Gene Cross

You gotta admire the older guys
Whose rods have great patina,
With rubbed-through paint, and bias tires,
And shades of Pasadena.

--Mark A. Morton, from “Last Will,” issue No. 2 of Hop Up Magazine

Many of today’s hot rods are beautiful works of art that cost as much as a home in the suburbs, but the origins of hot rodding date back more than 50 years. Hot rodders cobbled parts together to make their old cars faster, and creativity and ingenuity were the order of the day.

The spirit of the old days is coming back strong. “Rat rods” as they’re sometimes called, are gaining popularity as an alternative to big bucks and buckets of chrome.

At last fall’s Goodguys car show at Kansas Speedway, I bumped into Gene Cross of Runnels, Iowa. Cross’ car, whose license plate spells BRNFIND, is a perfect rendition of the old hot rod spirit. It has steel wheels, a flathead Ford V-8 with three carburetors, patches of primer paint and a liberal coating of splattered bugs on the radiator. Even though it looks as if it were just discovered rotting in a barn, it is mostly new. Many of the parts are old, however.

“This is my way of rebelling against ‘32 Fords that cost $100,000 or $200,000,” he said, puffing on his pipe.

For years, Cross rummaged around car shows and swap meets looking for any part he might be able to use on a hot rod. “If it fit my theme, and was dirt cheap, I bought it,” he said.

His collection of stuff is nothing if not eclectic. “If I live to be 100, I would never be able to find all these parts again,” he said.

Cross started with a pair of ‘32 Ford frame rails, and put a fiberglass body on top. He located an old LeBaron Bonney top that was ragged but fit his theme perfectly. He yanked the door panels off a rusted 1948 Ford sedan in his garage and stuck them on the roadster, holes, tears and all. The serape blanket that covers the seats was one that his wife had for 15 years.

Cross has worked hard to create the image of an aging hot rod. As Hop Up editor Morton continued to say in his “Last Will,” “the paint is shrunk and pitted, from gravel, rocks and bugs. The leather’s cracked and faded, and there’s heel holes in the rug. Maybe I’ve already got it — the old rod of my dreams? In my own garage for all these years, at least that’s how it seems.”

To get in touch with Tom Strongman, send e-mail to tstrongman@kc.rr.com.



The 'Barn find' of Gene Cross
You gotta admire the older guys Whose rods have great patina, With rubbed-through paint, and bias tires, And shades of Pasadena. --Mark A. Morton, from “Last Will,” issue No. 2 of Hop Up Magazine Many of today’s hot rods are beautiful works of art that cost as much as a home in the suburbs, but the origins of hot rodding date back more than 50 years. Hot rodders cobbled parts together to make their old cars faster, and creativity and ingenuity were the order of the day. The spirit of the old days is coming back strong. “Rat rods” as they’re sometimes called, are gaining popularity as an alternative to big bucks and buckets of chrome. At last fall’s Goodguys car show at Kansas Speedway, I bumped into Gene Cross of Runnels, Iowa. Cross’ car, whose license plate spells BRNFIND, is a perfect rendition of the old hot rod spirit. It has steel wheels, a flathead Ford V-8 with three carburetors, patches of primer paint and a liberal coating of splattered bugs on the radiator. Even though it looks as if it were just discovered rotting in a barn, it is mostly new. Many of the parts are old, however. “This is my way of rebelling against ‘32 Fords that cost $100,000 or $200,000,” he said, puffing on his pipe. For years, Cross rummaged around car shows and swap meets looking for any part he might be able to use on a hot rod. “If it fit my theme, and was dirt cheap, I bought it,” he said. His collection of stuff is nothing if not eclectic. “If I live to be 100, I would never be able to find all these parts again,” he said. Cross started with a pair of ‘32 Ford frame rails, and put a fiberglass body on top. He located an old LeBaron Bonney top that was ragged but fit his theme perfectly. He yanked the door panels off a rusted 1948 Ford sedan in his garage and stuck them on the roadster, holes, tears and all. The serape blanket that covers the seats was one that his wife had for 15 years. Cross has worked hard to create the image of an aging hot rod. As Hop Up editor Morton continued to say in his “Last Will,” “the paint is shrunk and pitted, from gravel, rocks and bugs. The leather’s cracked and faded, and there’s heel holes in the rug. Maybe I’ve already got it — the old rod of my dreams? In my own garage for all these years, at least that’s how it seems.” To get in touch with Tom Strongman, send e-mail to tstrongman@kc.rr.com.