SEABRIGHT HOT RODS

The L.A. Roadsters Father’s Day show and swap meet is one event I never miss. My dad took me when I was a kid, and it’s one of the only events that my dad, my son and I all attended together. Father’s Day.

This year the event featured pleasant weather, a million cars (roadsters and otherwise) and their biggest swap meet ever. The swap featured literally miles of aisles and, as usual, the world’s best selection of vintage hot rod parts. The economy seems to have encouraged folks to start thinning their stashes and, while the prices haven’t yet dipped into the basement, there was a lot to choose from.

There were also a lot of cars for sale, and a few really smokin’ deals. I snapped a couple of photos. Enjoy.

This A hiboy on Deuce rails was well-detailed and full of build ideas.
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In late 1946 Bay Area promoter Charlie Curryer was looking for a way to spice up the racing card at Oakland Stadium. He invited a group of local street rodders to stage an exhibition in their T and AV8s at his track one evening – and the crowd went wild. The era of the Roaring Roadsters was underway.

Following this burst of popularity, the Northern California Roadster Racing Association was born. NCRRA events were well organized, the purses substantial, and the drivers were even offered insurance. The NCRRA paid out nearly $130,000 in prize money that year and, with that kind of financing, the roadsters rapidly evolved. But the money also bred competition and in an attempt to cash in on the NCRRA’s success, other organizations soon crowded the scene. Too many races, too many sanctioning groups, and the introduction of stock car racing all contributed to the demise of the roadsters. By 1950, it was all over.

Awhile back, a friend of mine found an original NCRRA Rule Book and decal under the seat of a Model A roadster he’d bought. A little research and a few beers later we decided to revive the organization. We’ve been collecting history and photos that we’ll eventually publish on a website. We’ve re-popped a decal, offered memberships, and rallied support. We’ve also been fortunate enough to connect with some of the drivers and car builders from the era.

But to be honest, we rather be driving our own cars. So we organized a reliability run last weekend. Starting and finishing at the Santa Cruz Moose Lodge, the 112 mile course wound its way through the Santa Cruz mountains, up Skyline Blvd, and back down to the coast for a final blast down Highway One. 31 cars participated, we thought you’d enjoy some photos. Read more…

In 1952 or ’53 a Central Coast high school student bought a 1940 Ford Standard Business Coupe – the model with the extended floor and jump seats – and spent the summer hopping it up. He had a $300 purple lacquer paint job sprayed at the local Studebaker agency, reupholstered the interior, and added whitewalls and dress up goodies.

The car then disappeared for over 50 years. We’ve found it, and we’re laying out plans for its restoration.

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If you’ve always lusted after a hot rod ’40 Ford, you couldn’t find a better place to start. This coupe has a 364 Nailhead with vintage Hurst motor mounts, a Chassis Engineering IFS front end, a new Currie nine inch rear end, a Limeworks column, a freshly upholstered seat, and no bondo. Lots of work has been done to this coupe, and obviously there’s a lot left to do, but you get the opportunity to finish it your way.

email us if you’d like more detail.
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One of our favorite cars at the Grand National Roadster Show was Paul Hoffmann’s ’40 Mercury coupe. Built by accomplished metalman Rudy Rodriguez, the car reflects both his craftsmanship and his incredible eye for design. ’40 Merc coupes have long been fodder for customizers, but this one may be the best ever when it comes to line and proportion.

In Rudy’s own words:  “I guess I wanted to build something that wasn’t really a traditional custom car at all. I wanted to build my idea of what a factory prototype show car would look like, a car the factory would have sent to the Paris auto show in 1940. There’s more about the stock 1940 Mercury that I like than dislike. There’s more to leave alone than there is that needs changing. The stock roof line can be reworked to make the car look just as elegant as any French Talbot-Lago or Delehaye of the era. The original Mercury side trim breaks up the lines and the door handles look like sculpture. The front end, well, who could improve on that? Everyone gets so carried away removing and shaving things that we often forget that we’re starting with a near-perfect design”
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Southern California rolled out a string of warm sunny days for the Grand National Roadster Show this year, and offered more cars than we could hope to see in a week.

You’ve probably seen the GNRS coverage online, but if not, go to Don’s Hot Rod Page. Don runs Highway 99 Hot Rods and has been shooting and posting event photos for years. No one provides better coverage.

Our shop truck was chosen as a contender for the Jalopy Journal’s Traditional Roadster trophy. It was the only roadster pick-up in the group. H.A.M.B.-friendly builders choose their ten favorites, then members of the H.A.M.B. vote online. The award is for traditional-styled cars and came about as a counter to the over-the-top, million dollar showboats that had been winning the GNRS’ America’s Most Beautiful Roadster trophy.

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The Seabright Shop Truck was invited to park in the Suede Palace at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona this year. We’ll be there Thursday, January 27 through Sunday the 30th. Drop on by…