Photos from the 2010 Nationals South in Knoxville

The two shots at extreme upper left are of a pair of "rat rods" seen by the pond at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville. The upper sedan is Hemi-powered, while the lower car contains a really rough, but workable, t-top.

Extreme upper right shows a couple of cars in the Winners' Circle. The gorgeous black '57 Nomad speaks for itself. The red and black sedan delivery is a fiberglass product; the chrome trim is painted on.

Beneath the rat rods are a pair of Studebaker Larks - unique no matter how they're displayed - or where.

To their right is a very late model Corvette - newer than the 1980 year of eligibility - reformed to resemble a '53 or '54 version. Nice; it got a lot of attention.

Under the Larks are a couple of attention getters themselves: a 1953 Studebaker Champion and a 1964 Lincoln - complete with air conditioning, the only option available on these cars when they were built.

To their right are more photos taken on my journey to Knoxville for the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South - plus. They include shots of the van six of us were traveling in on I-81 south of Woodstock, VA where we encountered a very large deer. No one was injured; the air bags didn't deploy, and we continued our adventure after an eight-hour delay.

1.'Neath the Lincoln: A customized '60 Chevy wagon. Very clean. Under that: A much-shortened '57 Chevy - an eye-catcher.

2. To the right of the Lincoln: Mid-thirties Chrysler Airflow. Colorful - the only time I spotted it on the grounds; it was leaving. Under: A gorgeous Hemi-Cuda built by well-known car guy Alan Johnson. It uses an early Hemi for power, and is a work of art from front to back.

Lower left: An impeccable 1955 Packard Carribean - spotless. Mostly original, except under the hood. No dust anywhere. Perfect. Under that: A "different" green 1940 Chevy coupe. The color caught my eye; I'd like to have that shade on an automobile at some time.

Lower Right: This '39 Nash sedan was parked outside the gate in an area holding cars for sale. The hood was warm, so I suspect the car was driven to the site. It was unusual, but I have to wonder about the reception people gave it as it motivated down the street enroute to the show.

Beneath: A very clean '50s GMC with a different twist to the dividing line separating the two main colors; it was tape, with some interesting reflections involved.

Updated Photos - My cars

Here are some relatively recent shots of the cars currently seeking progress under my care. You'll note: 1. My (non)expertise with the camera and 2. The difference varying shades of light have on the car's appearance. The wheels are a new provision, as of late last summer, from Centerline.

Included are shots of air dams I made during the winter to aid in forcing more air through the radiators on both my Chrysler and a friend's '48 DeSoto.

The pics of my Chrysler - with red wheels - were sent to Street Scene Magazine last year; the top photo to the right of the air dams appears in the current - May 2009 - issue beside an article I wrote concerning its reception by a public unprepared to see me driving an almost-finished vehicle.

Middle left are two photos of my '48 Olds; winter projects included sand blasting the front chrome off the grille and bumper, filling numerous rust holes, and primering the finish.

Right and below show the Chrysler - in a fairly-faithful color reproduction - resting comfortably inside on its new wheels, one of the first editions of this style.

The Creation of Another Street Rod - My '48 Chrysler

Ah, me. Just sitting around reminiscing can be therapeutic, and it often provides the basis for a story that might be, for some, familiar. Let's use the metamorphosis of my 1948 Chrysler convertible as an example:

We have to go back a couple of projects before the 'vert to shed some light on the reasoning for my possession of the car in the first place. It was somewhere in the early nineties, and four of us wanted to attend the Street Rod Nationals. The problem was, the only car available was my '30 Model A sedan; it was severely chopped and we four probably topped out at a half-ton - before dinner. Luggage? Hah!

So, the search was on, and it led me to a suitable '48 DeSoto, a 350 Buick-powered 4-door which could handle the load, if we could reassemble it in time; a couple of weeks were all we had. Anyhow, the thrashing began, succeeded, and we made it safely to the Nationals, which were held in Louisville. The car served me, and us, well for a couple of years - but I had to admit it really wasn't prime rodding material, even though I favor the offbeat marques.

When a fellow advised me of a similar car, though a coupe, I was intrigued enough to re-align my spring trip to Knoxville to enable me to check it out en route - and I liked what I saw. It was serving as a "yard car" in a junk yard, and it ran well as a stocker, but with no brakes other than the parking brake. Hauled home, it eventually became a very nice street rod, complete with a subframe, 360 engine, air conditioning and, in time, a professionally-installed interior. Painted aubergine and strawberry cream, it was nice enough, and different enough, to warrant a few spots in some magazines.

As I was enjoying my "orphan", a friend, believing I favored the marque, suggested we pool our funds and buy another '48 Mopar - the Chrysler. A frantic mother was wanting to get rid of it before her sons sold another car from her late husband's collection to further their chemically-related investments. She wanted cash - and soon; there were lawyers' fees to be paid.

So we bought it, with the thought we'd take the "new" car to York, sell it there and divide any profit. Problem was, no one paid the car any heed; it might as well have been invisible. (It was still a coupe) I watched with intense interest as person after person passed it by; a few almost stumbled into it by mistake, looking past it at a more desirable vehicle.

So I drove it back home - it actually ran very well, and everything worked. I decided it needed some alterations from its original form - still thinking of selling it - and went to work splitting the exhaust and adding two more carburetors to the intake manifold. At about this time, the guy who urged me to partner on the car wanted out, so I bought his share, thus eliminating any qualms about its future; everything done from here on would be my decision, and I had some ideas.

The triple carbs and dual exhausts were neat, and I added a nine-inch Ford rear end with 3.0 gears for better driving comfort - but the bottom line was I had two 1948 Mopar coupes, one more than I needed.

Seeing another fellow driving his '38 Chevy convertible, one he had converted from a coupe, got the juices flowing. Numerous conversations convinced me this was the way to go; his preliminary work involved strengthening the body and chassis to make up for the loss of integrity when the roof was removed, and I liked his attention to safety issues. And I believed the conversion from coupe to convertible would increase the car's attractiveness. A chop of 3 1/2 inches wouldn't hurt; those cars were too high, anyway.

A couple of weeks later I drove my open-air hot rod home, and began seriously looking into the future: what did I want, and how would I get it? I needed a top and a modern power-plant to get me from A to B in quick order. I had noticed a couple of Chryslers at the Nationals using Cadillac engines, and they seemed to fit well, even in my "small" Windsor, which came from the factory using a 6 cylinder engine, unlike the bigger "8" New Yorkers.

So I put the word out: I was looking for either a Hemi (I saw a '48 with one of those monsters - supercharged - tucked neatly between the fenders; it ran no hood and the image was almost frightening) or a Caddy - the bigger the better.

The Caddy was less than two miles away; another rodder, unaware I was on the prowl, was about to junk a perfectly good - as I'd discover - 500 incher. When we opened it up, you could have eaten off the inside of the valve covers; my luck doesn't usually run this way.

Over the winter the GM subframe was installed, and the powerplant, and a custom radiator built locally was added, and I found front seats from a T-Bird that functioned as designed - I was at the ready, as they say.

My pathetic attempt to build a fiberglass roof was intercepted, thankfully, by those who knew the whys and wherefores, and the second try was successful; my brother Rick had worked with Corvettes for long enough to understand the characteristics of 'glass, and the top is now covered expertly in a white convertible material by a shop that specializes in this sort of thing - I'm proud of it and glad my hard-headedness was overridden. Much as I want to do it all myself - there are people out there who do a much better job in their field.

Which brings us to the paint: I painted it myself, except for the front fenders. My expertise with acrylic lacquer isn't exactly legendary, but I was satisfied with the result - until I saw the difference Rick's spray gun made using urethane on those fenders; they were awesome. Still, I thought I'd enjoy the car as is for a while, and we started adding flames - urethane - knowing a better appearance was somewhere down the road, and in a different color.

Unfortunately - I use that word too much, it seems - "down the road" took on a new meaning, and I got sidetracked - often. I put together a 1948 Oldsmobile as a challenge, and helped others with minor projects where I could. (Rodders know where I'm coming from on this subject) So the Chrysler has been in a kind of limbo, though it's been driven, in primer, for too many years to count. But that's coming to an end as well. With all the mechanical issues now solved, digital gauges added, and my "helping out" projects on hold, it was time to put some color on the old, faithful Chrysler. The job is now completed; the hood, trunk and windshield areas have been sprayed a deep orange metallic, with lots of pearl added for emphasis. The fenders and doors - and bumpers, grille, etc. received an equally deep pearlescent root beer, though Chrysler Corporation refers to the shade in question as "Cognac. " I like the name by itself; it says something about the uniqueness of the automobile. We - my brother Rick applied the finish - added some gold pearl to the mix; it came with a 2% copper pearl in the factory formula. I bought the wheels I wanted in Louisville during the 2008 Street Rod Nationals, but they wouldn't fit - the back spacing on the rear wheels wasn't sufficient to clear the fenders; the nine inch Ford diferential was too wide. I've exchanged them for another style - more expensive but custom built to my specifications, and they should be in place by mid-September.

I'm enclosing a few photos of the Chrysler as it was and as it is, and one of the '48 DeSoto coupe which preceded it; it's been sold. Keep in mind this wasn't a convertible at the outset - I have a photo of it taken when it was "new" to me, before its first trip to York; it's made many since.

An Answer to a Challenge - Victory is Hollow

"Mr. Deep Pockets." "Money Bags." You have to be rich to own a street rod." Those were the words hurled my way by a surly, unknowing fellow as he poked my chest - with yellowed fingers - and I instinctively responded by engaging my mouth before my brain was fully in gear. While he lit up once again, I promised I could build and drive a safe street rod for the price he'd pay - in a year's time - to ruin his health.
"You're on" he wheezed, flicking away the ashes his jittery coughing caused to drop onto his shirt. "And my mouth has gotten me into another jam," I quietly realized. We agreed on a $5/day habit, or, to satisfy the politically correct: 50 cents a pound. Either way, I had an $1825 budget with which to put another street rod on the road.
And so a new adventure was born; paint for the Chrysler 'vert would wait. Again. I found an Oldsmobile, a fairly solid 2-door sedan with front fenders and hood rusted badly. For the cost - $100 - I couldn't refuse the opportunity, and I saved another car from the crusher. I began with an '83 GM subframe grafted 'neath the 48's firewall; the rear end was installed using Cutlass coil springs - four inches shorter than stock. Project '48 Olds sat comfortably on four wheels; the driveshaft - sheer luck - would prove to be a perfect fit. A multiple-use bracket was fabricated, bolted at one end to the firewall and at the other to the dash, preventing that firewall from flexing when the brake pedal is depressed. The steering colun mounts beneath the bracket in a stock manner, and I mounted relays and some necessary circuitry to it - out of sight but handy.
The power brake booster was bolted onto the firewall, and the pedal was lengthened a bit. The throttle pedal location was determined by installing the driver's seat in a normal position, then finding a comfortable "feel" for my right foot. I've spent too much time in too many street rods - mine - regretting my foolishness in not planning the correct placement of these important elements.
Cutting the collapsible steering shaft, then placing the halves in either end of a heavy wall pipe with an inside diameter of 3/4 inch enabled me to use otherwise stock parts to stretch that column sufficiently. The ends were held tightly in place in the pipe with roll pins, and the assembly was welded once the final dimensions were okay'd.
The body, with surface rust eliminated, was in remarkably straight condition. It didn't take a lot to prep it for primer; color will come later, though I lean toward a sunset orange and black combination.
The powerplant problem was solved in a right and proper way: A friend, knowing of my need, spotted a ratty Oldsmobile sedan at an estate auction in Pennsylvania. When it drew no interest, he bid $100, at which time another fellow uped the ante a few bucks. Eventually my buddy found himself, at $200, the owner of a 1979 Olds 98 Royale with 40,800 miles showing. A turn of the key revealed a fully charged battery - the tires were new as well - and the fuel level was sufficient for the drive home, so drive he did. The animated phone call was next.
Long story short: I gained a loaded donor car - power everything - with a four barrel-urged 350 cubic inch engine, minus four tires and radio - a fair transaction, you'll agree. The spare tire was never on the ground.
The '79 had many parts I could have used, had I been patient, but I'd already spent $75 for the subframe, steering column, brake system and rear end from an '83 Buick Regal. I sold the corresponding items, though, from the Royale for $200, and gained many usable things: horns, wiring, light bulbs, trunk lid opener, wire wheel hubcaps, etc. Doing the rodder math, I got the latter car free.
I removed the '48 tranny crossmember, which held the bracketry for the underfloor master cylinder and brake pedal, and created a new one, making it unboltable. A rear transmission bearing and seal problem on my '48 Chrysler a few years ago in Kentucky resulted in the entire housing being replaced. Luckily I had made that crossmember removable, a lesson I'll not forget. Motor mounts? Square tubing - welded.
While beneath the Olds I mounted the proportioning valve which distributes brake fluid front and rear from the firewall-fastened master cylinder. It hugs the frame, and the input lines remained as is. I didn't intend to skimp at the expense of safety; all brake lines to the four wheels were renewed - cheap insurance.
The original radiator shell fits inside the Buick subframe, though it's a close call with the power steering box and its hoses. To install it I erected upright attachment points on the frame rails, and I welded a plate off the front of the crossmember. The positioning is critical; the front sheetmetal bolts to the shell. Up, down, in, out and "square" locating will determine how well the front end fits. We've seen otherwise attractive autos with problems in this area. Measuring and marking, before the original '48 frame was dissected, helped a lot.
I mocked the front fenders in place, fenders I gained when I bought another Olds - a '46 - for $500 - which had originally held a straight-eight engine, and nothing I needed was the correct size. Everything was larger than the corresponding part on my '48 "6". As it turned out, though, it was for the better; I priced replacement parts. Trimming a couple of inches from the bottom, and a few more from the rear, enabled them to fit neatly onto the body; the contour beneath the hood was right and besides, I'd have to do something about the rusted-beyond-hope "bonnet" anyway.
Solution? I'd done many rodding modifications in my lifetime, but had never "pancaked" a hood. Slicing three inches at the front, and continuing that pie-cut rearword, the remains were tacked together, and the relic served as a one-time mold for a fiberglass unit. I was fortunate to buy the needed 'glass products at cost, and thus have under $80 invested - it's a neat alteration, and one which will set PO48 apart from others.
A couple of years ago I won, as a door prize, a recessed license plate holder, and it fit perfectly, replacing a worthless, keyless, frozen-by-time trunk handle. In the process an electric opener from the donor car was installed - a nice addition.
The larger-than-mine Olds also came with a re-upholstered interior - mine had been stripped clean - though it had to be trimmed to fit, a small cost for the gain and, remember, I was building this on the "very" cheap. Gauges from the local parts store would suffice, though it might have been better to opt for electric where possible. A flat fiberglass panel, inserted beneath the original stainless trim ring, accepted them nicely, and I have only $145 invested, including high beam and turn signal indicators - no speedometer as yet, but there are future swap meets on the calendar.
A friend was discarding his CD player, upset at its erratic behavior. Checking continuity, I found a bad connection at the plug, soldered a wire around it, and am quite happy with the result. A housing - fiberglass again - looks almost original in the dash.
Aft, I had the original fuel tank reconditioned, and reinstalled it after all the welding was finished: suspension, shock brackets, etc. I bought new shock bolts, with bushings, and new shocks as well. A fellow, going out of business, gave me a roll of 5/16" steel tubing, and it worked well for my fuel line.
I had replaced the radiator in my '48 Chrysler with an aluminum crossflow product; what would I do with the former? It was a perfect fit (almost) in PO48, and seems to handle 350 inches better than the 500 Caddy it served previously.
Final details involved wiring and exhaust; I had accumulated a lot of excess electrical equipment over the years and have wired all my automobiles. The same fellow who provided the fuel line also had some excellent pipe - and mufflers - available, and I gratefully accepted it forthe cause. Free is good.
Total cost? Two bodies - $600. Gauges - $145. '83 Buick Regal - $75. '79 Olds donor car - free. (after re-sale) Gas tank reconditioning - $55. Brake lines - $28. Shocks, bolts and bushings - $65. Fiberglass material - $80. Two new tires: 235x75x15 - $120. Sandblasting: exhaust manifolds, brackets, dash and window moldings - $75. Miscellaneous hardware: nuts, bolts, plastic filler, welding rod, rubber hose,clamps - $150. Primer and associated equipment (sandpaper, etc.) - $125. Wiper blades - $16. Tags and insurance - $200. I may have missed a few incidentals, but as you can see I came in well under my assessed limit. I won't have any need for trophy polish.
I had planned to drive my instigator around town in the street rod he challenged me to build, but, alas, I can't: He succumbed a few months ago to lung cancer. Obviously I have a hollow feeling regarding my completion of this project, but all in all I'm satisfied; another car has been saved and I utter a silent "thanks"each time I open the garage door. I suspect this scenario is repeated - with variations - in many back yard shops across our nation, and serves as the blue-collar backbone of our hobby.

Postscript: This was written in response to several friends who wanted to see for themselves what this car looked like; the story had appeared in Street Scene Magazine a couple of months ago. So - I'm enclosing a few photos of the car in transformation, one as it was bought, and one showing the shade of primer I'm applying, only it's on a '46 Chevy fastback - the same body style. Primer thus far is on some places from the firewall back; I've added a couple of shots of the actual Olds in primer, and one from the front showing, but not too well, the yellow engine and accessories, chrome valve covers and flat firewall. The fiberglass, pancaked hood awaits final resolution; it fits and could be installed, but I choose to leave it off until the under-hood work is further along. I've also added some photos of the Olds and its garage mates taken outside on the day my '48 Chrysler convertible was pronounced finished - on the outside - and driven for the first time in almost a year. The '48 DeSoto was left behind - abandoned? - by a friend who went back to Ohio four years ago. They get along well together, and there's always something to do to one or the other vehicle. Hope you enjoy the tale and the pics. Al