this was one helluva show IMHO, one of the best in many moons. Talked with legendary racer Len Sutton, who told me the most fun he had racing was in a track T in the Portland area... listened to a coupla guys who ran the famous Orange Crate deuce sedan show/drag car heatedly discussing if the slicks that were on the car now were the same slicks that they ran on the car when they were running it on the strip...just seeing THAT car was worth the show. The present owner plans a complete restoration of it this year...talked to another older guy (he's in one of the pix) who had been at the 3rd PRS, like me, and who won 1st place in his catagory with his faded red 3 window deuce....which he brought to this years show, unrestored, and he still drives it...there were some great stories there...sure wish I could've captured them on tape, but alas I was out of time. Some of these pix may not be as clear as I would like them but anyway they are here and should be enjoyed. Hats off to the car clubs and the individuals who thought enough of this show to make it a great one this time around on its 50th birthday.
...and the last of them....hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed being there....what a GASS!!! (the guys on the harleys at the end are me and my son...my oldest daughter works at Paradise H-D in Tigard...so i get lotsa free stuff....I am sure a bike is in my future somewhere...
Nice pics, thaks for posting! Glad to see that blue -58 Fairlane, an old favorite of mine. Any pics of the red rpu with the -61 Impala steering wheel?
this is the only other one I took...its one from about late '50-s-- early 60's and is unrestored too...has the REAL patina from all those years. AND...I forgot this kool chevy sloper...
Thanks for posting, it's good to see all those survivors. The Orange Crate was a Northwest car? I wish I still had my plastic model of it.
always has been....always will be...the display at the show had a pix of this sedan before it became the orange crate...sitting on a used car lot in portland!! Bob Tindle had several car lots in portland at the time and I think it came from one of those lots, but dont quote me on it. Bob Tindle was the credited owner/builder of the Orange Crate.
spoke with him for about 10 minutes...very nice man, and very informative about dirt and asphalt racing....he had the most "fun" in his racing career on the local tracks around portland in his track T roadster...all the other stuff was "just fluff"...but the fluff was a bit more lucrative and paid the bills better. Glad I met him.
Bob Tindle had a "hot rod" car lot on Union Avenue in Portland from about 1960 to 1970 (Bob died about 15 years ago). It was called 3103 Motors, the address of the lot. Bob was the ONLY source for cool cars in Oregon and most of Washington. In 1962 Bob had 2 '63 Corvettes on the front line BEFORE the local Chevy dealer had one. That caused a bit of a commotion! The Orange Crate was built with Bob's money by a Portland Indy car builder. The car was once owned by Albert Drake, hot rod historian and writer. It stayed on the streets of Portland for decades until Bob bought the body. The chop on the body and the rear fenders were done in the early 50s. As the car sits today, is as is was when it won the Oakland Roadster Show. The painting of the Orange Crate was done during the Oakland show. Bob towed the canvas covered trailer with The Orange Crate inside, with a 348 powered '59 El Camino with '60 Merc grille, custom dark green paint, wire wheels and black tuck and roll. Very few parts are different, and the car is totally unrestored. Recently the trophies that you see in these pictures were found in a garage sale in Portland and bought by Chipper Starr who then contacted the Orange Crate owner who purchased them. Although a competition drag car in appearance, the car only ran a few times and never performed that well, so Bob sold the car. The current owner lives in Washington, the car has always lived in the Northwest.
Kool pics thanks..in 1973 my dad took he's 29 cracker cab pickup to the show and i have the second in place trophee sittin right here, a guy named (The beard) came to our place and put the pinstripes to it.which put the erge to pinstripe in me. little did i know it would take 20 years and id learn to stripe...still learnin...
Good to see a picture of Russ Meeks Model A roadster with the Olds Toronado frontwheel drivetrain installed in the rear. I just came across it recently going through some old magazines I've had stored for years. I remember when it was built and believe it won the AMBR trophy. It was quite a sight to see with the rear of the body lifted with the hydraulic rams to expose the engine. Russ was a craftsman and inovator who IMO never got the recognition he deserved. Someone told me recently that he is still building cars and is still as crafty as ever. Anyone know for sure? Frank
That looks like it was a really good show. Lots of real interesting cars to see and pleanty of hotrods. The Red RPU with the pitina belongs to a very nice woman named Joyce and she drives it every chance she gets. THe Orange Crate is simply awesome!
The Russ Meeks roadster was an all-time favborite of mine back those many years ago. It was so outrageous and the build quality was stupendous. While lots of us are now thinking that things have gotten out of hand with all the competition for the Riddler this and the AMBR that, back when Meeks built the roadster it was just a craftsman building something that was WILD and showcased his abilities. I'm damn glad he did and really elated that the car still exists. One question, and this is to sooth my aging brain. Wasn't the owner of the Meeks car a guy by the name of John Corno who, I believe, ran a big grocery store chain in the Pacific Northwest? Or, am I hallucinating again? Or, simply having another senior moment!!!
John Corno's family had a fruit store. its still there (closed) but he's not, I think he spent a bit to much on his toys. a nice car guy Russ Meeks is a freakin genius. nothing that that man can't do. he has a tendency to take on more than he can handle sometimes and the pressure has to be murder. He's got his Bonneville cars, my favorite part is the 9" quick change that he hand built, loads from the front. asked him if he was going to produce them and he just looked at me and said "why I only need one!" he has a 32 ford chasssis that he has for sale, the first one had 12,000 hour development time. Price is $150,000 his prototype has a blown 500 inch cad with a six speed (he said that a twin motor unblown dyno'd 900 horse without squeeze) that he plans to road race (full blown indy car suspension) drag race and bonneville without any changes. At one time Russ worked for Gene Winfield. since then he has won Oakland's AMBR and is Portland Roadster Show hall of Fame. but he just barely makes a living and has never thought of himself as anything but another hot rodder and all around nice guy. I love him!
Thanks guys for the update on Russ and Corno. I did hear about Russ'deuce chassis and, in fact, have seen pics of it - probably right here on the HAMB. He is a genius and, I guess, I can understand why he would be mystified that someone would ask him if he planned on selling the 9" QC when he only needed one! Genius is just different fgrom the rest of us mortals. I would really apreciate seeing any recent photos of Russ and his work. Anybody able to help out here?
The Jalopy Journal
