My wife and I left VANCOUVER on a cruise ship thru Alaska. First stop was Ketchikan,Ak(small remote island in s. Ak.)Driven thru town by the tour guide;we pass by an older building and I “spot” on the way to a park full of totem poles what looks to be a decklid(trunk area) of what looks to be an early Ford. Once in the park ,we are looking at many TOTEMS, and another remote building with 6-8 early cars. Closer inspection reveals several Fords with “hot rod flatheads”. I took several pics and was astounded to find a Ford truck from the 30’s with Edelbrock heads,2-2 intake with 97’s;next to it was a Model A sedan v8 with cast iron heads and a very rare TALL 2-2 EDELBROCK REGULAR(block letters) and another car that piqued my interest was a nice early Bantam convert or roadster. This is in 1/4 open building that receives 160 in rain per year and rains 270 days of the year. Another mind boggling fact is Ketchikan is the salmon capital of the world. I only took a few pics because my wife didn’t want me to get left behind when the group of 50 people pushed on to another area to view the Totem poles. In another “museum” building that sold trinkets and shirts was a nice 34–5 window.Admittedly, there were more cars in the 3/4 enclosed shed, but I was “rushed” by the missus and did not take more pics.a
Super cool ! My parents and brothers all live in Wasilla. There's a lot of hot rods up there, fella has to remember anyone who isn't a native Inuit migrated there from down here, and lots of them did it in the '40s, '50s, and '60s....so they took their rides with them and never came back. I lived up there briefly and the amount of cars blew my mind.
Going on an inland Alaska cruise in September. Ketchikan is one of the stops. A visit is in order. Thanks for the advance notice.
I have family there and last visit there was a unrestored original and dirty 67 GTO sitting in the back of the parking lot . Older guy was driving at as what seemed like basic transportation. They have a drag strip next town or so over . I saw a bunch of cool cars there. . Nephews wife's brother or neighbor has about a 1965 a chopped Chevy PU. A lot of air force guys live up there as well that stayed when retired.
My dad lived in Palmer for 30 years(just 5 miles from the drag strip),then moved to Nelchina. In Nelchina he always talked about the guy that built hot rods down the road(like 30 miles) One thing about Alaska hot rods, although there is a good collection out and about, the projects they find can come from some gold mine/shack that may be 40 miles or more out in the sticks. If you run across something while out hunting, you best mark it on the GPS or remember how you got there. Lots of swamp buggies and track rigs. Its alot of work but there are guys that will rig up and go back and retrieve them for fresh metal. Check first and make sure there isnt an active claim. Most are there for the taking. Just a big job to do so. Many rare pre war big cars have been drug out and saved. I remember as a kid we camped some out of the way mining site and found a old dozer. Dad told someone about it and they went back and got it. Its now in a museum and they figure it is/was one of if not the first one in the state. And knowing the history of the claim, they figured out who the original owner was.
My nephews father in law builds a lot of those buggies he is pretty well known for building them for guys . there often on a old square body frame like a suburban with double reduction transmissions and big AG tires . A frame and winches on the front to lift up a moose or a logs in the way . I believe he is in Parker . I rode in one in base of the Mountains out side of Wasila .BBC locked diffs basically a giant porch on wheels they park them all together when camping / hunting and hardly get off them . I got pics some were I saw some vintage Iron near Tokentia or how ever it was spelled . ( tourist trap ) looked like a couple model A PUs . nephew said he knew of a a 32 coupe his buddies dad had hid away in pieces . NOT FOR SALE was the answer he got .
The Jalopy Journal
