Do you remember the movie Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett Brown? Doc Brown, Marty's friend, built a time machine out of a DeLorean, and Marty ended up being unwittingly transplanted back in time 30 years. Every time you go to a car show, a part of you is brought back to a bygone era, and you can envision the cars and people of that period if you shut your eyes and think long and hard.
The year 2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the Shades of the Past Rod Run, held at the Smoky River Ranch in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Everything was perfect for the show, and thankfully there wasn't any rain! This year's show featured 3,291 cars of many makes and models, and, for the 14th year, the club gave away two vehicles that any registered participant had a chance to win if registered before July 15. Keeping with the ongoing Deuce theme, a '32 roadster was coated with 25th Anniversary silver paint and red leather interior, while giveaway car number two was a black big-block 396 '68 Chevelle with a four-speed, sporting an enhanced interior.
This year saw an abundance of quality cars all vying for a pick to be in the winner's circle on Saturday. With the cutoff being 1972, attendees were greeted with a wide variety of rods and machines. The happenings for Friday were the Show 'n' Shine for the Top 25 judging and other specialty awards, along with the opportunity to float within the sea of vendors in search for that must-have part to finish a project. Of course, those who weren't into the whole car scene could make their way to the downtown parts of Pigeon Forge and go to the many shops lined up and down the six-lane road, or even drive on up into the Smoky Mountains.
The gates opened at 8 a.m. again on Saturday, and the Top 25 cars were displayed in the winner's circle, while specialty award-winners were displayed in their designated area. During the day, the Southeast Deuce Club was on hand to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Deuce and also pick out their winners for the day. The Shades of the Past club finished the show with an awards presentation, at which time the Best of Show in the Street Rod and Street Machine categories were announced. Dick Applegate took home the Street Rod of the Year award for his '41 Willys coupe, while Jack Jenkins captured the Street Machine of the Year honor for his '67 Chevelle.
Cruising at the show is a normal sight, and so is cruising the six-lane boulevard in the evening. | 
Street rodders are greeted every year by the Shades of the Past staff as they enter the grounds. Bobby Alloway (right) was on hand (and seen here having a good laugh with Doyle Thomas of Longview, TX) to give a welcome to the Pro's Pick participants as they entered the area. | 
Fresh out of the box is this killer '67 Ford Galaxie, sporting a very healthy 428 Cobra Jet built by owner Steve Allen out of Easley, SC. |
"WUZAWGN" on the license plate doesn't even begin to explain the customization that went into Talbert Goldman's topless '60 Chevrolet. | 
Junk to one person is a prized possession to another. Anyone could find individual parts or complete cars like this rat rod to finish or begin a new project. | 
Oh my, look who cruised on over to the Shades-Paul LeMat (aka John Milner) and Cindy Williams (aka Laurie Henderson) from American Graffiti were busy signing autographs all weekend. |
David Noles out of Morganton, NC, built this cherry-looking '55 Chevy Nomad equipped with an LS1 Corvette engine. | 
Chris Staneck from Waynesville, OH, was caught cleaning his impressive '32 Ford roadster in the Pro's Pick area. All the cleaning on this magnificent piece wasn't in vain, as Chris went home with a Top 25 pick. Congratulations, Chris! | 
Check out the old-school-built '30 Ford of Eddie Rochelle from Goodlettsville, TN. Eddie's ride sports a Ford Flathead with Offy heads and has an open concept look from front to back. |
Jim Wise wandered all the way down from Goshen, IN, in his bad-to-the-bone '32 Ford three-window coupe. He also earned a spot in the Top 25. | 
Dick Applegate, hailing from Wall, NJ, not only went home with a Top 25 pick, he also ran off with the Street Rod of the Year award. His '41 Willys is top-notch, and Hemi-powered to boot. | 
When was the last time you saw a '33 Pontiac Vicky highboy? Feast your eyes on Don Hansen's neat and clean ride, called 1 Old Goat, from Woodstock, IL. |
Brooks Construction has no problem getting to the job site on time with its patina'd '40 Ford sedan with a blown SVO motor. | 
How would you like to build a '31 Model A coupe for your high school senior project? That's just what 19-year-old Kirby Kennedy of Selmer, TN, did. Power comes from a Ford Y-block 292-cid and rolls on Ford wire wheels. Kirby was awarded the STREET RODDER Celebrity Pick. | |