Ed Iskenderian, at 104 years old, was the oldest living hot rodder on earth! And as my friend David Freiburger wrote on Facebook, “If you define ‘hot rodding pioneer’ as ‘doing it in the ’30s and helped establish the hobby and industry,’ then he’s the last of his kind that I am aware of.” Which is to say, that as far as we know there is nobody else alive that has been a hot rodder longer. And when you look at what he’s done for hot rodding, racing, and the aftermarket industry in general, his life’s work and the impact it has had may be immeasurable.

I’ve told this story on several occasions, most recently to Isky Racing’s COO Nolan Jamora last week, of the first time I met Isky. I was announcing Engine Masters, the original engine competition, and while I had been doing the event for a couple of years, it was the first year at its new home at the University of Northwestern Ohio. Their facility was amazing, with multiple dyno cells, and a beautiful well layed out building for the competition.

And when Isky showed up, and I was told I got to hang out with him and get his take on the engines, I was thrilled. I mean thrilled thrilled. I had grown up in a racing family, and we ran an Isky camshaft in our Z28 Camaro from before I was even born. He and I had a great time talking engines, he had great color to add to the coverage, and I was having a great time. Until we walked out of one of the dyno cells.

You see, Isky’s famed cigar wasn’t always something he just chewed on. Nope, back then he smoked them sometimes and this was one of those times. In the building, 5 feet from a dyno cell, Ed Iskenderian lit up a cigar and I went into crisis control mode.

As I hurredly ushered him down the hall and out the door, old man complaints a flying, I could hear someone behind me very “sternly” explaining that smoking was striclty forbidden in the building. For a minute, I wondered if I was going to need bail money for us both. Rest assured, if I had to bail Isky out of jail I was going to tell everyone that would listen. Luckily we were spared, but not without him arguing a few more times about how he should be able to smoke his cigars.

There are more stories, but today I think I’ll hold onto them. I am truly blessed to have met some of the most important hot rodders and racers in the world, and Ed Iskenderian was one of them.

Thanks for everything you did for all of Isky. I know you were just doing what you do, but your life as the CamFather changed the lives of so many.

God Speed

Below is a link to some of our photos from Isky’s 102nd birthday. This old dude could hang.

CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED OUR PHOTOS FROM HIS 102nd BIRTHDAY

Our hearfelt thanks goes out to all Ed’s family, for sharing him with all of us for all these years. We are so terribly sorry for your loss but hope that the impact his life made on others brings you some pride and joy. Our deepest sympathies to you all.