Ed Iskenderian's 1924 Ford

A photo of Eddie Baltz in John's Model T in 1938. Eddie was a neighbor of John, and the photo was taken in John's parents driveway at 2404 Hillcrest Drive in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

John with the roadster. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Ed and John with the Model T in 1938. Ed's Maxi F-heads still had their stock configuration of two valve covers when this photo was taken. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Ed with the Model T in front of Arnold Birner's house on Palm Grove Street in 1939. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Ed's entry blank for Western Timing Association 1939. The entry blank lists the Ford as a 1922 model.

Isky: Ed Iskenderian and the History of Hot Rodding - Check price and availability on Amazon.com.

Isky at 17 years old. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Ed's roadster in the making. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

After tilting the T over to pour lead in the exhaust ports before bolting on the overhead valve heads, Ed and his buddies couldn't resist a little clowning around. According to Ed, the victims were his brother Luther in the car and friend Herman Lamb on the ground. They would pour lead in the exhaust ports and then drill a hole for the push rods. This would supposedly help the engine run cooler. Photo from The Bungholers of Hollywood Photo Collection.

Isky on Coast Highway, Malibu in 1940. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Ed and his roadster at the dry lakes. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

A photo of Isky's T taken in the alley behind the Iskenderians' apartment building in 1942. From left are Bob Gilcrest, Fred Brail, and Doug Fenn. Isky's machine shop going into the Army Air Corps can be seen behind the car. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Home on military leave in 1942, Isky brought along Fred Brail for home-cooked meals and a ride in a genuine California hot rod. Note the Edelbrock slingshot manifold. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

John and Ed with the Model T outside Mercury Tool & Die Company in Culver City. The photo was taken in 1942, while Ed was on leave from the Air Corps. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

A homemade 4X2 intake manifold that Isky built for the T. He said it didn't work very good. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Ed's car running the homemade manifold. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Isky's T was featured on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine June 1948.

A photo of the T taken for the Hot Rod June 1948 magazine cover. This photo was not used for the cover. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

A photo of Ed with the roadster taken in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

Isky and Arnie Shuman looking at a copy of Hot Rod June 1948 where they used Ed's car on the cover. Photo courtesy of the Bungholers Car Club.

1924 Ford Model T originally owned by Bungholers car club member John Athan of Los Angeles, California. John's Model T was a real mish-mash of parts that John assembled. It rode on Essex frame rails, and it was powered by a Ford Model T banger with a Rajo BB head. The engine was fed by a single Winfield downdraft. It originally had a Franklin front axle with welded on tabs. The axle supposedly broke on a trip to Muroc, and it was swapped out for a Ford unit. At the same time, John dumped the T steering box and installed a Franklin unit. The exhaust was off a Legion Ascot ride that John modified to clear his side mounted hand pump. The rear had been fitted with Z irons and a T rear end. The wheels and tires were borrowed, as John didn't have the money to buy any. Later he would hunt up some Kelsey rims for $3 each.

Sold to Ed Iskenderian

After racing one of his buddies, John broke the stock crank. Being over six feet tall didn't leave him much room in the bucket, so he decided to build a more spacious ride. He sold the car with a broken engine to his buddy Ed Iskenderian. John's asking price was $25.

In 2018 Ed still owned the Model T.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Hot Rod June 1948