If you can get away from speeding down the massive interstate system that crisscrosses our great country and slow your speed to fit into the state or county highway system, you will find some really great automotive jewels. Whether these jewels are in the shape of a small hometown automotive museums, the custom shops that you don’t see on television or the occasional rusty relic that really catches your eye, they are there to be found if you just slow down and hit the back roads & side streets.
The scenic northeast corner of Georgia is the location of the small town of Hiawassee, which is home of the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. The mountains and rolling hills was the perfect place to be at the end of July 2016 for the 8th Annual Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In. The event drew in over 500 vehicles from across the country and set a new record for spectator turnout during the 2016 show.
When we have the opportunity, the wife and I travel to automotive events taking our time to venture down the old state highways. Even on the occasional non-auto related trips we still like to run the roads least traveled. This past summer we took an extended trip out into the regions of Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and British Columbia where we traveled quite a few back roads and side streets. My head was on a swivel with my poor wife constantly asking what kind of car or truck I just saw. And let me tell you, if we had stopped every time I saw a cool old car, truck or old salvage yard, we would still be out west!
The city of Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountain region of Eastern Tennessee was once again home to thousands upon thousands of hot rods for the 2016 Fall Pigeon Forge Rod Run. This annual show drew record numbers of participants and spectators into the LeConte Event Center that was packed with show cars and vendors. The show not only filled up the event center but also a large area outside of the building with more show vehicles and vendors. The outside show cars had the opportunity to leave the grounds and take part in what is known as “Cruisin’ the Strip” during the day or at night.
This two-day annual event known as the “2016 Fall Corvette Expo” drew in over 800 Corvettes from all over the United States. Promoted by Cooper Events, this gathering of nothing but Corvette’s of all years was held at the Loudon Municipal Park in Loudon, Tennessee. The event had a Park & Show area, swap meet, car corral and a vendor’s area that had increased in numbers from 2015.
It finally felt like fall as we took part in the Second Annual Coker Tire Toy Drive and Cruise In that was held in historic and beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee. Despite the damp streets and chilly morning, there were plenty of hot rods, muscle cars, street machines, and even a few motorcycles gracing the streets around Coker Tire and the Honest Charley Speed Shop.
The beautiful setting of Beach Bend Raceway and Amusement Park was home for the Goodguys 5th Nostalgia Nationals that was held in October of 2016. This three-day event was open to pre-1972 vehicles and over 1,500 registered vehicles took part in this awesome show.
Rod Parsons of Ripley, West Virginia is your typical hot rod owner meaning he lives and breathes cars and trucks. He has always been a hot rodder and has built several over the years before life got so hectic that he had to have others build them for him. The hectic side of his life comes from the fact that he owns two large collision repair centers and a hot rod shop. But through all of the craziness, Rod still found time to work with his employees on getting a 1967 Corvette that he had once restored over 27 years ago back on track.
When it came time to have the Corvette painted Rod didn’t want to pull one of his painters off of collision repair painting. One of his employees told him about a guy named Greg Killen that could really lay out some slick paint jobs.
Jesse Matlock, the builder of “Striker”, is the owner of Jesse’s Auto Body in Dewey, Oklahoma and has been in business since 2002. Jesse’s passion for cars started as a very young man, and that passion led him into auto bodywork at just the age of 13. Fast forward to now and Jesse still has the love of doing bodywork, now at the age of 40.
He has restored many vehicles throughout his life, but his main automotive passion is Mopars with many of them having won a multitude of awards locally and nationally. Some of these award-winning cars gave him the opportunity to have his work appear in magazines and helped showcase his talent as a builder.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Article by Larry Crain
Photos supplied by Ronnie Mullens
It has taken 41 years for this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air to become the monster it is, and owner Ronnie Mullens of Craigsville, West Virginia has been there throughout its creation. So what makes this almost calm looking car the monster that it really is?
This Chevy’s roots as a monster starts at the finish line where it tore up the asphalt of the local drag strips. Ronnie raced this Bel Air in West Virginia where it kicked butt for 7 years and won a statewide championship in 1978.
Volo, Illinois
Article and photos by Larry Crain
Established in 1960, the location of this unique museum is just off State Highway 12 in Volo, Illinois, just northwest of Chicago. The museum grounds cover such a large area that you actually need one of their maps to find your way from building to building. My very first visit to Volo was in winter, so luckily many of these buildings are attached to one another. Winter in Chicago? Yup, this Southern boy was COLD!
These buildings contain something for just about everyone that loves automotive history including pre-war classics, “Tom’s Garage” that features early Fords dating from the 1920’s and earlier, plus a whole building devoted to military vehicles. There are also buildings that contain collector cars like Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers, Tri-5 Chevys – many on consignment for sale.
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