Dale Scribner's 1953 Henry J

A photo of Dale's Henry J taken after Sam Barris had lowered it at his home in Carmichael. He had just purchased the Henry J for $75 and did everything to it except for leaving it alone. "At that time, we lived on the corner of California Ave. and Lincoln Ave, in Carmichael, California. I wanted to have the Henry J. lowered, and Sam lived just up the street on Lincoln Ave. I drove down to his place and asked if he would lower my car. He said sure, how low do you want it? He took a piece of paper and folded it so he had a strip about 1" wide by 8" tall. He would fold that to about 6" and ask me, do you want it this low? No, lower. He would fold it again until I said good, I want it that low. He used the piece of paper as his gauge, got out his torches, reached under the Henry and started heating the front springs, and slowly dropped the car down till the paper touched evenly both sides. Now I am really cool. I got too many tickets and got my driver's license suspended for 60 days." Photo courtesy of Dale Scribner.

Photo courtesy of Dale Scribner.

Dale got too many tickets, and he got his driver's license suspended for 60 days. "That was a good time to install a Ford flathead V8 in the little Henry. The extra weight of the flathead caused the Henry to drop lower, so low it would scrape the white line on the road. I got a ticket for being too low and had to find some longer springs and get the car signed off." Photo courtesy of Dale Scribner.

A photo taken from the roof of Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento in 1959. As Dale fondly recalled, Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento was always a hub of activity, much like the famous scenes from American Graffiti. "We would make a loop up K Street, down J Street, and into Mel's, waiting for a parking spot to open up. The place was full of life, and sometimes, folks would be looking to race." Illegal street races were common, and one night after the legal drag races in Vacaville, a gasser team rolled a Willys gasser off a trailer, drove it through Mel's, and loaded it back up, much to everyone's excitement. That spontaneous and rebellious energy was typical of the time. With cars packed into every available spot, people would cruise the surrounding streets until they found a parking space. Illegal drag races took place regularly, with racers looking for competition at every stoplight. Dale’s stories of Mel’s drive-in encapsulate the essence of the era—a time where car culture, racing, and youthful exuberance thrived. The black-and-white image of Mel’s Drive-In showcases its bustling atmosphere, a visual reminder of Dale’s vivid memories from those nights spent cruising with friends and racing on Sacramento streets.

A photo of Dale with his 1940 Chevrolet Coupe. "I later sold the Henry for $150 and purchased a 40 Chevy Coupe, which promptly threw a rod." Photo courtesy of Dale Scribner.

1953 Henry J owned by Dale Scribner of Carmichael, California. In 1958 or 1959, Dale, then a 16-year-old, sought out Sam Barris to have his first car lowered. He had just purchased the Henry J for $75 and did everything to it except for leaving it alone. "At that time, we lived on the corner of California Ave. and Lincoln Ave, in Carmichael, California. I wanted to have the Henry J. lowered, and Sam lived just up the street on Lincoln Ave. I drove down to his place and asked if he would lower my car. He said sure, how low do you want it? He took a piece of paper and folded it so he had a strip about 1" wide by 8" tall. He would fold that to about 6" and ask me, do you want it this low? No, lower. He would fold it again until I said good, I want it that low. He used the piece of paper as his gauge, got out his torches, reached under the Henry and started heating the front springs, and slowly dropped the car down till the paper touched evenly both sides. Now I am really cool. I got too many tickets and got my driver's license suspended for 60 days. That was a good time to install a Ford flathead V8 in the little Henry. The extra weight of the flathead caused the Henry to drop lower, so low it would scrape the white line on the road. I got a ticket for being too low and had to find some longer springs and get the car signed off."

Dale's Henry J continued to evolve with various modifications. He swapped in a 1938 or 1939 Ford floor shifter and later added a Plymouth rear end, requiring him to radius the rear fender to fit. The car also featured a Ford deep-dish steering wheel and a front seat covered with a blanket. One of Dale's more memorable moments came when he installed a two-carburetor intake manifold. In his eagerness to start the engine, he didn’t notice a loose fuel line. When he cranked the engine, it caught fire, but thanks to a nearby water hose, the fire was quickly extinguished, and no major damage was done. "After installing the Flathead, I had no exhaust system. I drove the Henry to Sears Automotive service on Arden Way, a good distance and a very noisy ride, and didn't see a cop. The tech at Sears made exhaust pipes for me from the headers to where a muffler would be. He asked me what I was going to do for mufflers? I told him I didn't know and didn't have much money. He went to the dumpster and pulled out 2 used glass packs and said, want these? I said sure, and he installed those, charge was $4. Cool. So now I had an exhaust system and mufflers but no tail pipes. We live on a ranch so dad had aluminum water pipes for irrigation, 2" diameter. Perfect, I cut up one of the damaged pipes and now had two 2" pipes coming out just under the rear axle. Now I was really cool. If you adjusted the carburetors just wrong (had 2 Strombergs) the engine would lope like it had a big cam. I would drive that Henry to Mel's drive in downtown Sacramento and do the circuit. Those were some great days, even my nickname was Henry J in school."

Despite loving his car, not everyone shared his enthusiasm. Dale recalled a time when he went to pick up his girlfriend for a date, only for her father to hand him the keys to his VW, saying, "You're not taking my daughter out in that." Though Dale was initially hurt, he earned her father's trust over time and was eventually allowed to drive his own car again. Dale fondly remembered, "He turned out to be a really good dad and actually liked me, kinda." Dale later sold the Henry for $150 and purchased a 40 Chevy Coupe, "which promptly threw a rod."

After selling the Henry J, the memories remained vivid, especially the moments with Sam Barris. Dale fondly remembered how Sam took the time to help a young car enthusiast, reflecting on how generous and approachable Sam was: "I have fond memories of those days and Sam who took his time to help a kid out," Dale told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2024.