Chuck Gibson's 1927 Ford

A photo of Chuck "Hoot" Gibson's roadster pickup taken at the dry lakes around 1948. Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Hoot and his roadster pickup at a Prowlers picnic in 1949. Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Hoot "riding" his roadster pickup. Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Chuck's roadster at the dry lakes in 1951. Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

The roadster as it appeared when it was featured in Car Craft May 1956. Carl Burnett was the car's owner by then. Photo by Bob Greene.

Photo by Bob Greene.

Photo by Bob Greene.

Photo by Bob Greene.

Photo by Bob Greene.

Carl's roadster being shown at a San Diego High School car show held at Balboa Stadium in 1957.

Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

The roadster as it appeared after Bob Smith had bought it from Carl. Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Bill's roadster on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine March 1958.

Photos from Hot Rod Magazine March 1958. Photo by Bob Hardee.

Photo by Bob Hardee.

Photo by Bob Hardee.

Photo by Bob Hardee.

Photo by Bob Hardee.

Photo by Bob Hardee.

Photo by Bob Hardee.

Bill's roadster featured on the cover of Rod & Custom June 1959.

The roadster as it sat in 2008. When the photo was taken, Its current owner John LeBarre was working on restoring the car. Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Photo courtesy of the Prowlers.

Featured Stories - 1927 Ford

1927 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup originally owned and built by Chuck Gibson, a charter member of the San Diego Prowlers Car Club. Chuck Gibson, also known as "Hoot," was the first of four Prowlers members to own the roadster. Chuck owned the car in the 1940s and the early 1950s and used it to race at the dry lakes. When Chuck owned the car it consisted of a widened 1927 Ford Model T body that was channeled over a 1932 Ford chassis. The cowl was lengthened, and the car was fit with a louvered 3-piece-hood and a 1932 Ford grille shell.

Sold to Carl Burnett and Turned Into A Roadster

Chuck sold the car to fellow Prowlers member Carl Burnett in the early 1950s. When Carl got the car, he converted it from a record-chasing roadster pickup into a show-winning roadster. He straightened the body and turned it into a roadster by grafting a trunk onto the car. A Henry J deck lid was used to create the new trunk. Austin Healey taillights were fit to the Henry J deck lid. The rear frame rails were stepped, raising the crossmember over a 1936 Ford suspension setup. Carl removed the hood to show off the 1948 Ford 256-cubic inch flathead V8 engine. The engine was hopped up, featuring a Clay Smith three-quarter cam and an Evans competition manifold with four Stromberg 97s mounted on it. Evans heads and Jahns pistons boosted the compression up to 8 1/2 to 1. Carl routed the exhaust over the frame and around the body. According to Carl, the engine produced 175 hp at the flywheel. The engine was hooked to a 1939 Ford transmission and a 1936 Ford rear end with 3.78 gears. Keyser of San Diego was responsible for the tuck & roll interior. With the doors shut, the upholstery pattern carried the pleated leather panels forward in an unbroken sweep. The body was painted blue once completed.

Sold to Bob Smith

Carl traded his roadster for a 1940 Ford Coupe and some cash to fellow club member Bob Smith. Bob tore the roadster down, made some changes, and landed on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine March 1958 with it. The roadster was Bob's first Prowlers car, and he won many awards with it. When the roadster was featured on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine, the frame, rear end, and several engine components had been chromed. According to the article, the engine was from a Mercury. The story also says that the front axle was dropped 2 1/2 inches and fit with pre-war Chrysler products' upper shock absorber arms. Brakes all around were from a 1948 Ford, and the steering was a reworked 1932 Ford unit. According to the story, the body of the roadster was also sectioned 6 inches.

In 2008, the car was still around, and according to Prowlers historian Andy Bekech, it was owned by fellow Prowlers member John LaBarre. John bought the car from a fourth owner who had nearly destroyed the historic hot rod. When John got the roadster, it was painted yellow, and the doors had been torched out. It was not recognizable except for the widened cowl. Even Carl Burnett didn't recognize it when he saw it. In 2008, John was working on restoring the car back to how it appeared when Carl owned it.

Magazine Features

Car Craft May 1956
Hot Rod Magazine March 1958
Rod & Custom June 1959