THE REDNECK RUMBLE 2017
The 2017 edition of the Redneck Rumble took place on September 16th in Lebanon, Tennessee. Here’s a few pics for those who could not make it.
KRIS KRINGLE’S KAR KLASSIC
One of my favorite local car shows in Nashville is Kris Kringle’s Kar Klassic that takes place at the Williamson County AgExpo Center in Franklin, Tennessee. The show is “invite only” and features some rare and unique vehicles that you don’t see at other shows. This year’s gems included everything from a 1962 Cadillac Town Sedan to a 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite to a 1958 Ford Skyliner to a 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster… and a lot more. In fact there were so many cool cars that I am not going to attempt to post all of the photos I took here. Here is a sampling but keep an eye on MY FACEBOOK PAGE in the next few days to see tons more pics!
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CLASSIC AUTOMOBILES AND VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES!
Two of my favorite things in the world are classic automobiles and vintage motorcycles. And when you combine them both into one event… well, that’s a pretty good day. Today I made my way to The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee for the 27th Annual Antique & Classic Car Show, sponsored by the Battlefield Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America. But it get’s better… this years show was held in conjunction with the Music City Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. That’s right… a beautiful day filled with classic automobiles and vintage motorcycles…. all in the same place. I could go on about how heavenly that is, but I’ll just shut up and let you enjoy some of my photos.
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1941 CHEVROLET RAT
OK… I admit it… I’m a RAT fan! There’s something way-cool about a vehicle that was produced through blood, sweat & tears in someone’s back yard with available parts. I recently attended the Southeastern Truck Nationals and spotted this beauty. It’s a 1941 Chevrolet truck with a 4″ chop, a custom bed, a 1935 grill and Caddy tail lights. Pretty sweet!
COMBINING MUSIC AND GREAT CARS IN NASHVILLE
Everybody wants to be a Rock Star… right? Well, most of us don’t have the talent required but maybe we can be treated like one when buying a classic, sport or luxury car. That’s the vibe at Nashville’s Rock Star Motorcars. Boasting one of the largest indoor showrooms in Music City, the Rock Star staff includes professional musicians, Nashville songwriters, and other music professionals… and get this, there is a pro-quality recording studio on-site. The music and cars theme is everywhere… and speaking of the latter… the inventory on the day I dropped by was quite impressive and included everything from 1960s muscle cars to BMWs to Corvettes to classic trucks to a Tesla Roadster, and just about everything in between. I’ve never purchased a vehicle from Rock Star Motorcars but if if a classic, sport or luxury car is on your want list, you might want to check them out. They also have a great website that showcases their current inventory. Check out www.rockstarmotorcars.com.
1960 EL CAMINO – FIRST GENERATION
I’ve always been an El Camino fan of sorts but my affections were primarily based on the fact that the El Camino was essentially a “truckster” version of the iconic Chevrolet Chevelle muscle cars that I grew up loving. But what I didn’t know in my younger days was that the El Camino actually had a previous life… pre-Chevelle if you will.
The El Camino was first introduced in 1959 in response to the success Ford was having with their Ranchero model but unfortunately Chevy’s counterpart did not sell all that well and they discontinued production after the 1960 model year… just 2 year into the El Camino’s first life. Four years later Chevy decided to give the El Camino another go and then successfully sold the Chevelle-based model through 1987… but perhaps the rarest El Caminos are the 1959 and 1960 first-generation models.
I spotted this fine 1960 El Camino at a recent show in Nashville and when I saw it I couldn’t help but wonder why Chevy couldn’t sell these beauties. Great body lines, a sporty vibe and a futuristic dash all add up to a “way-cool” vehicle in my book. What do you think?
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GOODGUYS NASHVILLE 2016
I look forward to the Goodguys show in Nashville every year… and 2016 did not disappoint. Here are a few of my favorites on the day!
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A DEDICATED RACER
Those that know me, understand that I am a third generation Corvette fanatic. It goes way back to when I was 17 years old and a ’69 model my father owned… but anyway, I love to photograph C3 Corvettes every chance I can.
This car took part in an autocross event I photographed recently and of course immediately caught my eye. But after talking to the owner, the car became even more special. This car was brought brand new in 1978 and was immediately put on a trailer to be used as a track car. The car has literally been a dedicated race car it’s entire life. Pretty cool.
FIRST CRUISE-IN OF THE SEASON
The first cruise-in of the season is always a special one. Everyone is “itching” to get out and brush the dust off the rides… and just hang! Well, today was that day for me. I made my way south of Nashville for the Gateway Classic Cars of Nashville customer appreciation day. The weather was perfect and turnout was fantastic… and included the local Corvette, Chevelle and Mopar clubs… as well as solo car geeks like me. Here are some of my favorites. Happy cruise-in season everyone!
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BRAGGIN’ ON NASHVILLE AND GUSHER CYCLES
Please allow me to brag on my hometown for just a minute. Widely known for county music, Nashville is much more than most people think and among other things, has a rich history in the hotrod and motorcycle culture. Those traditions continue today and there are a host of talented builders (of both the 4-wheeled and two-wheeled kind) that currently call The Music City home.
One of those talented individuals is J Ryan of Gusher Cycles. I first met J Ryan about 8 years ago at a local bike show and since then have seen him out and about once or twice a year. It’s to the point now that I look for him at any show I think he might be at… just because I know he will have something stellar on display.
Last weekend I attended a show at the Nashville Fairgrounds and sure enough, J Ryan was there with another one of his smokin’ hot creations. You’re going to have to believe me when I tell you that these photos don’t come close to accurately reproducing the gorgeous paint job on this bike (show lighting is always so awesome!) but even so, you can see that J Ryan has perfected his painting and fabrication skills to a level that most will never reach.
Take a look and then jump on over to gushercycles.com to see more of J Ryans creations. I’m jonesin’ hard to have him paint my Sporty project bike for me and if you’re looking for custom work yourself (paint, fabrication, bars, etc.) you should definitely check out what Gusher Cycles has to offer.
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OUTSIDE LOOKING IN…
I love car and bike shows… probably a little too much since they seem to take up way more of my time than any normal person should allow. They are my obsession I suppose, but I just can’t help it. I love to see classic vehicles and all the things that their owners have done to preserve them. It’s educational, giving me a lot of ideas for my own projects. It’s nostalgic, reminding me of simpler times and the historical significance of the US auto and bike industries over the years. It’s therapeutic, captivating my thoughts for a few hours and allowing me to forget real-world issues and pressures that we all face in adult life. And it brings up fond memories of my youth that includes vehicles I’ve owned in years past and great times I’ve had working on them with my dad. IT’S FUN!!!
Yes… I’ve been known to wander a car or bike show from open to close many times, looking at the same vehicles over and over… but eventually the doors have to close and they kick me out for the night. Sometimes that’s when the fun starts though. I’ve noticed over the years that a lot of the best cars and bikes you will see at a show are not on the show floor but rather in the parking lot. All of the photos in this post were taken in the parking lot of shows I’ve been to. I hope you enjoy them and I also hope that the next time you’re leaving a show, you’ll keep your eyes open on the way back to the car. You might just see some of the best rides all day on the outside looking in.
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AN AWESOME 1977 BMW R100/7
I spotted this way-cool 1977 BMW R100/7 at a local show this weekend. The bike was modded into a cafe’ style by a chap named Bob Long in Sevierville, Tennessee. Here’s what he did:
- Completely disassembled the frame and cleared all unnecessary mounting lugs
- Painted frame and components with PPG PR4 Red.
- Painted side covers, tank and rear fairing in PPG WA600R Black and PPG GAN Silver
- Rebuilt forks and stiffened with 8mm bushings.
- Replaced rear shocks with Hagon SA adjustable coil-overs.
- Added Burley Cafe’ rear tail section and custom seat cover.
- Added Cat Eye tail light and BR sport mini turn signals (front and back).
- Added European spec “low bars.”
- Added “Pea-Shooters” slip on mufflers and header wrap.
- Deleted rear fender and shortened front fender.
I think the results are fantastic… I love this bike!
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2015 TENNESSEE MOTORAMA
I made my way to the Tennessee Motorama today in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was a great show to kick off the new year. Here are a few of my favorites.
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GREASE MONKEY ISSUE #13
Issue #13 of Grease Monkey Magazine is in the stores now. Be sure to grab a copy and check out my photos of the DoMaCo Norton, as well as re-cap photos of the 2013 Spring Thaw bike and Rat Show. You can view the entire magazine here.
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DOMACO NORTON
I did a photo session with this cool hybrid Norton a couple weeks ago. It was built by local builder Lance Dodson, out of his Dodson Machine Company (DoMaCo) shop here in Nashville. Images from this shoot can be seen in the current issue of Grease Monkey Magazine.
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THIS YEAR’S VERSION
I got ambitious and decided to re-paint my vintage helmet. This is the third version of it so far… simple, homemade silver-flake!
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ANOTHER SIGN THAT SPRING IS JUST ABOUT HERE
Every Easter weekend, the local CMA chapter holds their Blessing of the Bikes event. Riders from all walks of life come to the local park and the good people of the Cornerstone Riders pray over you and your bike. It’s nice to have people care enough about you to spend a few minutes praying for you.
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HARLEY-DAVIDSON SEVENTY-TWO REVIEW
In case you missed my review of the Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two last year… HERE’S A LINK TO IT.
CAUGHT MY EYE AT THE 2013 SPRING THAW
Every year in March, my good friends over at Both Barrels Promotions put on a great bike show in Shelbyville, Tennessee called The Spring Thaw. Each year it marks the onset of Spring for me…and more importantly , the end of Winter! Well, today was the day, and the event, as usual, was awesome. I took a bunch of photos but one bike in particular caught my eye. Check out this gorgeous 1976 FLH from Harlot Motorcycles.
Check out more of my pics of the Spring Thaw at swag.zenfolio.com.
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FAST ‘N LOUD IS GOOD FOR THE INDUSTRY
What’s the deal with all the haters? I just read through a thread on a well-known car-related forum, where a majority of the posts were ripping the Gas Monkey boys a new one. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Gas Monkey Garage is located in Dallas, Texas and a film crew has been following them around, producing a “reality” show called “Fast ‘N Loud” for the Discovery Channel. For whatever reason, a lot of the good-ole-boys are not happy about it. I’ve heard the bashing in several other places as well… and frankly, I just don’t get it. Why is it that every time someone gains a little success and notoriety in the automotive/motorcycle industries, people start taking pot shots? The same thing happened with the Teutuls on “American Chopper” a few years ago. That show single-handedly brought more attention to the custom bike industry than anything probably ever has, and yet… bashing Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. became the “hip” thing to do among the bike-builder pack. And, now it’s happening again with Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman. I don’t care if you like the guys (or rather, their TV images) or not, if you own a car-restoration business, you ought to be thrilled that people across the world can tune in every week and realize the fact that their dream car is in fact doable and attainable. People buy custom cars and motorcycles on emotion, and the Gas Monkey guys are fueling the fire. Stop looking the gift-horse in the mouth and take advantage of the exposure that these guys you hate so much are giving your business for free! Then get out there and work your ass off to put out the baddest vehicles you can come up with. Maybe your ego can’t take the fact that they are on TV and you aren’t… but the fact is, “Fast ‘N Loud” is good for the industry.
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WHAT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
What! Are you kidding me? The Sporty has gotten out of the garage 2 weekends in a row now. It’s almost like riding season… and Spring is so close you can smell it in the air. Bring it!
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WHOOHOO… CAN’T WAIT!
This morning I walked out into the garage, just to check on Otis and the Sporty. I do that more often than I should probably admit. I mean, who makes the effort to peek into the garage, just to stare at vehicles they’ve seen thousands of times before? Well… I do, and my guess is that if you have the right vehicle, a lot of you do too.
But… back to my point. It’s cold here in Middle Tennessee, like 21 degrees, but the sun is shining bright and is cascading through the windows…. bouncing off of Otis and painting the entire wall a glowing red. For some reason, it reminded me that the “Dark Months” are nearly over! I coined the phrase “Dark Months” a few years ago in an effort to describe the time between November 1 and March 1 when the days are short, the temperatures are low and good riding days are few and far between. They suck! But we’ve almost survived them again. It won’t be long before Otis and the Sporty start getting out way more often than they have been recently. Whoohoo… can’t wait!
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MORE OF MY ARTWORK
I recently had the honor of creating some more artwork for the good folks over at Both Barrels Promotions. This is a cool event. Vintage automobiles letting it all hang out on the drag strip.
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THREE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
The Dark Months have been up and down here in Middle Tennessee. Ice storms followed by temps in the 60’s are probably why I’ve contracted 2 head colds already this winter. But, I’m not complaining. I’ll gladly tolerate some harsh weather if it calms down every few days. That’s much better than the extended periods of doom and gloom we’ve had in the past.
Today was January 26, and by all accounts right smack dab in the heart of the Dark Months. The good news is that and we were blessed with sunshine all day long and temps in the upper 40s. To make things even better, our local H-D dealership (Bumpus Harley-Davidson of Murfreesboro) held an indoor mini tattoo convention, so I drove Otis down to check out the festivities. I saw some fantastic artwork and got to combine three of my favorite things in the process, Old Trucks, Harley’s and Ink. I snapped the pic above of Otis in the parking lot.
I even got back early enough to get the Sporty out for a bit before nightfall. Put about 30 miles on it before returning to the house. Frankly, the cold was pretty painful! But, it was a blast and I’m happy to say, the Eagle is still Screamin’!
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