When you get as deep into a hobby and lifestyle like we do, it is easy to acquire things. Some of it is junk, that’s for sure, but there are also those things that we cherish. Be it because it was passed down from Grandpa who bought it new in ’59 or it is that one thing we’ve lusted after for years and finally got our hands on, it holds a value to us that can’t be scaled with money.

Recently, I got the chance to peer into a life of hot rodding that, well…got a bit extreme. A fellow Southern California native opened up his home to me so I could get a small idea of what it’s like to be a “Hot Rod Hoarder.” This gentleman, who we’ll call HRH, blew me away with his collection. As a kid growing up, he never had a chance at a life outside the automotive racing and aftermarket world. Decades of adding to his collection, turning wrenches, and living the hot rod lifestyle have culminated into an impressive display that he, quite honestly, doesn’t feel the need to display.

Not only did I get the chance to photograph a portion of HRH’s collection, we also sat and talked about his obsession and lifestyle. Check out a few of the things we talked about.

Rod Authority: Talk to me about some of the highlight items in your possession and give us some backstory on how you came to own them/why they are special to you.

Hot Rod Hoarder: “Well when you are collecting things of this nature…it seems everything has a story. Every reluctant seller of an item that tells you his and the item’s life story.

One thing I feel privileged to own is the B&M Hydro dealer poster. I bought it at The Big 3 swap meet in San Diego from its original owner. The elderly gentleman explained to me that in 1960, his speed shop was the only dealer of B&M Hydros south of Van Nuys where they were manufactured, so they sent him this dealer poster – in 1960. It’s an amazing piece to me because it’s printed on cardstock, in its original frame, and has never been protected by glass. It’s amazing it survived!

The original Casler slicks are close to my heart as well. An old guy in my dad’s Jeep club, who was like a beloved adopted grandfather to me, had put a RayJay turbo’d 289 in his CJ-5 in the mid 60s. A relative convinced him that he needed to take it to Orange County Raceway and get a ¼ mile time on it. So he bought these brand new Caslers and took the Jeep to OCIR….only to find out that they hooked so hard that he blew  up the rearend, the rear driveshaft, and the transfer case in the Jeep all in one launch!

He put the Caslers in the shed and never looked at them again. So they are near perfect. They were only used once and were stored indoors from that point on.

The Fueling big-block Chevy hemi heads are a unique piece that I’m very fortunate to own. I was in the market for some snowflake aluminum ’68-’69 Corvette 427 heads to put the ’69 Corvette tri-power on. A local guy here that owns a speed shop that we were regulars in said he was sure he had a set in the shop, but he’d have to find them. Several months passed with him reminding me that he hadn’t forgotten about the heads, he just hadn’t had the chance to look yet. One day I got a call. He said, I found the aluminum heads, but they are not the snowflake heads. He said, but, I know you and the things you collect, you will want these anyway. So I ran down and here were the Fueling heads fully polished. He’d done the valve job and fully assembled them for me so they were ready to go!

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While searching for Winters branded heads, HRH stumbled upon a set of original Fueling Chevy big-block heads designed to convert the motor to a hemi style combustion chamber.

My little ’51 Henry J is special to me as it was my first car. I’ve had it 25 years this year. I grew up around all the old hot rodder guys who were always saying, “If I only had this car or that car back that I had back then…”  So I never sold anything! Ha! So I still have my first car.

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Automotive literature is definitely one of his things - he just can't get enough!

My book collection is something I really enjoy as well. I started collecting the books around the same time I started collecting parts….age 16. As I’ve gotten older I have wildly expanded the library. My oldest book is currently a “Brook’s Automobile Handbook” from 1908. I got very interested in factory literature, primarily GM. I have a collection of the dealership albums as well as autoshow literature pieces for GM cars as well as for GM show and prototype cars that never actually got produced. I have a large collection of National Service Data, Motors, and Chilton books that cover the 20s thru the 70s.

I am also fortunate enough to own an original Tony Nancy upholstery piece – the seat for my bodiless 1969 funny car.”

RA: How did you get into classic cars/trucks?

HRH: “I was just simply born into a hot rod family. My grandfather owned Astro Enterprises, the wheel company. He campaigned a couple of dragsters in the 60s and appreciated a fine automobile. So my father was raised in this atmosphere and never knew any different. When my parents got together my mom went to all the races with my dad when he would race the ’60 Chevy Bel Air that I inherited from him. When I was born, my dad had a ’67 Super Sport (full size Chevy that they only made 2.7XX of) with a 427 ci and four-speed. My mom drove a ’72 El Camino, they had a ’60 Bel Air drag car, a ’62 Impala circle track car somewhere in there, and an off-road Jeep. This is the house I came home to when I was born! I never had a chance!”

RA: What is the value of keeping parts/memorabilia you come across over selling them, in your opinion?

HRH: “Well I’ve always joked and called it my cast iron retirement. The collection of engines that I have, etc.–It’s better than money in the bank. I don’t need to sell anything, so I don’t…but it is all an investment. I know what to buy and what price to buy it at and I have been buying since I was 16. I’m not a “trader” in parts…I’m a collector. I like surrounding myself with the things I enjoy…I don’t look at it as how much I could make off this part by turning it over tomorrow.”

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His '58 Delray may have had a rough past at times but it is certainly a cherished favorite in the collection.

RA: What is the one thing that you could NEVER part with in the case that you had to liquidate everything, but you were allowed to keep one thing.

HRH: “That’s a hard question given the amount of stuff in question, but probably my ’58 Chevy Delray. I have SO MUCH blood, sweat, and tears in that car. I completely built the car twice–before and after a head-on collision. I have four times as much money in it than it’s worth, but it’s finally exactly what I’ve always wanted it to be–just a bitchin’ hot rod: 348, bench seat four-speed, magnesium Halibrands, all correct Delray parts, etc.”

RA: Tell us about some items that you don’t have in your possession, but you’d love to one day include. What is that one thing you desperately want but can’t find?

HRH: “Well the first part I ever bought/collected when I was 16 was the Hilborn bug catcher injector. I bought it, fully polished along with its fully polished fuel pump and belt drive for $325.00 out of the Recycler! But I bought it because, even back then I wanted to build a Hairy Canary funny car clone. Now, 22 years later, I’m finally doing it. It’s been a long road, but I’m determined to own an exact replica, late 60s spec, altered wheelbase car that is completely useless. Not a street car because it’s a nitro funny car from the day and cannot race it because it would never pass modern tech. I want it more for the historical significance. Doing my part to preserve a bygone era.

I’ve always wanted a Hilborn shot gun injector for my fuel injector collection. They used to be around when I was younger, but I haven’t seen one in a long time now.

I’m honestly at a point where I have so much, that I really don’t want for anymore “stuff,” I want moreso for the time to now do something with the stuff that I have. Build my altered wheelbase car, restore the straight axle ’63 Impala, build the Henry J gasser.”

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Yea...there is definitely a fondness for injectors and bug catchers.

RA: How do you decide if you have to have something? Does it just strike you when you see it?

HRH: “Yes, for the most part it just strikes me. Odd books, old/odd parts that I know I’ll never see again if I don’t purchase when I see it. So many times when I was younger, I passed on things that still haunt me to this day. I have a photographic memory, so I remember everything! So now, if something strikes me THAT MUCH, I know if I don’t buy it I’ll regret it forever.”

RA: Where do you find your new treasures usually?

HRH: “The bulk of my stuff has come from the California Hot Rod Reunion Swap Meet, the LA Roadsters Swap Meet, The Big 3 Swap Meet, and from people wanting to part with something knowing I collect vehicular oddities–they know that it’s going to a good home. I get phone calls from people I do and do not know offering the sale of components. I’ve collected things coast to coast. I found a couple items in an antique store in Vermont last year. I also brought a couple pieces home from New Zealand.”

The Final Take

The pictures scattered through here and in the gallery are only about 50% of the entire collection that our Hot Rod Hoarder friend has. There are four more pairs of magnesium wheels, an engine collection of 392 Hemis, aluminum head Corvette 427s, and so much more hidden away still. Seems like there may be a museum in the making!

Here at Rod Authority, we don’t necessarily condone the hoarding of valuable parts as a “cast iron retirement,” but we can agree that this is pretty epic to say the least! Be sure to check out the gallery below for more shots of the collection.