Hot Rods and Kustom Cars
For the last few years I’ve been attending a small town show not too far outside of Wichita called the Hobo Happening. Being that it’s the Saturday before Thanksgiving in Douglass, KS it’s been either 50 degrees or 35, this year was closer to the 35 and a stiff cold wind. Still with all of that they had a great turnout this year.
The 2015 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular is in the books. Short version, it was hot, it was fun, let’s do it again.
This is my local show, it’s only about 20 miles from my house to Oakdale Park where the show happens. Somehow the show always goes by too fast. Between the friends and family that show up from around the country and the fact that it’s just a few days, it’s just over too quickly. The photos start with the Open House out at Bright Built Hot Rods west of Salina on Old U.S. 40 Highway, then we head in to the Thursday evening parade on Santa Fe Ave.
Showing at an indoor event is always a bit of a hassle. For those of us that live out of town it adds a degree of difficulty to show at an event like the 2015 Starbird Devlin Show. For me it started Wednesday evening with a 90 mile drive to Wichita to drop off my daily driver in a parking garage. Then Thursday I took off mid morning to get the Galaxie washed and drive her to Century II. By 4pm I had the Galaxie in the show and cleaned up and I was back at work. I even had a few minutes to stop by Deville’s Barber Shop & Shaving Parlor to get myself looking good for the weekend.
Saturday started out a bit foggy. Actually at one point in the drive visibility was down to about an 1/8th mile. That did not stop folks from coming out to the Hobo Happening in Douglass, KS.
Back in September I stopped in to Big Creek Restoration in Ellis, KS to see what Mike Keller and company were up to. I figured they’d have something killer in the works and I was right. An incredible 34 was under construction, at the time a rolling chassis with a beautifully detailed Hemi between the rails. Now the body is back on and it’s looking really good!
In 2012 I received a call from my friend and mentor Doug Reed asking if I’d like to be a part of a display at the 2013 Starbird-Devlin show in Wichita. He was assembling some cars to be a part of a Kustom City display showing off kustoms to the folks that attend the show. For decades Wichita had a rich heritage of kustoms and in recent years the kustoms weren’t exactly featured at the show.
For years the last event in this region had been the Hobo Happening in Douglass, KS. I’ve been able to attend this mid November event a few times, sometimes it’s 60 degrees and sometimes it’s 35 degrees, but it’s always a bunch of great people having an even better time.
Most of my 40 years have been spent in or around Gypsum, KS. Most of the Octobers that I’ve been here I’ve gone down to the Fall Festival held on and around our main drag, Maple Street. The “downtown” area is all on this 1 paved street (except for about a half block off of Maple in each way). There’s a parade, kids games, and in recent years a car show organized by my uncle Paul, known online by many as Poverty Flats.
The show is big, and getting bigger every year, the Saturday night cruise I haven’t made yet but I hear it’s a blast, if your cooling system is up to it. For the previous 3 or so years the Ol Marais River Run show has been hit by rain, this year that was the forecast all week leading up to the show but Thursday that changed and as far as I know it didn’t rain during the day time at all.
I’ve been attending the Ol Marais River Run in Ottawa, KS for the last few years. This lil ol show in a small town has grown to one of the largest shows in the region. There were over 1600 cars at the event by about noon on Saturday.
After seeing some friends saying they were going to head out to the Kansas International Dragway for some “Throwback Drags” last Saturday night, I decided I needed to go check it out. I was in the area anyways for the Blacktop Nationals after hitting the Rev It Up show in Lawrence, KS that morning.
Continue reading “2014 Kansas International Dragway Throwback Drags”
The indoor portion of the 2014 Blacktop Nationals is always my favorite part. Not just because of the AC either… Continue reading “2014 Blacktop Nationals Part 2”
After the trip to Lawrence for the Rev It Up show, I drove on down to Wichita for the 2014 Blacktop Nationals. The show seemed to be a bit smaller this year but some great cars were there. Continue reading “2014 Blacktop Nationals Part 1”
I’ve been attending the Rev It Up! Hot Rod Hullabaloo show in Lawrence, KS off and on for years. The show has changed dates a few times and has seen it’s ups and downs weather wise. So I was a bit worried as I drove up to Lawrence for the 2014 edition of the show. What I found was more cars than I’d ever seen at the event before. Click here to see more photos from the show.
“You’re going to want to replace that flathead.” That’s the first words of many people when we talk about my 51 Ford. They tell me how they would be good for tooling around town or this or that but for the amount that I drive I’m going to want to replace it with something more powerful and modern. My counter argument is Roy Fields’ 1949 Ford. Not only has this car been all over the country including taking Fields to Bonneville to run he and his brother’s LSR car. Tales of that drive include extended high speed runs proving the motor’s longevity.
Continue reading “1949 Ford : Roy Fields’ Custom Shoebox Feature”
This week I call up my friends Eric from the Los Punk Rods about the upcoming Greaserama and Mickey Bryan of Stray Kat Kustoms about the Starliner.
Continue reading “CPPS EP. 20 : Greaserama & Starliner : My 2 Favorite Shows”
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Lots of great cars showed up to the Halstead Old Settlers Day Show, I sure love me a Ford Cammer! Check out the fuel injected flathead at the end of the post!
When I attend a small town show that’s new to me, I take a chance. It could suck. It could rule. It could be filled with cars with their hoods open…
Mickey from Stray Kat Kustoms even came up and hung out for the day at the 2014 WFO Guys Show. Rolling with some friends that had a bit of mechanical issues, but everyone eventually made it.
I can’t even tell you folks how many years I’ve planned on hitting the WFO Guys Show in Augusta, KS. Every year I find myself doing something else. That was dumb, this show is pretty damn kool!
Continue reading “It’s About Time I Attended The WFO Guys Show In Augusta”
The 8th and final post of the 2014 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular coverage! Thanks to everyone that’s come to the site to see the coverage! Make sure to go to the top right hand corner of the site and subscribe to the blog!
That’s the look of a man having a good time at the drags. It’s one of my favorite parts of the KKOA Leadsled Spectacular each year to see Gene Winfield get to flag the races.
The drags as always brings a big crowd. Kudos to all involved to resolving the traffic issues from 2013. We were able to roll directly into the event and back out when it was time this year unlike previous years where you were watching your temp gauge and praying the whole way in and out because it was a complete traffic jam.
Continuing coverage of the 2014 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular from Salina, KS. Continuing my comments from yesterday, I would love this show to return to it’s roots, even though that would mean that my 63 Galaxie wouldn’t be allowed in. Comment below what you think of the show, and what background do you come from? Kustom guys seem to be thinking along the lines that I am, where as just car guys in general like the shows that have all types of cars.
The Drags have brought big crowds to the event but the diehard kustom folks don’t attend, and don’t support them. This is where I’m torn, I enjoy going except for when it’s as hot as it was this week, but I really could do without them. They are entertaining, and they bring a big crowd to the event. The drag photos start later in this post and continue tomorrow.
Click here to see 90 images from the show including Drag Racing Action!
The 2014 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular was in town all weekend just in time for the first major heatwave of the summer here in Salina, KS. The 34th annual event was held in Salina for the 9th time, lots of cars showed up but not a lot of leadsleds or kustoms. Since the show’s registration requirements have opened up the show has grown but it’s lost a bit of clout in the kustom community. Some notable kustom car builders and owners have privately told me that they disagree with the bigger is better show rules and they long for the days when the show had strict rules for entry. I’d like to see the show like that again too. Not that the show is bad like it is now, just different.
