the Jan. ’22 issue and a new year has begun, a new rodding season is upon us, and Modern Rodding is growing­—literally. Starting with this month, you may (we hope you do) have noticed that your current issue, the 16th in our youthful history, has an enlarged format.

Why? Good question. Well, it’s not only Modern Rodding but also our sister publications Classic Truck Performance and All Chevy Performance. There are two immediate benefits. One, as the book becomes physically larger it becomes more desirable to hold, view, and read. Our art director Rob Munoz (go Dodgers) sees the increased “real estate” as an opportunity to design better-looking layouts, bringing the features more to life and the tech stories more easily followed. It should be noted that the enhanced size also means advertisers have more “space” to show off their product, presenting more product, or including more benefits.

Rodding Around
By Brian Brennan
Jerry Kugel of Kugel Komponents, stands smiling next to his wife and holding an award
red gear icon NSRA 2021 Street Rodding Achievement Award
At this year’s SEMA Show during the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) banquet the National Street Rod Association’s own Jim Rowlette presented Jerry Kugel of Kugel Komponents its own award, which is presented yearly to an individual “in recognition of outstanding service of the street rod industry.”

This year Jerry (in photo with his wife Judy) was recognized for a lifetime of support to our industry and hobby. Jerry is well known for Kugel Komponents (should you call, you will most likely be greeted by Jerilyn Kugel and her “smiling voice”) that has championed the independent suspension for virtually all types of hot rods. Numerous award-winning street and competitive hot rods have featured Kugel Komponents chassis, suspensions, and numerous other individual products that make our industry and hobby more enjoyable.

He’s also known for his long-running history at the Salt along with his sons, Jeff and Joe, who have managed to capture multiple records (think red and blue ball caps) in a series of world land speed record hot rods. Of course, all of this pales in comparison to the possibly thousands of drives he has accumulated behind the wheel of his ’32 Ford roadster “Blackie.” It has served as a driving testbed for decades and continually provides a way for Jerry and Judy to enjoy the hobby and industry mile after mile. (Here at In The Garage Media we wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Jerry and his family for an amazing business that has furthered, over these past oh so many decades, our hobby and industry.

Modern Rodding NEW PRODUCTS
InTheGarageMedia.com
the Hotrod (PN 12-BKG-A005HR); two headlight bezels (PN HL05-64P) for the ’64 Pontiac GTO from Golden Star Classic Auto Parts; The Vintage Streamline Heater
the Hotrod (PN 12-BKG-A005HR)
two headlight bezels (PN HL05-64P) for the ’64 Pontiac GTO from Golden Star Classic Auto Parts
The Vintage Streamline Heater

By Brian Brennan

1. At Home on the Workbench or on Your Desk
Third in our series of Collectible Car Guy Knives: the Hotrod (PN 12-BKG-A005HR). Another unique offering from the grease monkeys here at Busted Knuckle Garage, the Hotrod is a limited-edition, free-standing, two-sided, folding pocketknife in vintage hot rod style. Designed to “free stand” on your workbench, desk, dresser, tabletop, and so on with form, function, and style all in one.

Satin finish, drop point blade, anodized aluminum handle, spring-assisted, finger-flip liner lock, blade length (3-3/4 inches), handle length (4-3/4 inches), weighs a hefty 5 ounces, and includes a gift box.

For more info, check out Busted Knuckle Garage by visiting bustedknucklegarage.com.
2. Bright Lights!
The new headlight bezels (PN HL05-64P) for the ’64 Pontiac GTO from Golden Star Classic Auto Parts adds a touch of classy chrome to your “Goats” headlights. Golden Star’s quality tooling and stamping ensure a factory original fit for perfect curves with a long-lasting finish. These bezels come in a pair, driver and passenger side. Golden Star offers the best in classic muscle car and truck restoration panels and accessories.
For more info, check out Golden Star Classic Auto Parts by visiting goldenstarauto.com.
3. Vintage Streamline Heater
The latest from the people who keep us “cool” now offer a great-looking new way to keep us “warm.” Vintage Air has released a new firewall-mounted, molded ABS case heater with polished stainless steel trim that brings to mind the classic styling from the art-deco era.

The Vintage Streamline Heater features a single control for the three-speed SPAL fan and electronically operated heater control valve. There is a high-efficiency copper/brass CuproBraze heater core that makes up the “heart” of this vintage-looking heater that also features powdercoated diverter louvers that direct heat from the bottom of the case to both sides of the interior.

For more info, check out Vintage Air by calling (800) 862-6658 or visit vintageair.com.
Modern Rodding

VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 16 • 2022

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
By Brian Brennan Photography by John Jackson
Ground Pounder typography
Larry Olson is No Stranger to Black & Flamed Hot Rods
A

ll of us have our favorite hot rods, whether it’s marque, build style, color, or power we are all partial. Larry Olson of South Dakota is no different. He seems to be partial to black-painted hot rods with flames and lots of big-block Chevy power. So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that his latest ride is a ’33 Ford Victoria (Vicky) painted black and flamed and stuffed with 454 inches of big-block Chevy. (Make sure to take a look at his ’56 Chevy Nomad on page 28.)

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Modern Rodding Event
InTheGarageMedia.com
38th Annual Hot Rod Roundup
Hosted by the Shades of the Past Car Club, it’s also Home to the Triple Crown of Rodding
By Brian Brennan Photography by THE AUTHOR & George Keel
I

t feels good to be back “on the road” attending our favorite rod runs. One of our very favorites is the Hot Rod Roundup (HRR), this year the 38th, hosted by Shades of the Past Street Rod Association at Dollywood’s Splash Country in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. For as long as we can remember the Top 25 was, is, and most likely will always be one of the coveted awards handed out at any regional event. Why? The quality of the cars in attendance is truly second to none and with 2,269 registered participants this event should be on everyone’s list to see. It’s always held on the Friday and Saturday after Labor Day, making the 2022 event to be held on September 9-10.

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
The Forgotten Tri-Five title
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The Forgotten Tri-Five title
… Or so the ’56 Chevy Once Was
By Brian BrennanPhotography by John Jackson
T

here was a time when the Tri-Five Chevy really meant the ’55 or the ’57 Chevy. There are lots of ’56 Chevy cars and wagons out there and rodders have always built them but it was the ’55 and the ’57 that were deemed “most desirable.” Not so anymore. The ’56 has really come on strong within the past 10 years or so; couple this with the already-desirable Nomad wagon and you are looking at one of the hottest properties in the mid-’50s buildable cars, like Larry Olson’s ’56 Chevy Nomad.

Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
’32 Ford Three-Window Coupe
Lowering the Lid title
Lowering the Lid
PART 2: Chopping Your ’32 Ford Three-Window Coupe
By Tony Thacker Photography by THE AUTHOR
P

utting up a customer’s brand-new Brookville steel three-window Deuce body is always a daunting task, especially if you have never chopped a car before. Such was the dilemma of Evan Veazie of the Veazie Bros. hot rod shop in Pomona, California (the site of the old SO-CAL Speed Shop).

As we learned in part one, Evan shopped around and asked everybody he knew how to make his first cut, however, he ultimately digested all the good advice but went his own way, executing a simple-but-effective chop that is one of the cleanest cuts I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a few.

Instead of just slicing 2 inches out of the middle as most people would do, Evan carefully mapped out a plan to cut the roof in a step that allowed him to remove 2 inches and lower the roof until it aligned with the body. It was an amazingly smooth operation that took less than eight hours to complete. That’s the main chop, however, and did not include chopping the doors, moldings, and so on, all of which took considerably longer and will be covered in a part three. It did include the front posts that because of their inner structure are finicky.

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
All in the Family title
All in the Family title
John Wilson’s ’70 Chevelle is Big-Block Chevy Powered & Always in the Family
By Brian BrennanPhotography by Grant Cox
T

he best hot rods are the ones you have the most history with. Such is the case for John Wilson from Missouri and his ’70 Chevy Chevelle complete with 604 inches of big-block power.

Originally, his mom, Carrie, purchased the ’70 Chevelle for him to drive throughout high school back in 1976. Once John finished high school life took over and the Chevelle was garaged for some 18-20 years. (How about a “shout-out” for a very cool mom!) The Chevelle’s life as a high school parking lot cruiser was about to be reborn. This time John’s son would drive the Chevelle throughout his high school career. And, once again, when this high school cycle was complete, it was back into storage for another 15 years.

Around about 2015 John thought it best to bring the ’70 Chevelle out once more, but this time update it and make it the hot rod he always wanted. John began with a modern drivetrain and then sent the Chevelle over to Mike McLin Jr. at the RestoMod Store and it was here the build was completed, which included buttoning up the drivetrain and lots of body- and paintwork as well as the interior. Although a fresh build this year it has enjoyed success on the indoor car show circuit, having taken home Outstanding Interior/Custom, Outstanding Engine/Street Machine while attending the 2021 Kansas City World of Wheels.

Modern Rodding Tech

InTheGarageMedia.com

It’s a Fine Line
Part 2: Wrapping Up Custom Panel & Lace Painting

By Brian Brennan Photography by Tim Sutton

L

ast month we kicked off what it was going to take to handle your own custom panel or lace paintwork on any hot rod, especially on the roof of a wagon. To wrap up we headed back to Kraftsman Autoworks in Torrance, California, and checked in with Jack Fields. As a fulltime painter and one who has his hands, literally, daily in custom paintwork, it was back to finish what we had begun. Fields is a proponent of House of Kolor (HOK) paint materials and that’s exactly what we wanted for the ’60s Ford wagon we are working on. Remember, we have just finished the prepping, masking, and the layout of our design. Now comes the application of paint and how to use lace material to achieve our desired results.

There are a handful of dos and don’ts, so let’s go over them before getting too deep in the painting process. The old expression about “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” holds true in paintwork. You will want to make sure your paintable surface is free of contaminants such as dust, dirt, grease, and so on. Why? First, the masking tape needs a good, clean surface to stick to so that paint doesn’t creep underneath. When the tape is removed it leaves a clean, sharp edge between colors or designs and helps to prevent “fisheyes” in the paint.
Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
By Brian Brennan Photography by John Jackson
Beauty is in the Eye
Michelle Broussard Realized This ’54 Chevy Four-Door 210 Struck a Personal Note
’54 Chevy Four-Door 210 Struck
W

omen look at hot rods differently than guys. Let’s face it, oftentimes they can see what we don’t. Michelle Broussard has come by her love of hot rods by being involved through her husband, David. He has built several Advanced Design Chevy and GMC pickups. In watching and participating she knew what it took in terms of commitment and hard work. Not to scare her off, she knew she wanted something special. There was a ’54 Chevy four-door 210 sedan in her future. Four doors aren’t as desirable as two doors but she, the women in her, saw something the rest of us didn’t.

As is frequently the case, it takes an ample dose of perseverance and patience to make anything worthwhile happen. Michelle and David noticed a ’54 Chevy four-door out front of a nearby shop but were never able to find out who owned it or even if it was for sale. As time went by they learned that the car had been sold. Perseverance and patience are rock solid character traits and time would prove this to be true.

David was checking out his usual sources when he noticed a ’54 Chevy four-door 210 was for sale. Lo and behold it was the one that had “gotten away” earlier. It was back and this time with trailer in tow he and Michelle were not going to let it slip by. Unfortunately, a deal couldn’t be struck so it was back home with an empty trailer rattling behind. Once home and settling in for the evening the phone rings. Let’s just say that the seller had reconsidered. Although it was after sunset it was back on the road but this time they weren’t coming home empty-handed.

Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
How to Build a Model A '32 Title
How to Build a Model A ’32
Part 2: Finishing the Swap
By Eric Geisert Photography by THE AUTHOR
I

n the last issue of Modern Rodding we started the process of creating a Model A ’32—a ’31 Ford coupe with a ’32 five-window roof added and then chopped. The work was completed at Old Anvil Speed Shop in Orange, California, which is helmed by Paul and Jenna Bosserman.

In the first part of this two-parter, we saw the initial roof cuts being made, the chop being figured out, and the beginning of how Paul was going to address the leaning A posts back to accommodate the roofline.

The entire reconstruction was done in three phases: first the rear section (from the B posts back) was chopped, which was a pretty straightforward task. But the tricky part was determining not only where the transition would be from the roof to the door top, but if it would be the Model A or the ’32 piece.

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
By Joe Greeves Photography by THE AUTHOR
Drop-Top That’s Ready to Cruise
Fully Modernized to Enjoy Modern-Day Cruising
’50 Ford convertible
A

s a retired custom car and truck builder, Dale Dinse has learned building your own ride is special. For the last several decades he has created more than a hundred personalized rides for customers, with each new vehicle honing his skill for the next. While retirement has been great fun, it wasn’t long before those creative urges reasserted themselves and Dale began looking for a new project, which turned out to be a Ford, the classic shoebox, in the shape of a ’50 Ford convertible that’s resided in the family since the early ’60s.

Modern Rodding Tech

InTheGarageMedia.com

1. The ’36 Ford lends itself to early customizing trends and few things have a more dramatic effect than eliminating the stock headlights in favor of a pair of ’41 Chevrolet truck lights.

1. The ’36 Ford lends itself to early customizing trends and few things have a more dramatic effect than eliminating the stock headlights in favor of a pair of ’41 Chevrolet truck lights.

By Gerry Burger Photography by THE AUTHOR

Low Lights typography
Part 1: ’40s GM Headlights Provide Mood Lighting for the ’36 Ford
B

y the mid ’30s automotive styling was rapidly changing. The last Ford with a basically flat and vertical grille and independent grille shell (the ’32), the following year the grille shell was eliminated and the grille leaned back to simply meet the hood. For 1934 the grille had a more pronounced V-shape and by 1935 the fenders had become fat. These rapid design changes made for some interesting blending of old and new parts.

In my humble opinion, while the ’36 Ford is handsome in original form, there are things that look too old for the car. First is the factory bumper with the center drop to facilitate access to the crank hole, the bumper looks like a ’34 piece. Also, the independent headlights mounted atop rotund fenders date the car. By 1937 Ford had advanced the design of the lights, the hood, and the bumpers. The headlights were molded in the fenders, the hood top was one-piece hinged at the rear and the first straight front bumper appeared. None of these styling changes were lost on early hot rodders and customizers, updating power and style is the very definition of early hot rodding.

Modern Rodding In the Shop
InTheGarageMedia.com
Harold’s Hot Rod Shop
Building Hot Rods That Come in all Shapes & Sizes
 In Harold’s final assembly area, a ’30 Packard bound for Pebble Beach and a ’54 Chevy Advance Design pickup headed to the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS).
Harold Clay in the office at Harold’s Hot Rod Shop with his grandson Hunter Hay. The trophies are from the GNRS
 Harold Clay in the office at Harold’s Hot Rod Shop with his grandson Hunter Hay. The trophies are from the GNRS.
In The Shop
By John Gilbert Photography by THE AUTHOR
H

arold Clay’s decision to open the doors for business to a hot rod shop wasn’t an overnight proposition, but it was in the cards as a Yukon, Oklahoma, lad growing up with a great love for cars. Harold got his first car at age 13. It was a ’57 Chevy two-door sedan with an empty engine bay. Harold’s older brother told him about a totaled ’67 Corvette with a strong 427 and a four-speed transmission that ended up under the hood of Harold’s ’57 Chevy.

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Thanks for reading our January 2022 issue!