We tapped Ed "Big Daddy" Roth on what his thoughts were on the past, present, and future of the street rodding hobby. At the time, the Big Daddy was heavily into his three-wheeled Globe Hopper project, which reflected in his thoughts on the use of nontraditional powerplants and composite body materials on street rods of the future.
Bob McCoy is one of those hot rodders who has seen every facet of the sport-from jalopy races to the dry lakes, street racing to show cars. He's even owned a few cars that have seen their share of magazine coverage. The latest in the long line of cars back in '87 was this red '40 Ford Fordor Bob he had recently acquired. The Fordor sports a Chevy V-6 backed by a five-speed manual trans.
Tom's Fun Run was in its 10th year back in '87, and in honor of the 10th anniversary, local clubs-including the Cruisin' 50s, South Bay, and the Orange County Cruisin' Association-scheduled Friday and Saturday cruise nights in addition to the big cruise on Sunday.
Back in '87, the personal camcorder industry was just hitting its stride; so too were the many production companies that would pop up and offer videos from numerous rod runs and events throughout the country. SRM reviewed a handful of them and picked our favorite: Vermillion Productions' coverage of the Back to the '50s event.
Dale Straley's Model A roadster was first featured in SRM back in 1981 when he and his family were still living in Wisconsin. Since then, they've moved to the more temperate climate of Dallas, Texas, and rebuilt the old A once again. Upgrades this round included a new engine, exhaust, interior, and extensive exterior modifications, including body and paint.