[Nigel Incubator-Jones]

No doubt some people who know everything will already be aware of this, but for those who don't, I thought it might be interesting. One of my Flickr contacts was at Goodwood a few days ago and snapped a Model A pick-up which turned out to be the cover car from the January '62 issue of Hot Rod. Time seems to have taken its toll, but now it's over here for preservation, hopefully it won't be too long before she's restored and making appearances at the rod 'n' kustom events.


Ford model A Roadster Pickup by Austin7nut, on Flickr


Hot Rod Magazine, January 1962 by Austin7nut, on Flickr

 

[Stiff]

Now that's neat. Spookily enough, just a few seconds ago my last post on my Tumblr was this similar red roadster

 

[Gavin]

That's the Dean Lowe RPU now owned by Stephen Hill from Brighton. He has had it a good few years now and has only recently completed restoring it bar the body work. Not sure if he has plans to re paint it but either way it looks great and is a true iconic hot rod.
Steve has already raced it at Pendine and it was knocking about at Dragstalgia.

 

[DaveH]

Thanks for posting Nigel, that's a cool storey,
Dave

 

[Kimleonard]

Cool find Nigel, nice to see its still about

 

[lucky steve]

The car's been over here for 17-years now, but only been on the road since May this year.
There's a long thread, here on the HAMB about it.

 

[Kustomkulture]

hope he doe'snt change a thing saw cruising The Hayride,..........lovely

 

[MrMotormind]

In a similar vein, there's this 'time-warp' early 50s rod on eBay right now...

1951 California Hot Rod Famous 'Barbecue Stovebolt' Special Original Historic | eBay

 

[kapri]

Looks like a Jago front tube axle to me ?

 

[45bobber]

few more pic here,

DEAN LOWE'S ROADSTER PICK UP

 

[lucky steve]

Looks like a Jago front tube axle to me ?

That's a Frank Kurtis built tube axle, spring and hairpins taken from a 1957 Indy Car.
However, pretty much first time out a guy did ask me if it was a Jago body, 'yeah, I paid extra for them to add rust to the gelcoat'.

 

[kapri]

Lovely stance :tup:

 

[kapri]

That's a Frank Kurtis built tube axle, spring and hairpins taken from a 1957 Indy Car.
However, pretty much first time out a guy did ask me if it was a Jago body, 'yeah, I paid extra for them to add rust to the gelcoat'.

I guessed that it was probably a '38 axle, like Frank mack used . Just goes to show that not everything with a tube is 70's :tup:

 

[lucky steve]

Looks like a Jago front tube axle to me ?

.

 

[lucky steve]

Lovely stance :tup:

Cheers! I need to get the back down about 1" and I'll be happier.

 

[lucky steve]

I guessed that it was probably a '38 axle, like Frank mack used . Just goes to show that not everything with a tube is 70's :tup:

Yeah, it's a very similar axle. The Mack roadster has very much track-T styling so no doubt he'd have seen the Kurtis sprint cars of the '40s.

 

[Nigel Incubator-Jones]

I saw a red '28/'29 RPU being trailered north on the M3 last week and though of this thread. Thanks for turning up and providing some info on the car, Steve. Have you got any plans - restoration or preservation?

 

[lucky steve]

I saw a red '28/'29 RPU being trailered north on the M3 last week and though of this thread. Thanks for turning up and providing some info on the car, Steve. Have you got any plans - restoration or preservation?

The car is being restored but at the same time I'm preserving as much as I can. If you take a look at this photo from 2009 you'll realise how far I've come, There's a good 3-years work to get me where I am, yet to most it still looks like it's just been pulled out of a barn! There's a few concessions to originality, for instance the car never had a handbrake. I discussed the options with Dean and we decided that a small handle between the bucket seats would be the best option. Originally the car had a quick wiring job one afternoon, with the intention of going back and doing it again. That never happened, but I don't like seeing wires taped to fuel lines, so again, I've improved things by making up proper harnesses but also fitted fuses and relays to protect the original switches.
When I bought the car I was lucky that it was pretty much complete. For instance the cab was complete with the interior, top on, all the SW gauges, Sun Tach, cool original '60s switches, dashboard was all complete. The key was still in the ignition switch. That's really the story throughout, we spent a day collecting as many of the original bits as we could find. The original Frank Kurtis built chassis was actually being used in the back of a yard as part of a fence. It was upright, with the running board brackets stuck in the ground with bits of wood wired to it.
I actually felt uncomfortable about bringing the car out with the paint as it is, despite it being original Junior Conway paint. The Kurtis chassis and running gear is so beautifully and purposefully engineered, well the whole car is really, the last thing I wanted is anyone to think I'd turned the Dean Lowe RPU into a f***ing 'rat rod'.
I've still got quite a bit of chroming to get done: axle bells, ladder bar, push bar, etc. So that's going to eat into the finances for this winter.
It's currently running a borrowed 307 because the machine shop (Classic & Modern Engine Services in Bracknell -> fucking shit), screwed up my block and heads. I'd still like to get the 'correct' 301 built for next year's races at Pendine.
It will get painted eventually but I'm under no illusion as to how much that will cost so it's a few years off yet. There's as many people who want me to paint it as those that say leave it as it is. I was sitting on the fence, but Dean wants me to paint it so that's what's going to happen!