Event Coverage 2023 KKOA Salina

Lets start with Ross Rodendecks Chopped and Channeled Merc. He is 90 and drives the car everywhere. His wife tags along as well. He was the grand Marshall and led the Parade that happens Thursday night in downtown Salina. He hails from Colby Kansas. He built the car in 1980.

 

There are other threads with random pictures showing a multitude of different style of cars. I will focus on the customs only and all the activities that happen during the event. I have not missed this event since they moved the KKOA Spectacular to Salina.

 

I love this chopped, channeled and sectioned 55 Chevy from Nebraska. It is a regular at this event. If you look at the background of the pic`s I take, you can get a feel for the shows surrounding. And of the cars I did not take pictures of. Some people don`t go because of the many non-custom cars that show up. But are you gonna stand at the gate and tell them to go home. Who makes that decision.

 

Thanks for the pics. I went to this show almost every year in the 80s. Went to Lansing the year it was cold, and Davenport the year the bank signs said 105, and the storm was worse than I'd ever seen in Tennessee. Now work, etc., makes it tough to go. Appreciate all the pics.

 

I really appreciate photos like this, from events that I have never attended but would love to. Gives us all a great view of what happened and as I've said before, the comments/background that you post with the pics is great.
Thanks for posting!

 

The late Kim Johnson and his wife Nancy Own this 40 Merc Convertible. Nancy from Council Bluffs Iowa let Mike and his dad from Omaha drive the 40 to Salina. It will then go into the City Of Salina`s Car Museum where there is a wing dedicated for the KKOA. I need to go, but haven`t taken the time from my busy weekends at the show. The 40 was owned by the Late Dave Barnes from my hometown. He never finished it. He had a chopped 50 Merc with filled in rear quarter windows. It burnt up in a fire before the 40 was finished. So the 40 got Music notes covering the speakers in the quarter panel by the back seat. The same as the 50 Merc. This car has been driven to 46 of the 50 states in the U S. [/ATTACH=full]5801943[/ATTACH]

 

Cool - Thanks

 

Following. Thanks for the coverage Jim. Snowman ⛄️

 

@stanlow69 I am looking forward to your custom coverage. I just did not have the proper time to walk the park and see all I wanted to see in one day.

I love seeing friends and making new ones at this show. As for the cars, I am strictly there for the kustoms. Since it is right in the name, KUSTOM Kemps of America, I wish there would be a focus on them. I would love to see the first portion of the "Run whatcha brung drags" be only traditional kustoms. Then open it up to the all comers ... gassers, hot rods, drag cars, rail jobs...

I've got other ideas, but I don't want to hijack your thread. Anyone reading this, please "start a conversation" with me if you have ideas on how to focus on the kustoms.

Jim, when you get around to posting the light blue '52 Chopped Ford Convertible, post a link back to page 239 of the Kustom Blues thread. Member Twenty Gallons was looking for that car about 8 years ago.

 

Keep those photos coming.
In response to 54Delray on "other" rides in the show, that is just the fact of life anymore that if you are going to put on a big annual event you need their entry fees and money and the people they bring to help pay the bills.
But then as that old from 1961 says "Just walk on by". If you aren't interested in that particular car just keep moving on to the next one you are interested in. Not a biggie, that one might be exactly what the guy walking behind you drove 100 miles to see.

I'm pretty much like Stanlow69 in that I don't or very seldom ever take a photo of a filler car. I've even apparently hurt a few feelings by walking by their pride and joy filler car and not stopping and taking a photo of it but took five photos of the car next to it. Admittidly I am a lot less picky than I was 10 or 15 years ago. In small local shows most older cars get at least one photo in my album with about a 30 year cutoff date. I don't care if your Camaro , Mustang or Corvette club drove 80 miles to the show as a group and all parked together, No photos that look like they were taken on the car lot down on Auto row.

Now back to the traditional customs at KKOA lets see them, we can see the hot rods and drag photos in somone else's thread.

 

Bump

 

@twenty gallons did a thread looking for 2 customs he built in Canada. This is one of them. His last known ownership was Sonny Highland of Renegade Customs from Minnesota. Who said it was built in California. NOT. Gary bought this recently out of California being told it was built by Larry Watson. NOT. It was in bad shape with a horrible wiring job. I told of it`s possible ownership coming from Canada. Gary said he remembers seeing it on the cover of Night Prowlers catalog in its former state. Believing it was built in Canada. Now, where did I put that original pic when Sonny had it.

 

HOW ?

 

I knew Sonny and have 3 pix of it when it was in dark blue. I'll look for the other 2 tomorrow. Unfortunately Sonny died Aug 27 2007.

 

Like this:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/kustoms-blues-i-need-to-see-some-kustoms.946075/page-239

Specific posts (with photos)
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ee-some-kustoms.946075/page-239#post-12329714

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ee-some-kustoms.946075/page-239#post-12330346

 

Here it is:

 

@twenty gallons Found my pic from the Back to the 50`s in Minnesota. Trying to get used to my new non flip phone. Some where I have a pic of the rearend as well. @Moriarity , flip the photo. Looks like it has the Watson badge on the front fender in the pic above as well. View attachment 5803671

 

It's one of the links I posted above:

 

I mentioned earlier about the Late Dave Barnes selling his 40 Merc to Kim and Nancy years ago. He bought this one about 8 years ago. The car was sold after his passing and a few owners later it ended up in Pennsylvania in a wood floored shed being very dirty and a rotted wood floor. Now with a better caretaker, the car is in good hands.

 

Thanks Jim for posting the pics and I enjoy the back ground info. Please keep them coming and thank you for sharing your background knowledge.

 

This family looked like they were having fun cruising around the loop in the Park while riding in the rumble seat.

 

Saw them riding around Saturday. The kid in the rumble seat was being real cautious not to lay his arm on the hot quarter panel.

 

The hot quarters would have left a mark...

 

While I was walking around on Saturday taking pics, I got a shot of the kid sitting in the rumble. I told him, "It's pretty hot back there, huh?" He replied "Yeah". Then I asked him, "But it sure is fun, huh?" And with a big smile on his face he said "Yeah!" E

 

This guy is from either Fort Dodge or Webster City Iowa. He drives it everywhere. bump

 

At the rate I`m going, I will hopefully be done by next year`s show. Soo, here`s a couple more.