O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O OOO O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Magazine O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O OO O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
Wheel-E
Everything on Wheels!
Issue 3
Fall, 2011
Smith’s Summer Classic Car Auction Chuck and Dean at Street Rod Nationals Cami’s Saga
Wheel-E Magazine VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 3 PUBLISHER Dean Whitlow DESIGN & LAYOUT Terri Jestus PUBLISHED BY The Caress of Steel
Features Cami’s Saga Tour de Corn 1 Wheel Revolution Street Rod Nationals
8 10 14 20
Wheel-E is printed twice a year. All contents copyright 2011 by Wheel-E Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents, in whole or in part without prior written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
LE
By Dean Whitlow
N! PI
O FOR A G S ’ S T
As we prepare Issue #3 of Wheel-E Magazine I’ve come to realize that others have become as excited about the publication as I am. The number of individuals that have come forward with photos and stories they wish to share has truly amazed me! It goes without saying that Terri’s layout and design work continues to be critical to completing each issue of the magazine. Without her tireless efforts, many great story ideas would never make it to publication! When I look at the many contributions that have already been made for Issue #3, I can’t help but get excited about working on the issue. I truly enjoy seeing the perspective of other writers and photographers who contribute to the publication. The magazine would certainly be lacking if I attempted to compile everything on my own (would be pretty boring too)! I was given some good advice early on in the concept phase of the magazine. That is, I was told to be open to contributors and accept input from as many sources as possible. This has proven to be some great advice. Looking at the many vehicles that we feature in Wheel-E Magazine, I’ve come to realize the amount of collaboration that goes in to each one. That is, it is common to interview someone about a vehicle only to learn that a number of individuals shared in the completion of the restoration, customization, or construction of that vehicle. That brings me full-circle back to our vision for the magazine. That is, to feature the human interest story behind each vehicle. The collaboration of a father and son restoring a motorcycle, a husband and wife overseeing a long-term restoration of a classic car, or just a few buddies working on the weekends to fix up an old pickup truck, clearly makes for some great stories to share. If you would like to share some photos and a story or two with us, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Don’t forget that Wheel-E’s slogan is “Everything on Wheels”. Maybe we should expand that to say Everyone and Everything on Wheels!!!
Cami’s Saga By Sharon Hopkins
Yellow Bird Call it a mid-life crisis or nostalgia, but whatever it was, it crept up on me a few years ago. I felt myself inexplicably yearning for a lost love. Not a person, though. Rather, my longing was for Yellow Bird, the yellow Camaro I bought new in 1976. In 1980, I had a great job, a company car, and I was into horses. I sold Yellow Bird for nearly $1000 more than I paid for her, and used the money to buy a horse and missed her ever since. The horse is long-gone, too. Last year, my husband, Bill, had enough of my whining. He encouraged me to find a replacement Camaro. The search began. Unable to locate a decent ‘76, I expanded my search to include any secondgeneration Camaro (1970-1981). I found the “perfect” candidate, a 1977 Z28 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jeff, my daughter-in-law, Wendy, Bill and I set out in our Tahoe pulling the aluminum car hauler to pick up my dream car. After getting there, the Camaro was the farthest thing from a dream. Indeed, it was a former drag strip car with lots of issues. We left empty-handed.
‘79 Camaro On the way back, we stopped for lunch in Murfreesboro. While waiting for our food, we used our iPhones to scan the Nashville area for any possibilities, and found a newly-posted Craigslist ad for a 1979 Rally Sport in Joelton, TN, which was on our route. There was, however, no phone, no address, only the Craigslist ad. We immediately responded but received no reply by the time we arrived at the Joelton exit. The seller had, however, posted a picture of the beauty. We formed a plan: we’d stop at the gas stationconvenience store, show the picture around and see if anyone recognized the car. After all, Joelton is a small rural community... someone was bound to know the car. While Jeff and I polled the patrons inside the store, Wendy and Bill scored a hit outside: an off-duty police officer overheard Wendy asking someone else, and said not only did he know the car, he would lead us to it on his way home. The sellers had it “out front” and he passed it every day. In fact, he confessed he had longed to buy it for himself. While driving down the long lane to James and Christina Wright’s farm, my head swiveled in search of the car. She was nowhere in sight, and I began to feel disappointment again. As we pulled up in front of the house, Christina, followed by James, stepped onto the porch, looking quite puzzled. We introduced ourselves and asked about the ‘79 Rally Sport on Craigslist.
Out with the Old
Cami being loaded. They looked at each other in disbelief. They said they’d just posted the ad a couple of hours ago, then left for a church function. They couldn’t understand how we were able to get there so quickly from Missouri. I merely smiled. James led us to a neat barn, where, tucked protectively under an eave, sat the two-toned blue beauty they had named Cami. In the months since getting Cami home, we gutted and replaced the interior, set her up on 15” rally wheels, installed new shocks, coil and leaf springs, new brakes, and tuned her up. This year, we’ll replace the 305 with a 350. We had so much fun re-doing Cami that we’ve since “refurbished” three more second generation Camaros, and are restoring a 1978 Z 28. All of them except Cami are for sale. We not only found a beautiful replacement for Yellow Bird, I fell in love all over again.
Interior Gutted
Cami’s Old Interior
In with the New
Cami’s New Interior
Sharon and Bill
Cami with New Grille
Chuck and Dean at Street Rod Nationals
Chuck and Dean ready to roll to Louisville. Hope the old Chevy holds together! A quick rain shower didn’t deter the owner of this Ford Model T Roadster truck. He drove around holding the beach umbrella... and the rain didn’t dampen his spirits one bit!
A quick repair was made to the field wire on the generator. Was a lucky break (pun intended), as that was the only problem encountered on the entire trip. Here, we are gassing up and giving the old girl a quick check under the hood.
’32 Ford Roadsters were everywhere at the Street Rod Nationals. This row of fantastic cars was such a cool site to see.
Radically channeled coupe has tons of attitude. The car sounds just as radical as it looks too!
Real-fire flames on this Chevy pickup definitely turns up the heat on the perfect black finish.
The Street Rod Nationals… as Promised!
Street Rod Nationals August, 2011
By Dean Whitlow
Those of you that have followed Wheel-E Magazine or some of my blogs on www.wheel-emag.com, know that my old buddy, Chuck acquired a 1955 Chevy Belair back in the spring of 2011. The purchase of the car was the result of many hours searching online and many miles traveled to look at cars that were for sale.
Cruising the fairgrounds is a treat for everyone at the Nationals. Chuck had a great time driving the wheels off his old Belair!
I accompanied my friend on his travels to look at cars and ultimately to make the final purchase and to bring his car home on a trailer. As we were on our way home with the car, he kept saying that he needed to repay me in some way for all of my time and effort. I assured him that he didn’t need to worry about that, but he was insistent. After some thought, I told him that I would take him up on his offer and I pitched a plan to him. My idea was for us to prepare his car for a trip to Louisville, Kentucky to attend the Street Rod Nationals in early August. He was excited about the idea, and so the plan was set for us to embark on the adventure!
Hey, there’s a ’57 Chevy behind us! Neat shot in the rearview mirror while cruising around.
Chuck and Dean at Street Rod Nationals
I had not attended The Nat’s (as the event is affectionately known to many) since 1998, but had a good idea of what to expect. Chuck on the other hand had attended a regional event hosted by the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) but had never experienced the “big event”.
(continued next page)
(The Street Rod Nationals continued) We spent the better part of one weekend (in extreme heat) thrashing on the car to prepare it for the trip. His home is Poplar Bluff, Missouri making the round trip a little over 800 miles for the 56 year-old Chevy! We changed all of the fluids in the car, repacked the wheel bearings, replaced battery cables, replaced hoses, and inspected everything that we felt might be a concern. I am happy to report that we safely made the trip with only one breakdown (I promised not to mention running out of gas) that took place as we were hitting the road. A quick fix for a broken generator field wire and we were on our way! The Nat’s had changed a great deal since I last attended. For one, vehicles that were at least 25 years old were permitted to be entered. When I last attended, only vehicles that were produced prior to 1949 were allowed to enter the event. Also, the vendor area exceeded my wildest imagination with complete new steel car bodies on display and an unbelievable array of everything from the tiniest replacement parts to complete kits to
build the car of your dreams were available. I won’t ramble on about our adventure as the accompanying photos will fill you in on some highlights of the trip. I will say that anyone that chooses to not drive their classic car to such an event misses out on the experience of a lifetime. I’m so glad that we didn’t trailer the car to the Nat’s, and that my buddy was able to keep his promise to take me to Louisville by way of his ’55 Chevy!
THE MIDGET By Otto Zerk
It was about 12 years ago that my limited income was overtaken by my emotional desire for a convertible. After I got the OK from my smarter and better half, the search began. The decision was made to concentrate on British sports cars though other makes would be considered. As I searched, a few candidates surfaced, but most were in poor shape and the rest were more than I could spend. I was about to give up hope when a 1969 MG Midget came up for sale nearby. I called the owner and set an appointment for the next day to see it. It turned out to be a fairly solid old car. The body, though not
perfect, wasn’t rusty in structural areas. After taking it for a short test drive, I discovered it did have some mechanical issues: the brakes pulled to one side, one wheel bearing was making noise and it needed a tune up. Even considering these negatives I decided to make an offer. The owner and I negotiated a price and the next day, with the family following in our van just in case, we headed for home. Your outlook is different from the cockpit of a small British roadster. Being about 12 feet long and 3.5 feet tall makes everything else that passes on the road seem huge. At first it’s a little unnerving to be passed by an 18 wheeler and realize you could probably fit under its trailer with room to spare. I now have an understanding where they got the name Midget. Soon all that is forgotten though because of the way this little car piques your senses. The sound of air being sucked into the engine by twin SU carburetors, how any movement of the steering wheel causes a response, the exhaust note from the tailpipe and the way the road radiates up through the chassis made the drive home hard to beat. After too short of a trip we pulled into the driveway. As I sat listening and enjoying the smells coming from under the bonnet, my wife walked up and asked how it went. The smile on my face gave her the answer.
Grandad’s Studebaker By Elisabeth Stultz Cedar Rapids, Iowa is home of Bill Bills. He is the proud owner of a customized 1942 Champion, three passenger Coupe Studebaker. In Bill’s family, there has been six generations riding in this car. Bill originally bought it from his grandfather in 1951. While in basic training, during the Korean War, Bill would drive the Studebaker on overnight passes from Ft. Riley, Kansas to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and back…. a thousand mile round trip. After returning from Korea, Bill spent time customizing the car for two years, from 1955 to 1957. Today, he continues to add improvements, such as the Mustang front end, front disc brakes, power steering, and a fresh ’64 Studebaker Lark engine and automatic transmission. In 1964, Bill sold the car to an individual. However, in 1995 Bill bought the car back in a junked state for $225 and restored it once again. Today, he continues to drive his Studebaker. People often pull out their cell phones and take pictures of themselves next to Bill’s car. If you happen to be visiting Cedar Rapids, look up Bill Bills. He would love to take you for a spin in his ride!
Our Adventure with the Tour de Corn By Becky Englehart
I would never call myself a cyclist or even
an avid bike rider, but I do refer to myself as an adventurist. I have a passion for adventure and I am always looking for new things to try. When my friends mentioned to me that they were going to ride the Tour de Corn, I just had to get in on the action. On Saturday, June 25th, 2011, my family and I hit the road to East Prairie, MO for our first adventure with the Tour de Corn.
The Tour de Corn offers four different routes
for riders with all different levels of ambition, and since we had recently ridden the Tunnel Hill Trail in Vienna, IL we were feeling a bit ambitious and chose the 30 mile route. With three bicycles, two trailers (that seem to act more as a parachute than a trailer) and our two kids, we were set to go. Being this was also “our first ever organized bike ride”, I was not quite sure what to expect but I must say I was very impressed with this event. Even though, I don’t know the exact number of cyclists. I believe I heard the day of the event that there were approximately 800 cyclists that participated.
As we stood at the starting line, I know I
felt a bit intimidated looking around at all the more “experienced” cyclists, but I glanced over at Celesse my seven-year old and could see the excitement that was plastered all over her
face. The whistle blew and our ride began! I knew not a mile down the road that we were not going to finish early, but we were going to have a good time, and we did! We loved watching all the different styles of bikes pass by us and Dillard our three-year old demanded that we slow down every time we saw a tractor, so there was lots of tractor watching especially since we rode right through tractor country.
Our first rest stop was the corn on the cob
stop. What a delight for a bouncy three-year old that had been yelling out to Mommy for the past seven miles to “go faster mommy, go faster” and then demanding to stop and watch the tractors in the fields. Celesse, unfortunately, is not a corn eater yet she decided that one day soon she is going to host her own bike race and name it the
“Tour de Cookies”. She is sure that the cookies will draw in a crowd. After filling up on cookies and corn (what a combo) it was back on the road for some more heavy duty pedaling. Celesse must have gained some steam, because she actually passed a few of the more “experienced” cyclists and proudly honked her squeaky horn at them; just had to rub it in a bit that they were being passed by a short little blonde girl on a hot pink bicycle.
At our next rest stop also known as the tractor
water stop, Dillard became good friends with a nice lady that worked at the John Deere Store and somehow with the blink of his eyes he managed to get about a dozen bottles of water that had John Deere Tractors on them. He now proudly carries around some stylish water bottles and brags to all his friends that on the “corn tour” he got tractor waters. As we left the lovely church and lady in Dogwood, MO, we hit the road for our long ride back. Celesse began to lose steam and pedaling power along the way and who could blame her .... that is a long ride for a little gal, but she was so determined to ride the entire way. We greatly appreciated all the other cyclists (that I believe may have been riding the 60mile route and were now catching up with us) for the awesome words of encouragement and support for Celesse .... it made the trip so much better.
W
e finished our 30-mile ride in a record time of five hours and fifteen minutes; not too bad for a couple of non-experienced cyclists with parachute trailers hooked to their bikes and two rowdy but fun kiddos. Our success for the day was that we had no wrecks, although we had one close call when Celesse almost ran over a chicken that was standing in the middle of the road! The chicken did then agree to hang around and pose for a picture, but Celesse didn’t want any evidence of ever meeting the chicken, so Daddy posed with the chicken.
A Tour of the Nashville Auto Diesel College By Dean Whitlow
For the past couple of years, Ron Mann (Admissions Representative with Nashville Auto Diesel College) has encouraged me to make a trip to Nashville with the purpose of visiting his school. I was fortunate this fall to find an open date on my calendar when Nashville Auto Diesel College (NADC) was having an Open House! The trip was soon planned and I was on their campus in late August. One of the first things that I learned about NADC was that their program offerings cover a much wider range than I had ever believed. Programs at NACD include Auto Technology, Auto Collision, Heavy Equipment Maintenance, Fleet and Tractor Trailer Maintenance, and Small Engine Repair. In addition, a specialized area in High Performance Engine building/tuning is in place for those dreaming of working in NASCAR! The facilities at NADC are clean and well maintained. Labs are filled with new model vehicles to work on… as well as a wide range of material handling and heavy equipment machines. The diesel engine shop is beyond explanation as it is filled with countless “running” diesel truck engines that the students disassemble, repair, and reassemble! The school has an open-entry format with students graduating every month. Students complete a program of study in 13 months. On average, 1,700 students are in attendance at the school. On-campus as well as off-campus housing is coordinated by NADC, assuring adequate housing for the students moving to Nashville to attend the college. Students purchase a small amount of tools for use at the school. One instructor stated that they purchase no more than can be “hand carried”. All other tools are provided by the school. Instructors were on hand for the Open House and took time to answer all of our questions. I was amazed at the number of instructors that were former NADC students! It was clear that each instructor has a true passion for the subject and for working with students. Near the end of our tour, we entered the High Performance Engine shop. The instructor and some students were testing a twin turbocharged engine on a dyno. What an impressive site and sound! The engine produced over 900 horse power! I enjoyed the tour of NADC and the hospitality of everyone involved with the school. My wife and daughter joined me for the trip. I’m not sure who enjoyed the trip the most! My wife kept saying that NADC would have been the perfect school for me when I was a kid. I must say that I fully agree with her! Oh to be 18 again!
Testing the twin turbocharged engine on the dyno in the high performance lab.
Well equipped shop with a variety of late model vehicles on hand for training.
Student working on his vehicle on a Saturday morning. Installing a new cold air intake system.
Very cool graphics on NADC’s Mini Cooper.
Mini Cooper sporting the NADC logo!
Our Family Hayride By Leah Gordillo
As a child growing up, I was privileged to have grandparents who owned farms. My maternal grandfather would occasionally organize a family hay ride, usually in the fall. He would place rows of hay bales on his trailer and hitch it to his red International 330 tractor. He would then take us to different places in Perry County such as Red Rock and Shiloh. These hayrides were a special treat for us and we always had a lot of fun. We could sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Perry County, especially the beautiful fall leaves. I can still hear the drone of the tractor engine, the mesmerizing turning of the tread on the big tractor wheels, and the clapping sound of the exhaust stack. The sights and sounds of a childhood privileged to experience these things. On one such hayride my grandfather forgot to check the gas gauge until we were a considerable distance away. We were lucky because close by was one of his cousin’s farm. His cousin had a gas tank he used to fill up his farm equipment but he was not home. My grandpa did not have much of a choice but to borrow some of his gas in order for us to make it back to his farm, much less to finish our hay ride. It ended up being one of our best hayrides and one of the most memorable. Just in case you were wondering, my grandfather reimbursed his cousin at church the following Sunday for the gas. He was appreciative of my grandfather’s honesty, as he had thought someone had stolen his gas.
Just Wheelin’ Around
Motor Madness – Cars for Kids Show By Dean Whitlow
The Cape Girardeau area Cars for Kids group recently held their show with all proceeds going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Entry fees, shirt sales, and auction items all contributed to the funds. Well known automotive personality Rick Bacon from Spike TV’s Muscle Car television show was on hand to support the local group’s efforts. Rick did a little pinstriping work on an early Chevy truck while at the event. On display was an Impala dragster that was Rick’s first encounter with Cars for Kids. That car was instrumental in Rick getting involved with the Spike TV show. We want to share with you photos of some of the great vehicles that were on display at this event.
The Cars for Kids logo in flames is the handiwork of Rick Bacon. This was completed in 2007 on Spike TV’s Muscle Car television show.
Junior dragsters were displayed by Bryan Racing. Brother and sister Trenton and Tori Bryan race these cars at a number of dragstrips. Most recently, they competed in Indianapolis. The cars typically race a 1/8th mile race. However, the camouflaged car is too fast for NHRA rules and is only allowed to run a 330 foot race!
Shawn Kinder displayed his 2006 Proper Chopper. The bike boasts an 88 inch engine. The Impala that Rick Bacon completed on Spike TV.
Don Kuntze brought his beautiful 1947 Studebaker pickup to the show. The truck has been updated with a 3.9 Dodge V-6 engine.
Rick Bacon shows some of his talent by pinstriping flames on the hood of a truck.
Riding the Rails By Terri Jestus
Years ago, the train in Jackson used to have a Hobo Night. Participants would dress up as hobos and ride the train to Gordonville, hop off, eat stew and cornbread and drink coffee while singing hobo songs around a camp fire. Then they would get back on the train and ride back with a lot of storytelling and laughing along the way. My family participated in this event a few times and it was definitely a FUN night! I have to admit my daughter and nephew looked adorable dressed as hobos. Their sweet little innocent brown eyes gazing out of the charcoal that represented dirty faces was precious. Looking back, I am sure they didn’t quite understand why we were making them dirty when most of the time we were trying to keep them clean. Of course, as the years went by, they understood more and really looked forward to being hobos for a night. However, time has passed and I think Hobo Night has been changed to the Haunted Train and our kids have children of their own. Of course, I am sure the Haunted Train is just as much fun as the Hobo Night and it won’t be long and my grand nieces and grandson will be experiencing similar memories on the train as their mommies and daddies. The best part is that the train in Jackson is still running mainly by volunteers and contributions and riding the rails is not an extinct adventure in our area.
BEAUTIFUL CARS ON DOWNTOWN STREETS By Sharon Hopkins What better way is there to spend a gorgeous summer Saturday than admiring beautiful cars, devouring homemade ice cream and tapping toes to live music? The Historic Downtown Sikeston Car Show and Ice Cream Social was the place to be on Saturday, July 16, 2011 as street rods, muscle cars, motorcycles, trucks and World War II Military vehicles lined up at the corner of Scott and Center Street, in Sikeston, Missouri. A live youth band entertained the spectators and exhibitors alike, while inside Malone Park were loads of food and craft concessions. I immediately homed in on one of the most beautiful street rods I’ve ever seen. Although, I’m partial to the sixties-and seventiesera muscle cars, this awesome red-orange ’41 Willys begged for my attention. As I walked up, the owner, Calvin Hartsfield of Malden, Missouri, was busy wiping off invisible dust, and giving his beauty the final once-over before the judge’s inspection. Although Calvin was prepping his car, he kindly took a break and told me all about his entry. The ‘41 Willys coupe came from Indiana, where Calvin said it was hand built from the ground up, using a fiberglass body. The custom tan interior looked as soft as butter and begged to be sat in, although I didn’t dare. The paint was as beautiful as any I’d ever seen. I longed to touch the paint, just to see if it was as smooth as it looked. Of course, I knew better. Touching a show car is just never done, and there are many signs around to remind anyone, (if reminders are necessary). Under the raised hood, the powerhouse 492 cu. in Chevy engine with roller cam and Turbo Hydromatic four-speed automatic transmission looked ready and willing for street action. When the judging was completed, Calvin
went home with two trophies, one for Best Street Rod and another for Best Paint. I knew I loved that paint job! As I strolled toward the military vehicles, I snagged Brad Golden, current president of the SEMO Military Vehicle Group. Brad said that his group is a part of the MVPA, or Military Vehicle Preservation Association. The SEMO group has about 35 vehicles and participates in parades and shows like the one in Sikeston in order to present the old military vehicles that were an integral part of the military. Some of the members come from Illinois while others are from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and from all regions of Southeast Missouri. The group was headed to Chester, Illinois from September 16 to 18, 2011, to participate in the living World War II camp, in conjunction with the arrival of an LST, a World War II landing ship. From there I wandered among the candycolored street rods, and took in the nostalgia of the early Mustangs. I loved a motorcycle that featured a Corvette rear. The morning passed much too quickly, and I was as disappointed as the kids were when I found out the ice cream was gone. Without exception and in spite of the climbing temperature, the spectators and exhibitors seemed as excited and happy to be there as I was. If there’s a moral or two to the story of this outing, it’s to get there early before the ice cream is gone, wear comfy shoes, and be prepared to admire. But don’t touch!
Calvin Hartsfield with his ‘41 Willys Street Rod There was a live band in the pavilion. This powerhouse is ready to RRRRUN!
Look at the buttery soft leather interior
The contingent from the SEMO Military Vehicle Group.
People gathered around to admire this gorgeous red truck.
This red beauty shines like new.
‘55
Chevy Getting Ready
Show off your wheels in the next issue
of Wheel-E Magazine! We are always searching for interesting people with interesting wheels..... Contact us with: • Stories that you have written. • Club Newsletters that you would like published. • Invitations to interview you and photograph your wheels!
Contact us by email at: wheelemag@gmail.com. Contact us by phone: Dean (573) 225-9469 or Terri at (573) 450-5773. You may view us at: www.wheel-emag.com or on Facebook.
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heel Revo W 1 . lut .. ... i
n . . . . ..
By Stacy Klusmeier
o
My 5-year-old son, Alex, and I went to see 1 Wheel Revolution at Bootheel Harley Davidson in Cape Girardeau. The turnout was great and Bootheel Harley Davidson did a wonderful job preparing for the crowd. I was going more for my son than for me. You see, Alex is really into motorcycles, ATV’s, monster trucks, etc. Basically anything loud or dangerous, (this is not good on a mother’s heart!) There were four shows during the day and we attended three of them. The stunts progressed throughout the day and the final show was the best. Not having grown up around this type of sport, I am always hesitant about accidents. During the whole first show, I was terrified that while the motorcyclists were doing their burnouts that they would accidentally let off the brake and fly into the crowd. My son, of course, was blissfully unaware of any possibility of danger and was having a great time and saying things like, “How do they do that?” and “Look at that wheelie!”. As time went on, it became very obvious that these gentlemen were very skilled and loved what they were doing. Throughout the show they were doing burnouts, vertical wheelies, doughnuts and hyping up the crowd with great music. At the conclusion of the first show, Alex was very insistent that we come back for the second show. We ran home, grabbed my camera and his “indestructible” kid’s camera, grabbed some lunch and headed back. Luckily, we found a seat in the front row as the place filled up quickly. Again, the motorcyclists performed as skillfully as before. My son was even more into it the second time around and stated that Daddy needed to buy a new motorcycle. My response? No way! Again, my heart wouldn’t be able to take that. The day was hot and we opted to skip the third performance, but attended the finale with Daddy in tow this time. At this point, I’m not sure who became the bigger kid, Alex or my husband. While Alex and I sat back and watched the show (by now I’m over my fear of something horrible happening) my husband can barely contain himself. “How do they do that?” “Look at that wheelie!” This time these comments were coming from my husband. The final act of the stunt show was to burnout until the tires popped, and they did! The crowd loved it and everyone gathered around the two injured motorcycles to get pictures, including me. And who can leave such a great show without buying something? We walked through the showroom, which is fantastic, and Alex found just the right toy motorcycle to bring home. My husband DID NOT walk away with a motorcycle! If this wonderful team comes back to the area in the future, we will certainly be in the audience!
Photos Courtesy of Stacy Klusmeier
Leerjak Fun Photos courtesy of carrie & daren essner
River City Rodders and Downtown Cape Girardeau By Dean Whitlow Historic downtown Cape Girardeau and the magnificent mural covered river wall make for a fantastic setting for the annual car show of the River City Rodders. The involvement of cosponsor Old Town Cape contributes greatly to the success of the show. Weather is always a major factor in car shows, and this year’s event was a mix of fair weather in the morning and a heavy downpour of rain in the early afternoon. I was so impressed to see that only two cars left the show when the rain hit. One of the greatest parts of the River City Rodders show is the tremendous variety of cars on display. Vehicles ranging from beautiful electric powered sports cars to a rusty early model pickup truck were on hand. The overall quality of the cars on display was equal to what I’ve seen at national car events. We’ve included some photos of a few of the vehicles that were on display at this year’s show. I’m confident that such a well organized event held in such a cool setting will only get bigger every year.
Smith’s Summer Classic Car Auction Photos by Dean Whitlow
We want to share with you some of our favorite cars that were up for bid at Smith’s Summer Classic Car Auction in July. There was a great selection of antique, classic, hot rod, and muscle car vehicles on display.
Auction staff search for bidders for this 1935 Ford.
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Beautiful 1935 Ford 5-window Coupe on the auction block!
Flamed 1940 Ford truck was a real standout. Huge crowd of bidders and a great selection of cars were on hand at the sale. The auction floor was a crowded and busy place all day.
Candy Apple Red 1937 Ford Coupe, a perfect example of the quality of cars up for bid at this auction.
Auctioneers and their staff moved quickly to keep the cars rolling across the auction block.