Hal Russel spent much of the 1950s flat on his back -- tinkering under one or another Ford chassis. A Burbank High School graduate during James Dean's reign of cool, Russel spent his prime years learning what made hot rods hot and Kustom Karz kool. During his junior and senior years, the California native banded with seven equally lead-footed buddies to build a bona fide drag racer.
The 1938 Willys, powered by a Ford V-8 engine, was called an "altered coupe" in its day and garnered a case full of trophies for the young racers. This early racecar taught its owners the technology of making cars go fast and gave them a mostly legal outlet for the competitiveness of youth.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd call them my formative years -- grease, girls and Glendale," laughs Russel, who now reserves the garage for his 1950 Oldsmobile. "The room above my garage has become an impromptu museum of '50s L.A. culture, and photos of that drag racer feature prominently in the gallery. The friends I made then remain among my closest."
Four hundred miles to the north, Gary Edwards was a hard-working college student at San Jose State University in the late 1960s. He gained quite a reputation around campus for his Austin Healey. Later, he picked up a turbocharged 1964 Corvair Spyder. Life was good. Then he graduated.
Edwards left college with a degree in advertising and public relations. A good job in Silicon Valley came his way. So did marriage, a mortgage and kids. The cars had to go, and they did: one car per kid.
And so it went. One by one, wrench-twisting gearheads like Russel and weekend warriors like Edwards hung up their keys.
But the dream cars weren't forgotten. In fact, they're back now with a vengeance.
Hot Rod Fan Clubs
What red-blooded American male hasn't salivated over a '57 Chevy Impala, a '66 Ford Mustang or -- the granddaddy of them all -- a '32 Ford roadster? It's in our DNA to lust after big, loud things with wheels -- whether it's a brass-era horseless carriage, a classic Dusenberg or a Shelby Cobra. A dream car is an inimitable American right.
And for many of us who put the dream into storage years ago, the time to fight for that right has finally come. It's no coincidence that, as the Baby Boomer generation empties its nest, car collecting is experiencing a rebirth. Take Edwards, for example. A few years ago, he finally bought "the one:" a 1967 Alfa Romeo GTV coupe. Of course, the car didn't arrive in mint condition, so Edwards engaged the services of professional body and paint masters, engine builders and chassis specialists. He also joined a local car club to compare notes, share horror stories and, ultimately, show off his fully rebuilt dream car.
Edwards story is not unique. The recent rebirth in car collecting is trickling down into local, state and national car clubs that are welcoming an influx of like-minded auto aficionados.
Newcomers join car clubs primarily for their polished-chrome social gatherings, but in between auto events novice members like Edwards also gain access to veterans like Hal Russel, who offer technical advice and colorful anecdotes -- entirely free of charge. Today, Russel is a proud member of the Road Kings of Burbank, a vital, 54-year-old southern California institution that claims nearly 100 members, including late-night funnyman and confessed gearhead, Jay Leno.
"Car-club members share one common infatuation," Russel said, "but we come here from tremendously diverse backgrounds. Our members work in motor sports, the travel industry and entertainment. We've got government workers and business owners with every industry in between."
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