Nick grew up in the greater Denver area, born into a world of motorcycles and fast cars. His father, Bob “St. Nick” Nicholas, was a hot rodder who enjoyed sharing what he knew about vintage speed equipment with his son: parts like Ardun OHVs for flatheads, the super-rare Rajo heads for Model T bangers, and the cherished Wayne 12-ports for Chevy inline-sixes, the latter known as the “unicorn” power-adder of inline speed equipment.
When Nick had a family of his own, he decided he needed a project car to share his love of the hobby with his two young boys. So, in 2010, he scored a needy 5-inch-sectioned ’50 Ford, a car he thought was just unique enough to stand out at local car shows. Left in the trunk by the previous owner was the March 1954 issue of HOT ROD, bearing a similar Shoebox on the cover. Though the Ford was the featured story, there was an article inside that really grabbed Nick’s attention: a recap of the first Hot Rod Hill Climb that took place in nearby Georgetown, Colorado, in the late summer of 1953.
Nick was floored by the discovery, as he had no idea the race ever existed. He was drawn to the article and the history and read it over and over. It was a revelation he carried with him for the next two years, until finally a light bulb went off in his hot-rodinfested head. Why not recreate the event? It was feasible, but first he had to find out everything he could about the original event. “The Hill Climb was run nearly 60 years ago, so I wasn’t expecting much,” he says.
This story is from the January 2020 edition of Hot Rod Deluxe.
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This story is from the January 2020 edition of Hot Rod Deluxe.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Cal, Nick & T-33
REBORN.
Backstage Past Part 10:1963
This Glendale, California, photo session produced the Bob D’Olivo (behind camera, right) transparency that became one of HOT ROD’s most-artistic covers.
Travellin Deuce
A stock height windshield, in conjunction with a body that’s been channeled the full width of the frame, gives the ex–De Fillipi/La Masa ’32 roadster a chunky, almost perky appearance. Discrete lakes pipes peek out beneath the framerails, just behind the firewall. In the mid-’50s, the lakes plugs exited (curiously) in front of the rear wheels.
back to basics
bountiful. the ’32 ford has become the quintessential hot rod, thanks to its good looks and the fact that the model year coincided with ford’s release of a v-8 engine in addition to the reliable four-cylinder.
Nothing Screwy About It
In this space in the Sept. ’16 issue I wrote about several topics, including the Screwdrivers car club of Culver City, California, and whether or not the famous cocktail was named after the club.
Blue Bird
Fathers. The plan was this: My son Sebastian and I had just finished one of many restorations, the Blood Sweat & Gears 1948 Prefect.
Mark of Excellence
Tilt. Somewhere in a small farming town in central Illinois is a garage with a couple of car builders who live in a time warp that starts and ends in the 1960s.
his purple passion
eli english was a grade schooler when he first spotted this '34 couple peering through the open doors of a local garage. thirty years later, he got to work on this period-perfect late-'50s hot rod and put her back on the road.
waterlogged trog
waterlogged trog
