This 1929 Ford Model A Built by the Cavaliers Car Club Pays Tribute to the Early Days of High-Performance
The name Brian Darwas might ring a bell to a few HOT ROD readers. Besides belonging to the Rumblers, a car club celebrated for its traditional hot rods and customs, the New York State resident has produced several documentaries revered by gearheads, such as The Road to Bonneville and This Is Long Beach. The latter proves especially relevant as it focuses solely on the history of a car club called the Cavaliers. Established in Long Beach, California, it initially adopted the name the Dreamers in 1947 before being changed to the Cavaliers a year later.
The members’ primary interest revolved around custom cars during the first two generations of the organization, which spanned from 1948 to 1956 and from around 1959 to 1963. You might say the early years were rather tumultuous, with occasional fistfights involving members from other local clubs. However, as time passed, the Cavaliers mellowed and staged various successful regional events, including several profitable dances. These ventures allowed the group to share the earnings and visit Disneyland together after the park opened in 1955, for instance.
They’re Back
Half a century after the club’s creation, a group of young hot-rodders from the Long Beach area decided to revive the Cavaliers’ name with the blessing of former members. This new organization wanted to honor the first generations’ associates by only accepting cars that reflected the traditional style of the rods and customs seen on local roads during the 1940s and ’50s.
This 1929 Ford Model A roadster is one of these vehicles. It was built by Todd Lancaster, the man behind a range of traditional hot rods built since the 1990s, often inspired by Californian clubs such as the Shifters. “I thought at the time that I would never be able to afford one, until I realized the way they were doing it: bit by bit, collecting all the right components, and working on it over a period of time until you got everything together,” Todd explains. “Rick and Samuel, two club friends, knew that I wanted a 1928 or ’29 Ford roadster. They even found a few parts at a local swap meet. I told them I didn’t have enough money at the time. When I got home, there was a surprise—they had bought the pieces without my knowledge and ‘assembled’ them in my backyard: cowl, doors, gas tank and subfloor!”
The Montgomery Books
Being a stickler for historical accuracy, Todd spent a lot of time studying books written by hot rod historian Don Montgomery, including Hot Rods in the Forties, a treasure trove of information that was published in the ’80s. Todd was particularly intrigued by Art Tremaine’s 1940s-built Model A. This distinctive roadster featured a Hallock-style windshield, aluminum hood panels, a ’32 Ford grille, and high-mounted headlights. Inspired by Tremaine’s design, Todd set out to create a similar look. “Initially, my roadster was supposed to be unfinished and look as if it had been pulled out of a barn,” he says. “Everything changed one day at the Long Beach Swap Meet. I picked up a hood and hood sides that someone had made, and I knew they were aluminum. I asked the seller what they fit, and he didn’t know. After negotiating a fair price, I ran out to a friend’s car in the parking lot to see if they’d fit on his ’29 Ford with a ’32 grille. They did. Right then, I knew the pieces were going to get polished. The car later transformed into a painted, polished, and chromed-out hot rod instead.”
When it came to assembling the genuine ’32 Ford chassis, Todd entrusted Blackboard Hot Rods of Bakersfield, California, a city known for the historic Famoso dragstrip. Incidentally, mating a Model A body with a Deuce frame and a flathead V-8, a combination called an “A-V8,” has been a popular concept for more than 80 years. This chassis now features three different crossmembers: a Model A at the front, a 1933-’34 Ford in the center, and a slightly flattened ’40 Ford at the back. The 1932-’36 Ford front beam is complemented by ’40 Ford spindles and split wishbone. Moving to the rear, we find more ’40 Ford components (springs and banjo rearend), plus 1946-’48 Ford radius rods.
Recipe From the ’30s and ’40s
A hopped-up 221ci flathead V-8 from a 1938 Ford truck powers this car. It houses larger pistons (leading to a 266ci displacement), a Schneider camshaft, and Iskenderian springs. You’ll also notice various high-performance parts from suppliers cherished by hot-rodders since the 1930s and ’40s, such as Stromberg carburetors, Weiand heads and intake manifold, and a Thickstun breather. Todd even went as far as sourcing period-correct hose clamps. He then added an oil filter that replicates the style of the 1950s Offenhauser model before topping the carbs with a reproduction vintage air filter cover.
The flathead bolts to a three-speed transmission from a 1939 Ford passenger car, a common setup when building a traditional hot rod. To stop the roadster efficiently, Todd mounted 1940 Ford drum brakes, now covered with Ford steel rims from ’40 in the front and 1942-’48 in the back. The requisite hot rod rake comes courtesy of 5.50-16 and 7.50-16 Firestone rubber.
Art Tremaine Spirit
Numerous members of the Cavaliers helped resurrect the Model A body, while Daisuke Miyagawa applied the classic 1929–’36 Ford color, Valley Green. Echoing Art Tremaine’s old roadster, Todd’s car features a ’32 Ford grille and polished aluminum hood and trunk panels punched full of louvers. A friend provided the reproduction Hallock windshield produced in the 1980s or ’90s. The “A” sticker found on the glass needs some explanation: during World War II, due to rationing, it allowed drivers to obtain a maximum of four gallons of gasoline per week.
While a few readers might identify the 1939 Ford taillights, the origin of the license plate light remains uncertain, though it appears to be a 1940s accessory. The cockpit could be best described as basic, thanks to a molded 1935-’36 Ford dashboard that houses Stewart-Warner gauges, a brand favored by hot-rodders years ago. Following the DIY ethos of 1950s hot-rodders, Todd crafted a bench seat from plywood, foam, and vintage-style fabric.
From CA to PA to CA
The car went to claim Best of Show in the Grand National Roadster Show’s famous Suede Palace, before being sold and passing through several owners. It eventually landed in the hands of Randy Carlson, a Californian who acquired it in Pennsylvania. Today, this roadster is well cared-for and often seen cruising near Long Beach, embodying a significant piece of history that helped shape the hot rod and custom car scene. Long live the Cavaliers.
Special thanks: Todd would like to thank Jimmy White (Circle City Hot Rods), Rudy Rodriguez (Fullerton Fabrication), Mike Herman (H&H Flatheads), Josh Mills (Mills & Co.), Don Montgomery, and, of course, the members of the Long Beach Cavaliers Car Club.
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