History Theres more to Hot Rods and Rockabilly than you might think

Great write up Kevin. As for your vacation this year bring your rifle along for some prarie dog hunting!!

 

Thanks for a great post brother!! I have had the cowboy freak on for years and this post is fab. Thanks for taking time to post for us western history buffs.~Sololobo~

 

Great story! I really see the influences. Ever notice that most times when you have a new idea, you see it somewhere else? My last great thought was a probably a felony!

 

For an Englishman like myself,this post was fascinating.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Paul

 

I was wondering if anyone on here lived close to a town called Swearingen in Teaxs I have Always wanted to go out there as it was named after my ancestors.I also would like to make it out to a town in Oklahoma named Blue Jacket as i am a Direct decendant of Blue Jacket the Shawnee indian chief.

 

Wow, that's cool. Perhaps you'll make your journey in your Hot Rod someday and share it with us.

 

Thats what i am hoping for i have heard Swearingen Texas is a Ghost Town now but it would be really cool to go see.I hope to be able someday to head to both in my coupe with my son and my wife.

 

great thread. As for the highlace boots, get 'em here:
www.westcoastshoe.com

 

Check out these two sites (Building The Bomber and Chariots of God):

http://www.myspace.com/moshabel

http://groups.myspace.com/chariotsofgod

I have set up a similar site on Facebook.

I went to high school in the 50's. I wanted a hotrod then, but had to wait until the kids were grown and I was retired. Well, here is the result of six years of blood, sweat, and tears.

I bought the truck in 2002. It has originally been built around 1980 and had suffered from neglect. The original builder had done some unusual things through innovation. He had even boxed the frame with six-inch channel – heavily built.

It needed a complete rebuild. I was told to take it to Mercury Charlie and see what he had to say. I think I was set up. He looked it over, looked at me, and said “Take the fenders off and use it as a rat rod.” What? He said “With your skills that is about all you can do – otherwise it will be expensive.” He probably did not realize it, but that was a challenge.

Dave Berry, my late neighbor saw me working on it in the backyard. One day he stopped and said “You will never build it out there in the dirt.” Let’s get my trailer and take it to my shop. Dave Berry let me use his shop and I relied heavily on his nearly 50 years of automotive and hotrod experience. Dave owned and ran Monarch Transmission for years.

So I took it completely apart and started from the ground up (replaced the frame with another original). Thanks to the patience and help of Dave Berry, Donnie Berry, Tom Loiselle, Joe and John at Monarch Transmission, Hambers, Hotrodders, A-Line Auto, Yogis, Speedway, and Summit Racing it is up and running. Almost everything is new or rebuilt.

It was first started up and driven in late 2007 and became roadworthy in 2008. Now for the continual debug and enhancement. I am thinking of maybe selling it later or trading it for a coupe of equal value (old bones need a cruiser ).

 

Thanks for a wonder travelogue on your quest for warmer weather. Your thoughts on Rockabilly and hot rodding being connected, I believe is more regional than universal. For those of us from the Mid-Atlantic, New England, California and possible the North West, had a very different transition from the Dorris Day period to Elvis and the Beatles. I'd even question your link of Bob Wills style of Texas Swing and Rockabilly by Gene Vincent and others.
One thing I've learned here on the HAMB in the last year is that we all read the same magazines, but our regional influences created many different results. I've learned to be more understanding of traditional hot rods built in the Mid-West, Texas or the deep South. While they are very different than the cars I saw in New Jersey, or in New England when we visited relatives in Mass., I now understand and respect all of the different styles of home build hot rods from across the country.
What we saw in Hot Rod was most likely just the top cars of the day, not necessarly what the majority of hot rods looked like.

 

Better stop and visit us in the Black Hills when you are here my friend!

My place is between the Badlands, Custer State park and Mt Rushmore.

 

Awesome! Send me a pm with your info and I'll make sure to make it a stop on our trip!

 

Thanks for the trip and the insight.
Ray in CT

 

Thanks for the post Kevin. The museums you visted look really interesting (I'm a history nerd too!). My grandpa has always been into the cowboy way, spaghetti westerns, the whole nine yards! At nearly 90 we've finally got him and my grandma (it's a two person operation) trained in watching the old westerns on DVD.

I've said it before and I'll say it again-- you guys are hardcore for riding all the way to Austin on those motorcycles! Modern day cowboys (and cowgirl!) for sure!

 

Montana cowboys were a lot more car savvy than you'd think ... a few years ago, we were sitting in the '62 Catalina 2 door outside the Dillon Safeway waiting for a friend when an old timer in his 70s slowly ambled by - he could have walked over a 55 gallon barrel without touching it - he looks the car over, grins, & sez "that a 421 ? "

 

You got PM Kevin.

 

Good job, Kevin!

We're goin' that way in April and now plan to stop in Waco thanks to you.

Sounds like you're headed to Shoebox Mags' old stompin' grounds this year...you gonna ride a roundup?

 

Kevin:

Don't forget Cody, WY! Stay at Hotel Irma if it's still there. Great Museum too!

 

Great write-up...and looks like great museums too...that's one thing my bro and I do on ALL our rod-running trips: take in the local fare/ambiance by staying off the interstates...Americana is alive and well on this country's two lanes...it just takes a bit longer to get to where you're going...or coming from.

R-

 

Thanks Larry. Yep, we're headed almost back home for her. We'd have to, and might, add a few hundred miles on and go to her hometown of Denton, MT. No roundup that time of year, but we are going to Buffalo Bill Days in Sheridan, Wyo. It's a week long western celebration with a rodeo, gun fight re-enactments, of course the Wild West Show, a Victorian Ball, and a bunch more.

And of course, I'm sure they'll be some junk yards along the way.

 

I totally agree with America still exists where there are no "chain" restaurants or Starbucks. The BEST trip we had last year was out to the Kropdusters Rust Revival. We took U.S. 34 almost the whole way there, ate at some great places along the way that were Mom & Pop diners, had ice cream at a DQ that looked like it could be the original one, and generally encountered no traffic. West of here, like WAY west of here the 34 turns into a divided hiway that is four lanes. We each picked a lane and rode next to each other for almost an hour without seeing even one car, eastbound or westbound. Clear sky, almost windless, and nothing but 85 degree sunshine. It was one of the best trips we took last year. Great thing about traveling all the two lanes are the historic sites, cool old neon signs, and nothing tops the friendly people. Everyone in the diners want's to know where you're going and coming from. Awesome.

This photograph is from Kasas' car on that trip. You can see the weather was PERFECT!! It was great, nothing but what we had rolled up in my rain slicker on the handlebars with all my stuff and Mags too. Nice short trip, no baggage, just what we could carry in that bedroll.