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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WILSON BANK & TRUST OCTOBERFEST CRUISE-IN
Cruise-Ins pretty much dominate my summer. There are very few weekends between May and September that I’m not at least doing a quick walk-through at one. And then there’s winter… when car gatherings are few and far between. At least I don’t live “up north” where people are forced to put their vehicles in storage for months but still, I hate winter and it’s impact on the car and motorcycle culture.
Every year, there is one show that kind of represents the end of the cruise-in season to the locals in the Nashville area. It’s put on by Wilson Bank & Trust in Lebanon, Tennessee and typically draws a huge crowd… partly because enthusiasts know it’s one of the last hurrahs of the year. I spent a few hours wandering this year’s event today and took a ton of photos… and it was awesome! Here are 9 of those photos. I’ll post more on my Facebook page. it’s been a good summer!
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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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STREETSIDE CLASSICS NASHVILLE – GRAND OPENING
Streetside Classics opened their Nashville showroom several weeks ago but today they made it official by hosting their grand opening car show. Nashville is the fifth location for the Charlotte, NC. based business. Other locations include Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Tampa. Specializing in consignment, purchase, and the sale of classic and collectible cars, the Nashville showroom (as well as the other four locations) keeps a literal warehouse full of inventory and will ship worldwide. Enjoy my photos from the show and check out Streetside Classics on-line at www.streetsideclassics.com.
TOUCH OF GOLD 2016
I love Corvettes. It’s a passion that started when I was in high school and continues to this day. This is evidenced by all the useless Corvette facts rolling around in my head… the several trips I make each year to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky (CLICK HERE to read about my recent visit.)… the countless hours I spend on-line, looking at Corvettes for sale across the country… a wall full of Corvette “junk” hanging in the man cave… and the fact that about 80% of all the T-shirts I own have something to do with Corvettes or a Corvette event. My wife claims I have Corvette-Radar… able to spot a Corvette miles in the distance on most every drive we take. Probably true.
So of course, one of the area shows I look forward to each year is the “Touch Of Gold” show which is organized by The Nashville Corvette Club and features America’s sports car. This years event was held on the campus of O’more College of Design in Franklin, Tennessee on September 10th… and the weather was perfect. There were a lot of great vehicles on hand but three in particular stood out to me… a 1972 LT-1 in Sunflower Yellow (1 of 1,336 produced), a 1963 fuel-injected split-window couple in Riverside Red with gorgeous side pies and rally wheels, and a 1978 Silver Anniversary (2-tone without the Pace Car graphics) that was originally purchased by none other than country music legend Waylon Jennings. You can pick them out below.
Thanks to the Nashville Corvette Club for a great event.
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“Touch Of Gold” is not just about Corvettes. Other makes and models are also welcome. Here’s a few pics for the non Corvette fans.
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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.
SOUTHEASTERN TRUCK NATIONALS
I’m a huge GM truck fan so I feel fortunate that the Southeastern Truck Nationals are held each year right here in Nashville, Tennessee. This year’s event took place on July 16 and was held again at the White House, Tennessee city park. It was the sixth annual celebration and the folks at the C/10 Club of Tennessee did a great job planning and organizing another great show. There were lots of vendors and swap meet booths… and of course, some great looking GM trucks. Here are just a few of my favorites. Check out www.gmtruckshow.com for more info. I’m already looking forward to the 2017 show!
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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FANTASTIC SUBURBAN!
Those that frequent this blog know that I am a big fan of 1960 to 1966 Chevrolet/GMC pickup trucks. My passion for these trucks started in the mid 60s when I was a just a little kid… when my uncle purchased a brand new ’64 model in gorgeous Light Red. i loved that truck and the passion continues today with my own 66 Stepside in the same color.
Chevrolet’s lineup also included the Suburban model during these years (the first SUV???) that essentially offered a fully enclosed version of their their hugely successful truck. The meticulously restored example you see here is a ’64 model and is one of the finest 5th Generation Suburbans I have ever seen. I spotted it at Goodguys Nashville and was so taken aback by it that I had to get as many pictures of it as I could to share with you. Enjoy!
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1966 C2 SURVIVOR… IT DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER!
When you go to a show like Goodguys, you can easily get lost in the beauty of the perfectly restored vehicles on display. The level of craftsmanship that goes into some of the classics and customs at these larger National shows is astounding for sure… but I also keep an eye out for any true survivors that might be in the crowd. Especially when we are talking about Corvettes… and in particular, 2nd Generation Corvettes. There is something special about a 1963-1967 Corvette that is unrestored, a little flawed, not quite perfect… and yet beautiful in all of it’s original glory. A true survivor of times past. I spotted this 1966 survivor at Goodguys Nashville this spring and of course, even in the midst of some of the most beautiful high-dollar customs in the world, this beauty stole the show for me.
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1927 FORD HOTROD… THE REAL DEAL!
I’ve been to a lot of car shows in my day… it’s kind of what I do. You know, I grab a camera bag and head out to capture something cool and unique. It’s not just a job, it’s a passion… and in the end I always seem to find something that stirs my inner car buff.
But as you can imagine, just like with any job, sometimes you get to a point where you’ve kind of seen it all before and it’s easy to find yourself in a rut. It happens to me, for sure, but there are other times when a show is just off the hook and I find a whole show full of vehicles that remind me why I fell in love with cars in the first place.
Last weekend I got the chance to hit up Goodguys in Nashville, Tennessee and I sure am glad I did. The show was fantastic in general but there were three or four customs/classics that were beyond words. Cars that just made my jaw drop. I plan to share them all here… and to start, I want you to see this absolutely pristine 1927 Ford Hotrod. A perfect throwback to 1970’s Southern California… I spent literally 30 minutes just studying this beauty and trying to capture it as best I could with a digital SLR. Hopefully, I did it justice.
I didn’t get a chance to meet the owner and/or builder but I would love to have gotten the full story… and set up a legit photo shoot. Maybe next time! (BTW… I did not get in this car, I just have long arms… haha!) Enjoy!
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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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CORVETTES AND AUTOCROSS!!!
I recently had the opportunity to photograph the Nashville Corvette Club’s autocross event at Twin Fountains Raceway in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Turn out was great with everything from daily drivers to cars that are dedicated racing machines taking to the track. The event drew participants from all over the mid-west and the action was non-stop for two days.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit it but… The first time I heard of Autocross was just a few years ago when the Good Guys show rolled into Nashville, Tennessee and challenged my doubting mind. Frankly, it seemed a little out of place to have a racetrack set up in the parking lot of the car show. And seriously, how fun could it be to watch fast cars constrained on a small course of plastic pylons? Well, as it turns out, I found out that autocross is seriously fun and the perfect venue to test man and machine. George Kimble of the Nashville Corvette Club perhaps put it best when he described autocross as not so much racing but more “precision driving.” That’s exactly what it is. It’s driver’s learning their cars and pushing them to the edge to get the very best performance possible.
Autocross emphasizes safe competition and differs from road racing in that there is only one car on the track at a time racing the clock rather than other cars. Because of this format, drivers of all skill levels can participate. Men and women, young and older participated on this weekend with everybody having the same goal of making their next run faster than their last one. Most were successful in doing so but two things were for sure. First, everybody had a great time and secondly, each participant walked away knowing their cars a little better while having improved their personal driving skills. Win, win!
Visit The Nashville Corevtte Club on-line at www.nashvillecorvetteclub.com.
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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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A LITTLE SOMETHING TO WARM UP YOUR JANUARY
So… here i sit in the middle of January with next weeks forecasted temperatures below the freezing mark. It’s not a good recipe for people like me who enjoy wandering through classic vehicles in the heat of the summer. Fortunately, I just came across a few pictures from a show I attended in Nashville back in September. It’s not exactly the same but at least I can re-live warmer times and some cool rods with these photos! Care to join me?
By the way… Alexander King & Hatfield Bloodline were the featured band at this particular show. If you’ve not seen them, I highly recommend you do when they hit your town. They are great and Alexander’s guitar player is the one and only Kenny Olson of “Kid Rock” fame.
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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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STONES RIVER CAR CLUB HARVEST CRUISE-IN
Had a great time with the good folks of the Stones River Car Club today. They are part of the Antique Automobile Club of America and are based just south of Nashville. I pulled the Vette out of the garage at 7:30am and was greeted by a brisk and sunny morning that turned into one of the most beautiful days of the year. It couldn’t have been a better day for a cruise-in and while I was one of the first guys to arrive, the place filled up quickly with some great looking cars. Here are some of my favorites. You can see more photos here.
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WILSON COUNTY BANK & TRUST OKTOBERFEST
I made my way to Lebanon, Tennessee this afternoon to check out the Wilson County Bank & Trust Oktoberfest… which happens to host one of the largest antique vehicle shows in the area. It’s a great family oriented event that includes not only a great car show but live music, art contests, crafts, and a lot more. Here are just a few pics of vehicles that particularly caught my eye.
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CORVETTE EXPO
The 37th Corvette Expo took place in Sevierville, Tennessee this weekend, so I combined a little business and fun, to check it out. The event included a Park N Show, Sales Corral, a cruise of the Smokies, a huge Swap Meet and a decent sized Auction. I wandered around for a few hours and enjoyed the show cars. I even found a hard-to-find trim part for my car, at the Swap meet, for about 1/4 the cost of a replacement part. The auction was interesting. From what I saw, the cars that sold were going for pretty fair prices.
Here are some random photos from the day. If you are a Corvette fan, I’d highly recommend this show. The horrid Sevierville traffic is a pain for sure… but in the end it’s worth fighting to get to the Expo.
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AACA – A DIFFERENT KIND OF CLUB
There are a lot of car clubs around Middle Tennessee. Most are brand/model specific but the Antique Automobile Club of America is different. AACA is a National organization that dates back to 1936. There are chapters all over the USA and they are open to all brands, models and years of vehicles. In fact, you don’t even have to own a vehicle to be a member of AACA. You basically just have to love cars.
Because of these guidelines… AACA car shows typically draw a very wide range of vehicles. I attended one today, just outside of Nashville, and saw a little bit of everything including classic muscle cars, vintage Jaguars, “A” Model Fords and more. Here’s a few pics.
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METROPOLITAN
When I spotted this car at the local cruise-in this week, I wasn’t quite sure what it was. But, the “M” logos on the hubcaps quickly “jogged” my memory and I realized I was looking at a Metropolitan. I remember my dad talking about these early “compact” cars and had read a little about them at some point, but I don’t remember ever having seen one in person.
This example had been expertly restored so, of course, I started taking several pictures with my trusty Canon. And the more I looked, the more impressed I became. Literally every inch of this car was like new and in pristine condition.
My interest was definitely peaked, so I did a little research when I got back to a computer. Here’s what I discovered:
The Metropolitan was offered from 1954 through 1961. This example would have to be somewhere between 1959 and 1961 given it’s external trunk lid, which was not available prior to 1959. The car was initially conceived by Nash Motors who commissioned an innovative designer named George Mason to create a basic transportation vehicle that would be easy on the pocket book both at the dealer and the gas pump.
Today the Metropolitan has become a sought after collectors item. You can find out a lot more about these cars and the growing passion for them by visiting the Metropolitan Owners Club of North America on-line at www.mocna.com.
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