Devil Deuce to Appear at the California Hot Rod Reunion

26/07/2007

The Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion presented by Holley is all about reuniting attendees with the heroes and race cars of our past--the cars that turned us on as young and impressionable men.

Like a million other kids, my love of hot rodding and drag racing was reinforced when Monogram came out with their ’32 Ford “Deuce” Roadster Drag Strip Hot Rod in 1958. Although a Roadster, the kit was based on Fred Allen’s “Satan” a chopped 5-window Coupe which is generally referred to as the “Devil Deuce” because of the devil’s head painted on the grille insert. I loved those graphics—still do.

The original Devil Deuce and with crew below

Sadly, the real car, which was a big hit at the NHRA National Championship Drag Races in Oklahoma City in 1957, is long lost, however, Texas “Hoodlum” Jim Jard recently had the famed Kennedy Boys of Pomona pay tribute to the car with a faithful recreation. Based on a set of genuine ’32 Ford chassis rails and an original 5-window Coupe body, the Kennedys, Joe and Jay, chopped the top and shoehorned in a ’56 354 Hemi built by John Marchman. J&E pistons, a Comp Cam and a rare intake with four 97s emulate the original car’s 331.

The recreated Devil Deuce by the Kennedy brothers

Although he lives in Houston, Jim is a great friend of the Parks Museum and will haul the Devil Deuce out from Texas just for the Reunion where it will be a part of the popular Memory Lane exhibit in The Grove along with numerous other vintage hot rods and dragsters. For more information about the Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion presented by Holley, go to the Museum’s web site: http://museum.nhra.com or, cal l 909.622.2133. To buy tickets, call 1-800-884-6472.

Story: Tony Thacker