Holly Felsen Welch Interview

One of the bigger events on this year's car culture media calendar is the re-release of Henry Gregor Felson's 'Hot Rod' - his first in a series of speed crazed teenager parables. It turns out, about the same time Hot Rod was kicked out into the world, so was Henry's daughter, Holly. She followed in Henry's footsteps as teacher, author and parent. Now married to Mike Welch, retired and living back in her native Iowa, Holly is the living force behind the current Felsen renaissance.

I was honored to have connected with Henry shortly before his passing and when the same thing happened recently with Holly, I knew something important was up. The least I can do to honor that is to pay attention. So  when Holly accepted my invite to share her insight, imagine my delight!

Holly, thanks so much for agreeing to this whacky 'interview' experiment. You're a good sport. You may have a bright future as a test monkey.

Well, I'll just answer the best I can, without trying to put any literary twist on it.
Hey, twist the night away!

Okay, if you say so.

In your new intro to Hot Rod, you mention that you'd never read it before and in fact, you grew up embarrassed that your dad didn't have a 'real job'. Would you care to elaborate on that?

My dad was a local celebrity, so everyone knew I was his daughter. I’d get questions like, “What is it like to have a writer for a dad?” I wanted to be known for me. Besides, I thought it was ordinary and it wasn’t really until recently that I realized how special it was.

Everyone liked my dad and where ever we went, he was treated with care. It was kind of nice, but also a little embarrassing. He liked to be funny and sometimes said things about me. I didn’t want to be singled out. I liked my anonymity!

I remember going with Dad when he was interviewed on a local TV show and I got to be on the show with him. It was a mixed blessing.

However, it was nice in some ways. We went to the state fair one year and he got us in to meet Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. That was really special, to go back stage with them.

When I was a teenager, I was totally embarrassed when I had friends over, because he was always funny and I didn’t really want him trying to make my friends laugh.

I didn’t even know my friends read his books until a couple of years ago. We were working on our class reunion and one of the men said something about reading dad's books. I had no idea anyone read them! No one ever said anything about it to me in high school. Hmmm, maybe I could have had more boyfriends!

You've mentioned that your brother Dan is more of a gearhead - but you must've been exposed to some car culture too. Was it a pain being the daughter of a famous figure in that scene?

Not really. I think, being a girl, no one expected me to be interested in cars. I am just realizing the effect my dad had on me. I never drove an automatic until I was 45. I thought of driving as having a stick shift. I know that was his car influence.

He had a 49 Chevy for many years, then bought a new Dodge Dart in 1965, but it was a stick. I loved driving it! I also realized that the last three cars I have owned, I kept for 11 years each! I don’t think I ever got the idea I had to have a new car. He bought the car he wanted and kept it. Me, too!

Besides writing, you also followed your dad's footsteps into teaching. What did you learn from your students?

Be prepared! I learned a lot about life from my parents and Dad used to go to schools and talk to junior high kids. He would have some kid put on his suit jacket and ask him how it felt. He talked to them about doing age appropriate things and not trying to be an adult too soon.

He used his story characters to teach life lessons and I think that had an effect on me growing up. Always knowing that there would be consequences and were you aware of what they were before you chose your actions.

As a teacher, one of the things I learned from my dad was to be what you are, follow your passion and use your talents. I think we are so locked into this idea that you have to have a certain score on a 'fill in the dot' test, that we miss the best part of people. Appreciate all the talents, whether they be art, music, reading, mechanics, great comedic timing....whatever it is, use it!

Yeah, I guess we all take turns being students and teachers every day, huh? So what's your life like today, when you're not busy being Henry Gregor Felsen's daughter?

My life is perfect. I started teaching at 21 and never missed a beat, even though Mike and I moved from Iowa to Texas, to Nebraska, and back to Iowa. I was lucky enough to always get a teaching job. That afforded me the luxury of retiring at an early age. I spent my last year of teaching trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up and finally decided I would follow my love for photography. I was always taking photos, but had a gut level feel for what I did, not a technical approach. The day after I retired, I started a photoshop class at a community college, then joined the Professional Photographers of Iowa. I’ve spent the last 4 years taking classes, reading, watching tutorials and now I know the technical side, as well. I have a small studio in my basement and was shooting kids, families, babies, weddings, whatever I could do. I found though, that my real talent has come from the books. I have been shooting cars since getting Hot Rod ready and now I have been finding success printing those photos on metal.

But the real pleasure is that after years of dressing up every day, I now get to wear my jeans and boots. I am comfortable all day, can go to the  bathroom whenever I need to and I can take more than 20 minutes for lunch! I also have quiet time to myself, which enables me to think! I spent 36 years surrounded by kids all day and didn’t have time to put a personal thought together!

Considering your experience with this project (Henry's car books), what's your take on the publishing industry?

Wow, I don’t know what I think of the publishing industry. I only really had one company that was interested, The Iowan. They are interested in it from the standpoint of Dad being from Iowa (transplanted from NY). That helped us get started.

I am sad to see so many people preferring to read on an electronic device, as I still have a place in my heart for the book. I want to hold it in my hands and keep it on my shelf. Fortunately, Dad’s fans feel the same way, as they have kept their older copies of his books and they still want the new one! I don’t know if we will really sell very many, according to today’s standards. I’m just happy that there are people out there who still care and want a copy to have on their shelf. One person bought two: One to put on the shelf and one to fold in half and carry in his back pocket!

There's a strong testament! If/when this whole series of books gets re-done, what's next? Where would you like to go from there?

I have that planned already!! As soon as the car books are done, my brother and I want to republish dad's 'Letters' books: “Letters to a Son in Uniform”, and “Letters to My Son the Teenage Driver”. My husband just read the 'Son in Uniform' and suggested we get it out again. He was in the military in Vietnam and he thinks there is an important message in the book.
After that, or before, or during, I’m working on a book about a trip my dad took to China in December of 1945. He wrote a short story about it, that was chosen as Best Short Story of 1952. It was always my favorite story. I found one other person who was on that trip (out of 11), and now know the whole story. My dad saved all kinds of things from the war, so I have the receipts for his hotel stay, dinner with Chinese officers and the photos, as well. I think it would be an awesome book for middle school students, as I also have the original draft in his own handwriting. This is the book I’ve always wanted to do.

'Li Chang's Millions', right? I've read that and it left a mark on me. I hope you guys get it back out there. That's amazing that you connected with one of the people in it! Anything else going on?

There is also an animated film being made in LA from another war story, 'The Gentle Rain' - a very moving story, that I hope will get a little recognition. We are also going to do a book of his short stories and include The Gentle Rain.

A movie! Very cool. First I've heard about that. Hey, guess what? Unexpected down-shift!: If you were a car, what kind would you be?

I would be my first car. My little green VW bug. I miss that car to this day! I had a lot of fun driving that car around.

Bonus question: Now that you're an esteemed member of the elite automotive literary hierarchy, you're qualified to answer this: What's the future of transportation in the U.S. and in the world?

I think our only hope is to go back to driving things that you have to work at, meaning no more automatic transmissions. People don’t drive anymore. They eat, they text, they talk, they put on make up, read books, and I saw one man shaving his head as he drove. If we went back to DRIVING cars, people would have to pay attention to the road. So, I say, let’s really drive, and take a bus if you don’t want to do the driving!

Ha! Someone had to say it! I sense that Henry may be beaming right now... Hey, before you sign off, can you please substantiate or quell this rumor: Word on the street is, there are plans underway for some kind of Henry Gregor Felsen car event this year. Truth, or urban myth? What say you?

Funny you should ask. The rumor is true! The Inaugural Henry Gregor Felsen Memorial Car Show will be held on September 17th at the famous Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines, Iowa - where Henry lived when he wrote the car books. I don't know all the details, but the planning is being taken on by four top notch supporters. We'll be meeting next week and I'll be able to give you more details soon. I do know that there'll be a '50s dance with a band and maybe a personal appearance by a certain hot rod songwriter that you all know. It should be a lot of fun!

Well, it's definitely been fun having you on the SGE blog. Thanks for playing along.

My pleasure. But you owe me, big time...

I know.

Keep tabs on the movie at: http://www.gentlerainmovie.com/

For more on Hot Rod and the car show go to: http://www.henrygregorfelsen.com/

Secret spy photos of Holly at last week's World of Wheels show in Des Moines (with Tommy Shaw's T and her metal photo art) by Mr. X.

Scott Parkhurst Interview Part II

(Theme music) (Applause) Welcome back! If you're just joining us, we're talking station wagons with 'Chevelle from Hell' owner/builder, Scott Parkhurst. Now, this thing is just nuts - a full on Autocross and Road Course terror that floats down the highway on 87 Octane swill! There's some pretty bent wagon owner/builders in this book, but you sir, are seriously twisted.

Guilty.

When we went to break, you were decided on a 6-speed trans for the car. Was that like installing a locomotive switchyard in a shopping mall?

(takes sip of coffee) ...Well, the aces at American Touring Specialties had pioneered the A-body swap kit for the T56 and they worked with me to insure that it was flawless.

Is that because you offered them magazine exposure that could potentially make them enough money to justify GIVING you a tranny?

(blows coffee across room) Damn, Scotty! Actually, ATS used my car to prototype their T56 swap for A-bodies. My trans came from Rockland Standard Gear - makers of the 'Tranzilla T56'. Mine is officially a 'Son of Tranzilla' version.
Ah, got it. And did the swap meet your expectations?

Yes. By using a lot of factory (LT-1 F-body) parts, the upgrade is simple, once the trans tunnel is replaced. The T56 makes the car what it is and once it was in place, the notion of the wagon as 'tow vehicle' was gone for good. (more coffee)

The road narrowed at that point.

(nodding) Now it was a summer only car. ATS offered geometry-correcting spindles for the A-body, so I wanted a pair of those. They're based on late model Corvette hubs, which allow for use of huge Corvette brakes. Nice! What else could I do to improve the handling? I coordinated with various experts and chose QA1 double adjustable coilovers  - soft for daily driving, stiff for the road course at high speed, or stiff compression and loose rebound for the dragstrip. Simple adjustment with a knob, too. The swaybar is from Hellwig and it's designed to match their adjustable rear bar.

Can I drive it?

(dismissive wave of hand) Wait! (puts coffee down) The rear suspension is where the men and the boys go their separate ways. After making wholesale changes to the front end until it worked well, the back of the car was nowhere close to keeping up. At speed, the front would grip and the back would predictably come around. Not good.

I'd drive it!

(sideways glance) So when Hellwig created their adjustable chassis-mount rear bar, I was all over it.  A set of upper and lower control arms from Currie Enterprises , teamed with the adjustable bar from Hellwig and another pair of double-adjustable shocks from QA1 really brought the rear suspension into the same dimension as the front. I then learned from Mark Savitske at SC&C (who has been my suspension coach from day one) that Jim Fay at Fays2 was releasing a bolt-in Watts link for the A-body. This would allow the rear suspension to travel up and down as much as it wanted, but wouldn't allow the axle to shift from side to side. That's all the motivation I needed to get one.

A longroof slot car! That's how it sounds, anyway...

It corners nicely. Some stickier tires (Nitto's 555 design, with a 300 treadwear rating) helped too.

Shifting gears here, but they're easy on the eyes, too. Your rolling stock, combined with the stance and paint, make for a fun but aggressive visual package. Did that look just fall together, or was it all planned from the start?

(leaning forward, inspired) Style-wise, I wanted to retain some vintage flavor. I decided to stick with some late '60s/early '70s inspirations, without letting van-era disco sillyness get the better of me. I love the Trans Am race cars of that period and they served as loose models for my mods. Where function was critical, I let performance take over. Where visuals were key, I stuck with 1970 as a time stamp.

Personally, I get a kick out of how the two-tone paint scheme seems to drive home the Trans Am look, even though those cars were mostly monotone.

The wagon has a gold interior. Typical in 1967, but when's the last time you saw one? It's simply too cool to replace. So, I brought the gold interior to the outside and kept the factory off-white as the lower half of the two-tone. The stripe separating the two colors is thick and purposeful and gives the scallop stripes on the hood and roof a reason to exist. It looks old and fast - which is good, since the car is both.

Could I just have it for a weekend? I'm a very careful driver...

(scowling) No. I've had it for seven years now. The first year, I drove it as it was when I bought it. The next three years, it was in pieces as I upgraded the suspension, drivetrain and paint. It's been on the road for the last three years, but spent most of 2010 sitting, as the engine ate a rod bearing and blew up in May and wasn't running again until September. That pissed me off, sure... but it happened on track, down the long straight at Road America in Wisconsin.  I'd been beating on it relentlessly all weekend and was traveling at about 100 MPH when it let go. So I got over it pretty quickly.

That NEVER would've happened if I'd been driving it. I always keep one eye on the oil pressure gauge and -

(sneers) The rebuilt engine is pretty much a duplicate of the original, with a touch more compression (10:1 vs 9.7:1), H-beam rods, shaft-mounted rockers, Tri-Y headers, etc. I plan on attending a few Track Day events, some Autocrosses and maybe even a couple trips to the dragstrip. Mostly, I'll just be driving it on the street and enjoying it the way I'd initially intended. It's comfortable, delivers 20+ MPG and is just a blast to drive. (nervously glancing at wristwatch)

Hey Scott - before you take off, whatever happened to the GTO clone project?

I sold it, unfinished, last year. It was the car I always wanted and I began building it at the highest level of performance and quality - I always envisioned it with the best of everything. About halfway through the build, I realized there was no way I could afford to see it through to completion on my current salary. So away it went. But, the wagon I bought to tow it with is still here and hopefully it will remain for many years to come. Or, at least until I can get the speedometer and heater to work.

At that point, Scott's army of interns, attorneys, managers and press agents whisked him from the building and out to the sidewalk. I saw them pile into the wagon and make a dramatic exit, cutting into heavy traffic with tires ablaze and RPMs still climbing, as they disappeared in a cloud of tire smoke and clutch dust.

Scott Parkhurst Interview Part 1

After mucho hype, it's finally time to fire up the SGE interview series. Our historical first guest is none other than my own boss and owner/builder of the '67 'Chevelle from Hell' wagon, CarTech Editor, Scott Parkhurst. Picture us sitting on toolboxes, jangling at the workbench in Scott's spacious shop compound (his home garage). So, without any further adeu, how 'bout a warm SGE welcome for Scooott Paaarkhuuurst!!!
(Imagine theme music here)

Welcome to the blog, Scott. How's it hangin, Chief?

Just right, thanks (don't call me 'Chief' here).

(Gotcha Chief). Scott, 'America's Coolest Station Wagons' features 65 wagons. We asked each owner, "Why a wagon?" and your response was, "I bought it to be a functional vintage daily driver and tow vehicle for my GTO road racer. I went a little overboard on the upgrades. No regrets though!" Your book feature is packed with tech specs and the buildup of the car, but how did it go from 'daily driver and tow vehicle' to harassing megabuck race cars on the road course?

I can't tell the story of the wagon without some mention of the GTO, which wasn't really a GTO. Bear with me.

No sweat.

I'd always dreamed of owning a really hot '65 GTO.

Who hasn't?

Ha! I know. The crisp, square lines, the stacked headlights, the little scoop on the hood, the fact it was lighter than the '66s and others that followed it...

I'm right there with you.

So I found a '65 LeMans for sale when I lived in Huntington Beach. I got a good deal on it and immediately began dreaming of making it a GTO clone and modifying it.

We seem to have led parallel lives in this department. But how'd it turn into a station wagon? Pixie dust?

Well, I even allowed myself to dream of a killer tow vehicle. Something that'd look the part and be from the same timeframe. Jason Walker - a guy I worked with at the former McMullin/Argus/Yee/Primedia magazine factory - was writing for both Super Chevy and Street Rodder at the time. He was driving the '67 wagon to work regularly. He didn't want to sell, but as these things often happen, I had some parts he wanted and he had the wagon I wanted. We traded off and I began working on the wagon almost immediately.

Did it look then like it does now?

Not exactly. It boasted three different colors (four, if you looked closely) and that simply wouldn't do. I bought a couple cases of white primer spray cans and made the whole car that color within a week. It was a big improvement.

Ha! I never would've guessed you'd do something like that! You just earned another hero point... Okay, so you made the most of what the factory and father time gave you to work with...

It had a later 350 installed, but the Powerglide and 10-bolt rear remained in the car since its birth, untouched. The speedo didn't work, so I had no real idea how many miles were actually on it, but I didn't care - all the stock stuff would be replaced. Jason had upgraded to aftermarket front disc brakes and the wheels were Edelbrock 17 X 8s with Nitto 450 rubber. The coils had been cut to lower it and it looked pretty good. It started, stopped and turned.

I didn't realize you started with such a nice car. Is that 350 the one you built up into the current powerplant?

No. I built a 383 small-block to power it. I wanted it to run on 87 octane, since this was to be my daily driver. Being a performance guy, I wanted as much power as I could get on the 87 octane. I threw every trick I knew into the build and aimed at 500 peak horses at 6,500 RPM. When the engine made 545 at 6,500, even I was surprised.

Man, that's major gow, on cat pee gas! Again, most of the specs are in the book, for those of you wanting to duplicate Scott's efforts - just remember to duplicate them EXACTLY, if you want to get similar results. So, now you had a fresh engine...

I dropped the engine in at a pal's shop. He said I could take a day to do it. One single day. I rounded up some pals and we got going early. I drove the car home late that night. It sounded really mean and it was. But that Powerglide was not happy - it slipped and slid whenever I eased the pedal down even halfway. The need for a new transmission just moved to the top of the list.

Then, of course, we chose to move across the country, to Minnesota. The return to a four-season environment dictated that this would no longer be a daily driver. My new job as Editor of a start-up hot rodding magazine allowed some of the upgrades to happen as magazine stories. The move to a T56 6-speed was one of them.

And that's only the beginning of the beginning of the 'Chevelle from Hell' story behind the story. Get the rest of the dirt behind the build next time, followed by Scott's driving impressions of the finished product. And more... Coming soon in Part 2.

Just A Speck On The Road To The Next Road

Everyone's busy these days. So it's taking longer than expected to put together the interviews for this blog. It should be worth the wait though, for chats with Scott Parkhurst, Cole Coonce and Holly Felsen Welch. And more are coming...

Meanwhile, I'm busy too, working on multiple book and magazine projects. CarTech has me working on 'Rat Rods - Rodding's Imperfect Stepchildren'. This one had me digging deep to identify my balkiness at the subject matter and I learned some beautiful ugly truths about my rigid narrowmindedness and how I'd managed to forget where I came from. Since that excavation, I'm more comfy in my skin and having big fun now with the book. These guys and their cars are all colorful characters, to say the least - a writer's toybox!

On a more pragmatic note, I'm exploring publishing options for 'Surfing the Asphalt Playground - A Hitch Hiker's Guide to Grassroots Motorsports', the socio-political journal of my time on the road to various race events around the country. A grassroots book seems to demand grassroots publishing, especially when the "impossible to market" subject matter scares traditional publishing houses into closing the blinds and taping scribbled 'Sorry, We're Closed' signs to the door. Luckily, I love a challenge. Expect to see this one being spammed on your Facebook page soon. Or at least stapled to your phone pole.

Some really cool pieces are falling into place now on the latest project - a book of short stories about racers from around the world who come to run in the U.S. - working title: 'Racing to America'. I have about a dozen of these stories so far and more trickling in every day. Jaw dropping stuff of the incredible passion required to build a race car oceans away from the land of instant gratification (parts stores and wrecking yards on every corner) and spending huge money to ship it (and several hangers-on) to and from a longshot at glory in the birthplace of hot rod culture.

A couple of years ago, a local gearhead asked me when I was going to write something about Noel Black . It's excruciating to admit this today, but I was unaware of the guy who grew up one block from me here in Medford, Oregon, then wrenched and drove his way to legendary status, ultimately paying his dues at Bonneville in 1970, when he crashed at well over 400 MPH. As I researched this one, events unfolded that had me talking in tongues, when a much bigger story presented itself. The result is 'Black Wednesday Libretto - The Not So Famous Story of B&N Automotive And Their Attack on the Record Books'. Originally written for Hot Rod magazine, the end product is too long for a magazine and too short for a book. The perfect challenge for a guy with more passion than brains! I have a couple of options in the works, but this one really makes the publishers nervous.

There's also the biography of a hot rod pioneer who doesn't want his story published until after his death (it's that juicy); a magazine feature on the latest car from one of rodding's most edgy and whimsical builders; and yet another CarTech book, deemed Top Secret by my publisher. Typical corporate paranoia, but I'm an obedient slave to the machine myself, so I'll remained zipped up for the team. And oh yeah, I apparently have enough time on my hands to update this blog, dailyish. Life is so sweet. Really. You just can't get here from where I came from. I'm the luckiest guy in town - if you believe in luck. I just may be the most grateful though. I'm lovin' this.

Charlie Sheen Eats Baby in Parking Lot! Shocking Video!!!

Now that I have your attention...
Yesterday, I actually looked at some 'real' blogs. Experts were sharing their gifts and experiences with their 'followers' and whoever else happened by. They had flashy, annoying graphics and large archives of supposedly credible info standing by. I felt fortunate to have lucked into such a treasure trove, even if the subject matter was foreign to me (they all seemed to be discussing Charlie Sheen, who I've never even met). It was pretty depressing. I'm no expert on anything and only have promises of future content to lure people in here. You must be so disappointed...

So I got busy putting together some fun activities for us to enjoy here.
Watch this page for exclusive interviews with some people you've always wondered about. Charlie Sheen couldn't make it, but some of the more intriguing people in hot rodding will be here soon, spilling their guts for you. You'll be able to join in by using the 'comment' button, if you want. The interviewees won't be here 'live', but they will see your comments and questions - and I'll post their responses to you asap.

Meanwhile, feel free to comment on anything here at any time. Ask questions and I'll answer honestly and promptly. Tell me what you think and I'll listen. Remain silent and I'll remain noisey. The comment button is yours to use as you please. Celebrate your power with as many comments as you want - don't be shy. But don't get your feelings hurt if I excercise my control of the 'delete' button...

It isn't my usual style to talk about what I'm GOING to do, but it just seemed appropriate to give you a heads-up on these interviews, so you don't miss the chance to 'virtually interact'. The subject will always be some aspect of hot rodding (and/or automotive journalism), so I hope that's what you came for. If not, there are enough sites out there (with expert takes on Charlie  Sheen) to amuse you. Everyone's been really patient with this deal so far and I sure appreciate that. The payoff is in the works.

Jigsaw puzzle Part II

Before this book project, my experience had been writing one feature at a time for magazines. Now I found myself overwhelmed at the prospect of juggling dozens of features. I put the wagons into their respective chapters in order of year of manufacture, for the sake of efficiency. As the project unfolded, I noticed an interesting phenomenon - the first story in each chapter was often the most dynamic. By the final deadline, this was still the case, which I took as a sign from the publishing gods that this book was meant to be. Get a load of this:

Chapter 1 (When Wagons Were Wagons And Horses Were Tired) opens with 'Barefoot Bob' Hardison's depot hack. This guy was already an action figure, way before building the 'hack. He'd carved a canoe from a tree and paddled it from Idaho to New Orleans and back, built a boat to sail around the world and was nearly killed in it during a rowdy storm in the Mediterranian, and put almost a million miles on his motorcycle before deciding to rebuild an original 1914 depot hack to drive coast to coast. He was 73 years old when he hit the road in the 'hack. His escapades during the trip were hair raising, hilarious, heartbreaking and inspiring, all at once.

Chapter 2 (Stock As A Rock) kicks off with Aaron Johnson's Model A woodie, which had been completely restored, then parked for 27 years before Aaron discovered it. He basically kicked the starter, loaded up the family and the dog and hit the road. Now the whole family has rusty tin fever. Yes, it can really happen that way - sometimes.

Chapter 3 (We'll Be Right Back, After This Commercial) starts with the story of how John Stimac grew up admiring the speed shop down the street from his dad's scrap yard, where he worked from childhood until retirement, then bought the speed shop from the 90 year old owners. It's still thriving today and John built a dandy Deuce delivery shop truck to keep up with orders.

The Dave Lyon story jumpstarts Chapter 4 (Beaters!!!), big time. Dave's childhood was peppered with stories of an infamous '40 Ford delivery that not only was involved in many local highjinks, but also did multiple stints at Bonneville as a push car. But he never actually saw it until decades later, when a chance meeting at a swap meet finally led him to the car he'd grown up with in his head. He (literally) dug it out of 42 years of hibernation and drove it into the sunset.

At the beginning of Chapter 5 (Utilitarian Customization), we meet Jason Wolfswinkle, who'd worn out his old hot rod and needed a new one that he could fit his family into. He teamed up with Squeeg's Kustoms to build the ultimate '33 woodie and when you see it, you'll have to concede him victory. It's a masterpiece of craftsmanship (understatement) and gets driven like a rental.

In Chapter 6 (Draggin' Wagons), we begin with a look behind the scenes of a car you've seen before - Larry Fator's '46 Chevy delivery. The story of how Larry came to own his childhood dream car (twice) is amazing enough, but we managed to sneak in some details not disclosed in its many magazine features... Luckily, we have no advertisers to make nervous, so why not go for full disclosure?

Chapter 7 (More Longroof Motorsports) comes smoking outa the gate with our own Scott Parkhurst's '67 Chevelle road race wagon. This car was mostly built while Scott manned the Tech Editor chair at Popular Hot Rodding. He uses the feature as a pulpit to challenge other wagoneers to step up their game and try to match the Chevelle's level of craftsmanship, competitiveness and road worthyness. You'll have to read the rest of the chapter to decide for yourself if they've met his match or not.

Scott will be on this blog soon, providing insight into how he got here from there and what the future might hold for him and us, both.

So now you have some idea of what to expect if/when you crack the book open. It was an absolute riot to write! I hope it's half as much fun to read. We'll all find out in a few short weeks.

Assembling a jigsaw puzzle with broken greasy fingers

"... and they never found the body!" What? Oh, Hi guys! Where was I? Oh yeah, my editor pressed the GO! button on his stopwatch and it was time to start writing the station wagon book.

Being the Forrest Gump of hot rodding, I've accrued many contacts around the country, most of whom I call friends. So my station wagon research became an instant social event and before we knew it, we had wagons of every stripe, stacked up like cordwood. Like any Scotty project, this was a grassroots effort, with one lead leading to another and so on. Another grassroots aspect was the lack of a travel or photo budget, meaning most wagons were shot by the owner/builders, lending an even more personal touch to the proceedings. The result was akin to browsing through someone's personal photo album - very intimate. There are plenty of spectacular shots from famous protographers, but they're balanced out by DIYers who really delivered some cool goods. And as stated before, everyone has an amazing story. I'm so honored to be trusted with the stories of these people and their cars. Just more Gumpism...

We organized the stories into chapters:

Chapter 1: When Wagons Were Wagons And Horses Were Tired
(A glimpse at the journey from plankboard to styling statement)
Depot Hacks, stock and otherwise.

Chapter 2: Stock As A Rock
(Just like mom and dad used to drive you to baseball practice. Kinda.)
Self explanatory.

Chapter 3: We'll Be Right Back, After This Commercial
(Were commercial vehicles the first personalized wagons?)
Wagons and sedan deliveries, still on the job, delivering goods for business.

Chapter 4: Beaters!!!
(If ever a car was built to be used, it's the humble station wagon.)
All of my cars fall into this catagory, intentional or not!

Chapter 5: Utilitarian Customization
(And each one open to interpretation.)
Custom wagons, from Ridler winners to scrappy beaters.

Chapter 6: Draggin' Wagons
(With enough rear overhang to really put some weight on the slicks, wagons hook and book!)
Street and strip sprinters.

Chapter 7: More Longroof Motorsports
(Sure, demo derbying is obvious, but road racing wagons?! And more...)
You name it, someone's doing it with a wagon. Lots of surprises here.

Coming soon, a Scotty Gosson Exposed! exclusive: A candid conversation with my eloquent and outspoken editor Scott Parkhust, who's own wagon is one of the wildest in the book. Scott might even answer some of your questions, so be thinking of how to trip him up...