Customs Kustom Kemps of America + Salina = KOOL!!!

Thank You!! Jerry & Devona ***us and all KKOA crew for all of the hard work.

Last weekend was the Koolest kustom event that I've ever been to. 800+ Kustoms and Hot Rods this year. The only kustom show that would come close to touch it would be Santa Maria. When you are checking out all of the pictures look in the background. You'll see a **** load of Kustoms & Hot Rods.

I hate it but I was too buzy talking and having fun to take a lot pictures this year. I was able to have some great conversation with a lot of kats and HAMBers. Denise and I actually had time to get beyond small talk. My respect for her is more then ever before. She is a great ***et to the HAMB and the perfect example of what is good with our hobby.... I had to say that or she will hit me again.......She only hit me five times. LOL!!!

My friend (Ross) drove his home built,sectioned, red Merc to Salina this year. You will have to admit the proportions are Dead on. The Merc will be a driver and you will see it all over the country. When is the last time you've seen a sectioned Merc as a driver?

Did you guys notice that were in the beginning stages of a KUSTOM REVIVAL!!!!

Can I get a AMEN??

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Some more.....

 

Mild to Wild kustoms and the last one was my favorite Hot Rod of the show....

 

Wow. Nice shots, thanks.

I see that my friend, Dan Cuellar made it back there from Norwalk CA. That's his gold and white '56 Chevy. Drives that everywhere.

 

Dan is way too kool and look forward to talking to him every year.

His '56 Chevy is timeless...

 

Thanks for sharing. I am going to have to get out to this gig one of these years!

 

Those were "love" taps......after all I didn't leave any bruising right??

It was so wonderful to slow down and be able to hold a "normal" conversation with you for a change. The vibe of the event was so laid back that I didn't feel rushed like I normally do, like I had to move on and see more stuff or I might miss something. I'm really in love with the under 1000 car events even more so now. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Your company really made the weekend even more special for me. Thanks bud.

See ya in a couple of weeks.

 

AMEN!
Had a great time.

 

It was great to finally meet you, Mick! I agree, KKOA Salina is a great show and a must-see every year.

Malcolm

 

It is a serious commitment to drive from Florida all the way too Salina but it will be worth the drive. They're were Kemps from all over the the states & George from Canada.

Your right the show was the perfect size. Big enough that they're were so many cars that you could not see them all. Small enough that you still be able to run into a friend. I'm a Kustoms & Hot Rod addict and I was at a show with 4,000 plus entries. I spent the whole day running around looking (trying to) at all of the cars. Didn't have time to talk.. Car shows are about the people, our rides are secondary.

That wagon of yours is one of the koolest in the country. When I saw ya Kruize in it was like I've never seen it before. The car is kool sitting still but it spiritual watching it in motion.

One of my goals was to meet Malcolm. I've enjoyed your post in the past and look forward to your future post. The sad thing is now we can put a face to the HAMBer, in my case that is not a good thing......

Glad to hear you guys made it home OK.....

 

Amen to the custom revival and I hope it continues to grow, what a great show. Was good to finally meet up with you. Gary

 

Mick the merc looked great........it was good to see you again......see ya in FT Scott.

 

The Revival has been gainning momentium and It was kool to see a lot more younger people this year. This is encouraging.

I was amazed of the number of HAMBers that was there. This year I was going to hangout by my car and meet people. My A.D.D. kicked in and I had to go and talk to anybody that would listen.

Thanks, I had a blast getting back behind the wheel......You guys look like that you always have fun. If I was kool enough I would like to run with ya guys... Maybe someday.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Hey Mick,
Cool pictures! This being our first outing with the green machine it was great of you to show us the ropes and introduce us to such great people. We are now hooked on this website as well, also as a result of such great people.
The reception and the hospitality was an awsome experience! Hope to see you in Dewey in the Spring!

Thanks again,
Harold & Anna

 

AMEN!

I saw pics of your Merc in one of the other posts. The grill and front end looks great. Dig the phone in the dash too.

 

This was my first experience of Salina, and I'll definitely be back. I had a great time!

 

Mick! Which one is yours!??!? I haven't seen any pics of it done!

 

Great pictures, Mick. I was planning on going, even had a room, but things worked out for me to put some color on the '39 so I stayed home and worked 16 hours a day for about six days in a row. I have enjoyed everyone's coverage. Can't believe I worked and missed seeing Denise!

J.

 

....

 

Thanks for sharing I need to try and make it next year.

Your Merc looks great!

 

When I said meeting younger people, you guys were on the list. I enjoyed meeting ya and hanging out with ya Sunday morning. For a while the younger people were like kats at a dog pound. You just don't see many around. Thankfully ever year the numbers are increasing. I told Renee that I meet a young couple that was into Kustoms. She is looking forward meeting ya guys. Glad that you guys made it home OK.

You have one of the Baddest looking Mercs that I've seen in a while. I wish that I took more pictures of the details. Ron Myers did a heck of a job throwing some stripes on your trunk deck......

Welcome aboard and keep up the good work!!

Hey Ron,

When I went to the first Specatular in Wichita 1981, I had a life changing experience when I was intorduced to the Kustom Kemps of America. I drove up in my '57 Nomad and I was a Cl***ic Chevy Int. guy. I saw Kustoms that were perfect and complete, in primer and some looked like they could not have made it there. They were all cruzing around and having a good time together. No additudes just a laid back car show. This weekend reminded me of those days. I was blown away with the mix a quality of Kustoms this year.

I heard some of the guys comparing last weekend to the good old days when they were in Holland. MI. The Specacular is back and has been back for the past three years.

This is a have to attend next year. You will not be dissappointed.

Thanks Ron for the props on my Merc. Ralph Schindel did a heck of a job!

Finally I don't own the ugliest Merc in the Country.

Thanks Mike for the feedback. Ralph did the conversion in less then a year which is remarkable. We are taking a break (too hot) and not doing anything until this fall. The skirts will be extended and will graft a '53 Ford gravel shields to the front of the skirt. They will be painted the same color as the skirt. This way it will look like a quarter panel.

Kool!! I didn't know that anyone would have noticed my phone. I'm looking for a chrome receiver to hang my phone up. I'm going to mount it up higher on the dash right beside the glove box. All Kustoms should have a phone.....

 

Hey, Hows the Family doing?? The Merc is unrecognizable. Some of the guys thought Ralph threw away my Merc and started with another one.

I'll see ya at the HAMB drags.......

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

And the church says... AMEN!

Hey Mick, really sorry I missed it but we had a big fundraiser at out church for our school supply drive. Had a little car show with it so I stayed home and helped with that. I will definitely try to make it next year.

Terry Smith and his future son in law Arch came up, don't know if you ran into them or not.

Car looks great. I know your excited to have it back on the road.

See you in Joplin!

 

The kool thing is the show is so big you could have told me that you were there and I would not have known it. You stayed home for a good cause hopefully it was a success... Besides Kustoms, there were a lot of Kool Traditional Hot Rods. Your tub would have been one of the hits of the show. They're is always next year, it is only going to get bigger.

Terry almost ran over me while kruiz'n around in his panel. I didn't get the chance to meet the future son in law.

See ya the end of the month.....

Leaving Salina I wasn't depressed like I had been that past years. I was thrilled that the only true National / International Kustom oraganization out there is drawing big numbers again. Kustoms are alive!!! Your '55 just hurt me. I was thinking about a record player in my Merc, now I got to find a reel to reel. When you park beside Dan Cuellar's 56 Chevy it was a pure time warp. I could have set there for hours.

Congrats on being inducted into the Hall of Fame. You've done more then you realize keeping the excitement alive within our hobby.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Mick it good to meet you and thanks for schooling me on the anti-glare lights!! Your Merc is looking bad***!

-COS

 

Wow, that is the first view I have seen of the side. What a job on that top shape! Actually it's the side windows, isn't it. You didn't change the top during the conversion, right? I like how the windows are sloping down just a little more than the top.

Yea, dig the phones. I like the chrome that is in the Voodoo Spider! I'd buy one of those in a second.

 

I had a great time this weekend and It was kool to meet ya. Anti-glare lights, you never
know what you'll learn at a KKOA show. Kool and functional.......

You’re correct, during the recent four door to a two door construction, the Mercury's top
was not cut at all. Ralph did a four inch extension to the front doors and moved the back
window to fit. When Ralph was doing his magic, I could not believe how the proportions
had improved after the window lengths had changed. The top of the Merc was Ok, it had
a lot of problems below it.

The Voodoo Spider phone is killer. I hooked up my rotary phone at the house and my daughter had a fit. Every time I was going to make a call, she would run into the room so she could dial the number. After a couple of days she got tired of it.......

Thanks Mark for the tip, I'll have to keep my eyes open for one.

 

Thanks. Love your Merc. Your dash turned out great.

Got these pics off the card and had to post them! Thanks for the help taking them HRLC. Check out what I got on my dash!