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It was back in August of 2013 that we’d caught wind of some exciting news–Brian Darwas, renowned documentarian and member of the Rumblers CC out of New York, was gearing up for the world premier of his latest film, This Is Long Beach.
The documentary captured over three generations of one of America’s oldest car clubs, The Long Beach Cavaliers out of Long Beach, California. Needless to say, one of the crowd favorites was Aladdin’s 1929 roadster. Even before the creation of this heart-warming documentary, Aladdin’s ’29 was garnering attention at every kustom kulture show from Ventura Nationals to Ink-N-Iron.
Rod Authority has had the pleasure of running into the Long Beach Cavaliers on more than one occasion and it was just a matter of time before we got a closeup look at Aladdin’s roadster. There is a soft spot that the magazine maintains for individuals who build their own classics and drive them loud, hard, and fast.
These guys uphold the spirit of tradition and there is nothing more fulfilling than spreading the work ethic, camaraderie, and dedication that folks like them maintain. After all, the task will eventually fall on these guys to lay the future foundation needed to keep this culture alive.
As vanguards of a dying craft and preservationists of a fleeting appreciation for resurrecting old steel, every time guys like the Long Beach Cavaliers give a hot rod or kustom a second chance they are touching the lives of countless individuals.
The creativity, ingenuity, and dedication strike a chord deep within our souls. While the rest of the world is flying by and sailing further from its roots, the Long Beach Cavaliers have managed to exist in this changing time while ensuring the survival of some very important pieces of American history.
During this year’s 17th Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly weekend we weren’t surprised, but we were certainly elated to catch our friends from the Long Beach Cavaliers present. It was high-time for us to give Aladdin, his club members, and his unique ride the shine that they deserved.
“I built this car twice, once because it was completely wrecked in an accident. I didn’t want this car originally–Rick, the president of the club and my buddy told me that he’d found a cowl and four-door Chevy at the swap meet–I was looking for a coupe at the time. Rick actually bought the car for me as a Christmas present,” Aladdin told us.
Rick had picked up the ’29 for $300.00. With his creative guidance, Aladdin and the rest of the Long Beach Cavaliers manifested this kustom into what it is today, mind you this being the second manifestation of the original build, which had been wrecked as mentioned earlier.
Aladdin continued, “It’s got a small-block Chevy, a TH350 transmission, and Ford 9-inch in the back. Originally, it had a Ford banjo in the back, but I was just breaking and snapping axles left and right–I was going through gears like nobody’s business. So eventually, we swapped it out for the 9-inch.”
Aladdin had sourced the 9-inch from a 1959 Edsel and according to him it’s running a gear ratio of 2.77. With gearing like that, it’s no wonder Aladdin was more than obliged to drive the roadster over 500-miles roundtrip from Long Beach to Las Vegas with nothing more than his club’s clicker coat to protect him from the elements.
Sitting atop Aladdin’s small-block is a two-barrel Rochester and he smirked when he told us, “That’s all I need.” Aladdin elaborated on where he’d sourced his motor and transmission, “Originally I’d gotten the motor out of a ’67 Chevelle. I started looking into the serial numbers and it had actually come out of a ’75 Z28 Camaro.”
The taillights are off of a ’52 Chevy and the dash was sourced from a ’42-’48 Chevy that was shortened in order to mount it flush within the roadster. The front-end came off a ’42-’48 Ford and features a dropped-axle. Front and rear suspension is a wishbone setup. The steering wheel is off a ’40 Ford.
One of Aladdin’s favorite highlights of the ’29 is the windshield, “This was originally a 1936 Ford windshield. I didn’t want to lose my body line on the dash so we cut it up to flow just right. From cardboard, we designed a mock-up of the shape that we wanted and we took a glass cutter to the windshield to give it the right shape.”
Other unique details that Aladdin touched on during the interview were the four-piece chromed motor mounts, steering column sourced from a ’58-and-later Volkswagen bus, and custom baffled-lake headers that the club treasurer, Jay Wolf created.
With all these parts swaps and numerous minor details you’d think the build took a year or two. Aladdin told us that it took a whopping three months the first time that the car was restored and kustomized. That’s overnight magic made possible through the camaraderie and sleepless nights that car clubs are accustomed to in order to get the job done.
Aladdin then elaborated on re-building the roadster the second time around following the accident. “It sat for awhile after the crash. I just didn’t want to deal with it at that point. Again, Rick pushed me to get this thing back on the road, and with the help of the club we did just that,” Aladdin explained.
If there’s one thing to say about Aladdin it’s that he has the utmost respect for his club and humility when it comes to taking credit for his ’29. “This is a club build, the whole club got on this project, and I give mad props to each and every one of them.”
Aladdin’s exposure to the vibrant world of cars came at a very early age growing up in Compton, California. In the heart of Los Angeles County there lies an eclectic mix of automotive cultures–from lowriders and bombs, to imports, hot rods, and kustoms. Los Angeles County is steeped in hot roddding and kustomizing history. It is one of many automotive hubs that dot the globe, so it’s only natural for someone living in the area to form a serious passion for the automobile, whatever the niche may be.
“Rick and I grew up in Compton and we’d always go to car shows. I remember one time I’d seen a hot rod, I think it was a ’32, and I said to Rick, ‘[expletive] did you see that? That thing is sick.’” Aladdin continued, “At the time we’d never seen anything like that. It was different than what we were used to seeing. We were accustomed to lowriders, bombs, and big-wheeled later-model cars.”
That’s the one thing about a club is we help each other. It’s not about numbers, it’s about how you click. –Aladdin, Long Beach Cavaliers
Aladdin alluded to some of the updates they’d eventually be making, “We’re going to do a generator instead of an alternator and change out the single two-barrel for a six-carb setup. We’re also going to change the tank, add a nerf bar, and we’ll also be doing something with fenders.”
In its second reincarnation, the ’29 sports an Arctic Blue paint job off of a Hyundai Excel. The wheels and rearend have been painted Long Beach Blue, a color that came off of a 2005 Honda Civic. The darker hue compliments the metallic finish of the body. As to what the Cavaliers will do for paint–if they decide to give it a new shade–when they go over the car for the third time, we can only imagine.
One of the best stories from Aladdin’s interview had to do with the debut of his ’29 at the 2011 Ink-N-Iron Motorama, “For three months straight it was day-in-day-out grinding. A day before the debut this car was in pieces–the body was off the frame, the motor was out, and the transmission was out, everything was out!”
By the end of the conversation, Rick and Aladdin were talking about all the things they looked forward to doing on the ’29. All the reminiscing and questions that were asked during the interview did nothing but light their creative fire as if they’d just picked up a new project. Getting to witness that first-hand was a healthy dose of inspiration.
Rod Authority would like to extend its thanks to Aladdin and the Long Beach Cavaliers for giving us their time. These are some of the realest guys that you could meet and we’re looking forward to all their future efforts. It’s a good feeling when you know that the longevity of this culture is in the hands and minds of people like Aladdin and his brothers in the Long Beach Cavaliers.
