I had that same plan a few years back, but just went surfing all the time instead. I was was waaaaaaay too poor for a place with a garage. I'm not giving up yet. Maui no ko oi!
Read in Honolulu advertiser news paper that Rudy Ramos age 62 was killed drag racing on Saturday at the Kaula Raceway park I think that this was part of the Paradise cruise, his family repoted that he died doing what he loved to do.................
Steve, Are you heading over to Maui before you leave? If you are PM me and I'll give you some places to visit. Heading over in February and starting to collect things for the "bucket list". Dennis
Actually Rudy Ramos died while racing at the raceway park on the island Kauai. Not associated with the Cruise Paradise on the Big Island, but a sad story none the less. Here's the link to the story in the Honolulu Advertiser... www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907050367
I met steve at the first show and talked with him for a while,I had no idea he was on the H A M B, Then at the luau I talked with a guy who was a friend of flat top bob and he told me steve was on the board. Kevin of Olteewah speed shop was here also he stayed at my place. Any body coming to the big island should look me up.
a few of us met up with kevin and his wife for dinner when they stopped by oahu, they were mentioning how you hooked them up with a really nice place to stay, VERY cool of you hilo hotodder!
You're livin' the dream man! That's on my list of things to do before I die... and inherit a bunch of cash..
Now that this post got resurrected I will continue w/ some more of my adventures and some more pics. I was afraid this was old news and had kinda fallen by the wayside, but not for me. Like a said a dream of a lifetime. Not only being in Hawaii which is like driving around Jurassic Park in some places, but getting to do it in a '51 Merc w/ a bunch of other hotrods and customs in front and behind you. Like I said the first show and shine was in Waikaloa(on the west side) and there was about 100 cars there. It was in a parking lot at fancy shopping area......not the best backdrop for a show, but none the less, some great cars and great folks. The stuff during the week which consisted of cruises everyday to all parts of the island were the best. Stunning scenery and some of the locals that hosted BBQ's and pot lucks at their homes/shops were outta sight. The following weekend the show and shine moved to Hilo(east side of the big island) and there were about 400 cars at this one. Like I said before only about 24 cars came form the mainland.........the rest are island cars. It all ended w/ a farewell Luau and we all promised we would be back in 3 years when they do it again. Enjoy the pics and start saving up. If you save $5 a day and put it in your Hawaii fund you will have enough to get you,your famliy and your car back and forth to Hawaii and have all your accomodations and food paid for.
More shots from some of the BBQs. This was at Howard's place. He was the Top Fuel builder and driver that had the 6 sec 55 Chebby in one of his garages. He had one of the most complete self sufficient garages I have ever seen at someone's home. He could literally build any of those cars at his shop w/o leaving to go to the parts store or steel yard.
Then on to the show and shine in Hilo on the 4th of July. I met up w/ Al Pacheco at his shop/house who is the only guy you need to know on the big island. He will take it from there and introduce you to everyone else. He is 4th generation out there on the island. He and his wife Lori are the best. Norm Gonzales from Lompoc was out there for his second time at this show w/ his very early famous custom 54 chebby. Norm has had that car almost 50 years. Man he has some stories too. His car will featured on that show This Old Car w/ that guy w/ the handle bar mustache. He and his film crew came out to the show and they really dug Norm's car and its history.
Then on to the park on Bayfront St in Hilo. What a cool town. Lots of great vintage Hawaiian stores and great old buildings that were not destroyed in the 2 Tsunamis that crushed this town back in the 40's and then again in the 60's. Here are pics of some of the stuff from the show. Lots of open hoods. The island boys like their power plants.
remember in one of the earlier picture post I mentioned this guy Chucky and going to his home/shop. There is a pic of this 32 5W in pieces on his floor in the previous post and one week later it was fired up and driven into the show. This is his wife's super sport also. Really nice cars/Really nice people.
So the show in the park came to end and we all watch a great fireworks show like all good Americans did that day and we all started to prepare ourselves for the inevitable which was the end of a glorious 12 days of cruisin' and car shows. The farwell Luau was on Sunday night and perfect oppotunity to say goodbay and thanks to everyone for a great time(and also embarass myself.......but hey you would have done the same if you would have seen those coconuts). Here a couple shots from the Luau......one of my sweet lil one w/ Miss Aloha Hawaii and one of yours truly embarassing my sweet lil one.
And this pretty much summed up the end of everyday while on this fabulous adventure. Hope you enjoyed it and do what ever you can to try and make this show in 2012. Aloha....
The Jalopy Journal
