The lull before the storm

Hi all,
Because of rain and our being out of town to PA, we didn't do any 'car' things this weekend! We were trying for a cruise Sunday but the rain stoped that. There will be some gaps in the weekends from time to time because of weather. Next month begins our busy months with sometime two shows and three cruises each weekend! Next Sat begins the 'Circuit Cruise' where we try to duplicate the crusing of the 60's.
Later....chuck the slacker

Tent dancing with the guys

Linda and I drove to the VA BBQ cruise in on Friday the 18th in Fredericksburg. The traffic on Rt 1 was bad at the Falmouth light, we had to wait 3 lights to get through….the RedRat was creeping up on 210 and I was a nervous camper. It runs perfect at 185-190 unless we are stopped, it likes to move! As soon as we got through the light all was well again and the temp quickly dropped to normal. Steve was driving his Maverick beast and was goading Linda to go faster in her 33 but the Princess was not tricked….the Maverick is pretty quick and I always tell her not to race anyone she can’t beat! And she always listens to me….right! We got to VA BBQ and the lot was filling up quickly, we got our spots and saved one for Dan & Ramona who showed up later. There are always some new and/or unusual cars that show up and tonight was no exception. A white Jaguar XKE that looked original was there with the one-piece tilt front end, a neat deal for a late 60’s production car. It even had it’s original porcelain exhaust manifold….I got burned a few times checking the oil on these in my Signal Gas Station in SoCal in the 60’s. Yes we checked the oil, radiator water, battery water level, windshield washer water level, fan belts, tire pressure and washed the windshield….while I pumped the gas for you! And you paid me 17 cents a gal for regular, leaded gas….what a deal. And I gave you green stamps which you saved up and got stuff for free….like blenders, toasters, lawn mowers, barbecue grilles and more. So many memories from a Jag dipstick burn! An old school high boy coupe with a flathead rolled in and Dom’s model T was there….with three pedals on the floor and not one of them is the gas pedal or parking brake pedal! Ya gotta ask Dom about his car. Then there was a 49-50 Chevy 2dr that was a classic hot rod to me. It had a SB Chevy that looked like it came out of my Mom's 57 chevy that they replaced the 235 6 banger with and most of the original under hood stuff like the heat ducts, heater core, cables etc, was still there. The engine compartment wasn’t cleaned up and smoothed out like we do now, it was all about making the motor work in that car….that’s all. Kinda refreshing. Claude won the trophy with his orange 55….I think we need to investigate this deal, he won last week with his drop dead gorgeous 34 Chevy coupe….that car will stop conversations when it rolls in! We cruised home and got ready for the McLane show the next day!

A few hearty souls gathered at the Stafford Bob Evans at 6:30 AM for breakfast before leaving for the McLane show. We had a minor photo-op in the parking lot then drove to the show on 95 getting off on Rt. 17 heading west then turning into the complex. After registration we all lined up on one end of the parking lot….we almost took up the whole end of the parking lot. There were 10 cars that registered as ‘Stafford Classics’ but and additional 6 could have. I think that’s one pitfall of belonging to two different car clubs, you have to make decisions like that, but that’s OK. It’s all about taking your car out and enjoying the show or cruise and the people that are there. Brent originally had his car sitting with us evil Fords and Mopars but later moved down with those other GM cars….the Camaroe boys…. They all huddled together, like Harley guys….in fact I think I saw a Sportster parked by Rocky’s awesome white Camaro. It is interesting how that worked out, most of the GM on one side, most of the Mopar on the other side and three Fords in the middle….we need more fords in the club, I’m beginning to feel intimidated!

Then we tried to answer the age old question ‘how many guys does it take to put up a tent?’ Why of course it takes as many guys as you have tent poles! Everybody knows that….and you have to have one extra guy to watch and wave his arms around, another guy to stand still and look real deep in thought and a gal to read the instructions that the guys won’t listen to! After we got Bill and Dolores’s tent up we stood there like Tim the tool man, acknowledging our handiwork…. I even think I heard someone grunting like Tim….Be sure to check out the pics for this deal!….it was worth the cost of admission….grin

The show had many cars that would have been comfortable at a national NSRA or Goodguys show and many that are driven everywhere on a weekly basis to local shows. There were some racecars and one nostalgic stocker, Bounty Hunters….a Dodge. I have seen cars like this run in their heyday; they are always fun to watch. My friend, Lee, had a Plymouth 426 wedge that he ran on the street. My wife had a 72 440/4spd RR GTX that was a hoot but I think Lee’s wedge could take her but we never raced each other….I don’t know why. Please check out the website for pictures of the cars that were at the show, I took a picture of every car that was there except a few that came in later….about 150 or so! The Stafford Classics got the ‘Club Participation’ trophy and almost every one got a trophy too….except the Slacker. The weather was warm but nevertheless better that the cold/wet weather we have been having on the weekends. We need to get used to the heat, this is the way it will be for 5 months! This was a well-run show that we would like to return to next year.

After the show we formed up at the commuter parking lot nearby to cruise to Colonial Beach, about 35 miles away. There were 11 of us that started out on our adventure. We got strung out after one of our group had trouble and some of us stayed with him till help came and the rest of the group continued on. We caught up with them about 14 miles away….that was a real hoot trying to form up as a group to continue the cruise. When we arrived in Colonial Beach some of us had dinner at Ledo’s Pizza, some went to seafood restaurants ….what’s wrong with that picture, going to a beach town and eating Italian food? But hey, we are car guys, we aren’t normal…grin On the way back to Bruster’s, Brent’s son, Brandon, hitched a ride with me in the RedRat….It was a good thing because I had always wanted to have another pair of hands to take some ‘action’ photos of other cars while I was moving….Brandon had another pair of hands….hehehehe I usually take the pics one handed while trying to keep the RedRat between the lines. I think he enjoyed the ride, we didn’t go too fast, the motor never went above 3000 rpm….wink wink….and the rear tires never lost traction….grin….yeah dad that’s what happened…. When we arrived in Stafford the temp gauge started to climb, it pegged down at the bottom where it says ‘Water Temp’….Brandon started getting a little nervous but I knew the temp gauge was acting up again. It did the same thing last year….the temp climbed too fast to be real. The builder, Don Stanley, had the forethought to put a temp gauge on the water pump so when we stopped at Bruster’s, I checked the engine mounted gauge and it read 195….I love this car! I did find out the driver’s headlight is malfunctioning again; I will have to troubleshoot that next week. The hot rods usually give me something to do between naps during the week!

There were over 50 cars at Bruster’s again this week, this thing is really growing thanks to Ron’s leadership and dedication to the deal. There was a 34-36 Ford PU that I had not seen before as well as a red Ferrari that was new. Most everything else belonged to the usual suspects. Ron called the evening closed and we cruised home….a very long 16 hrs playing with cars!

http://community.webshots.com/user/33coupe

Sometime ya just gotta have faith!

Every weather forecast said rain on Saturday April 12, even thunderstorms in our area all day. In spite of that Linda and I arrived at North Stafford High School early and were directed to park on the sidewalk near the flag poles….what a deal! Many other cars started arriving and soon the parking lot started to fill up. The parking was divided into classes, which made it a little awkward if a group drove to the show together with different kinds of cars and usually parked together but had to be split up in class sections. The Stafford County Sheriff was represented, as was their racecar….you can’t go faster then they can!….grin The major sponsor of the event, The National Guard, had some representatives walking around and talking to the people about their cars. There was a contingent of soapbox derby cars that amazed everyone with the workmanship and detail that goes into their construction. Many future drivers had their pictures taken in the cars thanks to their owners being eager to share their hobby. Around noon we had a little rain, it didn’t even get the ground wet….just spotted the pollen in the cars a little. As at the show last year, the students worked everything out to make the show run smoothly….with the direction of Susan and Kenny. The food was good and the displays were effective. I couldn't find the ice cream vendor! I think many more people would have attended but the rain was a big deal for some. Even though the show got very little rain; as close as 3 miles away had thunderstorm and near deluge rainfall….we had a circle of kool & dry for our show….grin Sometime you have to take a chance on the weather so you can respect the effort of many others…. ….something to think about.

The awards were very cool. The plaques were very patriotic and well received. The ‘Special’ awards were truly one of a kind. The thought and work that went into them was appreciated by all….even if you didn’t get one. But of course the Princess got one, for Best Rod; so did Jim & Maria for best paint and Dan & Ramona for judges choice....Tom got Best Engineeered, you have to check our his Camaro next time you see it....and Pete got the Best Custom award for his VW. Thanks for another great show….one that should not be missed next year!


Later on the same day we attended the cruisein behind Arby’s and Bruster’s on Rt 610/Garrisonville Rd….in Stafford. A lot of the cars from the NSHS show were there as well as many other cars; I think Ron had over 50 cars that night! The Bruster’s/Arby’s location may be outgrown this year….we’ll see.

Another busy day, please visit the webshots site for the pictures….also check Dan’s Photo link, as he will post the pics he took at both events too.

http://community.webshots.com/user/33coupe

Chuck and Linda's exellent adventure 4-5-08

The day started at Bob Evans in Stafford at 7AM for our Stafford Classics meeting and the rain clouds were very threatening....by 8AM we could see the blue sky....so....why not go to a car show? Some of us left the meeting and went home to get the hot rods to the Brooke Point HS show. The kids, teachers and so many others had done so much preparation for the show we felt we had to try to attend out of respect of their effort. I could tell the show was going to be different from last year when we pulled into the school....the direction was helpful and concise, then after having our picture taken in front of a large American flag we went to our parking spot. The 'event staff' were in clearly marked chartreuse t-shirts and were very helpful when needed. The restrooms were in the school and a vast improvement over last year, thanks. The food was very good and especially the ice cream....Did you know that when you eat ice cream at a car show the calories don't count, I read that on the Internet, must be true!....grin The day was wonderful, sun in and out, a little breeze....just almost perfect. The DJ from 104.5 was on top of her stuff which made the day better too. She is always a welcome addition to any show. The demonstration by the 540 boys was awesome, not to be missed. There was a nice mix of cars from new Rosner Toyota's to some 'old school' cars and everything in between. The tunners were very well represented, they really deserve a second look! The Aquia Corvettes were there and added to the ambiance of the show, it's always nice to have a little culture and sophistication around us rowdy hot rod people....grin A military jeep was there, you need to look at the detail of their restoration, it is just as detailed and period correct as any street automobile that was there, check them out the next time you see one at a show....you will be amazed. The awards ceremony went well, the trophies were very nice then Mr. Paul thanked us for our participation and we were all dismissed. A great show and worthy of your attendance next year, don't miss it.

After the show we went to Bruster's and formed up for a 'circuit cruise'....Steve's blue maverick (that car is a beast), Jim's Red 68 GT350 Shelby, Dan & Ramona's black 55 Chevy, Linda's Red 33 Ford and Chuck's red 34 Ford. We left Bruster's at about 5:40 and drove to Foster's in SouthPoint. Ask Chuck about when green doesn't mean go....you had to be there! When we arrived at Foster's nothing was going on and the parking was not reserved so we drove to A1 Speed and Custom. We skipped Sonic because the rain was really looking ominous. When we arrived at A1 the DJ was playing music and there were about 10 cars present. We stayed about 45 min and the rain started to sprinkle, so we left for Stafford. We arrived back at Bruster's and Ron was wrapping up the event for the night so we milled around and took some pictures then left for home.

Whew a real busy 13 hrs....For all the rain that was forcasted we really had a good turn out for the show, cruise and circuit cruise. More next week. Please check out the pictures at; http://community.webshots.com/user/33coupe

Lowery's Cruise 3-30-08

We met at the BB&T in Stafford to find somewhere to eat lunch. Andrew, blue Camaro....Billy-Shawn-Blake, red Chevy PU....Dan & Ramona, black 55 Chevy....Linda, red 33 and the Slacker's red 34. Andrew remembered his walkie talkie! AND he brought his camera too, life is good....We left for Southpoint where we picked up Pete & Leigh, orange Camaro, in the Target parking lot. We cruised Rt 17 and stopped at Rt 301 for a pit stop, the Slacker tried to take some artsy fartsy pics. Then on to Tapahanock and lunch at Lowery's Seafood Restaurant. The food was exceptional and the service matched the food, the parking was good too....we need to return to this place. After eating too much we saddled up and cruised back to Stafford. While on 17 a PU puling a 'trailer' passed us, I think it was made from a 54 Ford, any thoughts? At 17 & 301, Pete & Leigh split and went their way home, the rest of us took a different way back on Rt 3. Back in Stafford we all met at Linda's home and had banana and strawberry pie (thanks to Ramona's whining!) and coffee & pepsi. It was a great day with friends and cars driving 139 miles, a little cold, but a portent of things to come as the weather warms up. http://community.webshots.com/user/33coupe

Cruise 3-29-08

It's Saturday, March 29, 2008....6PM....Time to cruise.

The usual suspects met at the Bloom parking lot in Stafford for the Sat nite cruise. Andrew, blue Camaro....Rocky, red Vette....Dan & Ramona, black 55 Chevy....Linda, red 33 and the slacker's red 34. We drove to Pizza Hut on Rt 1 and met Les & Peggy, 67 Olds. We had to leave after 20 min or so, everyone started to talk Italian (check pics....the hands! grin) and the Slacker couldn't understand anyone! We drove the proposed circuit route to A1 Speed Shop in Fredericksburg then through part of old town Fredericksburg to Foster's Grille and dinner. Check out the pics, I think the Slacker is having too much fun! We left Foster's and cruised the new Sonic out on Rt.3, just to give people something to wave at! Then back to Stafford for coffee. We traveled 63 miles and the cruise track should work just fine. Please visit for pictures http://community.webshots.com/user/33coupe