SA HotRods Magazine
NEW BEGINNINGS?
SO at 11:59, on the 31st December 2009, I like many others, was counting down the last few seconds of 2009. Once the cheering and reworks got going the only thing left to yell was “I AM GLAD THAT SH#$ YEAR IS OVER!” Yes 2009 was a hard year for most and we were all happy to see the back of it. Yes, its 2010 and things are happening. is year promises to be full of surprises and new possibilities. Having said that - we know that this edition is late out the gate but there is a good reason for it: your favorite Rodding magazine is moving to a monthly. So let me hear a Hell Yeah!! No more long waiting between issues, just SA HotRods all the time (well, at least every 30 days).
Speaking of good news - what else do we have in store for you this year? Rods, Rods and more Rods! We launch SA's rst Rodding TV show called, 'African Street Rodding', we introduce a new online magazine format with 'SA HotRods Digital', and our annual Street Rods Festival event promises to be bigger and better than ever. All in all, there is a lot to look forward to!
Our rst edition for 2010 brings you, as always, the best that SA Rodding has to o er. For starters there’s the Retro 1931 Ford Roadster HI Boy. Jacques Mouton tells us about his love of Rodding and we take the only Plymouth Cuda HEMI in the country out for a drive. Barry Ashmold teaches more about metal shaping, and then we are o to Vegas baby, for the 2009 SEMA show. Nico Greyling talks to us about his 1938 Chevy Pickup and we scope one of the raddest 1964 Valiant's on the road. East Coast Choppers gave us a peek at their latest creation the awesome Fire Ball Chopper whilst explaining the mind-set behind what it is they do.
Your feedback is always appreciated and as you can see by the new pullout poster, we actually put your suggestions into practice. So keep it coming, we love hearing from you. Send us a mail @ info@sahotrods. com.
Hope to see you at the SA HotRods Street Festival at Killarney in Cape Town on the 23 May 2010.
Until then... KEEP ON RODDING!
Joe van Zyl
Where have all the Rods gone?
Winter is finally on its way out, meaning that it's time to head back to the garage, dust off those tools, and get wrenching once again (that is, if you weren't die-hard enough to brave the cold of your workshop over the last few months). For those less keen to catch a cold surrounded by all the concrete and steel in your garage (such as myself), winter is a good time to research and plan your build. Experienced Rodders will tell you how important the planning and visualising process is, especially BEFORE you embark on stripping or sourcing parts. Failing this, you will most likely find yourself with a very expensive, half-complete project. And if you don't believe me, then take it from our local Rodding legends featured in this issue, the Corbett brothers.
Since starting SA HotRods, more and more stories and pictures behind the history of local Rodding have been emerging, and I must say that the history behind Rodding in South Africa is fascinating. I don't think many people realise how far we have come over the last 40 or so years. For a small country far from the home of Rodding and its massive Rodding industry (the USA, of course), I think we are doing very well. Our ingenuity, and ability to make do with what we have, makes us unique and makes the Rods we build even more special.
But this does lead me to a question: with so many years of Rodding behind us and so many cars built, where have all the Rods gone? Ask any venerable Rodder and they will tell you about the car they saw as a child which inspired them and which simply disappeared. I have sat looking at old photos of shows and I wonder how cars so distinctive could just disappear. These cars were often the prototypes of what we see today. Sure, some have probably been written off or have left our shores, but surely there must still be some of these Rods tucked away in garages in SA, just waiting to be reborn? This is my call to all retired Rodders to get back into their garages, dust off these beauties which are quietly wasting away in a darkened corner, and get them back on the road where they belong.
As for your Rodding fix, in this issue of
On the event front, we made our presence very much known at the Castrol Extreme Auto Show in June and bring you the Hot Rod Power Tour, in which some lucky Cape Town Rodders have participated. Having heard your calls on the forum for more technical articles, we have recruited Barry Ashmole to take us back to the basics in sheetmetal work and we discuss cylinder heads and gas flow.
As always, we have a bit of everything. So, as the sun comes out (hopefully with the cars), we hope you enjoy the sixth issue.
And, of course, KEEP RODDING!
Joe van Zyl
The little Rod that could!
You may notice, particularly in the publishing credits, that there have been some changes to this edition of SA HotRods. We have moved on from our previous publisher, to producing the magazine in-house. A parting of ways is often not easy, and we would like to apologise to our subscribers and advertisers for any inconvenience that may have arisen as a result. We will continue to honour all the promises made to our readers. That is, to bring you a Rodding magazine of the highest standard, and deliver all the value that you signed up for (and more). We have already begun by slashing our advertising rates by 40%, so I encourage all Rodding and lifestyle-related businesses to support us so that we can continue to bring you South Africa's only Hot Rod and Muscle Car magazine, and help grow it from strength to strength.
Anyway, change is good and we love a challenge. The build-up to our first in-house issue has been a crazy rollercoaster ride, with added things like our '49 Chevy dropping a valve on the drive up to the Nationals. A big thanks to the rest of the convoy for helping us get to the Nationals, sans car. A long-distance road trip always reminds me of why I love Rodding. We may have had breakdowns along the way, but that's part of the Rodding journey. Each breakdown adds to the adventure and each kilometre travelled becomes a triumph.
As usual, we have a jammed-packed June 2009 issue, kicking off with the story of Ed Roth, the king of Southern California's Kustom Kulture. We visited Extreme Classics and discovered Ian Viljoen's crazy custom F1 truck. Being South Africa's biggest Hot Rod and Custom event, we went Nationals mad, and bring you pages of pure SA Rodding heaven. RSM Motor Centre also took us for a drive in their latest creation, the 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Of course, we have to mention our own Rodding event held at Killarney Racetrack, which had an impressive turnout. And we show you some amazing USA Hot Rods which were on display at the Detroit Motor Show. We spent some time with Allen Boonzaaier's 1957 Chevy Bel Air. Finally, we introduce South Africa to real old-school biking with the Brass Pan Bobber, built by Drew van Oudtshoorn of East Coast Choppers.
So sit back and enjoy, and please email us any suggestions and ideas. We look forward to your feedback on our first in-house issue.
BANG!
The New Year started off with a bang and within the first week of January I was wondering how things could get so busy so fast. But busy is good; it means that we must be doing something right, so I'm not complaining.
We have so much in store for you for 2009. Apart from the magazine and website, we intend on organizing more events to give you Rodders more opportunity to show off your rides and do what they are really meant for.DRIVING!
We are planning the second SA HotRods Street Festival at Killarney Racetrack in Cape Town, set for 14 March. Now, before you Rodders from other parts of SA get too outraged over the seemingly extra attention Cape Town is getting, we are working on runs and events in Gauteng and Durban, so keep an eye on SAHotRods.com for more info.
In fact, the biggest Rodding event in SA is happening in Boksburg on the 11 April: the 13th Street Rod Nationals. We can't wait to see what will be coming out of garages from all over SA and be making their debut. Of course, the SA HotRods team will be there in full force, promoting the mag and scouting for talent. So come to our stand, have a chat and introduce us to your labour of love. We love hearing from you.
What's in store for you in this edition of SA HotRods?
Joe van Zyl
2008 Flyby!
SA HotRods magazine has cruised through its first year and what ride! I can’t believe a year has come and gone already. Its amazing how time flies when you have deadlines.
First off I want to say thanks for all the emails and support. SAHotRods.com has been busier than ever. We have heard from Rodders from all over South Africa, and even some from the home of Rodding, the USA! Keep sending us your Hot Rod pics and who knows, you could be in this magazine next.
While some people will be busy with Christmas shopping and holidays this festive season, most Rodders will be hard at work preparing their Rods for the Street Rod Nationals coming up. I hope you have all marked the 11th of April 2009 on your calendar, it looks like there is going to be a massive turnout. In fact, we have dedicated two pages to the ‘In the Garage’ section in this edition, as there are so many great projects on the go in preparation for this momentous SA Rodding event.
SA HotRods is a sucker for a road trip, so we could not pass up the opportunity to go on the Castrol Chicken Run. This trip took us all over SA and I fell in love with our country all over again. So my New Year’s Resolution, aside from stopping smoking, getting fit and building more Rods, is TAKE MORE ROAD TRIPS. There is a lot to see in SA so I recommend you tear a page out of this book!
Again we have scoured the land to find not only the best SA Rodding has to offer, but also the most unique and rare Rods out (or in hiding). We proudly bring you our cover car, the 1956 Chevy Nomad, the only one in SA! We met up with Monty Booth and his big block 1969 Camaro, and Seun van Rooyen shows us his 1936 Plymouth Coupe. We took a 1957 Buick on a drive to the country, and we found a gorgeous 3.5m Custom Chopper hiding in a barn. In our eternal commitment to the local Rodding scene, we have included some local Rodding businesses and events. Adding some international flavour, we feature the Hot August Nights Show in Reno and tell the story of the lucky travellers who got to go. Finally we pay tribute to SA Rodding legend and friend, Ivor Pringle.
As always an action-packed edition of SA HotRods, and as an added Christmas bonus to you all, we bring you a generous sprinkling of Santa’s little helpers throughout this magazine. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, drive safe, and keep Rodding!
Joe van Zyl
Phew!
We have made it past the first issue of SA HotRods magazine and boy, is the ball rolling! Before I get underway with what's in store for you in the second edition, allow me to show my appreciation.
When the first edition went to print, we had this idea that we could finally relax a bit, but we were so wrong. Things became even more crazy with the launch and we were busier than ever. I have thank to the SA HotRods team who worked flat out launching the magazine at various shopping malls and at two major events in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Castrol Extreme Auto Show and the SA HotRods Street Festival. With long days, little sleep and the flu to top it all off, we did it. You are all rockstars! Then to my loving wife Claudia, my dad Johann, and my two baby girls. without their love and support, I would have lost my mind long ago.
A special thanks must also go out to all the Rodders who have welcomed us with open arms. The response has been phenomenal. Within the first two weeks of the launch edition hitting shelves, we started getting feedback from Rodders all over South Africa (and a few from overseas), and the positive comments and support just keep coming. We are overjoyed that you like the magazine. We are also pleased to say Rodding is alive and well in South Africa and are delighted to note that the scene is much bigger than we had originally thought!
So what do we have in store for you in our second edition? First, we tell the story of a living legend, Carroll Shelby, the man behind the coveted Mustang GTs. Tom Bester shows us his award-winning 1934 Chevy Custom Rod. Our very own 1949 Chevy project comes to an end (for now - we all know that Rod building is an ongoing process). Craig Wessels introduces his 1968 Pontiac GTO, the pioneer of Muscle Cars. Then, we have been very fortunate to recently welcome top international custom paint company, House of Kolor, to our shores. In this edition you will be getting tips from the best in the business when they show you, step-by-step, how to do detailing on your car's body. We have also found Frankenstein in Paarl (Western Cape) of all places - a 1934 Ford Rat Rod that is made up of a large variety of cars. This Rat is a true reflection of when something is more than the sum of its parts.
We bring some insight into the contentious, yet murky, issue of what exactly torque and horsepower mean. Then you will get a report straight from the horse's mouth on the Castrol Extreme Auto Show and the SA HotRods Street Festival. Bringing you some international flavour for the first time is one of our SA reporters who was fortunate enough to be on the scene of the Viva Las Vegas Rod Show in the States. Another first is our feature race car, the 1963 Ford Fairlane. This is not just any race car - this one is based on the ultimate Muscle race car by Ford, the Thunderbolt. Finally, South Side Choppers shows us how they make tribute to a legendary rock band with the U2 Chopper.
Join us for another great read, and the lowdown on some more great Rods.
Joe van Zyl
WE HAVE ARRIVED!
Putting the first SA HotRods Magazine together has been a similar experience to building your first Rod. I started with a passion and a dream. Then with the help of some friends, old and new, the bits slowly started coming together. It is never a quick and easy process: time-lines were extended and budgets had to be increased. But finally, we have arrived. One of our main concerns when it came to the magazine was the front cover. I wanted to encompass what Hot Rodding is all about here, which is why a photo taken on the Rubberneck Tour (see the feature further on) was selected. I think this sums up the Rodding lifestyle perfectly: it's all about pure enjoyment, a love for the road, a passion for the old and new, and the insight to visualise and appreciate a blend of the two.
These days, people tend to be so absorbed in big brand names and how much is being spent on the cars that the essence of Hot Rodding is forgotten. I keep hearing conversations of how, overseas, you can buy almost anything you need for a Rod off the shelves. But we do not have such luxury down here in Africa. In South Africa, Rodding usually begins with a bunch of guys who fi nd an old, abandoned, rusted body, and see potential. They hunt down the perfect motor, often have to painstakingly build and modify parts until they fit, and with time-consuming trial and error, eventually turn it into a magnifi cent Rod. But that is what Rodding should be about and I am proud to be involved in the South African Rodding scene. A scene where what you see at the shows and on the roads is the product of many hours of sweat and tears - something to truly be proud of.
Heartfelt thanks go to family, friends, contributors, supporters, and Rodders, for their help and support in getting our first magazine on the shelf. It has been a long and exciting road building up to this edition and we're here to stay. What's in store for you in our launch edition? John Jeffery tells us how he built his fi rst Rod; Walter Gale shows us his 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe (which took a whopping ten years to build); Jacques Mouton presents a stunning 1967 Mustang Fastback which he recently rebuilt; RPG Choppers shows off one of their latest creations; we teach you how to remove rust and tune a Holley Carburettor; and we report on our road trip with two comedians and some great rides. Sadly, we also say farewell of one of the most iconic Hot Rodders in the world, Boyd Coddington. The words on his website sum up our sentiments: 'Boyd, whenever we see clouds in the havens we'll know it's you showing God how to do a great burnout.'
So read on for the good stuff! I do hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed creating it.
Joe van Zyl
