Canadian cars in U.S. mags 50's and 60's

I remember Jim and that "Canadian" hemi probably running in super stock in early days of Mission. I moved to Calgary in 70s. Any info kicking around on another legend there - old Buck Kenny who always ran super stocks? He was the tuning guru.
 
thanks

i will be back but need to finish car first and get it registerd for some shows here will bring it home 2012 june for victora show
 
I remember Jim and that "Canadian" hemi probably running in super stock in early days of Mission. I moved to Calgary in 70s. Any info kicking around on another legend there - old Buck Kenny who always ran super stocks? He was the tuning guru.
Well, others can document but Buck Kenny ran several cars through the PNW in stock classes through the '60's & later...likely best one was the st wagon NHRA record holder. He was a shop guy at Mussallum(sp?) Motors in Mission in the mid '60's where I took deliver of my L-79. That car ran forever I think he had something to do with same.
 
Pat

Howard told me he has owned his '33 since 1955 !!!!

So, couldn't be the same car, Cliff bought it when he was going
to trade school at BCIT in the 60's froma guy from the Island, who
was also going to school.

I can vouch for how long Howard has owned his car.From what I was told 1955 would be right!My wife's(Yvonne's) stepdad,Randy has been best friends with Howard since they were just kids.
 
One last performance car. Bob Kokotello's Henry J in the 67 Vancouver car show. It was a regular on the track at Mission. It was wrecked once and rebuilt. The new version wasn't a duplicate. I think the family still has the car.

Van67KokotellasHenryJ.jpg

Yea Bob shows up at the Old Time drags at Mission and has the Henry J or the early Nova
 
Hey Al, thanks for filling in the blanks for us. I know a lot of the history, but don't know everything and am always interested in learning more. Pat.
Pat, you mentioned Frank Elliott..thinking back Frank started Gastown Vintage Auto in a brick building back in the '60's. Great idea & nice place but out of the rodder/restorer locale. Sold the business to Wes Wakien(sp?) who then sold it to Jim where it's now the Old Car Centre, north Langley. You're filling in more than blanks for me as I was out of the passion for the '70's & 80's (busy at BC Hydro Gas-wink) Thanks!
 
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Pat, you mentioned Frank Elliott..thinking back Frank started Gastown Vintage Auto in a brick building back in the '60's. Great idea & nice place but out of the rodder/restorer locale. Sold the business to Wes Wakien(sp?) who then sold it to Jim where it's now the Old Car Centre, north Langley. You're filling in more than blanks for me as I was out of the passion for the '70's & 80's (busy at BC Hydro Gas-wink) Thanks!

Wasn't there another owner in between Wes and Jim? I think the fellow had something to do with Aggresive transport and Richard's father, Gary, ran it.
Correct me if i am wrong.
 
Brian

Richard's dads name is Gary Nelson and he is still into Model A's and was at
the Old Car Centre bBQ when the Canadianrodder tour came thru in July.
He went to my school but was a couple years ahead of me. He had a channelled fenderless A tudor with a flatty. This photo of his car from my high
school annual. Semiahoo High in White Rock, B.C.


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You are all correct. Gary Nelson had the Old Car Center before McLardy purchased it from him. I was talking to Gary last weekend in Lethbridge at the swap meet for quite a while. Hadn't seen him in ages. He is still into model A's big time. Wes Wikene had the one in Gas town. I went there a few times in the old days. For a restorer type business, Wes built a pro street pretty raunchy 40 Ford sedan delivery. He also has a 46-8 Merc sedan street rod. Pat.
 
Here is the "Purple People Eater" a B.C. 55 Merc talked about previously.
Photo from BCHRA archives....thanks




purplepeopleeater.jpg
 
Maybe I'm going back too far but recalling moving into Burnaby & taking in a chopped/channeled 30/31 coupe just behind Bby General Hospital. I was 13 yrs old & was blown away! 1956 & the builder was Gary Custer. His Dad was killed in the Mt Slesse plane crash along with a few Sask CFL players & the family moved out east thereafter. Dale G told me a while back that Gary moved on to be involved with Dart...any one recall??
 
Maybe I'm going back too far but recalling moving into Burnaby & taking in a chopped/channeled 30/31 coupe just behind Bby General Hospital. I was 13 yrs old & was blown away! 1956 & the builder was Gary Custer. His Dad was killed in the Mt Slesse plane crash along with a few Sask CFL players & the family moved out east thereafter. Dale G told me a while back that Gary moved on to be involved with Dart...any one recall??

Geeze!, i remember exactly where i was when that came over the radio, very shocking to a young kid, who lived on an airport at the time.
I have heard many stories and rumors about it, and even rode dirt bikes up as far as the roads will take you. Ugly stuff.
 
Yes, It was a shocker. i have a book back home about it but can't recall where I got it but will update when I return around Ap 1. Gary's car was unfinished so I bet whoever got it was building into the'60's. C, C'ed and fenderless & I "think" an A frame but could have been a deuce. I wasn't old enough to notice back then. It looked almost identical to one on the cover of a little 1956 Rod & Custom which had a wrought iron rad shell insert.
 
Thanks Keith
As usual it looks like it had been through some changes. Pretty nostalgic though.
Manning our club booth at World of Wheels Calgary this weekend. Several spots selling vintage 8" Car Craft, Rodding Restyling. $15/ea New @ 25 cents would have been a better investment than some.
 
Thanks Keith
As usual it looks like it had been through some changes. Pretty nostalgic though.
Manning our club booth at World of Wheels Calgary this weekend. Several spots selling vintage 8" Car Craft, Rodding Restyling. $15/ea New @ 25 cents would have been a better investment than some.

A gentleman at the Lethbridge Swap last weekend was selling off his 40 year plus collection of little pages and other titles from $3.50 to $5 each.
 
Rod and Custom magazine, May 1960. This 50's Chevy was from Haney, B.C. and was running a BCCCA plaque. Anyone remember this car???



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Ed Bressler's 38 Buick 4 Door !!!! From the BCHRA history section. This car was chopped and had the straight 8 with many carbs. I saw it only once at the 1957
BCHRA show in the basement of the Showmart PNE building.
Ed was a real character and passed on a couple years back.
I will try and find photos of his 1950 Hillman when I have time. Initially it was built with a Ford V860, then he created a frame with an injected sbc and a tilt up body like a funny car. This car and others were featured in the Vancouver art gallery showing the "artistry" in Hot rods and customs. That was in the early 60's.


bresslersbuick.jpg
 
gary custer is still in the windsor area. he worked in an automotive machine shop here for a while before getting involved with dart, not sure if he stayed on when the company was sold. i will ask around.