Art & Inspiration Indoor car shows: the golden years

One of my buddies older brothers (Rob Charlton) had a corvair powered dune buggy, it was actually pretty quick. KanKustom I was 7 in '67. Started looking at my dads car mags when I was 2 or 3, was spending my allowance on hot rod mags by '67.

 

I've often wondered how these 1960's show cars were hauled from show to show, this was long before the fleets of enclosed car hauling companies. Bob

 

There's a photo somewhere on here of a whole car carrier full of well known late sixties Vancouver area cars, think they were heading to a car show in Alberta, IIRC.

 

Promotions Inc., the company that put on a lot of car shows had their own tractor trailers to haul the feature cars in. At one time they were on 9 Mile Rd. in Detroit.
I sold those souvenir programs at a couple car shows.
Bob Larivee was the owner of Promotions.

 

At that time Darryl Starbird had at least one semi trailer truck. The guys like Starbird, Roth, Farner etc. usually had the one or two main attraction's and other builders brought their own cars.

 

Thanks, I keep thinking of the R&C Dream Truck rollover on an open trailer. Bob

 

Nick, What year was it when Chris Carrier had "The California Kid" there? That was the start of big buck Hot Rod buys, what was it, $25,000 without an interior? Bob

 

The Clark Marshal, Custom Auto, Hot Rod, and Speed Show; I think that's how it was worded, and came to Seattle once a year. I always "had" to go. The car that still stands out to me, was a green 56 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery, powered by a mechanical fuel injection, MOPAR wedge engine and push-****on Torqueflite; tilt fibergl*** front end, straight axle, and lots of chrome; everything straight out of the 60's. That car came up for sale a few years back in Eastern Washington; I remember it being listed on Craig's List, of all places. I have't been to a big car show in years. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I bet you and I probably saw a lot of the same cars.

 

George, hate to tell you this but you missed the best part. I was the perfect age in 67. I was 13. Building models, reading magazines, seeing the 60's show cars. Young enough for it all to be bigger than life but old enough to know what it was and actually experience it all.

 

Oh, I know, I know. But I got obsessed younger than most guys. I started making an annual pilgrimage to the PNE show at the age of 9. But yes, I missed a lot, other than seeing some of it vicariously in the magazines. I started buying magazines as soon as I got an allowance, which was age 6. It's astounding to look at my daughter now who is 7, and to realize I was buying hot rod magazines at that age! I do think the prevalence of TV now is slowing kids reading development a lot!

 

George, guess I was like a lot of other guys here. Building models and reading my uncles "hot rod books" from about 8 on, 1966 or so. Dad was only into planes and flying models than real stuff. All we had to do was think about going to Friendship Airport (BWI now) on the observation deck and we were there. My brothers and I could plead all day to go to a drag race or something and it would never happen. We did get to go to the Baltimore Civic center for the big car show once a year. But I found out later it was only because of the $1.00 beers and ******* bunnies that were there. It was pretty cool though, displays were everywhere. People were dressed nice, like they were going out to dinner. And you really had to be on your best behavior as a kid. Good bit different than today. What also happened to me about that time was the fact my elementary school was getting some work done on it. And for second grade we had to go to the local high school for cl***. Right there next to the office in a show case was a model car contest. Also we had to walk past the auto shop and they were building a car for the car show. Sort of a beach buggy thing. I almost couldn't take it all in!! Gene.

 

Same with me, my dad hated hot rods. He was a sporty car/road race guy. That's why I started bussing it out there at nine, that's the only way it was gonna happen.

 

I am amazed you were making that hour away bus ride alone at that age. As I said, at 13 I was with my parents at the fair. You were the man even before you were the man !

 

It was different around here then, we were country kids, we were so much different from my own 7 yr old daughter. When I was 7, my neighbour friend Wilfred and I packed a lunch and hiked 6 miles one way into the BUSH and I mean BUSH, no roads, just trails most of the the way,to make a trip to a lake in the UBC research forest. We left in the morning, ate lunch at the lake and hiked back, got home about 4 in the afternoon. No one thought anything of it, not us OR our parents.
Totally unrelated to this thread, but my daughter is 7, man she would NEVER do that! She gets nervous if she is in the house and I am outside for 10 minutes. I didn't really think about it then, and in retrospect, I didn't really have what I would consider a healthy relationship with my parents, but man, we sure were fearless and independent. Now the flip side of that is, by the time most of us were 13, we really didn't give a **** what our parents said or thought, and we got our selfs in quite a bit of trouble, so not sure it's a really good thing, but that's the way it was

 

It was indeed a different time. If you were home in time for dinner all was good. It was nothing for us to ride our bikes to somewhere 20 miles from home and always feel safe.

 

Yep way different. My buddies and I would leave early to go to who knows were on our bikes. And as long as we were back for supper and didn't have any bad news beat us home all was good. Getting us out of the house was Not a problem.

 

The New Jersey Timing ***ociation was running car shows as early as 1953. Our first indoor car show was in 1954 and was held at Julian's Garage on route 9 in South Amboy. This picture from that show is the well-known coupe of Andy K***a after it had been channeled but before the 4-carb manifold and T-shaped air cleaners had been added. And before the shell had been plated. This coupe was recently exhibited at Pebble Beach.


Our first large indoor show was in 1957 at The Roseville Ave. Armory in Newark.

I have written the history of the NJTA with many pictures and will soon be peddling it to one of the mags.

 

Later picture of the K***a Coupe in it's show winning form.

 

Close-up of the carbs/air cleaners.

 

Color shot.

 

I saw the K***a coupe in one of my dads spotlight books when I was about 3-4 years old, and it stuck with me all my life. My mom used that book to teach me to read at a very early age, and it was kind of rooted in my subconscious for my entire life. Then last year, I bought half a dozen spotlight books from Enloe. They arrived, and I was reading them, all of a sudden, I open this one book in particular, and it was like an LSD flashback. I "knew" what was on every page before I turned it over, a very strange sensation. Without realizing it, I had purchased that same spotlight book that my mother had used all those years ago to spark my interest and get me to start reading!

 

I think the K***a Coupe was featured in the first issue of Hot Rod I ever bought. That chromed '32 shell and 4 carb setup made a lasting impression, and the fact it was East Coast was special. Finally saw it last year in Rhinebeck, N.Y. restored to how it was in that issue of Hot Rod. Bob

 

You guys were lucky. I didn't get to go to a car show until I was 19, after I had gotten married. World of Wheels, Birmingham, AL, Jefferson Civic Center. Had been reading mags since I was about 10 when a friend gave me a 1966 issue of Hot Rod, but there weren't any car shows around here back then. I got to see some magazine car, don't remember which one, I had drooled over in Hot Rod. That would have been in 1978. I had visited a small , unsanctioned drag strip back in 1976 when I was 17 though. Matter of fact, second time I went, I ran my 67 Mustang. My folks would have killed me if they had of known...

 

Two major events for me growing up in Pueblo. The annual show in the Agricultural Building at the State Fair Grounds, and the Sabers Car Show in Denver at the Colosseum. Started going to the Pueblo show in the '50's, mostly local guys showing off their work, but for me it was so unbelievable, I couldn't wait for the time for it to come around again. Then, the really BIG show, was in Denver. In high school we would all pool our few bucks together and make the long (100 mile) trip to go see the Sabers Tri-State Auto Show. Saw things like Tommy Ivo's 4-engine dragster, many Barris builds, jet cars, and on and on. Us old guys still talk about how exciting it all was!!

 

We had Daryl Starbird and his "Star Car Caravan" come and set up a show every year (early 70's). Never could talk my Dad into taking me so I was in high school (drivers license, independent now) before I saw the first one, like a lot of you it was the only time I could see first hand real big time customs and hot rods like in the mags. I couldn't wait for the next year. Got worse the year after high school, we actually entered the show with my brothers 67 Ranchero we had built in shop cl***. Won 1st place in cl***, I was hooked, shortly after that I dropped out of college to become a "custom car" builder. Saw Daryl a couple years ago, told him I should kick his ***, said him giving me that first trophy made me change from a lucrative career as an architect to a starving custom painter. He laughed, thought that was pretty funny. We had a nice visit talking about those shows. Back then I also started going to other shows near me, El Paso, Tucson, Phoenix. Denver was the best, it was a ISCA 5 star show, they had some serious show cars. Drove a 56 Nomad to that show one year in a nasty snow storm, looking back I can't believe I even tried that! Heck, I can't believe we would actually drive the cars to the show then spend hours cleaning it, but the car took all the extra money, we couldn't afford a trailer for a couple years so you did what you had to.
First time I got to show at Oakland was a really big deal for me, I remember walking in and looking down onto the floor of the Colosseum and thought, wow, I've "made it".
We had drag racing and that was cool, we even would have some name guys show up to our little track. All summer we would go watch, sometimes race but I was more into customs so I lived for the winter and the indoor shows. It wasn't till the NSRA and later Goodguys started their thing did I start leaning away from the show cars and more to the drivers.
Kinda funny, I hardly ever go to a show now days and when I do, I get board pretty fast.

 

Bob, I've GOT to tell you about the ('57? not quite sure of the year, '56, '57 or '58? (It was just prior to the rollover and total of the Dream Truck and Cameo in Kansas)
I was at the San Jose Autorama on Thursday evening, 'Setup Nite'. Hanging with some of the 'heads', walking the floor and stopping at most exhibits, helping entrants move stuff, adjust stanchions, etc.
SO cool to be 'one of the boys'...getting to know most of the guys, hell I knew most of the 'wheels' already.
But I was grateful.
Then the side rollup door opened, and Spence Murray walked in, (big gun from R&C mag, recognized him from pictures in the mag) so I naturally strolled over, it was raining outside, and they had just rolled the fresh R&C dream truck off the open trailer. (don't remember if the Cameo was pulling the trailer, been years)
We pushed the R&C Dream truck inside, and I was honored to run and hit up Lou Machiarella for some white terrycloth towels...then 'allowed' to wipe the lavender paint dry, very gently...Four of us wiped it down, it was like petting a beautiful girl, with all of its graceful curves...
I especially remember the split between the quad headlights back over the front fenders...
Didn't even remark about the open trailer, it was the 'norm' back then.
After we got the Dream Truck to its 'stall', I was treated to a cup of coffee with the older guys, just like hanging with 'Hollywood'! (my 'coffee' was like a Latte', so much cream and sugar!)

 

Thanks Mike! Back in 1978 I had my restored Riley 4Port Sprint Car on loan to Eastman Kodak in NYC for 4 months, and meet Spence Murray there. There must have been some Petersen connection to the exhibit, but I don't remember what it was. I had a nice chat with Spence, I'd followed the '36 Roadster build in R&C, and he was the first "Magazine Guy" I'd ever met and was truly surprised that an East Coast guy knew anything about what he had done to get us hooked on Hot Rods. Cl*** act guy. Bob

 

George, I got hooked when. Was about 10 years old as a neighbourhood friend's older brother had some AMT kits. Started saving my allowance and cashing in pop bottles to buy my own and the paint and glue. Then came slot cars and my pilgrimage to Grand Prix Hobbies on west Broadway in Vancouver to check out their increidable tracks. Got a Strombecker track when. Was in grade seven. I guess I was about 13 or 14 when I went to my first and only PNE car show. Saw some really special cars and the old Payless Auto Asessories well standing Dodge. What an experience! But I wasn't in th sloop so I never knew about them and the dates. One thing I remember well was riding my bike up to Western Accesories and scrounging the Mission Raceways posters Monday's after the Sunday drags. A buddie and I were into cars, , models, drag racing and my Dad would drive both of us out to Mission from east Vancouver when th e Lougheed Highway was still mainly single lane each way. My friend's dad never even offered, too busy playing golf. Those were great times and th be back for dinner rule applied as well after we got our chores done. Maybe it is just old eyes looking at the world today but I really think in a lot of ways society has progressed too far in some regards. I'll see if I can find any old pics and try to post them. Merry Christmas.

 

1955 Autorama (San Jose again) my friends Pat & Mike Donahue and I hung around the NHRA Safety Safari booth from Friday thru Sunday, talking with the NHRA guys: Wally Parks, Bud ****s, Chic Cannon, there was one other man, can't remember who.
We got signed up for NHRA membership, (at age 13) it was $3 for 1 year... I talked at length with Chic, (he was a garage owner in So-Cal, but was talking to members of the San Jose Gear Jammers, and planning to move his shop to Santa Clara. (Chic moved to Santa Clara that year, and ran his award winning '29 Highboy roadster with injected Olds for a few years after.)
His decal was a fat little cannon going off, with the legend: "Noise by Cannon".
Chic was instrumental in the opening of Fremont Drag Strip. I spent many hours in and around his speed shop. He was the first to stock 'Scott Injectors', (remember the injectors that looked like the bones of a Stromberg 97?)
Von Dutch was also at that one, a few guys watching him stripe a 'kustom' whispered about him being 'crazy'...I suspected he acted weird to promote business.

The '57 show featured our local D.J., Frank Woods. He spun sides all weekend, 'Mickey & Sylvia', 'Clarence Frog Man Henry', and all the cool R&B folks...
There was a local striper there, Buddy Kinkaid: "Fuzzy the Striper". Fuzzy was older, about 19. Santa Clara guy, goatee, sawed-off grey sweatshirt, a "New Beatnik" type.
Fuzzy was starting a line on the gunwale of the p***enger door, a crown of about 8 or 10 were watching in silence...when an old man in a worn overcoat (red nose, looked like a wino!) speaks up:
"That line's crooked, see it?" You could hear a few observers gasp, I thought "Uh oh..." Fuzzy stopped, turned and looked at the old guy, (actually not as 'old' as he first appeared) and offers the brush, "Can you do it better?"
The old guy ******ed the brush out of Fuzzy's hand, leaned over the rope, picked up the line and slashed 3 feet of white fine line to the end of the cab, a perfect straight pull! Hands the dagger brush back, reaches in his pocket, and throws a small bunch of calling cards on the running board! Then walks away. I grabbed a card, it read: "TOMMY THE GREEK. OAKLAND."
The most dazzling display of self promotion I ever saw. LOL
Four years later, I'd run up to Oakland and visit Tommy Hrones, 'The Greek'. I reminded him of the incident, and he said the reason he did that was because he'd seen Fuzzy berate some kid earlier for asking questions. Hmmm...a big 'Bully' for the Greek in the overcoat!

In '56, there was a black 'T' Track car ('Nose Job') that a flat top cat was striping, I strolled over to watch. (Track car was built in Fresno by Wally Olsen, later owned by Ray Anderegg...then sold to 'Scotty', in Winton, CA. Scotty p***ed, and left the car to Wyatt Bowman in Merced. A gent that built the Dodge 'underslung' bucket restored the T, then died unexpectantly. A friend of his widow marketed the car, it sold for an exorbitant sum...(chrome wheels, wwws...2 years ago?)
Anyway, sorry for 'drifting'...but seemed important. Flat Top was friendly, I remarked about the 'panel striping', and the delicate spider web on the corner of the turtle deck lid...he was just 'signing' the work, or so I thought. He stood, and I looked at the lower center of the lid. On top of the Model T keyhole, one word: "HOME".
The flat top guy had indeed signed his work...lower right, it said "Jeffries". Very friendly guy, kinda funny to me: he wore a grey sawed-off sweatshirt, but no goatee. But still: Signature uniform of the Beatniks. LOL. There were labels even then.