Well, I don't usually try to sell myself to anyone, but I guess this is my time to shine:
I've been into cars since I could pick up a pencil and draw. I knew since then that I would be doing something with them in my life, and always had dreams of working for one of the Big Three, designing concept cars! I purchased my first classic when I was 15, a 1953 ford f100 pick up with a thunderbird front clip, 390 Ford in it, tilt hood. Talk about everyone making fun of you in high school. But I guess I always walked a different line than everyone else. After the motor took a turn for the worst in it, the fun began. I knew when I bought it for $2,800 that I would eventually tear it apart and make it something. I had big plans and started by getting rid of the frame. My dad, Reuben Jones, founder of Induction Engineering, who merged with Moroso in the Early 80s, has been into fabrication and prototype work his entire life. We were going to make our own frame...right down to the teardrop, chromoly A-arms, 10-12 point cage. It was almost going to be a promod, with lightweight bedsides and a nasty motor. I know what you’re thinking.... just what a (at the time, 16 year old) needs!
Well needless to say, like every car nut.... it’s in the garage and many things have come and gone since...but there are still plans to do it one day.
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Here are pictures of the 57... the first car I built. I have one's of the restoration to if you need them.... everything is documented. It was a frame off resto.
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I stopped on it because I lucked into a 1957 Chevy 210. It actually showed up on a trailer in my driveway. It was one of my dad's friend's car, and he was wanting out of it. Needless to say, I had some cash put back, and really had never wanted a 57, but knew the potential after seeing all the parts that came with it. I literally stole the car, and started right away. It was an 8-month build, to everyone's surprise. It had a ZZ4 crate motor, dual 650 Edelbrock carbs, MSD ignition, ceramic custom shorty headers, custom interior, gauges, 17 and 18 inch torque thrust II wheels, 4: 11 Posi rear end, 700 R4 tranny. All of the chrome was redone, and I put the Bel Air trim on it, which was all sanded and buffed out to a mirror finish. The last addition to the car after driving it a while was an Air Ride Technologies Shock wave system for the front and air over leaf for the rear. I built the car while going to college and spent my entire Christmas break working 20 hour days to try to get it done for an art show that I entered it into at my university that spring. I went for a double major in Fine/Commercial art. Let's put it this way... it was a hit at the art show... nobody had ever seen that coming at the university! Needless to say with school and building a car, people couldn't believe that I could afford it, or build it in that short amount of time. I really built it on a shoestring budget. I actually had it for sale on your sight, and then ended up trading it for a 1967 Nova.
The ‘67 Chevy Nova I traded my 57 Chevy For.
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The Nova had a 355 in it, 350 tranny, front tube chassis, tubular a-arms, rack and pinion steering, manual steering, heater delete, and no AC..... but it was a super nice car.
The Nova was sold, and I bought a 1957 Ford 2-door ranch wagon.
1957 Ford 2 Door Ranch Wagon
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The 1957 Ford 2-door ranch wagon had a 427 super-cobra jet, C-6 tranny, 9 inch Ford rear end, 18 inch Boyd's all the way around, air ride, leather, heat, AC, CD changer.... everything you could cram into a wagon! I won the Slick and Smooth Award at GoodGuy’s in Indy with it too!
I then began to get sick of driving someone else's creation, and you know what I had to do about that... I had to get out of the wagon, and build another one. I traded the wagon off on a roller that someone had "started." I would have been better off by selling the wagon and paying cash to the supplier myself... now that I look back at it... but that's how it happened. It was one that I wanted to build since I was building my 57 Chevy. I have always wanted a street rod... a 32, 33 or 34 Ford.... but couldn't afford one to build, so I put that dream off. So now that I had a car that was worth some money, I traded it so I could finally start building my dream car.
Alloway Speedstar... What it looked like when I bought it.
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Front of motor place
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Front of motor
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Gas tank in trunk
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Side of motor
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Side of motor with polished head
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Transmission mount
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Brake Pedal Column Mount
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Front Drive
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Header |
Mock-up Interior |
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Mock-up Interior
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p Motor Mount |
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Motor Mount |
Oil Pump Front Plate |
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Steering Shaft Header
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Undercarriage
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Undercarriage |
This is what the car is looking like now. The hood and sie panels are getting molds pulled off of them, so it will all be just fiberglass. The bondo was used just to make the shape.
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Front Drive |
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Front of motor |
This is what the frame is looking like...almost ready for the powder coaters. The front suspension has been boxed, and all of the lazered out tabs on the chassis have been boxed as well. Compare this one to the was they come from the supplier. |
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So now.... needless to say, I'm building a 33 Alloway Speedstar. I've cut every panel on the car. Changed the frame, cut all of the 3/4" square tube out of the car and put in an 1 3/8 inch round tube cage in it. Redid the hinge system, tied everything to the frame. I rounded all of the doors, re-contoured the trunk opening to better fit the lines of the car, as well as the windshield pillar, hood, grill shell, inside of the doors, and everything else you can think of. I retrofitted a shifter that is in the driver’s side door as well. My dad and I have developed a few products off of this, which I can't really disclose at his point, but one of them is an electronic DFI controlled system that set atop a 671 blower. Custom made fuel injection that hooks to a functional Ram Air hood. I also incorporated an old style torpedo looking headlight that houses a new style bulb that is found in all the high end BMW's and high dollar sports cars. I figure combine an old style and make it look new.... it’s what is working nowadays.
1954 Ford Sedan Delivery |
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But enough about the cars that I've played with, let's talk about my newest venture. The thing that makes me not only a car nut but makes everyone know that cars are my passion.
About 2 years ago, I decided for a Christmas present for all my "car buddies." it would be nice to take pictures of their cars and make a magazine with them in it. It would be personalized to them and would show them how much they mean to me. I'm a Senior Creative agent at an advertising/marketing agency, so it's what I do. So I let them pick where they wanted their car to be shot in front of, and then set up photo shoots with them. They had no idea what I was doing with them, and I would not tell them.... so they just rolled with the punches.
I ended up laying out a magazine, and then finding out that it cost too much money to have 20 mock-ups made.... money I didn't have at the time. So the present idea died. Then I decided... why stop at a Christmas present? Why not start a local/regional magazine? So that was the next step. So the dream continued. I kept pushing and pushing and now it has turned out to be a national magazine that I am hoping to debut in April. The name of the magazine is Curbside Magazine. Here's and intro for it:
What do you think of when you think of hot rods? To Curbside Magazine, it’s the smell of gasoline, the crowd that gathers at the shows, the camaraderie amongst friends and the feeling that over takes you when you see your dream car. It’s not only that; it’s a culture. It’s about past times; a hot rod revolution where slicking back your hair, rolling up a pack of non-filtered camels in your sleeve is the cat’s meow. It’s jumping in your ride on a Saturday night and heading to the drive-in with your best girl.
Curbside Magazine takes the comrodary, the past times, and the love of this culture and puts it all together in one magazine. Curbside Magazine supports this culture and nurtures the continued growth of this revolution. The support is through building relationships within this culture at car shows, cruise-ins, and introducing car, truck, and chopper enthusiasts to each other through a common channel that we all know and love.
Curbside Magazine is the brainchild of a car enthusiast that cannot get enough of the high octane, hot hues, and shiny chrome of the hot rod culture. This culture has grown tremendously in the past couple years thanks to shows such as OverHaulin’, Rides, Monster Garage, and Orange County Choppers. The general public is now aware of what most of us already knew about.
Whether in a parking lot, local diner, park, gas station, or other such structure, local car shows pop up in every town. This magazine gives everyone a chance to get into a magazine... every car buffs dream. With that said, many national magazines only cover big events, and cover builders that are already in the spotlight. From a rat rod to the high dollar tech rod, Curbside Magazine opens the doors to all makes, models, years, and incomes.
We are open to all comments and suggestions. We want to make Curbside Magazine a magazine for all car nuts like us. Keep your eyes out for us at the shows.
So needless to say, I'm learning everything I can about the publishing and magazine business. I'm looking for people that share my passion and I would like to see what I could do with this overwhelming project. I've taken all of my own photography, laying out the magazine and writing of the article. I have a couple of friends that have written articles that have been published before, so they too are helping me out. I'm looking for national advertisers as we speak and anyone that can help out, has input, or just wants to shoot the crap... get a hold of me. I want to start networking and adding to the people that have already made a difference in my life, as well as more people that will support this endeavor.
I've got a media kit made up, I'm looking for a national distributor at this point as well as advertisers. I know this is a lot to take on, especially as a one-man show, and even on the side from my full time job. But not guts, no glory. At least I can say I tried if it doesn't work.
I'm going to send pictures of the cars I've had, built, and am currently building I want to make people’s dreams of getting their car into a magazine a reality, as well as making my dreams a reality too. By the way, I'm 26 years old.
Jeremy Jones