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Also Inside:
MAY 2019
FOR THE AUTO ENTHUSIAST IN YOU
TM Also available online at: www.AutoUrge.com
Quicksand
One-of-a-Kind 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup, owned by Ken Brauch of Wright City, MO
• Mobile Electronics: Have You Ever Had a Speeding Ticket? • Car Care: 4 Tips to Keep Your Car Looking It’s Best This Spring • Event Calendar, Car Club Highlight-Cars & Coffee STL, Zealous Cat ... & more
Contents:
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On the Cover: Photo by Ryan Ledesma
Letter from the Publisher A note from Publisher Ron Tucker.
Mobile Electronics Have You Ever Had a Speeding Ticket? By Brandon Green of The Car Audio Shop
Quicksand One-of-a-Kind 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup, owned by Ken Brauch of Wright City, MO
Zealous Cat 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat owned by Craig Whitehead of Cars & Coffee STL
Car Care 4 Tips to Keep Your Car Looking Its Best This Spring By Nick Book of A&G Auto Spa
Car Club Highlight Cars & Coffee St. Louis
Calendar Upcoming Vectors Events inVecteezy.com St. Louis and surrounding from areas.
© Copyright Two Lane Ventures, LLC., 2016-2019 All content, copy, layout and design is property of Two Lane Ventures, LLC and may not be reproduced without permission. Photo by Ryan Ledesma | 2019 Gambler 500 Rally
MAY 2018
Issue #30
AutoUrge Magazine Published by: Two Lane Ventures, LLC Publisher: Ron Tucker ron@AutoUrge.com www.AutoUrge.com Printed in the USA
Advertising: info@AutoUrge.com Creative: Designer: Victoria Braswell-Heskett design@AutoUrge.com Copy Editor: Taylor Tucker Digital Content Producer: Adam Tucker Contributors: Erik Heitman Correspondents: Nick Book, Brandon Green Photography: Director of Photography/Head Photographer: Ryan Ledesma Contributing Photographers: Robert Ledesma, Karl Lund
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Have an idea for a story or feature car? Contact us at submit@AutoUrge.com
Letter from the Publisher
Fastest?
Most of us auto enthusiasts all have the need for speed. However, is that the be all and end all? Let’s face it – if you own the fastest car on the market today or built the fastest car around town, it becomes yesterday’s news in a short period of time. While I appreciate the need/desire to always improve and go faster than yesterday or the guy in the next lane, there is a reason so many people attend car shows, cruises and meetups. It’s the sights, sounds, and people. And for those that want to experience all of what their car was meant to do…you can compete in Autocross events like the one put on by Misfit Toys to help support Autism or many other events at the local track. For some of us, we race against ourselves. The fact that the person next to you has a faster car is not always of importance unless competing. Some tune for competitive reasons and others just to get the maximum performance they desire from their ride. Speaking of, we now have the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and all the all-new mid-engine Corvette in the news. It is perceived both will have between 600-700hp. These cars will not be the fastest or quickest cars when they launch, as we currently have faster models on the market today. Maybe they will be quicker around the track with better handling? Maybe, however, we all know that will be topped as well. Why build these cars then? Simply, they will sell and sell fast!
experiencing all that your senses are delivering to you at that time. My point is simply this... if owning the best of the best in any one or more categories is important to you, great. However, if owning a car, truck, etc. that checks all the boxes for your own enjoyment, that’s great too. As I mentioned in last month’s letter, we are fortunate to live in an area with so much variety. Whatever you are in to, you can find it around here and it is evident the respect everyone has for all the various makes, models and individual taste. Want more Content? The Online Magazine: Extended Bonus Edition “Off the Rack” is back! Every month we have our current issue and past issues to view online at AutoUrge.com. Now that car season is here again, “Off the Rack” is back with bonus content not found in the print magazine. Such as extra feature car photos, event photos and more! Lastly, if you ever find an empty rack where AutoUrge magazines are delivered, please visit our home page at AutoUrge.com and fill out the short form to let us know. We greatly appreciate the feedback! Sincerely,
It will be the pedigree, the history, the exclusivity and/or brand loyalty that drive people to buy the car. Or better yet, the car will ignite a passion within an enthusiast for one reason or another. It might be the look of the car, the sound, the performance, or any combination of these reasons and so much more. Let’s face it, fast is fast. Unless you are drag racing, 2.9 sec vs 3.5 sec 0-60 times are hardly noticeable when grinning ear to ear, while
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MAY 2019
Ron Tucker Publisher AutoUrge a Two Lane Ventures Company, LLC | Ron@AutoUrge.com
mobile electronics
Have You Ever Had a Speeding Ticket?
I
am positive that not a single person who reads AutoUrge would ever speed on purpose, (I hope you can sense the sarcasm) but every once in a while we may accidentally creep over the speed limit. It would certainly be nice to get a warning. Whether it be radar detection or laser defense, there are several really good options to choose from when it comes to leveling the playing field of speeding tickets. We, ourselves, offer window mount units with the availability to add laser protection. Additionally, we offer several more discreet “built-in” units from Escort, AL Priority, and Stinger, which allows us to give some good to great defense for any budget. Here in Missouri, radar detection and
capabilities of any given system definitely should be discussed with a qualified individual to give you the best option for your vehicle. So now that the weather is finally turning nice and the cruises are starting, this may be an addition worth considering to help protect you from that next speeding ticket. As I always recommend, do your homework beforehand and be sure to check with the individuals with experience. Having expertise for installing these systems correctly is essential in order to get the most out of your investment. Happy Cruising…. ■
laser diffusers are legal while radar jammers are illegal in all 50 states (always check your state laws, some do not allow any type of these devices) and are also not permitted in commercial vehicles. Specifics and
Thank you for reading, Brandon Green/ Owner The Car Audio Shop MECP Master Certified Technician www.thecaraudioshop.co Have a question or topic idea for Mobile Electronics? Email us at submit@AutoUrge.com
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Quicksan By: Ron Tucker | Photos by: Ryan Ledesma
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or each local feature car story, we have fun and work at coming up with an appropriate title. Well, this month, the truck featured is called “Quicksand” by the owner and we thought—what a great title as this truck just keeps pulling you in with all its details and the fine craftsmanship, not to mention the unexpected color. Ken Brauch of Wright City, MO is the proud owner (3rd owner) and builder of this one of a kind, 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck. Ken is no stranger to custom one-off builds – this being just the latest of his creations to come out of his personal garage…a garage within a barn that is. His chickens, horse, and the horse’s shadow, a goat, were on hand as we shot this truck on his property. Unfortunately for all of us, Ken is not for hire. His builds are his passion, his vision, and hobby. You see, Ken owns and operates a local landscaping company during the day and in his spare time generates amazing works of rolling art. In fact, this project was the result of 1,720 man-hours over a period of approximately two years. As a young boy, Ken was able to spend some time around his uncle’s speed shop and quickly developed a passion for cars, along with building and customizing scale plastic model cars like many of us did. As a young man, he was able to pursue being around the automotive industry with his employment as a body man and eventually a painter at many St. Louis area automotive auto body shops. Although Ken has been away from that industry for some time now, it’s obvious he still practices the craft, and I would say mastered his craft—only now it is just for himself.
Owner Supplied Photo
Ken and his wife, Teresa, remember the day he brought this truck home. Teresa, although familiar with Ken’s abilities from past builds, might have doubted Ken’s decision to buy this truck as it arrived in multiple pieces on a flatbed trailer on 12/02/2017. This is also the day the build started. She purposely stayed clear of the shop until Ken had it looking like a truck again.
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This is a total nuts and bolts/frame off restoration. Virtually everything on this truck was built by Ken in his before-mentioned barn. I do mean everything from the body and paintwork, frame and drivetrain, interior and custom wood bed and so on. Ken is quick to mention that he did have some help. Friend and race car builder, Mike Nullynski, of Nullynski Race Cars came over to Ken’s shop numerous times to work with Ken on many aspects of the build, especially the suspension and steering. Ken also credits learning a lot from Mike over the years. A few other services were performed by local area businesses as well. The paint and body supplies were from Advantage Paint and Body Supplies in O’Fallon, MO. The paint is called Quicksand and is actually a 2017 Toyota color. Everything you see in black on the truck was powder coated by Gateway Powder Coat, also located in O’Fallon, MO. Lastly, the Engine was built by Fessler Race Engines out of Troy, MO. This latest addition to Ken’s garage has a blown 388 c.u. (350 bored)
Fessler Race engine producing 650 hp. This is mated to a 4 speed 700R transmission with a 2100 stall converter. Up front is the Heidts front end/ rack and pinion. At the rear, Ken used a ’02 Ford Explorer rear end with 3:73 gears as the truck was built to cruise. The truck also features fourwheel disc brakes. One of Ken’s custom touches is his use of hidden red L.E.D lights that accentuate key features of the truck. During the night, I can tell you that this truck gives off a one of a kind—get out of the way look. When asked what he liked best about his 1950 Chevy truck, Ken remembered the decision to install the blower suggested by his friend Mike Nullynski. The truck engine and engine bay were already complete when Mike suggested he install a blower that he had sitting at his race shop. Ken agreed; however, this entailed a lot of additional work. The engine bay needed to be reworked to accommodate this new addition. In the end, Ken says it was well worth it!
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Chances are you haven’t seen this truck yet at local car shows and cruises, as this truck was just completed in March of this year. When you do see it, don’t be surprised when the “Quicksand” takes hold and you are still discovering new details of this fine build 15 minutes later. We hope you enjoyed reading about Ken Brauch’s 1950 Chevrolet truck. Look for another one of Ken’s custom creations in a future issue of AutoUrge.
For the Full Photoset, check out “Off the Rack” our Extended Online Magazine with even more content. Available to view at AutoUrge.com. ■
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Zealous Cat Left to Right: Ben Schneider & Craig Whitehead
Left to Right: Will Torres & Stephon Watson of Infinite Design, Jessie Warmbrodt of Velocity Vinyl.
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ach month AutoUrge is committed to bringing you the area’s best locally owned cars featured on the cover and within. From time to time we come across a car that is perfect for a shout out. This month it is a fully optioned 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat owned by Craig Whitehead of Cars and Coffee St. Louis. These cars always turn heads as they rumble or whine by. Then there’s Craig’s “Cars and Coffee St. Louis” dressed Hellcat. Earlier in the year, CCSTL held a design contest to design a livery for Craig’s car. Zechariah Chapman of the St. Louis area was the winner using the popular video game, “Need for Speed”, to create the winning design.
vinyl designs. Then Jeremy Mcfail at the Retro Shop took care of the appcontrolled, multi-colored light show through the Hellcat’s headlights. Upon closer look, you can even see the custom CCSTL logo engraved in there as well. These were expertly installed by Erik Newton. To top it all off, A & G Auto Spa, an AU partner, took care of the lastminute detail to get the car ready for the big reveal at the CCSTL event at Fastlane back on April 13th.
Now it was time to implement this virtual design to real life. That’s where Will Torres & Stephon Watson of Infinite Designs and Jessie Warmbrodt & Hannah Murray of Velocity Vinyl came in to play. Infinite Designs was responsible for the Liquid Wrap and Velocity Vinyl for the
Cars and Coffee St. Louis exists to help bring all automotive enthusiasts together “for the love of all cars”, which also happens to be their motto. This car is yet another example of many local enthusiasts coming together to promote just that.
Both Craig and the founder of CCSTL, Ben Schneider, wish to express their extreme gratitude for all that had a hand in this project. There is no doubt Craig’s car can no longer go unnoticed and I think it is safe to say Craig is OK with that. Visit AutoUrge.com for the return of the Online Extended Bonus Edition, “Off the Rack” May issue, where you can find all these images on a grander scale. Lastly, you can read and learn more about CCSTL in this month’s “Club Highlight” within this issue. For a larger pictorial on this car, visit “Off the Rack” at AutoUrge.com. “Off the Rack” is our Online Extended Magazine for even more content! ■
By: Ron Tucker Photos by: Ryan Ledesma
Car Care 4 Tips to Keep Your Car Looking Its Best This Spring 4. Call Your Local Detailer
If you encounter foreign contamination that you are uncomfortable removing (tree sap, hard water, etc.) do not be afraid to call your favorite local detailer. We are more than happy to diagnose the problem and help make your car look its best again. P.S. If you want to save time and energy; protecting your car with a ceramic coating such as Opti-Coat is a fool-proof way to ensure it looks like new, all year long. â– Article by Nick Book of A & G Auto Spa. For more information please visit www.agautospa.com Pictures Provided by: A & G Auto Spa Have a question or topic idea for Car Care? Email us at submit@AutoUrge. com
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pringtime is the absolute worst time for car care enthusiasts due to the abundance of pollen, unpredictable weather and the return of migratory birds. It is near impossible to keep any vehicle clean for more than a day or two. If you follow these four guidelines, your car will stay looking better than ever despite natures attempts to sabotage your clean car.
1. Keep It Waxed Keeping your car waxed is the number one thing you can do to make your vehicle remain clean for as long as possible. Wax has anti-static and hydrophobic properties that will repel dirt, dust, and pollen.
2. Regularly Dust Your Interior I always recommend keeping a couple of all-purpose microfiber towels and a bottle of mild cleaner in your vehicle at all times. A bottle of diluted Opti-Coat No Rinse works great for this, for it leaves no greasy residue behind and has a very pleasant smell.
3. Watch Out for Bird Bombs Migratory birds are on their way back to St. Louis and will be targeting all of our vehicles. Bird residue can do a lot of damage to your car’s paint system if left to dwell. A bottle of diluted Opti-Coat No Rinse and some paint-safe microfiber towels are a great way to remove contamination from your paint.
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Cars and Coffee St. Louis (CCSTL) Founded 2015
http://carsandcoffeestl.org | ben@carsandcoffeestl.org FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/carsandcoffeestl/ FB Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/carsandcoffeestl/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/carsandcoffeestl/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/CarsNCoffeeSTL
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elcome to another “Club Highlight”. Each month we plan to share with you about a local car club/organization.
This month we sat down with Ben Schneider of Cars and Coffee St. Louis to learn more about their organization. The History of Cars and Coffee St. Louis: Cars and Coffee St. Louis had its first event in the summer of 2015 at Ballpark Village. The idea was to show the city of St. Louis that the local car culture is alive and well. When Ben Schneider (founder) arrived the morning of the first show, he only saw a single car in the parking lot…A black 2015 Challenger Hellcat. It turns out the owner of the car, Craig Whitehead (co-founder), was so excited for the show that he barely slept the night before and showed up 2 hours early. If you’ve ever met Craig, you can probably guess where this story goes. Craig offered to help out and was quickly put to work handing out parking vouchers and food coupons for the next three shows. To make a long story short, when Ben saw Craig’s unquestionable enthusiasm for Car and Coffee St. Louis, he asked him to come aboard and help turn it into something much bigger. Today, Cars and Coffee St. Louis has become one of the largest car event organizations in the metro area. What automotive make or makes are the focus? Our motto is “For the love of ALL cars.” The idea is that a Ferrari, a Honda, and a Dodge all pull in next to each other, shake hands, and become friends. We don’t just allow a large variety of vehicles, we encourage it. What need does the CCSTL fill in our area? Cars and Coffee St. Louis fills the need for relaxed and affordable car shows. We also provide an online organizational structure which reduces confusion, prevents conflicts, and spreads positivity throughout our local car culture. All our events are free to enter. There are no trophy’s, sponsor booths, or expectations. We put in the work to make sure everyone else has a relaxed and enjoyable experience in-person and online. We’re starting a #carsandcoffeestl movement.
What sets CCSTL apart from other organizations like it? I would say our biggest differentiator is the ability to curate a large positive community and entertain large crowds with unique experiences. For example, last year we partnered with Misfit Toys Car Club to land a Blackhawk helicopter in the middle of a show. The year before that, we partnered with Amazon Prime Video to hold a massive outdoor screening of “The Grand Tour” surrounded by St. Louis’s most high-end exotic cars. How often do you meet and is there any membership? About once a month at different locations. Regarding membership, none – however, we would prefer if you enjoyed looking at cars. What are the top benefits of attending and what would you tell potential attendees why they should consider coming to a CCSTL event? The biggest benefit of Cars and Coffee St. Louis is the fact that you’re joining a movement. We aren’t just a car event organization or even a social media platform. We are a group of enthusiasts inspiring our attendees to break away from the negativity, the trash talking, and the drama. We’re fostering a fresh and positive culture that is so strong, it trickles down throughout the entire community. It’s the coolest networking event you’ll ever attend. What type of activities are there within CCSTL to participate in? It varies with each show and location. Some of our highlight locations include Fast Lane Classic Cars which includes multiple buildings packed full of the coolest classic automobiles, memorabilia, and even a model car shop. Another is World Wide Technology Raceway (previously Gateway Motorsports Park) where attendees can look around at the cars, meet new people, and then watch some racing! If you are interested in your club/org being highlighted, please visit AutoUrge.com and complete the online form. We look forward to learning more about your car club/ organization. ■
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Photo by Ryan Ledesma | Misfit Toys Autocross for Autism
Calendar Date
Even More Events at AutoUrge.com
Event
Venue
Time(s)
05/10 Chuck-A-Burger Battle at the Arch Gateway Motorsports Park 05/11 Cars and Coffee West at Fast Lane Classic Cars 427 Little Hills Ind Blvd, St. Charles, MO 63301 8am-10am 05/11 JJ’s St. Charles Restaurant Car Show 1215 S Duchesne Dr, St Charles, MO 63301 4pm-10pm 05/16 Cruise night at Pezzimentis 1798 Mall Pkwy, Wentzville, MO 5pm 05/18 Cars and Coffee STL at Westport Plaza 77 W. Port Plaza Dr. St, Louis, MO 8am-11am 05/18 Route 66 Corvette Club Salute to the Troops American Legion Post 313 9am-2pm Annual Corvette Show 200 Main St, St. Peters, MO 63376 05/18 Backstoppalooza Car Show/ST. Louis Premium Outlets 18521 Outlet Blvd, Chesterfield, MO 10:30am-5pm 05/18 Pumpers & Pistons The National Museum of Transportation-upper lot 9am-3:30pm 05/18 The Lot First Assembly Church, St. Peters 6pm-9pm 05/19 VFW Post 5077 Salute to the Troops Car Show VFW post 5077 SEE Back Cover 05/27 31st Annual Cobblestone Nationals Car Show Fast Lane Classic Cars, St. Charles 8am-4pm 06/01 Cars and Coffee West at Sunrise Church Sunrise Church in O’Fallon, MO 8am-10am 06/01 STL Tesla Enthusiasts Car Show with Donut Drive-In The National Museum of Transportation-upper lot 9:30am-11:30am 06/01 Grade 8 Car Culture- 10 Year Anniversary Car Show Xtreme Krav Maga St. Louis, Fenton 63026 9am-2pm 06/02 2019 St. Louis European Auto Show Chesterfield Outlets, 17057 N Outer Rd, Chesterfield, MO 11am-2pm 06/02 Orphan Car Show The National Museum of Transportation-upper lot 11am-2pm 06/08 Cars and Coffee West at Fast Lane Classic Cars 427 Little Hills Ind Blvd, St. Charles, MO 63301 8am-10am 06/08 All Ford Show – A Donut Drive-In Show The National Museum of Transportation-upper lot 9:30am-11:30am 06/08 JJ’s St. Charles Restaurant Car Show 1215 S Duchesne Dr, St Charles, MO 63301 4pm-10pm
Save the Date:
May 19 - VFW Post 5077 Salute to the Troops Car Show
SEE Back Cover for Details
VFW post 5077 8500 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, O’Fallon, Mo Note: AutoUrge is not responsible for incorrect information, cancellations, etc. As always visit the event’s website, etc before attending. Not all area events can be listed. We do our best to include all Events submitted. Space is limited, therefore early submissions are recommended. Send event details to Submit@AutoUrge.com or at www.autourge.com/events-calendar. Have fun!
On a crisp April morning at Moonlight Racing in Sullivan MO, 250 of the weirdest and coolest off-roaders gathered for the start of the annual Missouri Gambler 500.
ON THE ROAD
GAMBLER 500 WORDS & IMAGES Ryan Ledesma
For those like me who had never heard of the Gambler, it’s a 500-mile off-road rally of driving the best vehicles $500 can buy. And while the $500 limit isn’t exactly enforced, the less capable your vehicle is, the more respect you earn. I showed up that morning, only half knowing what to expect, and hoping to hitch a ride for the day to get the full experience. “Everyone here is great,” advised the event organizer Drew, ”pick a car you like and go ask for a ride.” So I found a pair of Jeeps that looked like they had an open space, and they took me in. I was in good hands too. I picked the Jack Aces as my ride, the Father-Son team of Steven and Chris – who happen to be the winners of last year’s Scepter. The Scepter is the award given to the team who showed the best Gambler Spirit throughout the event, whether that’s helping out other gamblers in need or to help make sure the event moves smoothly. That’s really what this event is all about – getting out there and seeing some beautiful scenery, having some fun, getting stuck, helping others get unstuck, oh, and picking up trash. This year over 40 cubic yards of trash was taken from the Missouri countryside and disposed of properly.
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What the event isn’t about, is speeding along through the checkpoints and trying to get back to camp first. That’s why the winner of the trophy isn’t the first one back, but the 5th. And what does the team who gets back first get? A small whiskey barrel through their back window, which I assumed was a joke, but it most definitely was not.
Number 9 On April 20th, Drift STL held their 9th Drift Day, a grassroots drift event that is held at World Wide Technology Raceway. PHOTOS: RYAN LEDESMA
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Worth Another Look! Craig Whitehead’s Dodge Hellcat Of Cars & Coffee St. Louis
BONUS PHOTOS OF THIS MONTH’S FEATURE
QUICKSAND OFF THE RACK