The Bob McGee/Dick Scritchfield/Bruce Meyer Roadster

THE BOB McGEE ERA
A Deuce is a Deuce is a Deuce--right? Well, yes and no! The Bob McGee Deuce has a lot of firsts under its beltline; please allow me to explain. It was the first Deuce highboy roadster to appear on the cover of Hot Rod magazine (Vol. 1, No. 10, October 1948), shown with Bob cruisin' the USC campus where he was not only a student, but a guard on the football team as well. It was not, however, the first Deuce roadster to be so honored, as Keith Landrigan's La Salle V-8-powered, fender-free channel job (that would be a "lowboy") was cover choice for Vol. 1, No. 2, February 1948. Also, in a day when the very term Hot Rod was just coming into vogue as popular venicular for both rodders and their many critics in the "yellow" press (the "Hot Rod Menace," etc.), and most such roadsters were bare-bones, hardcore street/racing jobs (usually their owners sole means of transport), Bob McGee's was refined, having both paint and upholstery. One interesting thing about Bob's car is that it originally (and does so again) ran a 21-stud ('34) Ford flathead without water pumps (it used Thermo-Flow cooling) or benefit of a generator (Bob carried an extra, charged battery in the trunk). And while we're on the subject of his powerplant, the ported and relieved V-8 ran dual Stromberg 97's on a Burns manifold, Federal Mogul bronze heads, a Spalding Zephyr-type ignition, a Pete Bertrand cam, and used a Filcoolater (beehive) oil cleaner.

Quoting from Robert E. "Pete" Petersen's editorial column in that October issue of HRM might be in order here: "Bob McGee and his beautiful roadster appear in the Hot Rod of the Month feature in this issue. With increased interest in 'pleasure' jobs, it is befitting that Bob's roadster should take the spotlight in HRM. His car, rigged with every safety feature, has plenty of 'eye appeal." Bob's car has another first to its credit as well, as it was the first subject of what would become a Hot Rod magazine tradition--a Rex Burnette cutaway. Note that a cutaway of the Pearson Bros. '36 three-window had appeared in the August issue (Vol. 1, No. 8), but it was by Tom Medley who would become renowned for his cartooning.

Yet another thing that put Bob's red rodney way ahead of the curve, making it contemporary even by today's standards, is bodywork (dare I say customizing?) by Bill Summers, which, along with "standard" hot rod practice of the era, modifications such as a filled and peaked grille shell behind a V'd spreader bar, filled cowl vent, there-piece louvered hood, shaved handles, and a unique, lengthened trunklid, with the lower panel blended into it, also incorporated hidden door hinges as well. And while we're on the subject of bodywork, Whitey Clayton gets credit for the unique dash, and Bill Summers for the (original) leather upholstery work.

To kick off the Hot Rod feature, Pete said: "With the growing demand for smart street roadsters, Bob McGee's car should serve as a model to hot rod builders." It's obvious such musings didn't fall on deaf ears. But, as we're already deep into what was written of Bob and his roadster some 54 years ago, let's continue by listening in on what else was written in that issue: "Bob McGee of Huntington Park, California, drives a roadster which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful examples of hot rod efforts to be seen. The bright red car shows the maximum body and upholstery work, result of much planning and many days of labor.

"Bob, a student at the University of Southern California, was born in California, which qualifies him as one of those rarities of the western state...a native son. He (Bob) began work on his first hot rod, also a roadster (Note: we don't know if his first roadster was a Deuce or not, as Bob unfortunately passed away a few years ago without being able to see this, his second roadster, completely restored--Ed.), back in 1940. When he completed that car, he joined the Gear Grinders, one of the associated clubs of the S.C.T.A. It was in 1941 that Bob made his initial dry lake runs, setting some admirable roadster times.

"Later, McGee entered the U.S. Army, serving three years during the recent war. He wound up his military term as an M.P. in the Philippine Islands. Bob began work on his present roadster in May of 1947, had it on the road in August of the same year (Note: it ran just a tad over 117mph at Harper's Dry Lake that year as well--Ed.).

"At present, he (Bob) is busying himself by building up a new engine for his car. When this mill is in, Bob hopes to turn in some good times at S.C.T.A. dry lake meets. Bob McGee wants everyone to know that he doesn't expect his roadster to become a top record holder, as it is designed primarily as a pleasure car.

"Model roadster that is, Bob's car was chosen to represent the S.C.T.A. when the group recently joined the National Safety Council in Los Angeles. Readers should take a good look at the cover picture on this issue as it is rumored to be one of the few photos ever taken of the modest roadster owner, Bob McGee."The Deuce got Bob through college as both school transportation and occasional lakes racer. I'm also sure that the beautifully trimmed roadster also attracted the fair sex as well as any lacquered leadsled of the day could have done. Girls might not want to have ridden in greasy, smelly hot rods, but as the 1950 movie Hot Rod graphically illustrated, they loved cool, fast, finished cars.By 1956, Bob had a good job that required his relocating to Hawaii. There were probably several reasons Bob decided to sell his beloved roadster, but I feel the clincher was most likely the Island's strictly-enforced fender law--enter another hot rod crazy young man, one Dick Scritchfield.

strong>THE DICK SCRITCHFIELD ERA
Dick Scritchfield has had a long and illustrious career in hot rodding. Yes, that's right--career, being involved most of his adult life, both as professional (speed shop owner, the first NHRA Regional Rep, and Safety Safari participant, Associate Editor of Car Craft, and Advertising Manger at Rod & Custom), just to name a few, all the while actively participating as a hobbyist as well.

In 1944, as a lad of 14 living in Missouri, Dick purchased his first car, a '29 Model A coupe, and was granted a valid driver's license. Other cars would follow, with his first Deuce (a Sport Coupe) acquired in Washington, D.C., while he was stationed there as a drummer in the Navy, which he joined in 1948 (Dick is still a percussion instrument kind of guy). Dick went on to be stationed in Puerto Rico, where he cruised in another Deuce, this time a five-window, which was the only hot rod on the island. As Dick was one of those "hot rodders," he was asked by the base brass to organize a drag race to keep the sports car guys (both enlisted and locals) from racing on the streets, where there had unfortunately been a few fatalities. Can you imagine for a moment that it was the sports car boys who were the ones they were trying to get off the streets? Dick eagerly complied, then promptly kicked some serious sporty car butt with his fender-free and channeled Deuce coupe. It was also while in Puerto Rico that Dick became a partner in a garage where he honed his bodyworking and painting skills during off-duty hours. He would later return to the island after his tour of duty, where he and his partner imported speed equipment from the States and performed engine swaps. However, as he was already an NHRA rep by this time, he returned to his new rodding career Stateside, moving to SoCal in '56 to work at NHRA headquarters. One day Dick chanced to see a great looking yellow Deuce highboy roadster for sale in a gas station and acquired same forthwith. Now if you guessed it was Bob McGee's roadster, you're correct.

If the roadster had been both daily driver and race car to Bob, Dick added yet another element--movie and TV star. The "B" movie producers were always on the lookout for prop cars that screamed "HOT ROD!" and were willing to pay good money to rodders who wished to supplement their incomes by renting them to the studios, as evidenced by Norm Grabowski, Tommy Ivo, and numerous others. This concept wasn't lost on seminal L.A. Roadsters member Dick, and soon the Deuce was involved in all kinds of socially inappropriate automotive hijinks on the silver screen. Dick, Tex Smith, Tony LaMesa, and other roadster owners decided a club dedicated to topless motoring would not only be fun, but give owners of such cars a responsible, public image as well. So, on one fateful Spring day in 1957 (A Sunday afternoon to be exact) the first formative meeting was held at Weiand Equipment Co., where Dick was voted President, and awarded membership card number one! His roadster went on to appear in such flicks as Hot Rod Gang, Hot Rod Rock, and other, more forgettable films as well. The now Scritchfield roadster (he owned it for some three and a half decades, 1956-90), also appeared on movie posters and lobby cards, album covers, and in many magazine how-to articles as well, making it one of the most visible public representations of the hot rod esthetic of its day. It also appeared on television shows like Dragnet, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Real McCoys, 77 Sunset Strip, and of all things, The Lawrence Welk Show, serving as a hot rod stage prop for the Lennon Sisters, which showed rodding's more acceptable side to the "Geritol Generation."

Over the years the '32 was subject to many mechanical changes (flathead exchanged for 283 Chevy small-block, etc.) and cosmetic changes (first non experimental Metalflake paint job in 1960, which was the subject for a breakthrough article in Hot Rod, inspiring a young Jerry Weesner to do likewise with his own set of wheels, a '48 Ford convertible). Dick would then build, with Dave Carpenter's help, a 350cid small-block Chevy that would carry the roadster to a two-way average of 167.212 mph at Bonneville in 1971, with full street equipment. He not only set a record (C/STR) that would stand for a number of years, but the car was given the enviable title of The World's Fastest Street Roadster as well. In a recent conversation with Dick (who now resides in Hawaii), he disclosed that he would drive the roadster on the street equipped just as it had run on the slat, so the title was both legitimate and well earned. And by the way, those over-the-frame headers that Dick ran and nobody could ever quite seem to identify, were Sanderson Chevy marine items turned upside down.

To backtrack just a scoach, in 1964 Scritch had it made, sharing a bachelor pad with fellow L.A. Roadsters' member Sam Conrad, had a garage full of roadsters and parts, and a new position with his then employer, the Auto Club, where he had been transferred to the Claims Division. When our boy was introduced to his new secretary, one Marian Wilson, that was it--love at first sight! So what did our young couple drive on their honeymoon? If you guessed the Deuce, you're still in the ballpark.

When Scritch finally retired to Hawaii around a decade ago, Marian restricted him to only taking some half-dozen vehicles with him. So, with all kinds of motorized transport to choose from, including a Deuce Phaeton he built while at Car Craft (and which he still regularly drives), the roadster was put on the block, as Hawaii still had those pesky fender laws (which varies from island to island), which had caused Bob McGee to sell the roadster all those many years before as well.

THE BRUCE MEYER ERA
Bruce Meyer has become the consummate preservationist when it comes to pedigreed hot rods of the '40s and '50s. Bruce is also into collecting Duesenbergs, Ferraris, and other forms of motorsports including vintage race cars. He is the proud owner (possibly caretaker would be more appropriate) of the famed Pierson Bros. Coupe, the Doane Spencer '32, the Frank Mack '27 T roadster, and many others as well. And what historic hot rods Bruce doesn't currently possess, is having restored, or plans on purchasing in the near future, Don Orosco has, or soon will have. Kudos to these men (and the very few others like them) who seek out and keep these precious relics alive for this and future generations to enjoy.

Bruce's roadster was completely restored by the crew at SO-CAL Speed Shop to Bob McGee's version, and entered in the 49th (1999) Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it took a close second to Don Orosco's equally beautifully restored Dick Flint '29 A roadster, which took First Place, along with the coveted Dean Batchelor Memorial Trophy, just as Bruce had done in '97 with the Doane Spencer roadster, the first time historic hot rods had been allowed to share the fairways with "official" classic automobiles. An interesting aside is that SO-CAL Speed Shop restores Bruce's hot rods, but when the SO-CAL coupe was purchased by Don, he had it refurbished at his own facility to compete with the coupes at Pebble Beach in 2001. Oh, and one other thing--let's just hope that Bruce doesn't move to Hawaii anytime soon, as this seminal Deuce highboy roadster is too old to be uprooted every few decades and go to a new home. It disserves a fitting retirement, parked among other examples of its kind, also in their golden years.