In 1959, the most popular detective show on the planet featured a jive-talking parking lot attendant who made up his own vocabulary and drove a flamed Model T hot rod. Gerald Lloyd "Kookie" Kookson (played by actor Edd Byrnes) was more popular than the two "name" stars of 77 Sunset Strip, particularly with young people.
He invented cool phrases like antsville (a place packed with people) and long green (money), and he constantly combed his hair, leading to a hit record by Connie Stevens called "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)." Adults didn't get it, but kids sure did.
A character this eccentric had to have appropriate wheels, and Warner Brothers chose a scrumptious Model T hot rod built by Norm Grabowski. Although it was also seen in dozens of other movies and TV shows, that rod would become known as the "Kookie Kar." More importantly, it signaled a sea change for hot rods in general. Previously portrayed as chariots for thugs and juvenile delinquents, the rod had now become stylish transport for the terminally cool! And ever since, the Model T hot rod has been an icon on par with Harley-Davidson and Duesenberg in the history of transportation. How it attained those heights is a fascinating story.
EvolutionHenry Ford introduced the Model T in '08, and it quickly became the best-selling car in the world. While Ford is erroneously credited with inventing mass production, many of Ford's early competitors also featured interchangeable parts, simplified design, and an orderly floor plan. The real breakthrough was when Ford introduced the moving production line in '13. Model T production jumped to 300,000 cars per year in '14, while all the other American car companies combined only built 200,000! Ford soon used Model T running gear in a line of commercial vehicles and trucks.
Introduced at $850, the Model T's price kept dropping as volume increased until the '25 model hit $290. No wonder they were the hottest thing since cold beer! Early Model Ts were also raced with great success, but by the end of production in '27, it was no longer considered a hot performer. In fact, Ford stubbornly clung to the Model T long after competitors had moved on to superior models. The Model A that followed was a much better car than a Model T, but no improvement over more stylish models from archrival Chevrolet.
As buyers began to move up to new models, there was a glut of hand-me-down Model Ts available to the used car market (more than 18 million had been sold). Tired and damaged models got so cheap they began to fall into the hands of speed-crazed teenagers, which lead to coining a new term for the hopped-up jalopies: hot rods.
The basic Model T body was in a state of constant change from '08 to '27. There were numerous body styles, including roadsters, coupes, delivery trucks, touring cars, and runabouts. But many buyers soon yearned for something more exotic and distinctive than the ever-present Model T. Sound familiar? Soon custom bodies, grilles, and trim parts were introduced by the fledgling aftermarket industry.
The first kit cars appeared in the early '20s, with aftermarket Speedster sports car bodies intended for the Model T chassis. These were built by many companies, but some of the best known were sold by Mercury and Ames. The Hine-Watt Company in Chicago sold the Happy Sport body for $97 in the '20s. It was a classy roadster with mohair upholstery. Automotive magazines of the era also published plan sets for handmade bodywork to fit the Model T.
Alongside these custom bodies were thousands of speed parts that grew into a $60 million industry during the '20s and '30s. Ironically, the best racing versions of the Model T four-banger were built by Louis and Arthur Chevrolet, who sold them under the Frontenac name.
Young, cash-challenged hot rodders began with whatever Model T they could buy or trade their horse for, and experimented with ways to make it go faster. The easiest (and cheapest) way to improve the power-to-weight ratio was to discard every body panel that wasn't absolutely necessary. First went the fenders, then the hood and bumpers. The definitive T-bucket was starting to develop.
Although there were plenty of go-fast parts for the Model T and Model A four-cylinder engines, the biggest news for performance fans was the '32 Ford with its flathead V-8. Soon these cheap and tunable mills began to find their way from junkyards to waiting Model Ts and, since the cars were so basic in design, it was relatively simple to swap major components around.
Soon Model T bodies were attached to other chassis, and grilles from other Ford models were added. Overnight the speed equipment industry discovered the flathead V-8 and the market was flooded with high-compression heads, multiple carburetor manifolds, radical bumpsticks, and high-voltage ignition systems. Others shoehorned GMC sixes and the early Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Chrysler OHV V-8s into the Model T's narrow framerails. But where to race 'em?