After attending show after show all summer, one starts looking just like the next--the only thing that changes is location. But there was one event this year that stood out from the others. The Shades of the Past show, held in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was memorable not only for the show itself, but for what it brought to town.
The show itself typically draws about 2,500 cars and trucks. (This year it was expanded to include vehicles manufactured up to 1964, which brought a new element to the show.) The number of street rods, customs, classic trucks, and musclecars that were in town, though, for this weekend was probably four times that many. The hot ticket for Friday and Saturday night was to grab a seat somewhere along the main drag through town and watch the parade of vintage iron roll by. The parking lots of the hotels that line the street were also overflowing with cars and trucks of every variety.
With all this going on outside the show, you might ask yourself, "Why even bother entering the show?" Well, this is the only show we know of that has such high odds of a participant driving away in a brand-new hot rod. You have to be entered in the show to win because no other tickets for this main prize are sold. So think about the odds: one in less than 2,500--the odds are pretty good to roll out of there in a $60,000 '33 Ford SpeedStar highboy. The second place prize was an unfinished rolling '32 roadster--which ain't bad either.
The show itself was held on a beautiful private piece of propert y surrounded by the mountains that make Tennessee so famous. A huge venders' midway was packed with some of the latest goodies, and if vintage tin is what you're after, the swap meet held a few bargains. For details about the 2004 event, checkout www.shadesofthepast.com and make your plans early.
We have a soft spot for full-fendered...
We have a soft spot for full-fendered original-steel '32 Ford roadsters and when they're as nice as this one, it would be hard not to. A quick once-around Susie and Steve Sumstine's roadster was all that was needed to see that there were going to be several details worth investigating further. The first thing that grabbed our attention was the right-on stance. Figuring that it was just another airbag-equipped street rod, we got down to take a closer look. No 'bags here. We were greeted with a straight-axle frontend and a Halibrand quick-change rear with nothing but springs and shocks. They also avoided the whole big wheel, little tire look and bolted on a set of 14- and 15-inch Torque Thrusts (with 165/60 and 255/70 rubber). Steve bought the roadster as a restored stocker and drove it around for a while like that until Susie decided that she wanted something a little more reliable to cruise around in for herself. It wasn't long before Steve had the '32 torn down to its bare essentials and was building one-off pieces to put it back together. The custom shift lever, bullnose strip, and taillight stands are just a few of the details.
The red leather interior accents...
The red leather interior accents the flawless black exterior.
The tri-powered-topped dressed...
The tri-powered-topped dressed small-block is another aspect not to be missed. Quite possibly, the most impressive thing was the fact that they drove it over 1,500 miles to the event from their home in LeClaire, IA. With a car like that and the fact that they aren't afraid to use it made it very easy to award them the STREET RODDER Pick award.
Here's one we'd like to have...
Here's one we'd like to have as a daily driver. The bright orange '46 coupe rolls on 18- and 20-inch Torque Thrust IIs.
It features a wicked brown...
It features a wicked brown leather and alligator interior with buckets and a custom console.
Nick and Melissa George brought...
Nick and Melissa George brought out their '31 from The Hot Rod Garage in Wilmington, DE, to enjoy some southern hospitality.
Bright orange paint, chopped...
Bright orange paint, chopped top, big 'n' little Radir wheels, Moon tank, and blown small-block all add up to one wild Model A coupe.
Looking like it drove right...
Looking like it drove right off the pages of a '50s Hop Up, Vern and Priscilla Long's coupe is a perfect example of just how good a full-fendered lowered-lid '32 five-window can look. The couple motored in from Cape Coral, FL.
Larry and Vicki Tisdale's...
Larry and Vicki Tisdale's '40 Ford Standard two-door is about as sweet as they come; we wouldn't change a thing. The resto interior may look bone-stone thanks to the original-style material over the stock seats but a few features such as a tilt column topped with the original wheel and hidden A/C vents make for more driving enjoyment.
This one got our vote for...
This one got our vote for the STREET RODDER staff lunch wagon. We're sure that the 350/700-R4 combo, Mustang II IFS, and 9-inch rear would all add up to reliable transportation for when Editor Brennan unlocks our cage for feeding time.
It's not everyday you see...
It's not everyday you see a rodded '33 DeSoto. Matt and Jayme Dillon brought out their more-door from Newman, IL.
The interior has been upgraded...
The interior has been upgraded with a Tea's bucket/bench combo, Vintage Air A/C, and a GM tilt column. The stock gauges have been restored and converted to a 12 volt. An extra pair of Boyd Coddington five-spokes fills the stock dual side-mounts just in case the need to fix a flat ever arises.
The all-steel '34 roadster...
The all-steel '34 roadster of Junior Menendez not only looked the part with its ripple caps, nerf bars, and black paint...
...but backed it up with a...
...but backed it up with a three deuce-equipped '59 Caddy mill under the hood.
The manufactures' midway was...
The manufactures' midway was packed with just about everything you'd need to build a hot rod. If you needed some raw material to start with, the swap meet held some gems of its own.
There's no other show we know...
There's no other show we know of that offers its participants such good odds at driving away in a complete drivable hot rod built by one of the top builders in the hobby. This year the giveaway car was this green and flamed '33 Ford SpeedStar highboy roadster built by Alloway's Hot Rod Shop. As if that wasn't enough of a reason to put your number in the barrel, the second prize was a rolling '32 Ford roadster highboy (sitting next to the SpeedStar) that just needed paint and upholstery.